Mickey Callaway‘s first season at the helm of the New York Mets, his first professional managerial gig, has not gone so great.
The disappointing stretch that followed the team’s historically hot start, followed by the general manager who hired him stepping down unexpectedly has understandably left Callaway, 43, with some creeping doubts about his future.
In an article by Mike Puma of the New York Post, Callaway spoke about the “natural inclination” to worry about his job security after Sandy Alderson stepped down in June.
“That definitely went through my head. The guy who brought me in, and I think we were very aligned for what we wanted for the future of this organization, so it definitely entered my mind.”
When asked about getting to know the current regime at the wheel of the Mets, Omar Minaya, J.P. Ricciardi, and John Ricco, a little better, Callaway spoke positively about the experience.
“It’s been real (sic) good to get to know Omar and J.P. a little bit more than I did before…,” adding that he already had a good relationship with Ricco from when Alderson “wasn’t around”.
Though, the Mets’ skipper knows full well the levity of the task at hand and is aware of the situation he and this team are in, again to Puma.
“I want to learn and adjust, but I just don’t want to change for the perception of things,” Callaway said. “If I change and things don’t work out, how would I look myself in the mirror?”
The Mets roster will likely look a little different by the end of the month. With the trade deadline quickly approaching, as well as the turnover this squad is sure to undergo, a level-headed, even-keeled approach is what his players and this organization need.
To Tim Healey of Newsday, Callaway talked about the process of keeping his players focused solely on the things that they can control.
“You definitely have to hit them up every now and again just to make sure, ‘Hey, keep your head where it needs to be and go about your business the right way.'”
After all of the injuries, losses, and subsequent selling off of this team, the painstaking season that’s sure to follow is going to be tough. Mickey Callaway and his consistent cool-headedness could be the right guy for that specific job.
