15
2011
Terry Collins Is Mad As Hell And He’s Not Gonna Take It Anymore
An article by Craig Lerner
Poor Terry Collins. He seems like a manager who’s become totally fed up with how his team has performed as the season winds down. Before the game he had this to say:
“I want to see some fighting in what’s left, I want to see some, we use the term loosely but I want to see some grind-out at-bats, I want to see some guys down 0-2, fouling off some tough pitches and be disciplined enough to get back in the count. I want to start seeing aggressiveness on the defensive side of the ball instead of being worried about making a mistake.”
Collins addressed reporters again after this afternoon’s 10-1 loss to the Nationals who swept the four-game series from the Mets. This time Collins was a few more shades redder and I could swear I saw some steam coming out of his ears.
I’m the manager and I’m responsible for what this team does and doesn’t do. This is awful. We didn’t manage, we didn’t coach, we didn’t play. Our fans should be upset, they have every right to be because it looks like we’ve folded up. That’s not the way I play this game and I will not stand for that. I don’t care what the situation is or what the standings say – we have to play this game right. You want to see intensity and believe me you guys are gonna see it. I don’t want to hear excuses that the players are tired. Hey you know what, the Nationals are tired too and they are playing for the same thing we are – pride. If we are gonna fold up like this now, how are we gonna react when we are actually fighting for something? Things are gonna change. I don’t know what the new formula will be, but I got a long plane ride to figure it out.”
You gotta love Terry. He doesn’t go out there like Jerry Manuel and Willie Randolph used to and defend failure and losing efforts. (I trust my guys, I stand by my guys, They were just a little tight today, etc.)
The Mets look lifeless out there and like their just going through the motions. The errors in the field along with the mental lapses on the bases and at the plate are getting to be a bit much.
Citi Field looked like a graveyard today, devoid of life and just drab.
This was a learning year for Collins and for us too.
I hope he will reward those who went full tilt for him and hold those who didn’t accountable. I don’t want to see Terry to do what other managers have done before him, and that is to just become complacent and accept the Mets bad play as just the way things are around here. I don’t want to see him sweep all the things that need to be addressed swept under the rug like we’ve all seen before.
He’s had a year to work with these guys, and next Spring I hope to see the same kind of inspired play we saw glimpses of back in May and June on a more permanent basis and for all 162 games of the season.
I want some accountability.
About the Author: Craig Lerner
I'm a data analyst and researcher for a leading news agency who loves life and is hooked on the Mets. I love following the Amateur Draft and have a particular fondness for the Mets Minor Leagues who I follow each day. Give me a cold beer, a summer day, and a Mets game, and I'm good to go.
23 Comments + Add Comment
Recent Comments
- allen wan: on MLB Scout On Davis: Would Have Been Better Served Going To Minors Last Season: I don't understand why people care whether...
- DrDooby: on Team Source On Wheeler: “He’s Ready”: Harvey has improved by leaps & bounds...
- Hotstreak: on Team Source On Wheeler: “He’s Ready”: oops Here is the link. http://rainierscurto.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/baseball-for-breakfast/
- Hotstreak: on Team Source On Wheeler: “He’s Ready”: Hi Joey D. This is 2007-2009 data PCL...
- Heybatter: on Team Source On Wheeler: “He’s Ready”: Don't think they give out cortisone shots...
Need Tickets To The Mets Game?
Check Out These Great MLB Links!
Photographs From Gordon Donovan
5393 Fans Follow Us On Twitter!
1269 Fans Like Us On Facebook!
2341 Fans Read Our Feed!
1702 Fans Subscribe via Daily Email!
Terrific! Mad as hell on September 15th! This is really rich! This guy is a real sloooooow learner! Way to go Terry!
I wasn’t a big Willie Randolph fan but I also don’t think he laid back and didn’t hold anybody accountable either. Craig Lerner is a big Sandy Alderson/Moneyball/Sabermetric fan so anything he says is going to be based on a belief and those who follow those beliefs before anything based on baseball in and of itself.
That being said, that’s why he blindly threw Randolph under the bus in this post if favor of Terry Collins.
Forget Jerry Manuel.
I like Collins too but let’s not get crazy now and say that he ALREADY is doing better than Willie Randolph. Don’t forget Willie Randolph was manager in 2005 when the Mets were starting to turn it around and he came within one strike of becoming a World Series Manager so let’s not get ahead of ourself and lose site of REALITY just because the writer follows baseball from a moneyball and sabermetrics perspective. All readers should keep that into consideration when reading this guy’s words.
While yes Jerry Manuel was a bust we have to wait awhile before Terry Collins can accomplish what Willie Randolph did here. If he ever does.
“I wasn’t a big Willie Randolph fan but I also don’t think he laid back and didn’t hold anybody accountable either.”
that is a minority opinion. Not saying it is right or wrong, but it goes agaisnt “what everybody knows”
“Craig Lerner is a big Sandy Alderson/Moneyball/Sabermetric fan so anything he says is going to be based on a belief and those who follow those beliefs before anything based on baseball in and of itself.”
So, how does this relate to a book written 10 years ago that you’ll never read and doesn’t apply here or a system of advanced statistics?
Or are you just lashing out angerly because you have nothing to say but want to say it as loud as possible?
“I like Collins too but let’s not get crazy now and say that he ALREADY is doing better than Willie Randolph. Don’t forget Willie Randolph was manager in 2005 when the Mets were starting to turn it around and he came within one strike of becoming a World Series Manager”
And maybe if he didn’t let the inmates run the asylum, they would have gone farther.
“just because the writer follows baseball from a moneyball and sabermetrics perspective. All readers should keep that into consideration when reading this guy’s words.”
Again, what do either of those things have to with what Clayton wrote? Why can’t you go after what he wrote on its merits rather than what you think he believes?
And by “Clayton” I mean “Craig”. Cuz…that’s his…Iroquois name
What Willie said for public consumption may not have been what he said in private. We’ll never know. Willie as a player had been in a few pennant races in his playing career something that very few of his players had experienced.
He was a no excuses type guy and ultimately was undermined in his own clubhouse by a combination of J. Wilpon, T. Bernazard and C. Delgado and that certainly didn’t help matters and the players didn’t run the show until after he was canned. Not before.
I seem to remember the vets having way too much pull when he was manager. That may not have been his own doing, but I’m pretty sure it was happening. And he was certainly criticized for how he handled the youth.
It wasn’t anything new, if some of the stories of the Philips era are true. Veterans and other executives getting to make personnel decisions and such.
What is he going to say? “We suck, let’s pack it in, I’ll work on that extension next year…”
“What is he going to say?” How about OY VEY! “
This has been a sad homestand. Were just playing for pride now.
“sad homestand”…You just start watching Mets games this week?? It’s been a sad season…or 3. What pride are they playing for…this team/organization has no pride. Disgrace from the bottom all the way to the top.
This is why Collins was run out of his last job. Collins is picking on guys who aren’t that good. The team has quit. Why? Well, we have to analyze what “quit” essentially means. The players are tired. They’re exhausted. When inferior players see their best players not on the field or not performing like they should, apathy sets in. These dudes know they’re not game changers. Eventually over the course of a season, the guys will hit a wall, or they will realize their efforts are going to waste, because they themselves are limited. Guys like Pagan, Thole, and the rest of the assorted scrubs who were on the field yesterday. They aren’t going to risk their health on a season that’s down the toilet. No players do. Collins knows this. For him to badger and assault his players in public is stupid. Him calling for bunts when he should be developing these players as hitters, is more of a concern for me.
What’s Collins going to do? Bench these guys? Threaten them by forcing to play on another SHEEEEETY team next season? Is he serious when he says “I want to see what people are about when we are competing for something next year”? Seriously? Competing next year with this collection of scrubs? If we compete next year it’s because Bay re-discovered his skill, Wright sees Delgado and Beltran walk into the locker, and Pelfrey turns into Roger Clemens. Give me a break, already. Collins thinks Met fans are stupid. Nothing like a manager acting like Gen. Patton when the war is already over. This is the equivalent of a fighter who is on the verge of serious injury, being told by his corner to go out there and get him. Risking health with the hopes of winning a fight via luck.
Sigh…And the sad part is fans will look @ Collins and be impressed. SMH
OMARFAN, AS TO THIS TEAM’S CONSTRUCTION, IT IS, TO A GREAT EXTENT THE CULMINATION OF DEVELOPMENT NERGLECT ESSENTIALLY FOR 18 FREAKIN YEARS. THE ENTIRE TENURE OF PHILLIPS+ 1/2 OF HARAZIN’S, ALL OF McDONALD’S & MINAYA’S. OSTENSIBLY BACK TO JUST AFTER CASHEN’S RETIREMENT INTESTATE Re SUCCESSION. OF COURSE THE GNAT’S SEEMED SO MUCH LIVLIER, WHY? FOR THE SAME REASON SO MANY OF THE LACKLUSTER PHILLIPS’ TEAMS TOOK A MISLEADING BOOST FROM THEIR SEPT CALLUPS. HELL, FOR YEARS NOW DUE TO INCALCUABLE INJURIES, OUR “FARM’S BEST PRODUCE” HAVE NOT BEEN SEPT CALLUPS; BUT JUNE,JULY CALLUPS DUE TO WADING POOL DEPTH POSITIONALLY AT THIS TIME OF SEASON NEARLY EVERY TEAM HAS THEIR OWN 21 YR OLDS TOILING OVER A 30 DAY PERIOD OCCASIONALLY RESTING THEIR VETERAN COUNTERPART WHEN THE VET NEEDS IT MOST; OURS, TEJADA, ENDS UP LOGGING MORE MLB TIME(285 AB) THAN MiLB TIME(207AB) IN WHAT WAS TO BE HIS ‘LAST’ FULL SEASION OF MiLB DEVELOPMENT.
INSTEAD OF RECENT TOP CALLUPS REVITALIZING A VETERAN LOCKEROOM WITH THEIR YOUTHFUL EXUBERANCE AS WELL AS ACTUALLY RESTING TIRED VETS FROM ‘FIELD DUTY’ CREATING A FALSE SENSE OF CAPABILITY & NEEDS FOR THE FOLLOWING SEASON’S IMPROVEMENTS. OURS ARE BATTERED, NEEDING THEMSELVES TO REST AS THEY’VE ALREADY EXPOSEDE THEIR WEAKNESSES TO THE OPOSITION. FOR INSTANCE GEE HAS ALREADY SHOT HIS RUN OF INSTANT ‘STRANGE’ SUCCESS WHILE THOSE LIKE PEACOCK & MILONE ARE GETTING THEIR’S NOW.
ALL TOO OFTEN, I REMEMBER THE PHILLIPS’ FRONT OFFICE BEING DECEIVED BY SEPTEMBER SUCCESS IN A DISMAL SEASON TAHAT THWARTED THE SENSE OF URGENCIES THAT BUILT UP FROM APRIL THRU AUGUST HIGHLIGHTING THE DESPERATION TO UPGRADE WITH EXPERIENCED HELP DURING THE FOLLOWING OFFSEASON. DUE TO THE SEPT SUPRISE, ALL TOO OFTEN THAT DESPERATION WAS BLUNTED TO DOWNGRADE TO “GOOD ENOUGH IN SEPT” GAMBLED ON FOR THE ENTIRE NEXT SEASON. IT IS MY HOPE THAT ALDERSON IS GETING A COLD SHOWER OF REALITY REGARDING HIS POSITIONAL TALENT “ON HAND”. AS THIS TEAM HAS ALLOWED ITSELF TO SINK DESPONDENTLY INTO 4th PLACE, DEAD CENTER AMOUNG THE 3 ALSO RANS
FOR THE LIFE OF ME, I CAN NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND WHY THIS TEAM, DESPITE ALTERED FRONTOFFICE PERSONNEL CAN ,IMO, SO MISERABLY MISMANAGE A SIMPLE SEPT CALLUP ROSTER. VAL PASCUCCI? WHY? DID NO ONE UNDERSTAND THAT VAL PASCUCCI IS ITALIAN FOR CRASH DAVIS? WAS THERE NO ONE MORE WORTHY ODF A TASTE? LAST YR’S TIME INVESTMENT IN SERVING A CUP OF ‘JOE’ TO JESUS FELICIANO(THE SPANISH TRANSLATION) WE PERHAPS WOULD BE BETTER OFF WITH THE BATBOY CONTINGENT FROM BUFFALO. OR U CAN GO BACK TO ’06,’07 WHEN WILLIE,JERRY & OMAR WERE MORE CONCERNED WITH CLUBHOUSE CROWDING THAN LATE SEASON EBERGIZING. IS THIS SO COMPLICATED? WOULD IT NOT BE BETTER INVESTED TIME FOR A HAVENS TO BE FETTED UPON SO AS TO ENTUSE HIM TO BETTER CULTIVATE AN ATMOSPHERE OF HEALTH & STRENGTH AROUND HIS OFFSEASON. EVEN IF, DUE TO INJURY, HE NEVER GOT AN AB OR ON THE FIELD; BUT ONLY TRULY EXPERIENCED THE FEELING OF BEING A ‘DIAMOND KING’
IT’S A NICE THOUGHT TO GIVE THE CRASH DAVIS’ A GLIMPSE OF SPOTLIGHT; BUT TO WHAT ULTIMATE TEAM BENEFITTING GOAL? SO THEY SIG UP FOR ANOTHER YEAR OF AVOIDING ACTUAL REGULAR EMPLOYMENT? IS IT REALLY NECESSARY TO DELAY THEIR ULTIMATE CAR OR SPIORTS EQUIPMENT SALES JOB?
i said this before and i will say it again, the more we lose the more chance at a better draft pick we have. is sad and pathetic, but hey, the braves did it, and now even mets fans are jumping on their bandwagon.
also, terry collins needs to undrstand he was brought here to coach the same guys he coached in the minors, get them ready, he’s doing all he can but the reality it seems this guys are not that good, the bullpen is gotta be the wrost in the league, the good players from the season are either out with injury or were hurt, the captain of the team is hitting 263 for the year and hitting 261 with RISP is just not a good recipe for winning.
he’s got 1 more year than it seems wally backman will get his shot. we’ll see by then what mr sandy has on the roster
Can someone explain to me this obsession with Wally Backman? He’s been in the organization 2 years and has yet to show any sustained success in his career as a manager.
Why does he get more shout outs than Tim Tuefel, who pretty much the same career as a player, has been in the organization longer and has shown more success as a manager (granted, I don’t know how much we can put into minor league win loss records).
This is the first time Backman has managed in the same organization 2 years in a row. Why is he the heir apparent?
And alex, you think Backman will not yell at players? You think he’s some sort of improvement over Collins?
Donal, my point is, collins will not be here after next year, whether is backman, teufel. oberksfell, tony pena, it doesn’t matter… collins has 1 more year, then he’s gone..
Not sure about that. He’s a place holder, but I think he’ll get an extension, even if just for a year. Who in their right mind holds him responsible for what happened this year?
lame duck imo.. he’d be blame next year when even more crap is on the ML roster..
HAs he been blamed no for any reason? If most knowledgeable people are aware of the crappy situation he’s in, why would he get fired?
“i said this before and i will say it again, the more we lose the more chance at a better draft pick we have. is sad and pathetic, but hey, the braves did it, and now even mets fans are jumping on their bandwagon.”
Actually, unless there is generational talent like Strasburg or Harper available, its more a matter of how you draft than where you draft.
isn’t wheeler a 6th pick from the giants and y’all were going gaga for him when we got him?? so what difference does it make if instead of the giants is us who pick #6??
Its not the #6 pick that is so intriguing, it’s Wheeler’s potential. That is why he was a #1 pick by a FO with a reputation for finding good pitching in the first place.
Most teams cant afford to have an all star at every position excepy maybe the Yankees, but even they dont.
Teams like the Mets are built with a mix of 1-2 all stars, a few veterans and a lot of young players with 3 years or less of service time.
Like it or not, this team is in the same mold as many other low market teams.
The thing is that most of the role players and mediocre players and non prospects, feed off of what the 1-2 veteran stars do. If those stars are not coming through, the talent level on the rest of the team is incapable of carrying the team to a win with great frequency.
Things were much different when Beltran was here because he was consistently charging the offense with his potent bat. With Beltran gone, the onus now falls on Bay and Wright to provide that veteran leadership and consistently solid play. All the other parts of the team feeds off of what those two do.
They say chicks dig the long ball, but great offenses dig the long ball too, and the Mets do not have a bona fide veteran slugger on this team.
As Met62 has stated above most of the players on the roster prior to Sep call ups were players that would have been called up in Sep but have played an inordinate amount of games and now, especially Tejada, they are showing their weaknesses.
Tejada has shown in the field that he does not have the arm or range of Jose and has made some really bad plays playing SS yesterday, that really stood out.This is the player that some want to replace Jose in 2012? Really?
The fact that Val is even playing in a game show how shallow the position players are in minors when this is the best you can do cause you already have Evans, Duda, Pridie, Turner, Tejada, up here so who is left in AAA or AA to bring up and see if they can handle the major league level? NO ONE!
Yup as stated above we are seeing other teams best minor league pitching, Nats, while what we have is a year or two away.
Wow, what a shameful bunch of call ups by Mets, other than Stinson who looked good until his inning this week.