FLUSHING, NY - The Met clubhouse at Shea Stadium has a very specific setup to put certain players next to each other. When you walk in on the right, you see many of the bench players and call-ups, while the stars get the choice corners and spaces next to open lockers. The starting pitchers have a row on one side to themselves, with the bullpen located to the left as you walk in.

So it stood to reason, the Mets knew what they were doing when they assigned locker space to Lastings Milledge. Because of his young – and, at time, cocky – personality, the rookie took up residence next to Julio Franco and in an earshot of Cliff Floyd and Jose Valentin. The team wanted these veterans around to guide the 21 year-old as he adjusts to the big leagues and also help curtail mistakes most rookies make.

Even though it got so much hype, the ‘hi-five’ episode probably won’t see the light of day again. The fans loved it – and rightfully so – but actions like that rub opposing teams the wrong way. Yes, it was innocent, but the Mets don’t want the rookie to start getting on the radar screens of rival staffs. Willie Randolph put Milledge in the eight-hole for a reason, so there isn’t any undo pressure on him. But now, some pitchers may go after the outfielder harder to prevent from being showed up as well.

The Mets seem to have found a talent in the Floridian, but life in the majors will be different and only by listening to veterans like Floyd and Franco, will allow Milledge a smooth transition.

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Speaking of good clubhouse guys, Billy Wagner may be one of the best you’ll find. Before the rainout on Friday, he was found kidding with Duaner Sanchez about the set-up man’s three inning stint last Wednesday against the Diamondbacks, when Wagner only went two. Although Wagner has had some meltdowns this season, he seems to be fitting in well into the Mets’ fabric. Win or lose, the closer is always there by his locker for an interview and no matter how he performed in the last game, has the same good natured disposition.

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Former Met Ron Swoboda stopped by Shea this past weekend. The 1969 hero was on hand for a reunion of Mets fantasy campers and seems to have gotten his life back in order after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina last season.

A New Orleans resident, Swoboda has moved back into his house and is again calling games for the AAA Zephyrs – a Nationals affiliate - which was not affected by the storm because of the team’s location in Jefferson Parrish. He says most of the tourist attractions in the Big Easy have reopened and both Marti-Gras and Jazz Fest went off without a hitch, but the city still has a long way to go to get back to where it once was.

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This past weekend was supposed to be the Barry Bonds boo-fest. Rain and possibly apathy curtailed that, but it didn’t prevent the Shea faithful from showing venom to former Met closer Armando Benitez and Kaz Matsui, both of whom got it worse than the slugger.

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Finally, best wishes to Gary Cohen, who was rushed to the hospital before Game 2 of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Giants with an appendicitis. The broadcaster is not only the best play-by-play caller in the business but also one of its good guys. Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery.

Joe McDonald is in the Mets clubhouse covering the Amazins' for The Wave of Long Island.