A majority of the slim crowd immediately offered their displeasure at manager Terry Collins. But it was Collins answering for his star shortstop. Reyes asked his manager to remove him from the game if he got a hit in the first inning. So Reyes left Citi Field in the late afternoon as the NL hit leader at .337 and was going to watch how Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers faired later in the evening, second at .335 and would need at least three hits to surpass Reyes.

“I wanted to stay in the game, but Mets fans have to understand, too , what’s going on,” said Reyes who planned to watch the Brewers game against Pittsburgh with a circle of  family and friends at his home in Long Island. If Reyes wins the batting title he would be the first Met to do so, and according to his Major League baseball contract there would be no extra incentives granted.

Reyes, doing what he did, made for plenty of controversy. He admitted after a Mets 13-inning loss, the night before to the Reds, that he would not get much sleep. He said the batting title would be a significant accomplishment and something his people in the Dominican Republic would want. And, Reyes made no reference to his free agency having more value if he secured the batting title.

Collins, who had respect of his players all season, and rewarded with an option on his contract to manage through the 2013 season said, “I heard some comments in the stands. I don’t blame them. People pay a good price to come to these games. “You’ve got to understand that I ask these players to do a lot. We worked hard to get their respect this year and they deserve ours.”

It was an emotional Collins making that statement in his last post game press conference. When asked about Reyes, Collins was obviously holding back tears. His teammate David Wright had no objection to what Reyes did, though some Major League players had their opinion in social media circles and did not agree what Reyes decided to do.

“I guess everybody is entitled to their opinion but in order to win a batting title you have to have a certain number of plate appearances during the course of a year,” said David Wright a teammate of Reyes the past eight years. “I don’t see what the big deal is. I don’t think it’s fair criticism to get one more plate appearance?  He had a great year and we are all rooting for him to win the batting title.”

Reyes was trying to become the 11^th different shortstop to win the batting title and first since Florida’s Henley Ramirez hit .342 that led the National League in 2009. As to this being his last game as a New York Met, said Reyes, “A lot of stuff is going through my mind. At the same time, I know what is going on. I am going to be a free agent. So we are going to see what happens in the next few weeks.”

And Reyes heard the fans during the game, chant, “Please stay, Jo-se” They chanted again when Reyes sprinted out of the dugout after Miguel Batista threw the last pitch and got the complete game victory. “I want to stay here,” he said. “We see what happens.”

Alderson said the decision to pick up the option of Collins; contract was attributed to a lot of factors. “The way he communicates in the clubhouse and is appreciated by the players was a large part of it and he is committed to the organization,” he said.  You heard the words from Mets players all season, and most who don’t know where they will be next season were all in agreement that Terry Collins was a player’s manager.

“He is patient, taught me a lot this year,” said Ruben Tejada who Collins has always said was developing into a fine player. Tejada could be a successor to Reyes at short, if not he certainly has earned a spot to be the regular second baseman in 2012. Tejada has one hit in 15 of the last 17 games and finished the season hitting .284. He also showed a flashy glove in the infield and has developed plenty of respect in the clubhouse…

Collins said about his contract, “It’s certainly an honor. I’m very proud of the way the player’s have played. Manager’s we get extended and we get a contract because you team plays well and hard. As I said in spring training we asked them to come out and play the game right, and they have.”  He added the wins and losses could have been better, and enjoyed the experience of his first year in New York and watching young players develop….

Alderson is holding a post season press conference with the media Thursday afternoon at Citi Field. Surely questions will be asked about Collins’ coaching staff and word is all should return including pitching coach Dan Warthen though reportedly third base coach Chip Hale will take a coaching job with good friend Bob Melvin, manager of the Oakland Atheltics. Mets are leaning to returning starter Chris Capuano, a spring training signee who made over 31 starts and was the bad luck starter Tuesday night and did not fair in the decision.

“I am proud of pitching a full season and pitching every fifth day,” said Capuano who enjoyed New York City and finished with a 11-12 record and 4.55 ERA. “That was a big positive for me. The last time I threw a full season was ’06, 07. I threw over 200 inning s in ’06 and had less in ’07. There are some numbers I’d like to improve on. I guess I’d like to get that ERA a little lower….”

One uncertain player in the Mets clubhouse is outfielder Angel Pagan. Team doctors shut him down for the final three games with the Reds after Pagan sustained a mild concussion in the previous series with the Phillies. Though Pagan claimed it was not serious and wanted to play the final games. But there is more.

If Alderson can’t find another outfielder in the offseason there is talk he will be looking to convert Jason Bay into a centerfielder. Pagan, a close confident of the traded Carlos Beltran, fell in bad flavor with teammates on three separate occasions  including a game in July when he asked to be removed from a game in Texas because of the excessive heat.

He had the boxes packed Tuesday evening and was ready to return home to Puerto Rico early Thursday morning. As players packed their bags, hugged each other and said their goodbyes, Pagan quickly got dressed and stayed away from the media. A fan of welterweight boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, Pagan plans to rest for a few weeks, go into an offseason workout plan and attend the Pacquiao fight in Las Vegas in November. It won’t be his last visit to New York this year as Pagan plans to attend the Miguel Cotto-Antonio Margarito fight at Madison Square Garden in December.

“I have seven good years left in me,” he said. Packing two pairs of Nike shoes sent by Pacquiao, he said, “Someone will pick me up if I am not here next year.” He was not petitioning to keep his roster spot, and as players walked in and out of a back room to the clubhouse, it seemed the only communication was Pagan and getting out of town….

Miguel Batista, the 40-year old former Arizona Diamondback pitched the season ending two-hit shutout and was raving about his former team that is headed to the post season for the fifth time in their young history. As to his future, signed as a late season addition when cut by the St. Louis Cardinals, he said, “This is an organization with talent that will win. I felt good, my pitches had velocity and I know I can help these guys next year …

Mets finished the season with a final 77-85 record good for fifth place in the National League east, 25 games behind the first place Phillies… A final wrap up on the season with the Alderson press conference, and more from behind the scenes on the final game of the 2011 season at Citi Field coming tomorrow.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

“That’s just his history,” commented Manuel “Just hoping it’s the same thing,” he said when asked about the usual strong second half that comes from his ace.   Santana still has about four more starts before the All-Star break next month after losing to the Yankees Sunday. The damage was giving up his third grand slam of the season to Mark Teixeira. That gave the Yankees their four runs and taking two of three from the Mets at Yankee Stadium.

“He’s a guy I’m never concerned with, said Manuel.  However the Santana fastball has seemed to have lost some speed. Teixeira off a 1-1 pitch hit a low fastball to left clocked at 89. It may have not cleared the wall at Citi Field.

The ball kept going to left and bounced off the wall into the stands, a typical Yankee Stadium home run. The home run by Teixeira, his 12^th of the season gave the Yankees the 4-0 lead. It was the Yankees seventh grand slam hit this season, the seventh given up by the Mets pitching staff.

“In this ballpark it’s a home run,” said Manuel. In defense of Santana Manuel added, “In out ballpark, it’s a different story.” But it was still a home run and it goes in the books. An inning that started with a Derek Jeter single, an infield hit, and the bunt by Nick Swisher that Santana and first baseman Ike Davis could not handle.

Those plays happen sometimes to Santana, who has allowed four runs in his last three outings, “We have a routine play, one we were not able to make it,” he said about the play at first that was followed by the Teixeira slam.

“I stayed focused after the home run and was able to throw my fastball,” added Santana who has allowed 17 earned runs in 16.2 innings pitched in three career starts , and a 1-2 record in games at Yankee Stadium.

If the Mets were going to send a message, or provide some dominance to this inter league subway series, the one to cement that was Santana.  With the exception of that home run Santana was able to hold the Yankees to eight hits, striking out three.

“He’s historically been a second half pitcher,” said Manuel “I think he’s starting to gear up for that and, not that he’s not trying but that’s been his history. But I’ll take what he’s been giving us. A few bloop hits and then he gives up a fly ball that ends up going out here because of the ballpark, I still see a guy who competes,”

For now Manuel will count on his ace to close out the first half with a strong finish.  Maybe it is the rubber game of a series that also hindered Santana, because the Mets are now 2-8 in those situations this season.

“When all is said and done, however, if you would have told me that we’d go 7-2 on this nine game road trip, I’d take it,” said Manuel when asked about coming into the Yankee series with a 6-0 trip and then Mike Pelfrey and Santana losing the last two games.

Manuel said putting that into perspective, he was satisfied. But the Mets can never be satisfied unless Santana gives them a solid outing.

ADDED NOTE: After the game the Mets optioned 20-year old right hander Jenrry Mejia to Double A Binghampton to prepare him as a starter and recalled right hander Bobby Parnell from Triple A Buffalo. Mejia threw a scoreless sinning of relief Sunday and it is obvious now that the Mets want to groom him as a starter.

“We felt that his development and progression kind of leveled off,” said Manuel about the move. “But to get him to the next level he needs to pitch on a regular basis.”

Added general manager Omar Minaya, “The only way he’s going to get better is to throw more.  We just feel we have to stretch him out a little bit more.”  Minaya also added it was something planned and Mejia was enthusiastic about the opportunity to pitch more that would help with his development.

e-mail Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

In the end a throwing error by Lehman starting pitcher Tyler Guzman was the difference giving Tottenville a 1-0 walk-off win, their first PSAL title since 2007 and 11^th overall.  Lehman coach Adam Droz consoled his pitcher after the deciding play.

And in the MCU parking lot area, as he greeted family and friends, Droz would see some of the champion Pirates, “Great game guys,” he said. Congratulations were in order, also for his Lions. One mistake by Tottenville and it could have been a victory ride to the Bronx for Droz and his Lions.

“It was a little wet,” said Guzman about the ball he could not handle. It was a perfect baseball bunt in front of the plate from Joe Sessa. The lone and deciding run scored by George Kantzian who was mobbed by teammates after leading off the inning with a double that was misplayed in center.

“No excuse though, I thought it was going to be a routine play,” said the Lehman senior who gave up three hits and struck out three. “We believed we had the best team in the league and we showed it,” said Guzman

But the play was not going to be routine. It was this type of game that had a feel for the dramatic, ending with an error or something else. Because the pitching was that good, both teams could not get the runner home, Guzman and Pirates starter John Silva pitching in and out of jams.

“Don’t know if there was ever a PSAL championship game played like this before,” said Droz moments after telling his kids to keep their heads up. “Everything that could happen in baseball happened in this game. I told Tyler keep your head up, you’re a champion too. I told them they are champions.”

Even a supposed balk by Guzman that put him and Lehman in a jam would not deter the Lions from seeking their first school championship. The Pirates left the bases loaded in the eighth because Lehman shortstop Jhosse Estrella made a big league play. He made the throw to first from his knees, after sliding to get the ball that Kevin Krause hit off the first pitch from Guzman.

“He has been out leader since day one,” said Estrella about his pitcher. “He came out today and pitched his heart out. We have to know we have his back 100 percent. I never played in a game like this before,” he said.

These kids from Lehman may have that opportunity again. Baseball is that type of game where the unexpected happens and one play, like the one that determined this outcome, is bound to occur anytime. But all along the Lions believed in themselves as the number eight seed in the playoffs, eliminating perennial power and top seed Monroe in the quarterfinals, taking two out of three from a hot hitting Madison team in the semifinals.

“An eight seed doesn’t mean anything,” commented Droz as he took the slow and disappointing walk to the outside of MCU field. “We were going to win with him, we were going to lose with him,” he said about Guzman.  In other words, as Guzman would admit “I could have gone another five innings.”

Not taking anything away from Tottenville starter Jonathan Silva. He struck out eight, on two hits to a Lehman team that came into the game as the hottest hitting team in the playoffs. The Lions had their opportunities and Silva denied them more than once.

“We had them,” said Droz about opportunities to break the game open. Lehman had the confidence also against the Pirates. They defeated them earlier in April in the annual Monroe Holiday Tournament. But for this night, a long one for all, it was not to be for Lehman in their quest to get their first city championship.

They come back next season, without Guzman their ace. And without Lawrence Marsach, their hot hitter who had a silent bat at MCU Park but made the plays at first.  “Wish I could have this team every single year,” said Droz about his Lions.

They won’t all be together next season. High school baseball means the opportunity to learn, win and lose together, and then move on to bigger and better things.  And for this Lehman team, a memorable championship game that they will talk about in the years to come.

Email Rich Mancuso: Ring786@aol.com

The hit was supposed to be a bunt to move runners over which showed a part of his competitive edge. Then there was that move by Manuel, pulling Santana from a game which the Mets eventually won 6-5 in the opener of a three game series with the first place Phillies.

But the talk was about Santana, and the combined seven home runs, three by the Mets and four by the Phils at Citi Field. Santana is the ace of a Mets pitching staff that is fourth in the National League. And with injuries that have taken on toll on this team, in particular to Carlos Delgado and Jose Reyes, every time Santana takes the mound it is more significant.

“I just told him ‘that I feel good,’” was the explanation Santana gave to Manuel when he was removed from the game with obvious aggravation shown on his face.  But there was that competitive edge that Manuel also heard when Santana said, according to Manuel, “I’m a man, I’m a man.”

There has been talk that Manuel and Santana are having some differences about the pitch counts and when Santana has had enough. But every Mets fan knows, and so does the team, that they love the competitive edge their ace pitcher provides on the mound.

“What he means by that I don’t know,” said Manuel regarding Santana’s comments about being a man. “He’s a competitor,” added Manuel about his ace, also dispelling any thoughts that their meeting at the mound was something more.

To his credit, Santana, who is 4-0 in eight starts against the Phillies, probably believed he could go another inning. But these three games against Philadelphia are important as the Mets are in a stretch of games this week that also include three against the cross-town New York Yankees in the Bronx starting Friday evening.

Santana is scheduled to pitch the final game of that series Sunday afternoon. “I’m not trying to show anybody up or anything,” said Santana when asked about being removed from the game in which he gave up home runs to Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez, Jimmy Rollins and the last one to Chase Utley in the eighth inning.\

“I just felt that I had enough stuff to battle through it,” he said. “But he thought different, he’s my skipper and I respect everything he does.”  But Manuel saw the vintage Santana changeup, for a second straight start hanging to the Philly hitters who as a team lead the National League in home runs.

The seven home runs combined, also long balls hit by the Mets Carlos Beltran, his team leading 8^th, David Wright number 4, and Ryan Church his 2^nd, was a record in the short span of Citi Field history.

“He hung his pitches and when you hang those type of pitches against those hitters they are going to hit them out of the park,” said Manuel about the home runs hit by Howard, Ibanez, Rollins, and Utley. Howard hit his 18^th in the fourth inning and Ibanez his 20^th also in the same inning, as Santana allowed back-to-back home runs for the first time since  July 17^th 2008 at Cincinnati.

And the four home runs given up by Santana in a game was done once before when he was a member of the Minnesota Twins on July 23, 2007 at Toronto. And that double which came on an 0-2 count, that was supposed to be a bunt, was Santana’s first RBI since last July 27^th and gave the Mets a 5-4 lead in the 6^th.

“I really feel proud of it, because, you know I haven’t been able to do much, the hitting but tonight I think it was the difference in the game..” And at that time it was a difference because Santana once again showed his competitive edge, indeed at a time when the Mets need it.

They have not been getting the offense, 28^th in baseball when it comes to the home run ball.  And Manuel has been utilizing a make ship lineup with all of the injuries that have also occurred to others. Fernando Tatis and Daniel Murphy have been hitting a combined .165 the past month with the absences of Delgado and Reyes.

The bullpen did the rest including Pedro Feliciano who induced a double play ground ball to Ryan Howard in the eighth. And Francisco Rodriquez remained perfect saving his 16^th straight game and preserving a win for Santana now 8-3 on the season.

Only two strikeouts for Santana in seven innings and the home run ball may be a concern, but Citi Field with the warmer weather setting in may have suddenly become the other home run park in New York

“The jury is still out,’ said Manuel about the sudden home run surge at Citi Field. “Until we feel we are healthy every game is a big game for us,” he said.  And every time Santana takes the mound it is becoming more evident the type of competitive edge he brings.