Worth noting

• The Mets officially placed four players on the 15-day disabled list prior to Monday's game: left-hander Johan Santana (torn left shoulder capsule), and right-handers Frank Francisco (recovery from right elbow surgery), Jenrry Mejia (right elbow tendon inflammation) and Shaun Marcum (right bicep tendinitis).

• Left-hander Jon Niese became the 22nd pitcher to start an Opening Day game for the Mets. Tom Seaver holds the all-time record, with 11 Opening Day starts

• David Wright spoke Monday of his pride in the Mets and that of Matt Harvey. "He reminds me of me," he said.

• Until Wright was introduced in pregame ceremonies, Tim Teufel was as warmly received as anyone in a Mets uniform.

• Rusty Staub, who stood between the mound and the plate as he threw out the first ball of the season -- people understood, he was a little rusty -- turned 69 Monday. Also marking milestones were media relations vice president Jay Horwitz, with the 33rd year of his hiring, and Ron Darling, with the 31st anniversary of his move from the Rangers to the Mets when he and Walt Terrell were acquired for Lee Mazzilli.

• When a play in the Mets' 11-2 win required catcher John Buck to remove his cap, his relative hairlessness was exposed. He was reminiscent of former Mets catcher Barry Lyons, who was more folic-ly challenged. His nickname was "Mattress Head."

• Buck scored from first base on a two-out double by Ruben Tejada in the second inning. A former Royal, Buck invoked the name of former Royals manager John Wathan, who didn't abide by the catcher's credo -- "Run until someone tags you out." Wathan could run, too. He broke the single-season stolen base record for catchers in 1982. He had 36 steals. The record, 25, had been established by John Stearns of the Mets in 1978.