March is no time to panic.

Well, who can blame Met fans for the constant state of worry that seems to ravage this team year in and year out? It resonates in the groans at Shea after Billy Wagner blows his second save of the season in July, or Carlos Beltran goes 0-4 with three men left on base in his first game home from a road trip that just saw him win NL Player of the Week. It’s the same feeling that WFAN’s Steve Somers feels has you “searching for the Kaopectate.”

You know what I’m talking about. Panic, overreaction, fearing the worst, the ridiculous factors to the ever-fragile psyche that is being a Met fan. I mean, are a few injuries here and there or a home run to a post HGH Juan Gonzalez really that big of a deal this time of year?

Certainly the collapse, or maybe even the Milledge trade, did little to ease the tension engrained in some fans, and frankly it’ll take more than the Johan trade to make this thing go away.

That said, we’ve seen this before. There are those of us who suffered year in and year out with the pre-1994 New York Rangers. Then enter Mark Messier. History proved what Mess was able to accomplish and it was a poignant quote from then Rangers GM Neil Smith following the team’s Stanley Cup who said Messier “changed the perception of the logo from a losing one to a winning one” in leading Rangers to ending their 54-year drought. In essence, a Met fan yearns for a championship, in addition to being run like the organization from the Bronx. Over the past few years, thanks to Fred Coupons taking some chances, the only thing missing is the same feeling of supreme joy the Football Giants and their fans endured several weeks ago.

So as Mets fans, let’s take a moment and a deep breath here early in spring training and think about the upcoming season. We are a strong team with veteran leadership and the best pitching staff in a very competitive NL East. For all the questions about Carlos Delgado and Duaner Sanchez are we to believe that a few spring training games are a precursor to ultiMet (don’t excuse the pun) success this season? Aren’t we taking ourselves a little too seriously?

This is, after all, a team that admitted it was on cruise control last season, following a year that saw them finish one game from the World Series. Sometimes a smack in the mouth on the playground was exactly what that cocky kid from your neighborhood needed.

Speaking of which, for those of you who constantly feel the need, we have 162 games to question Willie’s decisions, or to boo Beltran, Aaron Heilman and Wagner. Crack a frosty beverage and enjoy the early work of Mike Pelfrey. Root hard for the continued development of Sanchez. Revel in the fact you’re still getting goose bumps every time you see Johan in Blue and Orange and more importantly that Fernando Martinez didn’t have to change his address to make it happen. Heck, give Angel Pagan a freekin’ standing ovation for his early efforts. After all, that’s what the Spring should be all about.

Isn’t it?