A cone of silence may be best bet

If the New York Mets know their baseball history, they will stick to “The playoffs are a crapshoot” and “Anything can happen in a short series” and “Their pitching staff is impressive” when assessing their upcoming division series against the Dodgers.

The last time the Mets faced the Dodgers in the playoffs, in 1988, the Mets were substantial favorites, fielding a talent-laden team that included the likes of Dwight Gooden, David Cone, Darryl Strawberry, Keith Hernandez and Kevin McReynolds. During the regular season, they went 10-1 against the Dodgers, the 12th game being rained out.

But after the Mets defeated the Dodgers in Game 1 of the National League championship series, Cone quipped to the New York Daily News that Dodgers reliever Jay Howell reminded him of a “high school pitcher” because of all the breaking balls Howell threw in relief of Orel Hershiser.

The Dodgers’ angry reaction to that comment is chronicled in Steve Delsohn’s oral history of the Dodgers, “True Blue.” “Boy, that was the ammunition I needed,” Tom Lasorda says in the book. “Because we had just lost a very, very tough game. And when our guys showed up the next day, there was a copy in each guy’s locker.”

Lasorda “loved that stuff,” according to Dodgers outfielder Chris Gwynn. “He said, ‘These guys insulted you. They don’t think you can play. We’ve got to show them. We’ve got to stand up for the city of Los Angeles.’ ”

Thus inspired, the Dodgers defeated Cone, 6-3, in Game 2 and went on to win the series in seven games.

Trivia time

Why does the Mets’ uniform color scheme feature blue and orange?

Hard to argue

Casey Stengel, who played six years (1912-1917) with the Brooklyn Dodgers, was the Mets’ first manager in 1962. Discussing this fact with writers, Stengel once said, “They brought me up to the Brooklyn Dodgers, which at the time was located in Brooklyn.”

Managers groomed here

Another former Dodger, Gil Hodges, managed the 1969 Mets to the World Series championship. He and Stengel, who won seven World Series titles with the New York Yankees, are two of eight former Dodgers players who have gone on to manage pennant-winning teams.

The others are Lasorda, Mike Scioscia (Angels), Dick Williams (Oakland A’s), Leo Durocher (New York Giants), George Stallings (Boston Braves) and Fielder Jones (Chicago White Sox).

Mojo rising

One man’s habit can be another man’s superstition come playoff time. Sometimes, it’s best to leave well enough alone, according to Dodgers pitcher Derek Lowe. In other words, don’t mess with the mojo.

“My superstition is no playoff superstitions,” Lowe told ESPN magazine. “I don’t want to worry that I messed up because I didn’t have chicken Parmesan at 12:47 p.m. I’m not sacrificing any lambs.”

Trivia answer

When the Dodgers and the Giants moved west after the 1957 season, the National League was left without a New York-area franchise until the Mets made their debut in 1962. The Mets chose orange because of the Giants and blue because of the Dodgers. The “NY” emblem on the Mets’ cap was also inspired by the cap logo worn by the New York Giants.

And finally

Mets broadcaster Ralph Kiner, channeling Stengel, and perhaps Yogi Berra too, once assessed a season series between the Dodgers and the Mets this way: “All of the Mets’ road wins against the Dodgers this year occurred at Dodger Stadium.

*

mike.penner@latimes.com