The Atlantic League’s Long Island Ducks — the indie repository that from time to time has served as a baseball halfway house for legends including but not limited to John Rocker, Jose Offerman, Carl Everett and Pete Rose Jr.— are preparing for tomorrow night’s home opener with Southern Maryland, and what better way to stoke interest than by having the manager make what Chris Morris might call, ” a full and frank apology”? From Newsday’s Adam Ronis.

Gary Carter (above, left) received a lot of criticism for expressing his interest in the Mets managerial job last season when Willie Randolph still held the position. Almost a year later, Carter realizes he made a mistake.

“We all make mistakes in our lifetime,” said Carter at Ducks media day Wednesday. “With what happened, that politically incorrect statement what I said about my interest, then I would say yes it is a mistake. I wasn’t trying to step on anybody’s toes or undermine anybody. My intentions, I think, were sincere. They certainly were not malicious by any means. When it comes down to it, I’ve learned from that. It won’t happen again. I can tell you that.”

Carter said he spoke with Brewers general manager Doug Melvin in the offseason about managing the team, but Melvin had his candidates in line. Carter also spoke with Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik about that team’s opening, but Carter said that Zduriencik already had Don Wakamatsu in mind.

“It’s sometimes a chess game and just being in the right place at the right time,” Carter said.

I think I speak for many Mets bloggers fans when hoping-wishing-praying some sort of big league vacancy opens up in which the The Kid and Wally Backman are both candidates and end up openly campaigning against each other.