"THE stands were empty. The grounds crew was grooming the field. First pitch was still more than three hours away.

Yet Jerry Manuel was in short right field watching what may be his season, perhaps even his managerial career.

First Carlos Delgado and then Jose Reyes -- both clad in dark blue shorts -- went through a series of agility drills. They high-stepped, side-stepped and stepped as quickly as possible through a rope ladder lying on the grass. They sweated under a strong morning sun and grabbed at the edges of their shorts between exercises to regain their breath.

But, most important, both moved rather athletically. Manuel noticed just the hint of a limp in Reyes. One trainer held a stopwatch. That, however, is not the clock being raced. Time already has elapsed on the first half and the Mets are borderline contenders. "