2007 Mets deliver advice to spiraling Amazin’s as they hope to avoid same infamous fate

It is nearly unfathomable what the Mets — baseball’s best team through June 12 before posting a record only better than the Rockies and Twins since — are going through during a downturn that has turned into a collapse. 

It is more fathomable, though, to the 2007 Mets. 

The numbers now reside in franchise infamy: up seven games with 17 to go, the 2007 Mets lost five straight and then six of their final seven to allow the Phillies to steal the NL East crown in one of the most notorious meltdowns in the sport’s history. 

“I’m way, way past that,” 2007 manager Willie Randolph said. “That’s so far in the rearview mirror.” 

But the nightmare may be recurring for the franchise. The Mets entered play Saturday just a half-game clear of the Giants for the final wild-card spot — a lead that was five games as recently as Sept. 2 — and in a seven-game spiral in which already poor play has accelerated during a meltdown that may be stunning but is not unprecedented. 

The 2025 Mets, from their manager to just about everyone in the clubhouse, repeatedly have said they do not know how a team as talented (and expensive) and this one can continue stumbling. 

The club is not alone in its disbelief. 

“It’s hard to explain,” Randolph said before the Alumni Classic and a game against the Rangers at Citi Field. “I know the fans are frustrated and all that good stuff, but to me, I think [manager Carlos Mendoza] and the team is going out and playing hard every day.” 

The 2007 team did, too. 

No one on hand blamed effort level for losing 12 of their final 17 to blow a division they had led for 140 days. 

“I felt so bad for them because I knew they were putting in the work,” said Randolph, who co-managed the Shea Stadium team with Bobby Valentine. “I knew that they couldn’t sleep at night. I knew they were going through those times where it was like, ‘Why can’t we figure this out?’ 

“And you’re with these guys every day. … You could feel the body language and what they’re saying to you.” 

What the Mets were feeling then, according to catcher Paul Lo Duca, was increasing tension and tightening as the losses mounted and the gap narrowed. 

The catcher believed the 2007 Mets still were dwelling on their 2006 failure in the NLCS. They entered the season “thinking we’re going to coast, and it just didn’t happen,” he said. 

The horror show ended with Tom Glavine’s seven-run first inning against the Marlins on Game 162. 

“I cannot really pinpoint what exactly happened,” said Carlos Beltran, who is now a special assistant to David Stearns. “I just felt that you wish you can have it back. But now thinking about this team and what they’re going through, I just hope they forget about the past and focus on these games left.” 

Such was the general tone of advice from several members of the 2007 Mets: The current team cannot focus on this crumbling and has to erase yesterday from its memory. 

“They’re going through some tough times right now,” Jose Reyes said. “But like I said, whatever happened in the [last] game, just leave it there.” 

“Just go for it,” Beltran said. “Don’t limit yourself. Don’t be timid. Just be aggressive, be who you are. … At the end of the day, you are in a position where you’re fighting for a playoff opportunity. You know how many teams would sign up for that opportunity?” 

“Don’t scoreboard watch,” Carlos Delgado added. “Just one day at a time, one at-bat at a time. Let’s win today.” 

The advice from Lo Duca, who was born in Brooklyn, raised as a Mets fan and still tunes in frequently, was a bit more tangible. 

“When you go through this type of stretch, you’ve got to play the game a little bit different,” said Lo Duca, adding the Mets should not be trying to hit a “600 foot homer.” 

“You’ve got to move guys over, you’ve got to play base to base.” 

Several 2007 Mets said they believe this year’s club has the ability to emerge from the tailspin and crack into the postseason. 

“As quick as it turned, it can turn the other way like that,” Randolph said with a snap. 

At stake is the playoffs — and avoiding a notoriety that no one wants on his résumé. 

“That ’07 season is a conundrum that I’ll never figure out,” Lo Duca said.