Mets legend Ed Kranepool, the only member of both the original and record-setting 1962 Mets and also the Miracle Mets of 1969, said he isn’t keeping tabs of the awful 2023 Oakland A’s, a clear threat to break the ’62 Mets record of 40-120.

“I don’t think any player from the 1962 Mets really gives a damn,” Kranepool said by phone. “Nobody wants that record. It happened. It happened in New York. It’s something you’d like to forget. It’s not something I’m proud of. Nobody wants to be associated with it.”

Kranepool, ultimately a big winner and fan favorite, was actually only a small part of ’62, joining the team at age 17 two days after graduating from Monroe High in The Bronx, on the day Sandy Koufax no-hit the Mets in L.A. no less.

“I can’t really deal with losing things,” Kranepool said. “I’d rather think about 1969. I’d rather think about 1973. I’m more disappointed about losing in ’73. That [1962] meant nothing.”

Kranepool said the thing he remembers, beyond 1969 of course, is all the friends he made, and how great the fans treated him. Always a sport, Kranepool wished the A’s well, and concluded the conversation by saying it’d be OK with him if the A’s rallied and the Mets kept the record.

The Mets are on the lookout for a second lefty reliever (which won’t be easy to get). …

The Angels did great drafting two players in 2022 who’ve already reached the majors: shortstop Zach Neto and hard-throwing reliever Ben Joyce (he hit 105.5 mph at the University of Tennessee). Joyce still needs work on command and a breaking ball, but that’s a great third-round pick. …

How good are the Dodgers at drafting/developing? In the relatively weak 2016 draft, the Dodgers plucked Gavin Lux, Will Smith, Dustin May, Luke Raley, Tony Gonsolin, Graham Ashcraft, Dean Kremer and Zach McKinstry. Amazing.