By PETER ABRAHAM
The (Westchester, N.Y.) Journal News

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Mike Piazza woke up Thursday morning with a sore hip and decided after batting practice he wouldn't be able to play in the New York Mets' first exhibition game of the spring.

So much for Art Howe's plan to start the spring with his regular lineup on the field and use it as much as possible.

The injury is not serious but it will be enough to keep Piazza out of the lineup for a few days. He is 34, will turn 35 in September, and has caught an average of 134 games over the last seven seasons. Nagging injuries start to crop up at this stage of a catcher's career.

It's the reason Mets general manager Steve Phillips is hanging on to Vance Wilson, Jason Phillips and Justin Huber.

As it stands now, Wilson will start the season in New York as Piazza's backup. Phillips will be the everyday receiver at Class AAA Norfolk and Huber will be at Class AA Binghamton. Few organizations have that kind of depth.

"I get more calls on Jason Phillips than anybody else," Phillips said. "A lot of people think he could start for them. Vance, too."

Wilson was told shortly before game time that he would start for Piazza. He came up in the second inning and ripped a double down the line in left. The Mets lost, 6-3 against St. Louis but Wilson once again proved his value.

"He's probably the best backup catcher in baseball," teammate Ty Wigginton said. "He plays behind a Hall of Famer and does a great job."

Wilson hit .245 with five homers and 26 RBI in 163 at-bats last season. More importantly, he threw out 25 of 49 base-stealers, the best percentage (.510) in the majors.

"I know what I can do," Wilson said. "The way I see it, the Mets are paying me to be a Gold Glove catcher."

Wilson appreciates big-league life. He was a 44th round draft choice in 1993 and has played in 571 minor-league games.

He was called up to the majors for the first time in 1998. He suited up, didn't play and was sent back down that night. It got better in 1999 - he played in one game. Then came 2000, four games and his first at-bat.

"It hasn't been easy but my goal in my whole career is to make sure that whoever is ahead of me isn't working harder than me and whoever is behind me isn't working harder than me," said Wilson, who arrived at camp on Feb. 3, nearly two weeks ahead of schedule. "I want anyone giving me an opportunity to have a good reason for it."

Wilson joined the Mets full-time in 2001 and become the team union representative a year later, a sign of the respect he has in the clubhouse.

"On and off the field, Vance handles himself the right way," reliever David Weathers said.

Phillips is the same kind of player. The 26-year-old hit .282 with 65 RBI at Norfolk last season. He was called up last year and hit .368 in 11 games, impressing opposing scouts.

Huber is the player the Mets expect to replace Piazza in two or three years. The 20-year-old Australian made South Atlantic League All-Star last season, hitting .291 for Capital City with 11 homers and 78 RBI in 95 games.

Wilson doesn't worry about the future. He has spent considerable time with Phillips and Huber working on defensive fundamentals and doesn't see them as threats, only teammates.

"Everyone in this clubhouse and everyone in baseball should know I want to play every day," he said. "But I'm also going to be 30 in another three weeks and I want to play for a winner. If that role is being a backup, I want to relish it and be the best at it."