HOW WILL COLLINS MANAGE WITHOUT HIS STAR SLUGGER?

The official countdown to Carlos Beltran's farewell startedweeks ago, although the realists in the organization said theirgoodbyes in spring training. Either way, the Mets had plenty of time to graspthat wide-open space called the rest of the season. Is TerryCollins' team resilient enough to finish at .500 without its mostexperienced hitter? The real question is whether Collins can convince his players toinvest in the final two months, even if the wild card is out ofreach. The manager so far has been a gust of optimism and goodwill,but that was before GM Sandy Alderson effectively ended the Mets' playoff hopes by sendingBeltran to the Giants.