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Sports

BELL’S WELL WORTH THE TOLL TRADE RINGS TRUE FOR METS

EVER SINCE Bobby Valentine didn’t talk about him at the Wharton School of Business, Derek Bell has dominated baseball games the way he did as a youth in Tampa, when he was the biggest star in the neighborhood and Gary Sheffield was the next best. They were so good they made it all the way to the Little League World Series in Williamsport.

Bell and Sheffield play on opposite sides this afternoon when the Dodgers visit Shea Stadium for a makeup of the snowed-out game, and they still are two of the hottest hitters in their new neighborhood: the big leagues.

The Mets tried to pry Sheffield from the Marlins a few winters ago and failed. They didn’t have to try to get Bell this past winter. The Astros, who had deemed him unworthy of regular duty, were happy to throw him and his $5 million salary into the Mike Hampton deal. In fact, they insisted. It was a deal-breaker. Good thing for the Mets.

Some Mets loyalists salivated at the prospect of landing Hampton, a 22-game winner. Others bemoaned the departures of young talents Octavio Dotel and Roger Cedeno. Few had anything to say about Bell. Now he’s the talk of the town. And so far, he has been the most productive of the four players in the trade. Cedeno is batting .186. Dotel, who walked three batters in one inning of relief yesterday, is 0-1 with a 5.25 ERA.

Bell didn’t make any catches or throws yesterday that will play on the gigantic scoreboards all summer, which is news. He didn’t make an out, either, which also is news, old news.

In helping the Mets sweep the Cubs out of town with a 15-8 massacre, Bell went 4 for 4, drove in four runs, jacked a three-run homer and cranked his batting average to .390. He started his Mets career by going 4-for-29, which made him a longshot to reach .300, much less chase .400.

He already has become a fan favorite, thanks to chatting up the customers seated in right field and even those seated near third base, when he gets that far, which is quite often of late.

The Mets have won seven games in a row, during which time Bell has hit .586 with nine RBIs, 10 runs, four doubles and two home runs. In his past 14 at-bats, he has 12 hits, seven RBIs and seven runs. Two of his past three games have been of the four-hit variety.

Valentine said yesterday it’s dangerous to judge a team or a player during extremely hot streaks or deep slumps. This much could be determined about Bell before he went on this tear: The Mets had a player who was happy to be out of where he was, Houston, and giving an all-out effort on a daily basis. His slow start at the plate did not prevent Bell from playing Gold Glove-caliber outfield.

Now he’s doing it all.

“He’s hot, but he’s also good,” Valentine said. “It’s good to see a good hitter get hot.”

He wasn’t very good last season for the Astros, when he batted .236, hit 12 homers and drove in 66 runs. He attributed this to coming back too soon from a ribcage pull.

In ’98, Bell hit .314 with 22 homers, 108 RBIs and 111 runs. Imagine the Mets’ lineup should Bell hammer his way to another season like that one. Doesn’t seem like such a stretch these days.

With Bell and Mike Piazza on fire, the Mets have won nine of 10. Their only loss came the day Steve Phillips flew to Pittsburgh to get to the bottom (read: fan the flames of) the Whartongate controversy.

Phillips was hammered from all sides for his role in Valentine’s latest controversy – check that, Valentine fueled a Don Baylor controversy after the appearance at Penn. (By the way, Don Baylor, chairman of the Chicago chapter of the Bobby V fan club, passes the torch today to the Los Angeles chapter chairman Todd Hundley, who tomorrow passes it to Pete Harnisch, chairman of the Cincinnati chapter. Busy week for Bobby V.)

Phillips needed a week like this from Bell and a day like yesterday’s from Hampton, who limited the Cubs to three earned runs in seven innings.

“Don’t worry about him, not one bit,” Bell said of Hampton. “He’s going to be there.” Hampton will be there winning games every fifth day and laughing at Bell’s off-beat personality the other four days. Bell considers himself the funniest, best-dressed man in the room.

Asked for a second of the opinion, Hampton thought and offered a different superlative.

“He’s the nuttiest,” Hampton said.

Valentine has said he is still in the process of getting to know Hampton. Based on Hampton’s awarding the “nuttiest” title to Bell, it’s obvious the pitcher still has a lot to learn about the manager, too.