The Mets aren’t off to the start they would have liked, but after hearing for months what it would be like to play for Terry Collins, the players on this 12-16 club have no complaints about their new manager.
“We know he’s gonna be around us in the clubhouse every day,” Jose Reyes said. “He talks to you all the time. You want to play extra hard for that guy. Just the energy he has is incredible.”
And that’s something new for the shortstop.
“I’m used to having different kinds of managers, not like this,” Reyes said. “I’ve never had anything like this before. I love playing for him. His intensity and enthusiasm are great. I just wish we could play better for him.”
That would help.
It’s only one month into Collins’ tenure with the Mets and no one can predict whether his frequent presence in the clubhouse and interaction with the players will wear thin — especially if the season goes downhill.
Still, it’s a far cry from the player revolts Collins fell victim to while managing the Angels and Astros, as well as personality clashes in Japan.
The Mets, in a season of uncertainty, are keeping an open mind.
“There have been very successful managers who have been laid back and other who are fiery,” David Wright said. “Time will tell how this works out, but I enjoy playing for him. He gets the most out of his players and makes you want to try to run through a wall for him.”
Collins undoubtedly wins points for criticizing his own decisions, as he did last week when he took the fall for letting Mike Pelfrey pitch in Philadelphia on Friday. The right-hander had another subpar outing after battling the effects of a virus for much of the week. Collins said he never should have let him take the mound.
“The biggest thing is that he’s around when things are good and when things are bad,” said Jason Bay, who has already witnessed a six-game winning streak and a three-game losing streak under Collins since coming off the disabled list on April 21. “When you play like [garbage], you need to hear it and because he’s consistent, it carries more weight. No one wants to listen to a guy who doesn’t say anything for weeks and then all of a sudden it all comes out.”
That certainly doesn’t figure to be an issue.
“Some people, it’s hard to listen to, because you feel like they’re putting on a show when they’re around,” Bay said. “You don’t listen to that. But with Terry, you realize it’s him, it’s genuine. So you take what he says at face value and hopefully that helps us this year.”
And players like Carlos Beltran appreciate Collins’ aggressive style.
“Terry has a lot of passion for his job and that comes through in the way he manages,” Beltran said. “We’re more aggressive and that’s a positive thing.”
It hasn’t resulted in many wins, but the Mets appreciate knowing where they stand.
“He makes a point to hold conversations with pretty much every player, every day, it seems,” Wright said. “It’s a good way to get a feel for the clubhouse and I hope it continues. . . . He’s just as much a part of this as we are. He brings it every day and that rubs off on us.”
Whether that turns into more wins remains to be seen.