30
2010
Collins Frustrated By Players Who Don’t Care If They Win Or Lose
An article by Hojo's Mojo
While checking my email this morning, I came across this from the Flushing Flash which I subscribe to.
It’s an exclusive Q & A that new manager Terry Collins did with fans last week.
Flushing Flash: Terry, congratulations. Thanks for taking the time to sit with us.
FF: What can Mets fans expect from you?
Terry Collins: They are going to get energy, and a work ethic that is second to none. We are going to be a team that is prepared, which I hope leads to better execution. Our fans can expect a team that is going to win.
FF: How would you describe yourself?
TC: Intense, caring, I care about the game and the way it’s played. I competed to the max when I played, because I had to. Have I mellowed? Yeah, a little bit. But I’m still competitive.
FF: What’s the most fun for you?
TC: Watching your team succeed, when you watch and execute something you really believe in.
FF: What are your biggest frustrations?
TC: Guys who don’t care if they win or lose.
FF: What are important qualities in players?
TC: Preparation. I know I have the intensity and the love of the game. The players, they are all very gifted and get themselves prepared to play on a nightly basis. This is where my focus is going to be. They also need to have the ability to adjust.
FF: Is there anything you want to say to Mets fans?
TC: There are 30 teams all trying to figure out how to win. I want the fans to know that we are going to work hard and not be outworked. Nobody is going to be more prepared on a daily basis than us. I believe in winning and talking about winning, you need to have that swagger.
FF: How do you get that swagger?
TC: You need to get everybody to understand they are good enough. Bad times happen and you have to learn how to rebound. We have to move on and pick ourselves up. I will talk to every single player on the roster. There is a new attitude here, what happened in the past remains in the past.
FF: How do you get the players on your side?
TC: You have to be on each others side first. It’s still a team game. They have to rely on each other, team unity, and what a team is about, and what every guy on this team brings to the team framework. Every player wants to be a champion, if they truly believe that, they will leave their egos at the door. In my background, with one year of knowing these players, the makeup is here, the attitude is here.
FF: Thanks for your time, Terry. Good luck!
To subscribe to the Flushing Flash, which I recommend to all Mets fans, just go here and sign up.
About the Author: Rob Johnson
12 Comments + Add Comment
NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 26 | 17 | .605 | - |
| Nationals | 25 | 17 | .595 | 0.5 |
| Marlins | 23 | 19 | .548 | 2.5 |
| Mets | 22 | 20 | .524 | 3.5 |
| Phillies | 21 | 22 | .488 | 5.0 |
Last updated: 05/22/2012
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i wonder if he would bench a terrific hitter who didnt care if he won or not. some players just want the paycheck. if they play well enough, it should matter if they want to win or not.
I think he’s talking more about preparation than whether or not a guy throws a water cooler after striking out. If this hypothetical great hitter who just cares about getting paid is putting in the preparation (BP, studying tape, what have you), that is enough “caring” for me.
But if great hitter who doesn’t care about winning starts lagging on defense and not running everything out, like Hanley Ramirez did last year, then yea, I think you do consider benching him.
right so the player can continue to not care about winning or losing, as long as he runs it out. so again, it is really about caring, it is about effort.
Reyes and Wright’s games have regressed over the past few years. Some of the reason is injuries and fatigue from playing everyday. Some of the reason may be not being in the race the last couple of years, having guys on the roster not pulling their weight, maybe other things, who really knows but one thing that drives this attitude is not having a capable back up who can step in and provide a little time for a player to refocus while sitting a couple of games in a row. It’s really the only way to get a players attention once they have landed a big contract. Backing Reyes and Wright with Cora, Tatis or Hessman just ensures that the manager never has any other option. I’m not saying that either of these guys is dogging it. I’m just saying that players respond to competition. That’s why these guys made it here. Having a legitimate option to allow time for re focusing is a powerful stick in the managers tool box and one that is a product of a well conceived roster. Nothing re energizes a player more than the opportunity to watch a couple of games here and there.
somebody pushing for their job is a great motivator for a marginal player, but no way is a guy like Wright or Reyes going to feel threatened by a bench guy gunning for their job!
Castillo, frenchy, sure. Maybe (on a stretch) Bay.
I wasn’t saying anyone is going to be threatened by the loss of their job. What I did say is that they will re focus by watching a couple of games. Sitting sucks when your used to playing everyday. Being made a little less comfortable, a little less entitled is a powerful motivator. Having a viable option on the the bench to drive home the lesson can cure a lot of listless play better than anything else and burn it into your DNA, and everyone else’s too.
To a certain extent I agree with you T Agee but like Stick said I think that works more on the marginal player that an established everyday player like a Wright and Reyes.
These guys know they have no equals on the team and giving them a couple of days off when they r struggling will more likely focus them more because they simply were given the time off than the competition any bench player provide.
North Jersey, The rest is great, getting your bench a little time in back to back games for timing purposes is helpful but nothing gets a players attention better than an unexpected day or two off, and if that player was one that has no equals the other players would feel it too. Complacency creeps up on everyone, most of the time without your even realizing it. Showing your best players the bench once in a while keeps everyone from getting too comfortable and if it really pisses them off they won’t soon forget the feeling.
Understood, I am just of the opinion that it’s more about simply not playing regardless of who the backup is with players that are used to playing 150 plus games a year like Wright or Reyes.
I can see your theory more when it involves a player like say Pagan for example.
This guy is winning me over little by little with what he’s saying. But like I’ve said before, my opinion will be finalized when the wins and loses start counting.
ok thats what im talking about! one thing that pisses me off about the mets is the yeah we didnt win oh well attitude. and this is the number one reason i grown respect for Jeter. He says you work too hard to get here your away from your family all year to settle for losing? no he says he cant its either win or nothing. The mets need that attitude. I dont want to see Reyes smiling playing music after a loss, i dont want to see them not talking and avoiding to talk about a loss. i see wright working hard and frustrated with himself wanting to win, dont see it with Beltran or Reyes and did not see it in Delgado so glad he is gone, although he is a great player. I think the players have to care if they want to win. If they want to win they must act like it put up their weight except responsibility and man up. If a rookie is playing better and hungrier than anyone on this team they should play!. Its time to make a standard of what it is to play for the Mets, and right now were a joke.
LETS GO METS GO COLLINS GO!
“dont see it with Beltran or Reyes”
Really? You don’t see the desire to win in these guys? Beltran, who played a meaningless September in 2009 when he could have been resting his cartilage-less knees? Or Reyes who has been called immature because he gets pissed off after he makes a mistake? Really?