Fighting .161 Batting Average : How Long Can Bad Thing Last? Rookie Jefferies Wondering

Gregg Jefferies has momentarily turned from New York Mets phenom to wonder boy. He wonders, how long can a bad thing last?

He is trying to remain confident, poised and relaxed, but his 21-year-old body and mind will not let him. He is ill at ease, and the only escape is to break out at the plate.

He has taken several steps to try to elevate his .161 batting average: extra batting practice, regular batting practice, no batting practice. He has stayed in the clubhouse, pitched from the mound, joked with his teammates and sat quietly at his locker. Nineteen games into the season, the projected National League Rookie of the Year is just another struggling rookie.

The Mets and their fans figured what they saw late last season was what they would get at the start of this season. Jefferies broke in Aug. 27 and tore apart opposing pitching, hitting .321 with six home runs and 17 RBIs in 29 games. He was one of the few Mets to hit well in their playoff series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, batting .333.

That instant success seemed hard to believe, especially because he was hitting .153 for Tidewater on May 14. Then he started a club-record 24-game hitting streak and had a .282 average when he was recalled by the Mets.

On Wednesday, Manager Davey Johnson announced that Jefferies had fallen into a platoon situation at second base with Tim Teufel. About 20 reporters besieged Jefferies for his response.

“It’s brutal,” Jefferies said. “I would have much rather have come up when no one knew me.”

Jefferies’ confidence has been shaken, but his resolve remains strong. “Hopefully,” he said with emphasis, “it will turn around . . . . This could turn out to be a maturing stage for me.”