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.