The New York Mets are in the midst of a thorough search for the ball club’s next manager, and developments suggest a front-runner may have emerged.

Buck Showalter interviewed with Mets brass, and it appears the veteran skipper made a great first impression.

Mike Puma of the New York Post reports that Showalter interviewed very well during a meeting conducted via Zoom.

“They were pretty impressed with Buck today,” said a person with knowledge of Showalter’s interview. “It went really well.”

Current Dodgers bench coach and one-time Oakland Athletics manager Bob Geren also interviewed with the Mets.

Nearly a half-century after his death, Gil Hodges has an added line to a resume that includes U.S. Marine, All-Star first baseman and World Series-winning manager. He’s a Hall of Famer.

In his 35th appearance on a ballot for Cooperstown, the former Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers star and guiding force behind the 1969 Miracle Mets obtained the necessary 75 percent of the vote from the Golden Days Era committee for enshrinement into the Hall of Fame.

Hodges joined Jim Kaat, Minnie Minoso and Tony Oliva as selections by the committee. The Baseball Writers’ Association of America will announce its 2022 Hall of Fame selections next month.

In 18 major league seasons, Hodges hit 370 homers and amassed 1,274 RBIs and 1,921 hits. An eight-time National League All-Star selection he won three straight Gold Gloves at first base beginning in 1957 when the award was first instituted. He played for World Series winning teams in Brooklyn (1955) and Los Angeles (1959). During Hodges’ peak seasons (1949-59) only Dodgers teammate Duke Snider amassed more homers and RBIs among MLB players. Hodges retired with the third-highest home run total by a right-handed hitter, behind only Jimmie Foxx and Willie Mays.

As manager of the Mets, he took the team from worst-to-first, finishing 100-62 in 1969 before defeating the Orioles in five games in the World Series for the first of only two championships in franchise history. The ’69 Mets included Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman and Nolan Ryan.

The New York Giants lost to the Miami Dolphins, 20-9, on Sunday afternoon.

The New York Giants entered Week 13 shorthanded and hopeful, but left Miami just shorthanded.

In one of their ugliest performances in recent years, the Giants were manhandled by the Miami Dolphins despite the scoreboard showing a low-scoring affair. The reason for that? Big Blue’s usually anemic offense was completely non-functional on Sunday.

With limited weapons, a replacement quarterback and injuries abound, the Giants’ offense was so bad Jason Garrett could be heard laughing from his home in Dallas. And defensively? They, too, left a bit to be desired.

This loss epitomizes the Giants’ season as it was highlighted by injuries and faulty offensive play. In this Week 13 defeat, the Giants were unable to get anything going offensively as they failed to score a single touchdown.

The Giants now fall to 4-8 and last in the NFC East.