If I told you that I felt joy and excitement when I read the news that Terry Collins would be the next Mes manager, I'd be lying. Between him, Wally Backman, Bob Melvin and Chip Hale, Collins was my least favorite.
After the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Clint Hurdle, I thought the best choice for the Mets would be Melvin. Then news broke that Melvin was likely to be named the manager and I thought this was a smart move. As it turned out, these were just rumors, and yesterday the Mets announced that Collins would be their manager.
There were a few reasons I didn’t like Collins. For one, he wasn’t a manager last year. He spent the 2010 season as the minor-league field coordinator. I wasn’t even sure what this position did, so I had to look it up. A minor-league field coordinator is a person who oversees the training for individual players within the minor league system. I don’t think it happens very often when the minor-league field coordinator gets promoted to the major league head coach.
The one thing I do like about Collins is the experience he has. Ultimately, I think this is the reason he was given the job.
This is a chart I found this on Wikipedia of all the coaching jobs Collins has had at the major league level:
|
Sporting positions |
||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Art Howe |
Houston Astros Manager 1994–1996 |
Succeeded by Larry Dierker |
| Preceded by Joe Maddon |
Anaheim Angels Manager 1997–1999 |
Succeeded by Mike Scioscia |
| Preceded by Orlando Gomez |
Tampa Bay Devil Rays Bullpen Coach 2001 |
Succeeded by Darren Daulton |
| Preceded by Billy Hatcher |
Tampa Bay Devil Rays Third Base Coach 2001 |
Succeeded by Tom Foley |
| Preceded by Jerry Manuel |
New York Mets Manager 2011– |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
In the end I have complete faith in Sandy Alderson. He took his time with this interview process and he had a lot of names to pick from. Collins obviously showed him something that made him feel he was the best person for this job and would manage the team that he built around him well.
I know there are a lot of fans out there that aren't happy with this decision, but it is really unfair to hate on Collins before he has had a chance to even say anything, let alone manager a game. Alderson thinks he is the best man for the job, so we as fans should think he's the best man for the job.
Another important thing to keep in mind is to keep everything in prospective. Right now, the Mets aren't a playoff team. That is the sad realization. They need to make some serious improvements before they can become a team that can compete with the Braves and the Phillies. Collins (and Alderson for that matter) won't make the Mets the best team in baseball overnight. It's going to be a process which could take a while. And yes, that means the 2011 might be a rebuilding time for the Mets.
Collins is a very smart guy and hopefully he has learned from his mistakes in the past, making him a better manager today.
