On the Mets beat

Mets fans need not fret about Pedro Martinez not being ready to start Game 1 or 2 of the Division Series. They can just ask Yankees fans how they felt when Orlando Hernandez pitched in the postseason: In a word, confident.

El Duque may have been the Yankees' best money pitcher not named Mariano Rivera during his five seasons in pinstripes. His postseason record is brilliant: 3-1 in the Division Series; 4-1 in the League Championship Series; 2-1 in the World Series. When the 1998 Yankees, who won 114 regular-season games, faced elimination in the LCS, trailing Cleveland 2-1, it was El Duque who pitched a gem in Game 4 to even the series. The Yankees didn't lose another game that October.

He may not be the El Duque of the late 1990s, but he's been the Mets' best pitcher lately and that's why Willie Randolph tabbed him to pitch Game 1 next week, with Tom Glavine set for Game 2. Figure on Steve Trachsel for Game 3 and if the Mets somehow are facing elimination in Game 4 next Sunday on the road, count on El Duque pitching on short rest, just as Glavine would if there's a Game 5. If the Mets are ahead 2-1, John Maine could get the call in Game 4.

Not to minimize the loss of Martinez, whom Randolph called "one of the best pitchers of all time," but the truth is the Mets may be better off without him. It's unreasonable to assume he'll suddenly regain the health that he admitted he hasn't had all season. It was a bad toe early and a bad calf late. It added up to a bad season.

But guess what? The Mets didn't miss him. They breezed to the NL East title with little contribution for their nominal ace. They got this far without him. They certainly can go further.

As Randolph said Thursday, "We'd love to have him, but we feel we can win without him. The people here kept us afloat all year."