5/23/14

Terry Collins: You Are The Weakest Link


Last year Joel Sherman in the NY Post wrote that although the Mets gave Terry Collins a two year extension, he really had a one year mandate to make the team competitive.  His salary took a legitimate bump into the seven figure range, but the consensus was that if 2015 was going to be the year of serious contention then Collins needed to get them headed into that direction during 2014.

Instead, what we have seen is even worse than the previous three years.  Granted, during that time he fell into a series of inexplicable player infatuations like Justin Turner, Andres Torres and Rick Ankiel, but for the most part they were short-lived (or mercifully ended when the front office shipped the underperforming players out of town). 

This year Collins has upped the ante considerably, sitting hot hitting Wilmer Flores for 7 straight games in order to make room for former doghouse resident with a new leash on life, Ruben Tejada.  Then he compounds it by benching his best hitter this season – Juan Lagares – to give more playing time to the Mendoza-line trio. 

Finally, there’s the whole Eric Young, Jr. debacle.  Collins insists on playing him despite the fact that as a leadoff hitter he doesn’t get on base.  He fields his position on the low side of average, and his hitting is virtually non-existent.  Yes, the man can run.  So could Charlie Finley’s pinch runner extraordinaire Herb Washington.  The A’s at least knew how to use the man – he never actually got a major-league AB, yet managed to swipe 31 bases while playing in 105 games as a pinch runner.

Part of what a manager brings to the table is his in-game decision making.  In business terms, it would be the operational part of what he’s expected to do.  The constant lefty/righty shifting of players and pitchers, the burning of the bullpen arms after just one batter, the lost art of the bunt, the lost art of the hit and run…there are too many failures here to catalog.

Then there’s the strategic part – the long term plan for getting the team motivated and ready to perform to expectations.  Collins’ pedigree with the Mets was in player development, yet you cannot find one player who has flourished under his stewardship.  I’m excluding pitchers from the equation as they work more closely with Dan Warthen and the bullpen coach (a column for another day).  Go down the lineup and see who has regressed – Ike Davis, Jason Bay, David Wright, Ruben Tejada, all of the catchers, even current fave Eric Young.  The jury is still out on Juan Lagares and Wilmer Flores until they are actually given starting roles. 

So if the in-game decisions are highly questionable, the motivational side not working and the losses keep accumulating, what purpose does he serve?  It’s not just bloggers calling for his head.  Even the Wall St. Journal called him out this week for creating the losing environment. 

While many people are advocating the release of Chris Young, wringing hands over the whole Stephen Drew situation and grimacing every time they realize that the Bay-like investment in Curtis Granderson is thus far producing similar results, there’s a much less expensive way to show the fans that you are serious about winning.  For a net cost of around $1.75 million you could eat the remainder of Collins’ contract and promote 1986 World Series hero Wally Backman from Las Vegas where he happens to have the best record in the whole league.  Compare that move to the $4 million balance due Chris Young, the $10 million you didn’t spend on Stephen Drew and the sunk cost of Curtis Granderson.  It’s pocket change of the Kyle Farnsworth level. 

While Wally has a well-deserved reputation as a hothead, this move would enable them to slap the “interim” tag on him and let him show over the remaining ¾ of a season what he can do and how to cooperate with the front office.  If he clashes or doesn’t produce, you can cut him loose at the end of the year.  If he does, you’ve got an inexpensive and potentially long term solution for the hot seat.  It would re-energize the disengaged fan base and the PR value of making a change of this nature is incalculable.  

For a Moneyball-oriented team, other than insisting hot bats like Lagares, Flores and Eric Campbell play every day, I can’t think of a less expensive bang-for-the-buck move that can be made that will be met with universal huzzahs from the fans who are fleeing Citifield and SNY in droves.  

10 comments:

Mack Ade said...

Al Tamkus · Top Commenter · Works at I don't work anymore

I think Wally would spark not only the team, but the fan base also. Tell Wally to bring his coaches with him.

Mack Ade said...

You think my Montero stance is a broken record... :)

Reese Kaplan said...

I know, I know...beating a dead horse. But this time I have dollars and cents to back up my argument. Changing the manager would be an inexpensive way to buy good headlines on the back pages of the tabloids instead of ridicule for the losing record, "True New Yorkers" letters and the payroll that still sits $9 million below what it was last year in this first year when the team was allegedly free to spend.

Tom Brennan said...

Wally is Welcome. Hey, bring Dykstra with you, Wally. He can play 1B part time, splitting it with Campbell (and Eric can take Chris Young's ABs when not at 1B).

Duda showed some promise early this year, but has faded - hit .225 in his last 75 at bats, with 2 HRs and 19 strikeouts. Too familiar a Duda pattern...crumbling average, low power output, high K's. He is a key contributor to their 6-14 record in the past 20 games.

It might be embarrassing to switch him out for Dykstra so soon after Ike leaves, so give him another 10 games - but he needs to produce - or depart.

Reese Kaplan said...

Let us not forget the right handed options, Zach Lutz and Andrew Brown, both of whom are outhitting Dykstra who has been in something of a slump. Though neither is a "natural" first basemen, both have played there.

David L. Whitman said...

Terry seems to be losing the team. His comments about Campbell sounded like a manager leading out of desperation rather than confidence. The team probably has come about as far as possible with him in charge. Let's just hope the days of EYJr leading off and Tejada at SS are through. As for Vegas? It really seems like a team for the most part-position player wise- is made up of good solid AAAA-level talent in the field that will never translate to much at a MLB-level.

Bill Metsiac said...

What this basically says is that Terry is "guilty" of not making a delicious Chicken Soup out of the Chicken Shit he's been given (Where have we heard that before?).

The "hot-hitting" Flores who was benched was hitting .250 (2-8) at the time.

Lagares was NOT "benched" to "make room" for others. He was struggling AND was worrying about an aunt who raised him and was dying. And while "benched", he was working on his swing, which produced results once he returned from the DR after her death.

You really think he "loved" playing Ankiel and Torres? It's clear to almost everyone but you (and I include Mack, who said it very clearly)---the playing time was dictated by ALDERSON. The very GM who dealt away Pagan (a solid-hitting, fine fielding CFer who had one awful season and was banished), leaving no one to play CF except Torres and the (for a few months) hot-hitting Kirk. Yes, Terry liked Turner, who "only" hit around .280, was one of the team's best with RISP, and played all 4 IF positions. So our wonderful GM non-tendered him and left us with the ever-present Q in his place.

And while you're on your Wally campaign, explain this: During this past Winter, there were numerous managerial openings in MLB. NOT ONE GM even gave Wally an INTERVIEW! Are they all blind to what you can clearly see?

Mack Ade said...

Bill -

I will never understand why people can't figure this out.

Stephen Guilbert said...

Bill Metsiac knows what's up. More people need to realize this and read every word he typed above.

Reese Kaplan said...

I had asked Bill to offer up proof that Alderson was filling out the lineup card, burning through pitchers one batter at a time and failing to call for baseball fundamentals like the hit and run. I'm still waiting. :)