Mets’ running on-air joke

I’M NOT suggesting Vladimir Putin’s involved, but there seems to be a continuing cover-up of Yoenis Cespedes’ continuing disinclination, now at $110 million, to play as if he gives a rat’s quad.

Saturday on SNY, with two out, runner on first, Mets down, 6-1, Cespedes hit a high fly to deep right-center. Nothing left for him to do except run, right?

But the last and only time we saw Cespedes, he was standing watch, before taking two jogging steps toward first.

The ball was caught by Christian Yelich as he smashed into the wall. But where was Cespedes at that point? SNY didn’t show us, Gary Cohen, Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez didn’t say.

On WOR radio, neither Howie Rose nor Josh Lewin told listeners if Cespedes had bothered to run. Rose, however, said Yelich “took an extra-base hit away from Cespedes.” Hmm. How did he know that Cespedes, of all people, wouldn’t have been thrown out at second — or had to stop at first?

Would we hire an 80-year-old rookie TV or radio baseball analyst? Depends. After Friday, I’d give Phil “The Vulture” Regan a shot.

Regan, a reliable reliever, 1960-72 — they were all long relievers, back then, unless they needed relief — is a Mets’ minor league pitching coordinator whose wish to pitch batting practice at 80, Friday was fulfilled.

SNY’s Steve Gelbs spoke with Regan during Marlins-Mets. Such in-game, mostly on-camera chats are always risky and often distracting. Not this one.

Regan spoke fundamental pitching physics with such a concise, sensible clarity and good humor he left me, as well as Cohen, Darling and Hernandez, wanting more.

Oh, in 13 seasons, 762 innings and 552 games — before Tommy John became known as a famous surgeon — Regan never had a bad arm.