06/02/2007 3:14 PM ET Notes: Sele sold on Mets organization Reliever did his homework before signing on to pitch at Shea By Marty Noble / MLB.com NEW YORK -- The success the Mets have enjoyed during the two-plus seasons Willie Randolph and Omar Minaya have been in charge has made the club an appealing alternative -- or more -- for players on other teams, players who are approaching free agency. And the prospect of a new stadium in 2009 makes the Mets' environment even more appealing. The Mets have been successful selling themselves to free agents such as Pedro Martinez, Carlos Beltran and Moises Alou. But it goes beyond those high-profile imports. Take a player such as Aaron Sele, veteran of 14 big-league seasons spent with five different organizations. Sele, who did his homework before signing with the Mets, is delighted with the choice he made and is likely to endorse the Mets as an employer if someone seeks his counsel. "I asked," Sele said. "I asked people I respected, guys who weren't necessarily big-city guys, because I'm not. I contacted Darren Oliver, and he said he enjoyed his time here last year. And I asked Dennis Cook [a Met from 1998 through mid-2001], because I wanted someone from another time." Cook was about 120 percent Texan and yet enjoyed his New York experiences. Sele was convinced, and now he has the position Oliver filled last season -- long reliever. "I made a good decision," he says. "It's good here. The general manager is straightforward. I have respect for Willie as a player, coach and manager. He's had a track record of success in everything he's done -- [pitching coach] Rick Peterson, too. Players recognize that. "Then, you come here, and you meet people like Guy Conti, Howard Johnson [and] Rick Down. They have quality people in important positions here." Wright back: Third baseman David Wright was back in the lineup on Saturday, after sitting out Friday's game with light back spasms. Wright paid a visit to his chiropractor on Saturday morning and afterward said he was sore but pain-free. "He said I had a couple of ribs out of place, so he popped those back in place," Wright said. "I feel a lot better, just a little sore from everybody poking in there." Friday night's game was the first Wright had missed all season, and he doesn't expect the spasms to trouble him further. "I love being in the lineup," Wright said. "I hate sitting on the bench. To me, it's boring -- I'd rather be out there playing." Time shift: The Mets game' in Philadelphia on July 1 now will start at 8:09 p.m. ET as an accommodation to ESPN. It had been scheduled to start at 1:35 p.m. This date in Mets history -- June 3: The Mets scored an unearned run in the first inning but were held scoreless thereafter, as they fell, 6-1, to the Giants and Juan Marichal at the Polo Grounds on this date in 1962. They were shut out by the Phillies the following day and scored once in an ensuing doubleheader loss to the Phillies, extending the longest losing streak in club history to 17 games. After the sweep, their winning percentage was .250, as it would be at season's end, and they were 24 games behind in the league standings. The Cubs were in ninth place, 21 games behind. The Cubs finished the season with a 59-103 record, the worst record by an established team in an expansion season. The '93 Mets matched it, and the '98 Marlins lost 104 games a year after winning the World Series. The '69 Mets moved into a tie for second place on this date when they defeated the Dodgers, 5-2, at Shea Stadium. Tom Seaver was the winning pitcher, and Ed Kranepool hit two home runs. ... On this date in 1997, the Mets and Bobby Jones beat Pedro Martinez and the Expos for the second time in seven days at Shea Stadium. A pinch-hit home run by Matt Franco and a run-scoring double by Carlos Baerga in the eighth inning were the difference in the 2-1 victory. Jones, who had pitched a four-hit shutout in Montreal on May 28, emerged from the victory with a 10-2 record. And Martinez's career record against the Mets was 10-2 at the time. Coming up: The Mets still lead the National League in batting and on-base percentage against left-handed pitching, so they will likely be pleased to see Diamondbacks' Doug Davis, who has a 3-6 record that seems inconsistent with his 3.27 ERA. Off recent developments, the D-backs may not be so pleased to see Oliver Perez in the 1:10 p.m. series finale. Their record against left-handed starters is 7-8. The Mets' is 11-4. --

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