According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, two people close to Terry Collins suggested that the Mets manager could retire at the end of the 2015 season regardless of how good or bad the year plays out.
Collins, who turns 66 in May, denied he would retire at season’s end and conceded that while managing is difficult, he didn’t know why his friends would say that.
“I’ve really enjoyed it here, had a great time,” he continued. “I get up in the morning, and you better be ready for a challenge every day in New York City. It seems like there’s a fire you’ve got to put out, some place. You get ready for the day. You get ready to compete.
“When you get to be my age, at the end of every year, you’ve got to take a look at the big picture and where you are,” Collins said. “How’s your health? A lot of things are contingent on that, for sure.
“I’m fine. I’ve been great. At the end of every year, it’s like anything else. It’s hard. It’s a hard job. So, you’ve got to take a little time to recharge the batteries. That’s why this winter has been a little bit tough, because of my dad’s stuff. But when you come into spring training and you see the faces of those kids in that clubhouse, it gets you going again.”
“If we have a good year, I would love the opportunity to come back and do it again,” he said.
Earlier this month, Mike Puma of the New York Post said manager Terry Collins is on the hot seat.
“Though the Mets have holes, most notably at shortstop, Collins is expected to keep this crew in contention for the entire season. So if the Mets are sitting seven or eight games below .500 on Memorial Day, Collins could be a goner.”
Back in September, Andy Martino of the Daily News wrote that while Collins does has his backers in the organization, it’s now very clear he has his detractors as well. Not everyone supported Sandy Alderson’s decision to bring him back for the 2015 season.
We can all agree that Collins’ role in his first few seasons was to play caretaker as the Mets slashed payroll and focused on rebuilding. However, 2015 is the season when the Mets are expected to become relevant again and contend for a playoff spot. If the Mets get off to a slow start, the calls for Collins’ to be axed could quickly overshadow what is supposed to be a very promising season.
Furthermore, if the Mets are struggling to stay at .500 by May, it will bring Alderson’s judgement into question for retaining Collins, especially if the team he put together severely under-performs.
