By Bill Koenig

Al Leiter was into his windup and about to make another delivery. This one, however, had nothing to do with staring down Atlanta's Chipper Jones or getting the New York Mets back to the World Series.

The Mets' starter was racing around Queens, stopping at walk-ups in Astoria and mid-size apartment buildings in Long Island City. Driving a funky van, trimmed in Mets' blue and orange and featuring his picture on the side, Leiter spent a recent Saturday morning delivering meals to elderly shut-ins as part of New York's Citymeals-on-Wheels program. He had donated the van and now he was donating his time as well. "He was so enthusiastic," said Maryanne Bloomfield, Citymeals' director of corporate relations. "He insisted on driving the van himself. We visited three people and he drove to all three." At least one of the residents, James Passarella, 74, was a huge Mets fan and engaged the pitcher in a discussion about the team's prospects for the 2000 season.

"How we gonna do next year?" he asked. "Better than this year," Leiter replied.

"It's such a wonderful Christmas present to have you here in my apartment," the wheelchair-bound Passarella told the pitcher. Citymeals-on-Wheels provides two million meals a year to 15,000 homebound senior citizens in New York's five boroughs. The van donated by Leiter enables Citymeals to reach about 50 additional residents each week. Leiter was accompanied by four young "relievers" -- Elizabeth Doucette, Ingrid Gonzalez, Carrie Persaud and Miyeong Kim -- who helped prepare the meals and assist in the deliveries. They are part of a youth volunteer

initiative called "Kids Deliver." It is designed to forge relationships between the young and elderly.

The van was purchased with a $30,000 donation from Leiter's Landing, the charitable foundation organized in 1996 by Al and his wife, Lori. "I've been given an incredible opportunity, based on my ability to throw a little white ball," Leiter said. "We're fortunate that we can afford a pretty nice living. So why not give something back?

"We wanted to try to make a difference in people's lives, whether it's just seeing a smile on a kid's face, or bringing computers to school or building a ball field in my hometown. It just comes down to knowing in your heart it's the right thing to do." Leiter puts his money where his mouth is. Shortly after signing a four-year, $32 million contract with the Mets last winter, he pledged $1 million to his own foundation.

He likes to spread the wealth around to as many diverse charities as possible. "Let's face it," Leiter said, "lots of people give more than I do to specific charities. Lots of players are tied in with a specific cause or group. And that's great. But I don't have one specific thing that touches my heart, so to speak.

"We identified a lot of smaller charities around New York that we wanted to help, charities that usually don't get much outside help. A $5,000 scholarship is a big thrill to them. To some large charity, that might only be a drop in the bucket."

One of Leiter's first beneficiaries was the East Harlem School at Exodus House.

"It was started by two brothers, Hans and Ivan Hageman, both Ivy League-educated, who went back to their Harlem roots," Leiter said. "They created this unbelievable middle school for kids who are gifted students, but who might have gone down the wrong path in life for one reason or another. Maybe a broken home. Maybe hanging with the wrong crowd. The school helps them stay focused and get back on track." Leiter's Landing donated $5,000 for the school to use toward scholarships. He also hosted a luncheon for the students , then took them to a Mets game. And Leiter certainly isn't one to forget his hometown. He donated $120,000 to help build a Little League field in Berkeley Township, N.J., the area where he grew up. "I knew some of the fields they had to play on," he said. "They were the same fields I played on, poor fields that had been around for 40 years. I was thinking, 'Wouldn't it be great if ...' So we figured out the cost and got the ball rolling." The complex includes a senior (regulation-size) field, two smaller fields and a Tee-ball field. There is a 10-foot high fence around the outfield; an electric scoreboard will be added next summer. "Al really touched the whole town with his generosity, and the town's response touched him right back," said Tim Yurcisin, township superintendent of parks and recreation. "We have about 500 kids in the program and we've been trying to put this complex together for years. We used to have fields scattered all over town. "Al came to the dedication. When he got out on the field and saw the sod, he said, 'This grass is nicer than Shea Stadium.' We brought it in from a turf farm here in New Jersey. It's top of the line. We didn't cut any corners."