ON THE final day of the 1996 season, Astros owner Drayton McLane sat in Terry Collins’ office, told his hand-picked manager his job was safe and that he should plan on attending an upcoming organizational meeting. Four days later, the Astros held their meeting without inviting Collins. The next day Collins was fired.
It goes to show how quickly things can change when the rhetoric ends and an actual decision must be reached on a manager or coach’s job status.
In Collins’ case this time around — he is in the final year of his contract with the Mets — the choice already largely has been made. Barring the unforeseen (think Lee Elia trashing the Wrigley Field bleacher bums) it seems almost certain Collins will be the manager when the Mets face the Nationals on March 31 at Citi Field to begin the 2014 season.
Originally, there was some thought that wins and losses in this final month of the season would matter in the evaluation process. But when it became clear that judging Collins on September results would be similar to grading him on the team’s performance in Grapefruit League games, the manager essentially became immune from getting fired based on wins and losses.
“There’s different criteria at different times of the year,” a high-ranking club official said Wednesday. “[Collins] can’t totally be graded on something he doesn’t have right now.”
With their 3-0 loss the Nationals, the Mets are 2-8 in September, as David Wright and Matt Harvey remain on the disabled list, and Marlon Byrd and John Buck are performing for the playoff-bound Pirates.
The fact the Wilpon family, which controls the Mets, has a deep appreciation for Collins is known throughout the industry. The Wilpons and general manager Sandy Alderson value Collins as a loyal lieutenant who has put his ego aside and walked the organizational line without creating waves.
Alderson, through channels, has made it known there is almost no chance he would hire popular Wally Backman to manage the Mets if there was an opening.
Backman has thrived managing at the Triple-A level, but there are fears within the organization he would clash with this front office, which — make no mistake about it — has the final word on everything related to the on-field product.
According to sources, Backman considered tendering his resignation near the end of spring training because he was unhappy receiving orders from team officials about playing time for certain individuals. Backman then angered Alderson later in the season, with comments about how he would fix Ike Davis, after the first baseman was demoted to Las Vegas.
But Backman knows how to manage, something that was reaffirmed this season when he took Las Vegas to the Pacific Coast League playoffs despite having his roster decimated to fill holes with the Mets.
Look for Backman to land in another organization next season, unless the Mets are willing to give him a shot on the major league coaching staff. But such an addition could create an uncomfortable situation because of the mostly-false perception that Backman would be the manager in waiting.
Collins is about to finish a third straight losing season with the Mets, but team officials know better than to blame him for a roster that simply has lacked the talent to compete for the playoffs.
“He has done a good job,” a second team official said. “The team plays hard. He is limited with what he has and never complains.”
Collins hasn’t been told anything about his job status, but according to sources plans to begin evaluating players in the Instructional League as soon as the season ends.
It should make up for the organizational meeting he never got to attend with the Astros in 1996.