Terry Collins has always been known as a manager with a lot of fire. There were some Mets fans who followed his career and did not want him as a manager for the New York Mets. It was felt among some that because he never managed a playoff team and players from Anaheim wanted him out, left many thinking he was not the right fit.
However, Collins has proven his detractors wrong.
During the 1999 season in Anaheim, Mo Vaughn led a group of veteran players to management in order to convince them not to extend Collins’ contract. His confrontational style rubbed many players the wrong way. It was said that he was too intense. Ultimately, he resigned. It took 11 years for Collins to come back to manage in the majors again.
When he came to manage the Mets, he brought with him the lessons he learned from his time with the Houston Astros and the Angels. He knew he needed to communicate with his players. Not a single member of this team can argue with the communication. Collins is still the intense manager he has always been, but now he is willing to listen to his players. There is an open-door policy between the player’s locker room and the manager’s office. It was proven when the change from centerfield to right field happened with Carlos Beltran last year. Collins spoke with Beltran about the move to see how he felt about it. They agreed that it was the best move to keep Beltran fresh and successful. It worked. Everything thought and felt by the manager, has been communicated to management, the players, the coaches and the fans.
In New York City, intensity is important. It was one of the reasons so many wanted Bobby Valentine back or Wally Backman to get his first managerial job here. Collins has shared his intensity with the players in several ways: during drills, batting practice, team meetings and through his post-game press conferences. No one thinks ill of Collins as in the days of the Anaheim Angels. Why? He has matured. He can communicate to his players and they can communicate back effectively.
“He knew he needed to communicate with his players. Not a single member of this team can argue with the communication. Collins is still the intense manager he has always been, but now he is willing to listen to his players. There is an open-door policy between the player’s locker room and the manager’s office.”
This is the same thing that was said about Tom Coughlin. If Collins can produce Coughlin’s results, I won’t be disappointed.