Former Mets pitcher and Emmy award-winning SNY analyst Ron Darling sat down with Steve Serby at SNY studios as the second half of the season began:

Q: If you were Alex Rodriguez, would you stay a Yankee after the season?

A: If I were Alex Rodriguez, because I think he fashions himself as an entrepreneur someday, I would say right now, “I like my contract, let’s do this, I’m not gonna reopen it, but I would love to have assurance that somewhere down the road I’m able to run these Yankees and put together a team that’s a championship team.”

Q: So the Yankee legacy would be important to you?

A: I think it would; I think he could turn this, which could possibly be a negative thing, into a huge positive thing and be a part of the Yankees like a DiMaggio, a Mantle, all the greats.

Q: Odds or percentages on whether he’ll stay or go?

A: I think he’ll stay, and my feeling the reason he’ll stay is that they need him to stay.

Q: How would Davey Johnson have handled Jose Reyes not running to first base?

A: I don’t think he would have been as brave and as straightforward as Willie Randolph handled it.

Q: How would you compare Davey with Willie?

A: Direct opposites. Davey was in your face, nail you in the paper, all those kind of things. Willie is very quiet about it, he’s an educator . . . Davey just challenged your manhood, and you had to produce.

Q: Pedro Martinez?

A: Royalty.

Q: How so?

A: He’s one of the few pitchers I’ve ever seen that gives a carnival-type atmosphere to a ballpark when he takes the mound. Only other person I ever played with who was like that was Dwight Gooden.

Q: How effective can Pedro be when he returns?

A: I think a lot of it has to do with durability, and then what his fastball is. If he’s throwing 90, he can dominate again.

Q: Reyes?

A: He’s gonna be doing things that no one’s ever done at shortstop.

Q: Should Bud Selig be there when Barry Bonds breaks Hank Aaron’s home-run record?

A: I think he should be, but it’s hard to ask, because Barry’s gone (homerless) stretches of 10, 15, 20 games. So what’s worse – him missing a game or watching Bud at a San Francisco Giant game 15 or 18 games in a row (chuckles)? I don’t know.

Q: Do you think A-Rod will break Bonds’ record?

A: Yes; Barry’ll have it for a short time. A-Rod’s an ox – there’s Lou Gehrig, and there’s Alex Rodriguez.

Q: What was the atmosphere at Shea warming up for Game 1 of the 1986 World Series against the Red Sox?

A: I just remember at one point – not hyperventilating – but just thinking that I could feel my heart through my uniform, and I couldn’t get any saliva.

Q: One Bob Murphy anecdote?

A: Bob Murphy wanted to do the pregame show with me and said (in gravely voice): “Ron, I’ve got laryngitis today, I don’t know how much I’m gonna be able to do, but let’s see if we can do the show.” I said, “Yeah, Murph, whatever you want to do, I’ll talk a lot.” He goes (in a gravely voice), “All right, five, four, three, two, one [now a loud, clear voice] . . . “Hello everybody, this is Bob Murphy!” So Murph had his persona (chuckles).

Q: One Darryl Strawberry anecdote?

A: We were in Montreal, Straw used to always get on Dwight Gooden, say, “Dwight, anybody can throw 95.” Whatever reason there was a scout in the stands, he went and got the gun, Straw went on the mound, threw a couple, never broke 80 – and then was out of the lineup for a couple of days because of a bad shoulder. No one knows the story.

Q: Lenny Dykstra?

A: He just refused to take no for an answer on anything.

Q: Gary Carter?

A: Complicated.

Q: In what way?

A: He was a very complicated guy that was shaped by the loss of his mother, and I think he did a lot of great things because of that.

Q: Keith Hernandez?

A: On the field, he was like a professor giving a tutorial for three hours every night.

Q: Doc Gooden?

A: Very hard to get to know, but I’m so happy I sat in the front row to watch him.

Q: The wildest story about what it was like to be young, single and a Met?

A: If we went to a nightclub, a restaurant or a bar, we were the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus every place we went. We filled up the arenas, we thrilled people, disgusted some people, but we were the greatest traveling show,

I believe, that ever played this game.

Q: Wildest party?

A: I won’t say who threw it, but the only way you could get in if you were a lady, you had to have a title. So you had to be a “Miss Something.”

Q: The feeling the moment you won the World Series?

A: W-H-E-W in capital letters. We had preordained that we HAD to win it, or we were an unsuccessful team, and we pulled it off.

Q: How aware were you of steroids when you played?

A: Everyone was complicit; and I’m talking about players like myself who didn’t say anything; players who did it; owners who looked the other way; Players Association, that didn’t want to test. We’re all complicit 100 percent.

Q: You appeared in the movies “Shallow Hal” and “The Day After Tomorrow.”

A: Both would have been Oscar-nominated; because of my performance they were shipped straight to DVD. I enjoyed the experience and my oldest son got to meet Gwyneth Paltrow. It was worth it.

Q: Favorite childhood memory?

A: Playing catch with my father – he worked two jobs – 100 pitched balls, 100 ground balls.

Q: Best piece of advice your father gave you?

A: My dad’s from the military: Always be on time.

Q: The one batter you didn’t like facing?

A: I didn’t mind facing him but Tony Gwynn hit almost .500 off me.

Q: The pitcher today who reminds you most of you at your best?

A: Jake Peavy.

Q: Idol growing up?

A: Bobby Orr.

Q: Three dinner guests?

A: Jackie Robinson and my two sons.

Q: Favorite movie?

A: “The Hunt For Red October.”

Q: Favorite actor?

A: (Marlon) Brando.

Q: Favorite actress?

A: Sonia Braga.

Q: Favorite singer?

A: Neil Young.

Q: Favorite meal?

A: Steak and mashed potatoes and peas.