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Terry Collins will get the honor of trying to fumigate the stench from the home dugout at Citi Field.
The four-horse race for the Mets’ managerial opening concluded yesterday with 61-year-old Collins standing in the winner’s circle, according to sources. Collins is slated to be introduced as the Mets’ new manager during a press conference tomorrow after receiving a two-year contract.
Collins beat out Bob Melvin, Chip Hale and Wally Backman, all of whom had received callback interviews from general manager Sandy Alderson at last week’s GM meetings. Alderson, according to sources, was sold on Collins’ experience managing the Astros and Angels and his grasp of the Mets’ farm system — he served last season as the organization’s minor league field coordinator.
Though the popular Backman impressed team officials during interviews, Alderson was not prepared to take a chance on hiring somebody who lacked big league managing experience, according to sources. Backman managed Single-A Brooklyn to the playoffs last season and is expected to be offered a minor league managing job within the organization.
Hale is expected to return to the Mets’ coaching staff, but it’s unclear if Melvin will retain a role within the organization — he served as a major league scout last season.
Collins’ hiring could signal Dan Warthen’s departure as pitching coach. Collins will have a strong say in selecting a staff, and he is extremely tight with Dave Wallace, who spent last season as Atlanta’s minor league pitching coordinator.
The 63-year-old Wallace, who was Mets pitching coach in 1999 and 2000, recently turned down an opportunity to join Milwaukee’s staff, and is tight with Fred Wilpon and Sandy Koufax — the Mets tried to hire Wallace for a front office position last year. Collins wanted Wallace as his pitching coach with the Astros in 1994, but Wallace accepted a promotion from the Dodgers instead.
Collins resigned as Angels manager in 1999 after players petitioned the front office for his removal. But a major league executive who has worked with Collins said the player revolt in Anaheim should be considered just a blip on the radar.
“That’s one of those things where guys, their first couple times around managing, that’s part of the learning process,” the executive said. “It’s just a different day and age now, where you learn the players are a little bit different than they were 15 or 20 years ago, and [the Anaheim revolt] is probably an isolated case, but in that case hopefully he’s learned from it.
“Look at Joe [Torre], [Jim] Leyland and everybody that has gone on to do it three or four times. You would hope it would go down as a learning experience for Terry.”
Melvin had experience managing the Mariners and Diamondbacks, but there was concern within the organization if he was fiery enough to jumpstart the clubhouse. Collins is known to wear emotions on his sleeve. Though Collins has never taken a team to the playoffs, he had second-place finishes with the Astros and Angels.
The executive said Collins shouldn’t have a problem handling the New York spotlight.
“It would be tough for a first-time guy,” the executive said. “But Terry has been around the block a little bit and I think he needs some good people around him, but I think he’s probably more prepared for this one than any job he’s had.”