NewYork.Mets.com

By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com

Howe and the general manager Jim Duquette had spent the last few days clearing the air with some of the players over comments that were made regarding the direction in which the season has turned. The skipper addressed a meeting with the hitters on Friday and they responded by going out and putting forth one of New York's best offensive efforts in recent weeks.

Mike Piazza  /   C
		Born: 09/04/68 Height: 6'3" Weight: 215 lbs Bats: R / Throws: R More info: Player page Stats | Splits Gallery Team Site | Shop

Despite the frustration felt by everyone in the organization, Howe believes there still is a "light at the end of the tunnel" and that September will be important for several reasons. The Mets can still have an impact on the playoff race in the National League and can still finish strong and build some sort of foundation for 2005. He also said that management has been patient considering what the team has gone through this year.

"A lot of what we're doing now is geared for next year out of necessity because of the injuries," Howe said. "But we'll get a better feel for what we can expect from these guys next year. And once we get Mike and Kaz [Matsui] back, we'll see where we are. I hate harping on the injuries but you look forward to a time when everyone can stay healthy. Health is a big ingredient to success.

"I think the front office is supportive. We all realize what we're dealing with here and we're all going in the right direction. We'll put our heads together for a long time after the season and see what the best way is to improve the team. It will be an interesting winter to say the least."

One way to improve the team might be to just leave Piazza at one position, either catcher or first base. Howe said that was a possibility. For now, Piazza will pretty much play first base upon his return. Howe is looking forward to getting Piazza's bat back in the lineup, pointing to the slugger's knee problems and not his age (he'll be 36 next week) as the reason for his prolonged slump before going on the disabled list.

Piazza saw his batting average dip to .276 before going on the disabled list with a sore knee, the lowest it's been since May 6. He had five hits in his final 33 at-bats and was hitting .171 (14-for-82) since the Mets closed out their series at Yankee Stadium on June 27. Piazza has two RBIs in his last 11 games and one homer in his last 111 at-bats.

"It's more about the knee because Mike's in such great shape," Howe said. "He's kept himself well-toned. He's in tremendous physical condition. When you're legs aren't there it's impossible to hit well and you start developing bad habits."

Piazza, who played the entire game at first base, went 1-for-3 with a walk Saturday night playing for St. Lucie against Palm Beach.

Matsui is continuing his rehab work but Howe said he doesn't expect to have his shortstop back before the end of next week at the earliest.

Seo good: Jae Seo set about trying to prove on Saturday that blonds really do have more fun. Whether they will eventually have a spot in a Major League rotation remains to be seen but for one day, a certain South Korean with yellow locks seemed to be enjoying himself on the mound in Queens.

Seo, sporting a new hair color since he last took the mound for the Mets, mowed down the Dodgers with relative ease but had to settle for a no-decision after the bullpen couldn't hold a 2-1 advantage. He scattered five hits over 6 1/3 innings and struck out five.

He needed 59 pitches to get through the first three innings but hit his stride after pitching out of trouble in the third, an inning in which he threw 27 pitches. Seo threw 31 pitches in the fourth through sixth innings before exiting the game with one out in the seventh.

"He made a good impression today," Howe said. "That's as good as I've seen him."

Clearly, Seo must continue to pitch the way he did Saturday to make a further impression on Howe and New York management. If he does eliminate the erratic outings he had earlier in the year, he could earn himself a significant role on next year's staff.

Seo was sent to Triple-A Norfolk hours after the Mets acquired Victor Zambrano and Kris Benson. Though their rotation is seemingly set for next season, Howe wasn't willing to concede anything.

"He certainly didn't hurt his chances," Howe said. "I don't know if we have all five pieces together yet for next year but we need depth. We want to be able to have someone who can come up there and help."

Seo helped himself by not pouting when he was sent down to Norfolk. He spent a month in the International League, doing some soul searching and initially, the introspection off the field and tweaks on the mound, seem to have helped.

"I accepted the fact that I'm not in a comfortable situation at the Major League level," Seo said. "But I don't want to lose focus and the right approach. You lose your job but at the same time put your feelings aside and get back to work. The month I spent at Norfolk I thought about how to become a more consistent pitcher at this level and that made me relax.

"It's hard for me to predict what will happen in the offseason. Whether I'm part of the rotation or not is not a question for me to answer. I just want to go out there and have fun. If you start thinking about stuff that's out of your hands, you start to get into trouble."

This and that: When asked if he would watch Scott Kazmir's second Major League outing on Sunday against Oakland, his former team, Howe chuckled. "I've got better things to do with my time," he said. "I've got enough headaches around here to take care of. But it will be interesting to see what he does against a team that's more patient." ... Howe said that it's "iffy" whether Zambrano will return this season, adding that if he can come back healthy next month he'd like to see it happen. ... Norfolk right-hander Bob Keppel is out for the remainder of the season with shoulder tendinitis. ... Second baseman Jeff Keppinger was named to the Eastern League All-Star team after hitting .341 with Altoona and Binghamton. As of Saturday, he was still leading the race for the Eastern League batting title.

Kevin Czerwinski is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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