A plug for utility player

Yet Cora has done an amazing job trying to keep the team together while trying to change the losing culture of the organization.

Known for their late-season collapses, the Mets are a team that has been hailed as - dare we say - “loveable’’ as they endure without half their lineup and pitching staff. Now Cora, who Friday made a costly error in a four-run Yankee second inning and then yesterday got the only Mets hit in a 5-0 loss, doesn’t get credit for all of that. But they have earned respect by making do with guys like Nick Evans and Fernando Martinez and Daniel Murphy and Omir Santos and Fernando Tatis and Fernando Nieve.

They have lost Jose Reyes, Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, Oliver Perez, and J.J. Putz to injuries, and on Friday, they announced that John Maine was being shut down for a week with shoulder weakness after spending time on the disabled list this month with the same ailment.

“I mean, we’re having fun with it,’’ said Cora before the Yankees series. “It’s fun when people start talking about ‘The Replacements’ and all that stuff. We’re just running with it.

“I wasn’t here for two years, so I don’t know what happened. To be honest with you, I really don’t care. I’m enjoying every moment. For everything that people talk about this team, I have a different perspective of it.’’

His perspective comes from the winning atmosphere he left behind in Boston. The Red Sox did not re-sign him because they had the emerging Jed Lowrie and the veteran Julio Lugo. In retrospect, they could have used Cora when Lugo went down, but they haven’t missed a beat.

When Cora was with the Red Sox, he did a lot of things in the clubhouse and behind the scenes. He was one of the people who could knock some sense into Manny Ramírez, though in the end, not even he could get through. Cora would often pay the tips for the visiting clubbies that Ramírez would conveniently forget, and he was a de facto player/coach with a knack for sensing when the team needed a spark, either with a play in the field or by an action in the clubhouse.

He brought all of that to the Mets.

“I don’t know about that; I am who I am,’’ said Cora. “I show up to do my job, work as hard as possible, and try to bring energy any way I can. They brought me here for a certain reason [to back up Reyes]. It’s not that we wanted that to happen, but it did and now I’m playing. When I’m in there, I have fun.’’

Manager Jerry Manuel isn’t shy about giving Cora credit.

“Since he’s become the everyday shortstop, he’s done a tremendous job,’’ said Manuel. “He comes with a different kind of a mind for baseball and it kind of permeates to the rest of the team.

“When you have a guy like him who sees a lot of pitches, then the guy behind him sees a lot of pitches. He’s kind of changed the dynamics.’’

Cynics will say there is plenty of time for the Mets to do what they’ve done the last two seasons: fall apart when it counts most. The last two games have given a glimpse of that.

“When you’re in a winning environment, it’s not hard to come to work,’’ Cora said. “People talk about record - I don’t even look at record. I don’t know if we’re five games over or five games under [.500]. I know we’re a half-game out [as of Friday]. There are a lot of teams who would love to be in that situation.’’

Manuel talks about “staying afloat’’ until the starters come back, but Cora has taken it a step further.

“We just don’t want to stay afloat,’’ he said. “We want to win games today and tomorrow and the next day.’’

Manuel felt the character of “The Replacements’’ showed through when the Mets took three of four from the Cardinals as Beltran was going on the DL with a bone bruise in his right knee.

“It was very important for the psyche of the team that when we lost Beltran, we won three out of four games,’’ he said. “Even if we hit a bump in the road, we still feel confident enough we can win. Regardless of what Philadelphia was doing, it was important that we were able to do that. It can change at any moment.’’

It changed a bit this weekend. The Mets know the feeling all too well.

Here and there with Tavarez

I know how close you were with Manny Ramírez. Do you still talk often and were you surprised by the suspension?

JT: “Still very close. We talk a lot and we text a lot. I was surprised with him, but he’s not the first one [suspended] and he’s not going to be the last one. I’ve known him since 1992 and I’ve never seen it with him. Not that I care anyway. I just don’t want anything to happen to him. He’s my brother. He’s a great person. People don’t understand sometime about that.’’

Did you think your career was over because you were unsigned for so long in the offseason?

JT: “I was worried but I never stopped thinking positive. I always thought somebody would give me an invitation to spring training. I always tried to take care of myself.’’

With many veterans here, there’s a chance they could get traded to a contender. What’s your feeling about that?

JT: “I came into spring training pitching for the Nationals and I’d like to stay here, but if I get traded to a contender, that would be OK, too. I’ve been traded before.’’

Most guys your age (36) have given up playing winter ball. Why not you?

JT: “I still do because I have to. I leave 200 tickets for every game for all the kids in my town [Aguilas], so the only way I can do that is if I’m on the team. So I play winter ball because it’s the only way the kids can go to a game because they got no money. I’ve been doing it for 15 years. That’s where I came from and I’m not going to walk away from there. I grew up in the street and I still have a bunch of friends out there. They never made it in baseball but they cheer for me.’’

Any time soon when you feel like hanging it up?

JT: “As long as I’m healthy, I’m going to play ball. It was a dream for me to be a baseball player. I didn’t go to college. I wasn’t going to be a doctor.’’

Manny provides food for thought in Triple A

I know this much. The first thing said by a guy on a 50-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs shouldn’t be, “They love me wherever I go.’’

But that’s what Manny Ramírez said after the first day of his rehab assignment in Triple A, where the outpouring of love as described to me made me a little uncomfortable.

I understand Ramírez is a quirky character and lovable to some. Nothing says you shouldn’t forgive someone for a first offense. As Dodgers owner Frank McCourt says, “Everyone’s entitled to a second chance.’’

But the worshipping? Bad form, Albuquerque.

It probably will be no different in Los Angeles when Ramírez completes his 10-day rehab stint and rejoins the Dodgers. The Manny wigs will be back and he’ll be a cult hero once again, just as Barry Bonds was always embraced by San Francisco fans (OK, a few didn’t, and they’re the ones who always let me know about it).

It all leads to one unfortunate conclusion: Not everyone cares that ballplayers use performance enhancers. That is disturbing. Everyone should care that baseball has been cheated by some of its biggest stars.

As the drug testers made their way through the Red Sox clubhouse in Washington Wednesday and the Nationals clubhouse Thursday, I started to think, who in this room has to worry? Who in this room has done it and no longer does it? Who is on HGH, which won’t be detected by a urine test?

And here’s a Manny Being Manny-ism. When a major leaguer goes down to the minors, it’s customary that he provides the team with a postgame spread from a nice restaurant. The Albuquerque Isotopes dined well when pitcher Will Ohman provided a catered meal from Outback Steakhouse and pitcher Claudio Vargas had a delightful spread brought in from P.F. Chang’s.

Manny? In his time with them, the Isotopes ate their usual postgame pizza.

It must be tough to buy food for the team when you lose $8.2 million of that $25 million paycheck.

Etc.

2. Daisuke Matsuzaka, RHP, Red Sox - The most surprising thing was his lack of conditioning, and that he didn’t feel he had to do any of the shoulder strengthening program all Sox pitchers are on. According to a major league source, Matsuzaka appeared convinced that a Japanese shoulder is different from an American shoulder. Head-scratcher. In the end, he realized it wasn’t true. One thing the Sox have him convinced of now: He will be on the program next offseason. They may send medical or training staff to Japan, or Matsuzaka will have to make periodic trips to the US to get checked out. The Sox see a Sept. 1 return.

3. Paul Konerko, 1B, White Sox - Suddenly surfacing on a few teams’ trade lists, the 33-year-old is having a nice year with 12 homers, 46 RBIs, and a .292 average in the next-to-last year of his contract, which calls for a $12 million payment. He’s also a 10-5 player who must OK a deal. The Giants would seem to be the ideal spot, but one problem: White Sox general manager Kenny Williams still feels his team can win the AL Central. That’s why he is holding on to Konerko, Jermaine Dye, Bobby Jenks, Octavio Dotel, and Scott Linebrink. Williams still has a month before the trade deadline to make decisions.

4. Pablo Sandoval, 1B/3B/C, Giants - NESN analyst Dave Roberts spends a lot of time in San Francisco with his former team, and he feels Sandoval has a chance to be one of the great hitters in the game. Roberts made a casual comment that he thought Sandoval could hit .350 at Fenway Park. In 393 at-bats over the last two seasons, Sandoval is hitting .338.

5. Mat Gamel, 3B, Brewers - After outfield/first base prospect Matt LaPorta went to the Indians in the CC Sabathia deal last June, don’t expect Brewers GM Doug Melvin to rush to deal Gamel or Triple A shortstop Alcides Escobar, who is hovering around .300 for Nashville. Melvin needs pitching, especially with Dave Bush going on the DL, but he’s going to find a way to get it without giving up the future left side of the infield.

6. Buster Posey, C, Giants system - The team’s No. 1 pick (fifth overall) in the 2008 draft is moving through the system quickly. GM Brian Sabean doesn’t want to bring him up to the majors in 2009, but the Giants are considering promoting him from the California League to Triple A Fresno. The 22-year-old backstop is crushing California League pitching: .328, 11 homers, 48 RBIs, a .425 on-base percentage, and a .545 slugging percentage. The Giants have Bengie Molina for one more year, so there’s no hurry, but manager Bruce Bochy, a former catcher, thinks the higher level of pitching Posey catches, the quicker he’ll make the transition to the big leagues.

7. Erik Bedard, LHP, Mariners - The fragile lefty could make his return from the DL against the Red Sox July 4. It’s a big month for Bedard, who again could be a coveted trade-deadline target (though with a “buyer beware’’ sign). The Mariners have done a good job staying in the race and may not be ready to trade their chips, but Bedard and Jarrod Washburn would be attractive to contending teams such as the Brewers, Mets, Phillies, and Rangers.

8. Doug Davis, LHP, Diamondbacks - With Brandon Webb likely gone for the year, the team is going nowhere, so at some point the sell-off will begin. Davis (3-8, 3.53 ERA) could be a nice addition to the back end of a rotation. He’s in the last year of a three-year, $22 million deal ($8.75 million this year) and has made nine quality starts.

9. Mark Teahen, INF/OF, Royals - Teams constantly ask for him in deals and the Royals decline, but according to a National League front office official, the time has come when Kansas City will start listening.

Nick Cafardo can be reached at cafardo@globe.com.