POINT AFTER: Mets Need Oliver Perez to Step it Up . . . Now

Oliver Perez is upset. His pitching coach, Dan Warthen, made remarks about his having gained a few pounds since he returned from the World Baseball Classic the other day and reports say that Ollie didn't take too kindly to it. Here's some advice to Perez: get on a diet, shed a few pounds and get over it.

Seriously, Oliver Perez should have more important things on his mind than being called out for his weight. Like, for starters, living up to that 3-year, $36million deal that he somehow got Mets management to offer him and sign this past offseason. That's $12 million a year for a pitcher with a lifetime win-loss record of 55-60 (26-20 as a Met), the kind of deal that not only makes you shake your head, but makes mediocre pitchers around the world smile, knowing full well that they're just one career season from being set for life. Ask A.J. Burnett, he could tell you.

But getting back to Perez, now that he's locked up under contract for 3 years, regardless of how insane you think his contract is, he's the Mets need him to step up and fill his potential. Especially after a painstaking (for Mets fans anyway) season last year that saw him display the frequent inconsistencies that have wrecked plagued his career. Last year, if he wasn't showing flashes of brilliance against quality teams like the Yankees, he was walking the ballpark and leaving early against the woeful Pirates. That Perez, he's always been an enigma. And yet GM Omar Minaya has stuck by him, no doubt yearning for the Perez of late '06 and all of 2007 to make a return this year. The Mets need him too.

For all the moves Minaya made this offseason take care of the teams pitching, how Oliver Perez does this year could be the difference between the club winning the N.L. East as well as the Mets GM keeping his job. We all know that as long as Johan Santana stays healthy, he'll be fine. Same goes for John Maine. Young Mike Pelfrey had a superb 2008 and so far this spring, he's shown no signs of '08 being a fluke. The fifth spot doesn't really become that important until one of the top 5 goes down, but you like what you've seen so far out of wily vet Livian Hernandez this spring.

I'm confident enough in K-Rod and J.J. Putz to say that the bullpen problems are fixed. And as long as manager Jerry Manuel keeps Luis Castillo in the second hole (where he clearly belongs), behind Jose Reyes, the Mets lineup will be fine and they'll hit, simply because they always hit. Well, unless they're facing a pitcher with "

Besides the bullpen making up for a disastrous '08, Carlos Delgado having another productive season and Ryan Church not suffering any more concussions, it's Oliver Perez that you worry about the most this year if you're a Mets fan. With the world champion Phillies, the Braves and those pesky Marlins, the N.L. will be tough this year and after back-to-back collapses in 2007 and '08, only a division of say 20 games entering September will let fans feel comfortable about the Mets making playoffs this season. With that being highly unlikely, if it takes Oliver Perez treating every batter he faces this year as if its his pitching coach in order to succeed, then maybe the Mets should look into hiring a hypnotist.

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Now that Brett Gardner has officially won the Yankees CF spot, does that mean that the Yanks are a cinch to nail down the A.L. East?

John Calipari has every right to look into the vacant Kentucky job, it's a highly vaunted position and Calipari's record as a coach speaks for itself. I just don't see Coach Cal being equipped with the personality to handle rabid Wildcat fans you'll expect him to deliver a championship right away.

I love Nate Robinson, he's gutsy and always brings a ton of energy off the bench. But Robinson is going to be a free agent after this year, and while a lot of teams will be lining up for his services, if it comes down Donnie Walsh choosing between Nate and David Lee, it's a no brainer.

David Lee is a great rebounder, decent scorer and a winner who always puts his team first, while Robinson has a split personality and too often lets his ego get in the way of what's best for his team. And sure Lee gets beat a lot on defense, but that's mostly because he's been playing out of position all year with Eddie Curry out.

While for all the love lil' Nate gets from Knicks fans, it doesn't compute to wins. If the Knicks ever plan on being a playoff contender again David Lee has to be here.

I had Psycho-T and the Tar Heels over Memphis next week in Detroit for the national championship. Now Memphis is out and while I'm still going with Carolina, that Michigan State team scares me especially after they whooped Louisville the other day. And they should scare the three other teams too playing on what is virtually their home court, being only 90 minutes from campus and all.