Will This Finally Be the Year the Mets Don’t Lose the Title?

The New York Mets want to believe the National League East title of 1986 is theirs to lose. Problem is, that’s exactly what they’ve done the past two seasons.

Now, says catcher Gary Carter, “there will hopefully be no more knocking at the door.”

Though they had the best record in baseball during the past two seasons, the Mets had only two second-place finishes to show for it. In 1984, they won 90 games and finished second by 6 1/2 to the Chicago Cubs. Last year, they won 98 games and were second to the St. Louis Cardinals, who won 101.

“What could happen next year?” Mets pitcher Ron Darling asked after the 1985 season finale. “Are the Pittsburgh Pirates going to win 130 games, and we finish second again?”

But now, as the Mets tune up in spring training for their April 8 opener at Pittsburgh, another attitude is taking shape.

Could the third time be the charm?

“We’d like to believe that,” says Davey Johnson, Mets manager since 1984. “If we perform up to our ability, then we should have a good chance to win. But sometimes, you have to play better than your ability.

“The fact remains that we haven’t won and our job is unfulfilled,” he said. “Let’s put it this way, I am kind of tired of catching the bouquets at the weddings. I don’t want to be the best man again this year.”

Several factors lead the Mets to be optimistic.

-- They made offseason acquisitions of left-handed pitcher Bob Ojeda from Boston, infielder Tim Teufel from Minnesota and utilityman Tim Corcoran, a free agent. All will fill gaps in last year’s roster.

--Carter had offseason surgery to correct a chronic knee problem, and George Foster seems to have recovered from the sore-knee problem that hampered him last season.

--Darryl Strawberry is back and Bruce Berenyi, though still being rehabilitated, is pitching in spring training. Strawberry missed seven weeks with torn ligaments in his right hand last season; Berenyi was gone practically all season with a partially torn rotator cuff.

-- Promising young players--pitchers Rick Aguilera and Sid Fernandez, outfielder Len Dykstra and third baseman Howard Johnson among them--have presumably gained some experience.

“If we don’t win this time, we have no excuses. That is, barring injuries,” Mets second baseman Wally Backman said. “We’re a better team than we were last year. The young guys are a year older, we’re more balanced and now we know what it’s all about.”

Pitching could be the club’s strong suit with a staff led by Cy Young winner Dwight Gooden, 24-4 with a 1.53 earned run average, and Darling, 16-6 and a 2.90 ERA.

“We have greater depth in pitching, and Bob Ojeda has played an important role in that,” Johnson said. “We won 98 games last year, and at times we had to use guys who had never started at a major league level.”

The trade that brought Carter to New York last year from Montreal transformed the Mets from a club that struggled to finish second in 1984 to a team that challenged strongly in ’85.

Carter had a career-high 32 home runs last year, despite the knee problems and an early-season rib injury. But he was one of few Mets who had outstanding 1985 seasons. With the injury, Strawberry was held to 29 homers and 79 RBI. First baseman Keith Hernandez finished strongly to bat .309 with 91 RBI, and Foster had 21 homers and 77 RBI while playing in 129 games.

At the same time, the Cardinals were topping the 100-victory mark for the first time since 1977 with a club that included league MVP and batting champion Willie McGee, rookie of the year Vince Coleman and 20-game winners Joaquin Andujar and John Tudor.

“It won’t take much more for us to win,” Backman said. “You have to remember that those teams that beat us had great years, while, in my mind, we all had average years. Then, you lose a guy like Strawberry for seven weeks, and you have a whole different atmosphere.

“I’ve said this before, too,” Backman said, grinning. “If Doc (Gooden) hadn’t lost those four games, we would have won it. Blame it on Doc.

“But seriously, I don’t think even he had a great year because I really think he can do better, too.”

Most of the Mets believe the NL East in 1986 will be contested among three, possibly four teams with the Cardinals strong once again, the Chicago Cubs back in the picture with healthy pitchers and the Montreal Expos hanging tough.

“I’ve seen this club through some bad times,” said outfielder Mookie Wilson, recovering from shoulder surgery and a recent eye injury. “And we realize nobody is going to give the title to us.

“It’s a shame, but then we wouldn’t want it if they did.”