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Newsday: Terry Collins to be named Mets manager
Article
Source: Terry Collins to be named Mets manager
Originally published: November 21, 2010 5:29 PM
By DAVID LENNON [email protected]
After a deliberate process that stretched nearly two months, the Mets have chosen Terry Collins as the team's next manager, a person familiar with the situation confirmed Sunday. Collins emerged from a group of 10 candidates picked by general manager Sandy Alderson, who trimmed it to four finalists for last week's round of interviews in Orlando, Fla.
A news conference is scheduled for Tuesday at Citi Field.
Alderson completed the last round of interviews on Thursday, despite the death of his 87-year-old father, John, who was struck and killed by a car last weekend in St. Petersburg. The Mets' GM attended a funeral service for his father on Saturday, but still had planned to make a decision by Monday, at the latest.
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Collins becomes the 20th manager in the 39-year history of the Mets, who have used four since the 2002 season, the last of Bobby Valentine's tenure. Jerry Manuel survived 2 ½ years at the helm before he was fired on Oct. 4, the same date GM Omar Minaya was reassigned, and the Mets have been busy since then forging a new direction for the franchise.
"This is what we get into the game for," Collins said after Thursday's interview in Orlando. "I grew up trying and wanting to be a coach and a manager and I got my chance. Here it is again."
Collins, the minor-league field coordinator for the Mets this past year, assumes his new role needing to win the support of a restless fan base before the players even step on the field. He has a career .506 (444-434) winning percentage in managing stints with the Astros and Angels - a total of six seasons. Collins failed to lead either team to the playoffs, and never won more than 85 games, but he finished second five times.
It helped that Collins had a strong ally in newly hired front-office executive Paul DePodesta, who almost brought him on board to manage the Dodgers during his time as the GM in Los Angeles. The Mets' ownership group also was impressed by Collins' performance as minor-league field coordinator, an important position that basically oversees the entire farm system.
"I think it helps," Collins said Thursday. "I think I know the kids a lot. We've got a good bunch of guys. This organization has done itself very, very proud."
His previous managerial experience helped distinguish Collins, 61, from two of the other finalists, Wally Backman and Chip Hale, while his fiery demeanor likely gave him an edge over the more even-keeled Bob Melvin, who had logged six years as manager between the Mariners and Diamondbacks.
Melvin was probably considered a safer choice than Collins, whose flameout in Anaheim in 1999 was a mark against his candidacy. But the Mets opted for the high-energy candidate who is likely to be more visible and vocal in the position.
Still, the people's choice appeared to be Backman, the fiery second baseman from the '86 Mets, a misfit cast of characters that is beloved by the fan base. From the start of the search - or even as soon as Manuel seemed to be in jeopardy - there was a public outcry for Backman, the manager at Class A Brooklyn last season.
Backman also was a favorite of Mets ownership, with chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon giving him the chance with the Cyclones. That was Backman's first shot with a major-league organization since the Diamondbacks fired him in 2004 after allegations of domestic abuse surfaced, along with a DUI arrest. Backman has had to deal with the backlash from those revelations ever since, but the Mets intend to have him stay in the organization, with a promotion to Class A St. Lucie a possibility.
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