Pressure-Free K.C. Is a Haven for Ex-Mets : Royals: McReynolds, Miller and Jefferies find loyal fans and no media circus, even after the team’s 1-16 start.

ANAHEIM — Keith Miller found sanctuary in one thought during the Kansas City Royals’ 1-16 start this season.

At least this wasn’t happening in New York.

Still, he was beginning to wonder what he had gotten into after being traded from the Mets last December along with Kevin McReynolds and Gregg Jefferies for Bret Saberhagen and Bill Pecota.

Miller was hitting .263 in the first 17 games but had only one run batted in in 57 at-bats. He has since broken out of the slump, as have the Royals.

But Miller isn’t sure the same would have been true if he were still playing in front of New York’s media circus and the Mets’ demanding fans.

“If we would have started 1-16 in New York,” he said, “the fans never would have let us back out of it. Things would have built up from there.

“That was the nice thing about Kansas City. The fans stuck by us when we were losing early.

Miller, the Royals’ second baseman, wasn’t the only player slumping at the beginning of the season. McReynolds and Jefferies were right there with him.

Jefferies, who hit .230 with four RBIs in the first 17 games, couldn’t even imagine what a bad start would have been like with his former team.

“Forget it,” he said. “Everyone would have been traded or sent down to Tidewater (the Mets’ triple-A team) had we gone 1-16.

“They might even have closed down Shea Stadium.”

McReynolds, whom the Royals hoped would bring power to the fourth spot in the batting order, struggled the most early in the season. He had one home run, two RBIs and hit .150 during the losing streak.

“We deserved to be booed with that start,” he said, “but the fans stayed loyal to us the whole time.

“I’m glad we didn’t go through that (losing streak) in New York. You can see what’s happening there right now with a .500 season. It’s sad.”

Jefferies was just as glad to leave, but has kept an eye on the rearview mirror on the way out.

“I feel sorry for those guys who are there now,” he said. “You see what’s happening with Bobby Bonilla.

“I was watching a game (at Shea Stadium) the other day and Bobby was wearing earplugs because of the boos, and that’s sad to see.”

Said Miller: “You have guys like Bonilla and Howard Johnson getting booed, and what for? They’re busting their butts every day.”

Meanwhile, the former Mets have slowly put their season back together in Kansas City. Their offense helped the Royals (24-35) to a recent six-game winning streak and temporarily out of the AL West cellar.

Jefferies, a third baseman, has hit safely in 22 of 25 games, but a sprained finger ligament and strained hip muscle have kept him out of the lineup since Monday.

Miller’s .302 average is highest among the Royals’ starters. He was eight for 11 in the Royals’ final three games of their winning streak after going 0 for 12 in the first three.

McReynolds, an outfielder, had a career-best 17-game hitting streak stopped Saturday night against the Angels, going 0 for 4. He had 25 hits in his previous 59 at-bats, raising his average from .189 to .262.

“The pressure’s not on you to win every single day in Kansas City,” McReynolds said, “and that’s a big help.

“In New York, you have to win, no matter what the cost, or you get ripped. Everyone wants to play on a winner, but it was ridiculous.”

Jefferies and Miller had spent their entire major league careers with the Mets. McReynolds had been there since 1986, when he left the Padres in an eight-player trade that also involved Kevin Mitchell.

Miller took the trade to the Royals the hardest. After playing three infield positions during his first two seasons with the Mets, he finally won the starting job at second base in the second half of last season.

“At first, I was disappointed when I heard about the trade,” he said. “I finally had an everyday job, and here I was going to a new team.”

McReynolds started last season slowly, but raised his average to .299 in July before dropping back to .259 by season’s end. Jefferies led the team with a .272 average, but was certain he would be traded by the start of the 1992 season.

“There had been some talk in September that Mac and I might get traded,” he said. “But when it happened, it was somewhat of a disappointment. But then I thought about the situation for a while, thought about the organization I was headed to, and I realized it would work out well.”

Said McReynolds: “The trade really didn’t surprise me. I knew the team was going to make some changes, and I was on the front line. I’m glad they made the trade.”

So is Jefferies.

“I didn’t have a chance in New York,” he said. “I don’t have any bitter feelings toward the Mets, but I’m glad I’m out of there.”

So is Miller.

“You know what’s nice about playing in Kansas City?” he said. “You can concentrate on baseball and not have to go to team meetings about not talking to the press, the way we did in New York.”

Escape from New York

The performance of former Mets Gregg Jefferies, Keith Miller and Kevin McReynolds in their first season in Kansas City:

Statistics through Royals’ 1-16 start

Player AB H R RBI Avg. Gregg Jefferies 61 14 2 4 .230 Keith Miller 57 15 5 1 .263 Kevin McReynolds 60 9 3 4 .150

Statistics during six-game winning streak

Player AB H R RBI Avg. Gregg Jefferies 23 6 5 4 .261 Keith Miller 23 8 5 5 .348 Kevin McReynolds 20 9 5 2 .450

Season statistics (through Saturday’s game)

Player AB H R RBI Avg. Gregg Jefferies 225 57 23 21 .253 Keith Miller 162 49 25 18 .302 Kevin McReynolds 194 50 30 26 .258