As any fan of a professional sport knows, when the team is losing, the manager gets the blame. This is especially true in the case of Major League Baseball; where wins put bodies in the seats, and dollars in the till. During the 2017 Major League Baseball season there was a strange and unusual occurrence (or non-occurrence) by mid-season Managers handed their walking papers; and, as the smoke now clears in the postseason, we are seeing the "hatchets" begin to fall, and the blood begins to spill.
Terry Collins is out
One of these casualties is Terry Collins, the now former Manager of the New York Mets.
Collins sat at the helm in New York for a total of seven seasons, and his achievements are nothing to scoff at given his record. He had led the Mets to a 2015 World Series, which they lost, after winning the National League pennant, and a 2016 Wild Card Playoff game, which they fell to the San Francisco Giants. But with a horrific 2017 season, the fans called for his ouster.
It has been reported that one of the team's owners, and C.E.O. Jeff Wilpon, along with the teams General Manager, Sandy Alderson had been pleading for Collins removal as Manager since the All-Star break. The loyalty and respect of senior owner Fred Wilpon had provided a reprieve for Collins, but now his time has run out.
Terry Collins will not be leaving the Mets organization totally. He is very well liked and respected, as well as, considered just a very nice human being. He will move to the Mets front office. Collins was the oldest manager in Major League Baseball at 68 years old. Having had previous managerial stints with the Houston Astros and the California Angels, it is more than likely that we will not see him as a manager again; trading in his pinstriped uniform for a pinstriped suit.
Collins career with the Mets
A brief rundown of Terry Collins's statistics as Mets Manager is in order. With an overall record spanning 7 years of 552 losses and 582 wins he has fallen short of earning the title "winner". However, it must be taken into consideration that Collins has managed more games than any other manager in Mets history and is second in wins only to Davey Johnson (595 wins), leading the team to a National League pennant and a Wild Card Playoff game in 2016.
To accomplish this in New York City is no small feat when factoring in the media and fan scrutiny that accompany this job.
The question, therefore, arises is Terry Collins responsible for the implosion of the New York Mets during the 2017 season; posting a 70 win-92 loss record (according to ESPN) or is he a victim of the league's "Manager Merry Go Round"? His team enters the year with a seemingly unstoppable pitching staff, and a newly signed slugger in Yoenis Cespedes. Unfortunately for Collins, injuries plagued his young pitching rotation. This combined with offensive underperformance, and the fan's frustration, Terry Collins fate was sealed. Cespedes batted a respectable .292 but had a power outage hitting just 17 home runs.
Jacob deGrom had the best pitching record at 15-10 (according to Fox Sports), but, the remainder of the "studs" in the rotation seemed to reside on the disabled list throughout most of the season, their records for 2017 are lackluster. Cabrera and Bruce were the offensive bright spots on the squad, turning in gutty and clutch performances, but to manager Terry Collins frustration, they were not bright enough to amp up the lights at Citi Field.
So, now as the winter approaches and the snow falls on the turf at Citi Field, Mets fans will eagerly await the announcement of their team's new skipper, as Terry Collins will reminisce about what was, and ponder over what will be. Both will look toward the Spring as a new beginning, perhaps a chance for redemption, and a new hope for things to come.
