22
2012
What Was Terry Collins Saying?
An article by 
Terry Collins wants results, not excuses.
Manager Terry Collins conducted his first press conference of the spring this morning. He was upbeat and positive as expected, but made no brash projections, which was appreciated.
However, like with all managers, there was a message beyond Collins’ words. What he said and what he meant are two different things.
Most managers take the one-game-at-a-time approach, but Collins did make the point of saying the team needed to get off to a fast start. He could have added that includes spring training, also.
Why is this important?
With everything about the 2012 Mets examined through a financial microscope, playing competitive, and at times, winning baseball, will be paramount in cultivating fan interest and maintaining player enthusiasm. It would also help in keeping the roster – read David Wright – intact for the most part.
Collins didn’t come across as desperate, but he made his point just the same. With a brutal schedule the first two months, the Mets can’t risk falling out of their season before the kids get out of school.
Collins also said the Mets will be better than anticipated, which isn’t saying much because the expectations are so low. This will only came back as an empty promise if the team stinks out of the gate. It was a confusing point considering he also urged patience from the fan base. Asking for patience is akin to saying don’t expect much, which is contradictory.
Collins was optimistic about the double-play combination of Daniel Murphy and Ruben Tejada (the latter is having visa issues). The conventional thinking has the pressure being on Tejada because he’s replacing Jose Reyes, but we must accept Reyes was always going to be going and there are few around capable of matching his talent.
Collins said the competition is in the bullpen and bench, which isn’t encouraging. Translated, that also means for the most part the starting players and rotation is set. But, how much solace can you take out of that considering last year’s team won just 75 games and finished 25 games behind the Phillies?
The new outfield dimensions were also praised, with Collins saying they could provide a mental lift for the offense. Specifically, he was thinking Wright and Jason Bay. However, perhaps more importantly, the dimensions could hurt an already suspect pitching staff.
Thoughts from Joe D. – Look, the guy shows up for work at 4:30 am – that’s making a huge statement to the team. It screams of discipline, dedication and focus. That is what he demands and expects from everyone in that clubhouse.
He will not allow any player to bemoan what they read and hear from a media that has already written the epitaph on their 2012 season. What Collins did yesterday was set the tone for his camp.
“The crux of the message is pretty obvious,” Collins said. “We are better than people think we are. And I don’t want these guys to think for one second there are no expectations. There are expectations. This is the major leagues.”
He kind of reminds me of my CPO from boot camp, which is totally cool with me. Just so long as he doesn’t tell me to drop down and give him fifty.
About the Author: John Delcos
I am an active member of the BBWAA and have covered Major League Baseball in several capacities for over 20 years, including ten in New York working the Mets' and Yankees' beat. I covered the Baltimore Orioles for eight years and the Cleveland Indians before that. I currently serve as an editor and senior staff writer for Mets Merized Online. Follow me on Twitter @jdelcos.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 24 | 18 | .571 | - |
| Nationals | 23 | 20 | .535 | 1.5 |
| Phillies | 20 | 23 | .465 | 4.5 |
| Mets | 16 | 24 | .400 | 7.0 |
| Marlins | 11 | 32 | .256 | 13.5 |
Last updated: 05/18/2013
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It’s a 162-game season and Mets fans would best support the team by not going beserk like they did last year when the team got off to very poor start.
I think Collins is making mistake saying team has to get off to fast start – it’s an unintended set-up for an excess of pressure and doomsday, whining by fans and media. People seem oblivious to the make-up of the division where the improved Marlins and Nats, along with Phils and Braves cancel each other out head-head which should make for a lot .500 ball within the division, positioning the Mets very capable of .500 in the division as well. The rest of the league will for the most part present an easier challenge which puts Mets in position to play over .500 outside the NL East. It can be done but their are too many unhelpful Mets fans vested in the team’s demise to lend real support and become part of the problem.
By not going to games and ensuring the Wilpons continue to hemorrhage cash- we are the helpful and supportive ones… of the Mets organization. Unless of course you’d like to see a 55 year old Jeff Wilpon with total control working on hiring his 9th GM sometime in 2027….
‘What he said and what he meant are two different things.’
The media has made an art form of trying to read between the lines in all things NY Mets.
Sometimes they appear to be valid points, sometimes they appear to be grasping at straws or trying to spin a story for the sake of being the only media pundit to have a different point of view.
so true. In this case, I think he just meant that it would be good on many levels (team confidence, fan interest, and record vs. the division) to come out of the gate playing well.
Well Srt I won’t deny that the Media reads between the lines whenever there is something there. (And usually thats where the meat of the statements lay!) Don’t forget that the quotes you read are not the only info the Media has to go by!
They get off the record backround info that they can’t report but can apply to fill in the blanks between those lines! Sometimes all you need are previous quotes to fill in!
The getting off to a fast start quote is most significant here, because even without a backround briefing it is pretty obvious what was between those lines!
Collins has to speak with spaces between the lines becauase he is not free to say whatever he wants. (He IS thinking it though while he is talking. How can you not think about the truth when constructing a sentence that avoids it?) He has to tow the COMPANY line! The only one who can actually say what he wants is Alderson, he IS the Company line!
So what is in between those quotes It’s pretty simple!
“With a brutal schedule the first two months, the Mets can’t risk falling out of their season before the kids get out of school.”
Why what would happen to them if they did?
None of those Kids would be hounding their parents to go see them play! results=LESS Attendance! Less Attendance= Less revenue and Money to spend! Less money means MORE CUTS!
A few Days ago Sandy was quoted as saying “Wright’s staying will NOT be related to Team Performance!”
That basically says doesn’t matter if we are in a Wildcard race or not, Wright May or May not go this year! (Non Commital in regards to team performance, he said the same thing about Beltran last year!!!!) He also said:
“If team performance is good they COULD (not WOULD) add some Payroll.” Why Could and not WOULD?
So what DOES determine Wright’s trade or stay? Since it’s not performance what could it be?
Could it be the package of kids he gets in an offer? Could be…But if it was then Wright would be on the trade block already!
So what else could determine Wright’s fate? Well the writer took what Sandy said, took what Collins said and either via Background info or simple deduction read between the lines and hit the nail right on the head!
It’s ALL about the ATTENDANCE this year!
Wrights fate is in OUR hands! Adding Payroll to a team in the playoff race is dependent on US!
They need a fast start and fan enthusiasm because if they don’t get the fans interested early thats less sales later in the season that will be needed to retain Wright or make a buy at the deadline for a september push!
So yes he read between the lines and in this case came up with the nugget of information that makes all the quoptes make sense!
Sandy would like to keep Wright but he can’t really afford to! So regardless of record, if we aren’t going to see them he will have no choice but to trade Wright and his Salary!
Sandy would LIKE to add a player if the team showed it was close enough to competing for the playoffs, But he may not be able to IF we have not given him a good argument for increasing the Payroll or hope that our attendance will rise enough to pay for it!
It may just be the sign of a turning point with Sandy! He has cut all the players he wanted, Now it’s about can he afford to keep what he has left and will we go enough to actually start the building UP of the roster?
As I have said all along it really always has been up to US!
If you are unhappy with the Salary dumps, you need to GO to the games to stop them from making more! Once they turn a profit they have no excuse for cutting payroll anymore!
If you are happy with the direction of the team you need to GO and show them you support what they have done!
If you don’t go then Wright is as good as gone, No replacement will be forthcoming, All that money you think we saved for future FAs will not exist and not be spent!
It really is up to us what will happen this year!
That was as clear as day reading between the lines of Both Sandy and Collins!
Because what isn’t said is usually more telling than what is!
This is WHY the media does what it does regarding the in between!
Well, if that’s the long route to saying a boycott is detrimental, you’ll get no argument from me.
Is it detrimental? Well it depends on what your goal is!
If it is to get rid of the Wilpons it might not be…
If your goal is to see a winning team it’s detrimental only if you believe the Wilpons are stopping you from having one!
Bottomline is if you think they are doing the right things you really owe it to everyone else to support them you have no excuses to NOT go!
And if you don’t like them and the reason for that is they didn’t spend enough then it makes sense to go and take away the excuse they are using for not spending!
Because then Sandy can’t go to the press and say we lost money and can’t spend!
And the media will then take him to task if he does NOT spend!
Cause and effect!
If you believe in the cause then give them the effect!
If you want an Effect then remove the obstacles in the way and the excuses used to avoid it!
LR, however low an opinion I have of current Mets ownership, the Mets mean a lot more to me–and I imagine to millions of other fans–than the particular crew playing and in uniform this year. While I wouldn’t ordinarily be overly (financially) supportive of the Mets in a particularly bad year, I surely won’t turn my back on my favorite team in organized sports. Besides, none of us could know what would happen if somehow the Mets fan base succeeding in forcing the Wilpons to sell. So, yes, I am advocating a kind of vocal and constant pressure to strive for excellence from the Devils we know. Just imagine how devastating it would be if we continued to nosedive and the Mets ended up leaving Queens.
Barring more disastrous injuries and subpar years from the best players we have, there really is every reason to think the 2012 Mets can play exciting meaningful baseball. I’ve done all the handwringing that I can about Reyes. He’s gone.
Murphy can friggin’ rake, Davis has everything going for him to be a serious power hitter, and the rotation may actually be significantly better than we all fear. Good coaching and managing will be paramount also.
Collins is setting the right tone. He should challenge his players to come out strong and win. Please let’s not talk about pressure on the players–veterans or rookies–as these are men who have spent years and years fantasizing about being able to play at this level of professionalism and competition, and who actually have to be built to thrive under pressure.
Off Topic: Alderson will be answering questions on Twitter today around 3pm.
Can someone ask him for the address of the tire place he went to?
Who cares, the game has passed him by. If 6 six straight losing seasons as GM does not prove that nothing will. You can make it 7 now thanks to his off season of trash. I know you should always go to your strengths, I guess he thinks twitter is, but he sucks at that too. The best part he needs 3 people to have the off season he did.
cool story, brah
Terry Collins strategy for this season is very simple, “run for your lives!”
Hey Joe d………….Diiiiiiive