"Jerry Manuel is vowing to change the Mets' selfish, stat-first ways.

Manuel made that clear yesterday after the Mets formally lifted his tag as interim manager with a two-year contract that includes a club option for 2011.

Speaking to reporters in an afternoon conference call, Manuel repeatedly emphasized he will preach a totally different mindset than the Mets are used to when spring training rolls around.

"What we have to establish for me with this team is that the game takes priority over the individual," Manuel said.

Manuel, who was 55-38 after taking over for the fired Willie Randolph on June 17, said too many of the team's core players emphasized their own statistics rather than making simpler, more fundamental plays.

That selfishness can make the difference in a team reaching the playoffs, Manuel said, and not sitting at home as the Mets are now doing after back-to-back choke jobs on the final day of the season.

"We have to get to the point where, when stuff is on the line, the correct thing is second nature for us and not a struggle for us," Manuel said. "That's the difference between a good year and a great year."

Manuel didn't cite any specifics, but David Wright's notorious ninth-inning strikeout Sept. 24 after a 3-0 count by the Cubs' Bob Howry was a prime example of a Met trying to be the hero unnecessarily.

Wright's failure to put the ball in play with a runner on third and less than two outs illustrated the Mets' season-long struggles at the plate in key situations. The Mets were near the bottom of the league in batting average with runners in scoring position, hitting just .254.

To Manuel, numbers like that overshadowed the otherwise terrific individual season on offense put together by Wright and fellow cornerstones Jose Reyes, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado. "