PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- David Cone found himself in a comfortable setting Friday -- back on the mound, back in a familiar place.

Cone threw for five minutes, a day after signing a minor league contract with the New York Mets.

It was the first time Cone had thrown off a mound since he pitched for the Boston Red Sox in 2001.

"It was a lot different," Cone after spending the last 10 days playing catch on flat ground at home. "The first big test is to throw off a mound in front of people."

Cone was joined by several other New York pitchers in the bullpen at the far side of the Mets' spring training complex that opened in 1988. It was an area that the 40-year-old Cone knew well.

"I was here when this place was born," Cone said. "It brings back a lot of memories."

Cone said the last time he threw so many pitches was when he was with the Red Sox, and he braced himself for a few aches and pains that will come Saturday morning.

"Even though it was only five minutes, it felt real good," Cone said. "Tomorrow and the next day are the real keys."

Cone went through New York's complete workout, moving from field to field to join individual drills that were designed for pitchers to practice their fundamentals.

"There are a few hurdles for me to overcome," Cone said.

Cone threw at about 60-70 percent of what he's capable and didn't throw a breaking ball. He said the other parts of the workout left him more tired.

"I'm just an old warhorse who's having a hard time deciding to retire and wants to give it one more shot," Cone said. "It's nothing more than that."

Cone worked as announcer for the New York Yankees last year and was all set to do it again this season if he retired. Cone has had a good relationship with the Yankees and owner George Steinbrenner, and didn't want to cause any commotion by returning to the Mets.

"I hope he's happy," Steinbrenner said at the Yankees' camp in Tampa, Fla. "I hope he does well. We didn't have a hold on him."

Yankees pitcher David Wells admitted Cone's move might have ruffled Steinbrenner a bit.

"I think he was mad, but I don't think it should worry Coney any," Wells said. "He wants to play. Of course, this was the first place he would have wanted to, but there just wasn't a spot. There's so much pitching here.

"George has got to understand, Coney is going to be there for George no matter what. They're best friends, and Coney is going to come back and do anything George asks him when he retires. So I don't think he should be mad at him for going over there," Wells said.

Cone's former teammate on the Yankees and Mets, Dwight Gooden, wished him well.

"I think it's great. I talked to him all of last year and could see in his eyes, the fire still was burning. He still wanted a chance to play. Sitting out last year, he just said he was bored to death," said Gooden, who works for the Yankees.

Notes
LHP Tom Glavine had a short private session in the bullpen with C Mike Piazza under the watchful eye of pitching coach Verne Rule. Glavine threw 23 pitches to his new catcher before rotating to another field and throwing some live batting practice in a bunting drill. ``I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow,'' Glavine said. ... The Mets signed LHP Phil Seibel to a split contract and invited him to major league spring training. ... Bruce Benedict was promoted to special assistant to general manager Steve Phillips and Duffy Dyer is joining the organization as the team's major league advance scout.