Regularly the smallest player on every organized team he played on, Collins realized that he could stand out by routinely playing harder than the rest.

Collins, 74, has spent over five decades in professional baseball. Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 19th round of the 1971 Major League Baseball Draft, he never appeared in the big leagues as a player. Collins soon understood that if he wanted to taste the life of a major leaguer, he would need to do so in a different way.

The baseball lifer worked his way up from managing in the minor leagues to earning a coaching spot with Jim Leyland’s Pittsburgh Pirates team before getting his first shot as a major league skipper with the Houston Astros in 1994. The Astros would go on to finish second in the N.L. Central in each of the three seasons Collins was at the helm. Houston fired him following the 1996 season, however, after the team went 8-17 in September and saw their division lead disappear.

Collins wasn’t out of work long though, as the Anaheim Angels named him the 15th manager in franchise history in November of 1996. The Angels won 84 and 85 games, respectively, in 1997 and 1998, but went a disappointing 51-82 in their first 133 games of the 1999 season. Despite receiving a contract extension midway through that campaign, Collins resigned as manager following a nine-game losing streak at the end of August. Stories of player unrest and a fractious clubhouse marred Collins’ tenure as Angels manager.

Following stints as an advance scout with the Chicago Cubs, bullpen and third base coach with the Tampa Bay Rays, field coordinator and director of player development with the Los Angeles Dodgers and manager for the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, Collins was hired by the New York Mets as their minor league field coordinator for the 2010 season.

Almost a year after the Mets brought Collins on, he was tasked with a new, yet familiar, responsibility: managing a ball club.

Collins returned to the dugout, becoming the 20th skipper in Mets history. He made a promise to himself to enjoy this time more and not make the same mistakes he did with the Astros and Angels.

In total, he was at the helm for seven seasons (2011-2017), becoming the second manager in franchise history to lead the club to back-to-back postseasons in 2015 and 2016 (joining Bobby Valentine). Collins is the longest-tenured manager in Mets history, managing 1,134 regular season games.

Recently, Collins joined X (formerly Twitter) and began a podcast with John Arezzi aptly called “The Terry Collins Show.” The weekly show features Collins bringing listeners behind the scenes of a major league clubhouse, along with hosting a variety of guests, including David Wright, R.A. Dickey and Daniel Murphy.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Collins over the phone, where we discussed his playing career, transitioning to managing and some of his memories from his time with the Mets.

MMO: Who were some of your favorite players growing up?

Collins: I grew up in Michigan, and Al Kaline was a big star with the Tigers. There was another player named Rocky Colavito who became a great player with the Tigers.

The Yankees won a lot back then, so I was a big Mickey Mantle fan.

One of the stations we listened to in Michigan had Milwaukee Braves baseball. I used to listen to the great Braves players like [Hank] Aaron and [Eddie] Mathews. The catcher’s name was Del Crandall, who I played for in the minor leagues. So that was cool.

MMO: You played all over the field throughout your minor league career. Were you always a versatile player?

Collins: I grew up playing just second base. I was always the smallest guy on every team I ever played. Second base was my position, and I only played a couple of games at shortstop in American Legion.

When I got to college, I made the team as a freshman. The first game we had was a doubleheader, and the second baseman on varsity got hurt. They brought me up for those two games, and I got six hits in the doubleheader.

The next day the coach asked me, “Can you play shortstop?” I told him yes. He said, “Well, meet me at the field,” and the following day I played shortstop against the University of Michigan. I ended up playing shortstop the rest of my career at Eastern Michigan.

MMO: You’ve always been known as an intense and fiery competitor. Do you remember when you first started displaying those traits?

Collins: Well, again, I’m a little guy. When I had to compete, if I was going to compete, I had to play hard. I played harder than anybody.

When I was a little boy, my mother got a phone call from one of my friend’s mothers. She said, “I don’t want Bobby playing with Terry anymore. He plays too hard.”

When my dad got home from work that night, my mom said to him, “You need to talk to Terry.” My dad asked, “Why?” She said, “One of the mothers called and said Terry plays too hard, and we need to talk to him.” My dad said, “I’ll talk to him.” She asked, “What are you going to tell him?” He said, “I’m going to tell him not to play with Bobby anymore.” [Laughs.]

MMO: When and how did the chance to manage in the minor leagues come about? 

Collins: It’s pretty funny. My first spring training, I saw Triple-A guys who were 29-30 years-old still playing. I wrote a letter to my mother that spring telling her there are guys who are 29 and 30 years old still playing in the minors. I told her I’m giving it three years, and if I’m not in the big leagues in three years, I’m going to go back and use my education. Fifty years later, I’m still doing it!

I kind of fell in love with the game. The one thing I always wanted to do was be a coach. When I went to the Dodgers organization from the Pirates, in spring training you would go into a backroom, and they had this little area where guys could get a beer. It was part of the complex. You would sit there and listen to [Sandy] Koufax, [Don] Drysdale, [Johnny] Podres, Maury Wills, Wes Parker, Walter Alston and [Tommy] Lasorda. They were always at spring training. You just sat there and absorbed as much information as you could.

When I was hoping I would get a chance to manage, as I said, I played for Del Crandall. I picked his brain because he was an outstanding minor league manager, great teacher, and great teacher of catching. Back then, you didn’t have any coaches in the minor leagues; it was just you. I had to learn how to teach catching, how to teach outfield play and how to work with the pitchers.

I picked the brains of those guys as much as I possibly could. I knew at some time I was going to have to use all of that information. It was the greatest education you could have.

MMO: It’s crazy to think there was a time where the only coach on a minor league time was the manager.

Collins: My first year managing, I’m in Lodi, California, and in the minors you have halves. So, the first half, our team wasn’t very good. Fernando Valenzuela burst onto the scene in Los Angeles, and he was throwing a screwball. There was an older pitcher the Dodgers had at one time named Jim Brewer, and Jim threw a screwball. The Dodgers hired him to go through the minor leagues and try to teach some guys that were average pitchers the screwball.

The first place he came was Lodi. He saw our pitching staff and said, “Terry, first of all, I’m going to teach them how to throw their fastballs for strikes. I’m not worried about the screwball. If they can’t throw their fastballs for strikes, the screwball is not going to help them.”

He turned our entire pitching staff around in three weeks. We ended up winning the second half and won the championship because Brewer came and taught my pitchers to throw strikes with their fastballs. That’s the kind of stuff you got the opportunity with. Again, this was my first year coaching by myself.

When I got to Triple-A, we had coaches; we had a pitching coach and third base coach. My pitching coach was Dave Wallace, who was one of the best pitching coaches for a long time and one of my best friends. He had to go home, and I’m the only guy who’s ever had Sandy Koufax as a pitching coach. Sandy used to roll through the minor leagues, and he came to Albuquerque when Dave was going to be gone. Sandy was my pitching coach for a day.

MMO: You can’t do much better than having Koufax offering his tutelage.

Collins: We were sitting on the bench and the game was going on, and I brought a pitcher in for the ninth. He walked the first guy, and I went, “God damn it!” And Sandy, sitting next to me, said, “Did you ever pitch?” I said, “No.” Then he said, “Well, it ain’t that easy.” I never, ever said that again! I learned a lesson in one little sentence. [Laughs.]

MMO: Can you talk a bit about the role Hall of Fame manager Jim Leyland played in your development as a skipper?

Collins: Jim had a similar background as me. He only got to Double-A as a player; I spent six years in Triple-A. Neither of us got to the big leagues. Jim started managing at a young age and was stuck in the Tigers organization where Sparky [Anderson] was the manager, so Jim was going nowhere.

He was stuck in Triple-A and had a chance to go with Tony La Russa, but he wanted to be a Tiger; that’s all he wanted to do. Sparky wouldn’t hire him, so Jim ended up leaving. It was a very similar thing [for me]. Tommy [Lasorda] was the manager of the Dodgers, and he was never going to go until he decided he was going to. There was no place for me.

I had been managing in Albuquerque for six years as the Triple-A manager, and I had a chance to go to the Pittsburgh Pirates and manage their Triple-A team. I went to Pittsburgh and asked, ‘How do I get to the big leagues?’ I met Jim, and he liked me, and he brought me to the big leagues three years later. We had this relationship because of our backgrounds. He’s such an entertaining guy and funnier than heck.

In September, they started bringing the Triple-A manager up to the big leagues at the end of the season as part of the call-ups; they bring five, six, seven guys up in September. They started bringing the managers up so that you could help the coaches and the [minor league] manager knows about the [minor league] players. The other teams brought their minor league guys up who I saw [play]. So you could help.

When I got to the big leagues, Jim said to me, “Here’s your job: I want you to sit next to me on the bench during the games. I want you to throw batting practice to [Barry] Bonds, [Bobby] Bonilla and [Andy] Van Slyke. If I ever see you throwing batting practice to Tom Prince, I’m going to send you back to Triple-A. When the game’s over, I want you to come in, sit right over there in the corner, and listen to what kind of questions the sportswriters ask me and how I answer them. You don’t have to say the same things I say, but you need to hear the kind of questions you’re going to face.”

For the next number of years, that’s what I did. We’d sit on a plane together, and I’d ask questions about situations that happened in the game that night. He’s very upfront and blunt about it and would talk about it.

I asked him one time, ‘Jim, when you got the job in ’86 in Pittsburgh, what changes have you made to be the manager you are today?’ He looked off for a second and said, “Well, I’ll tell you, Terry. The biggest change I made was I write Barry Bonds’ name in a lineup now and not Jason Thompson’s.” [Laughs.]

MMO: There’s no better way to get acclimated to a future as a major league manager then getting to essentially shadow one as you did with Leyland.

Collins: Absolutely. They had a lockout one time, and Jim was in minor league spring training, so there were no big-league players at camp. The Triple-A manager ran spring training with the Pittsburgh organization at the time, so I ran spring training.

When it was over, Jim came over to me and said, “They opened up the camp for the big-league players. I don’t make promises but the next spot on my staff, you’re it.” That’s how I got my chance. I was really lucky, and we’ve just been very, very good friends. We stay in constant contact.

MMO: Are you planning on being in Cooperstown for his induction into the Hall of Fame this summer?

Collins: Yeah, absolutely.

MMO: I interviewed Ned Colleti several years ago, and he sang your praises during your time with the Dodgers as director of player development. He said when you left for Japan, he often missed your approach, intellect and honesty. What are your memories from your time with the Dodgers organization?

Collins: I was talking with Andy Green when he got the job with the Mets, and I told him that he’s the perfect guy. I told him he can make a huge impact on people. What helped me, Mathew, to be honest, I had already managed in the big leagues for six years. I had some situations with young players that got to the big leagues that failed miserably, and they were good players! It took them a while to get through it. That was one of the theories when I became the minor league director of Los Angeles was, look, I’m going to challenge my good players, and if they’re good enough they’ll get it and move faster.

I challenged Matt Kemp when he was 19; I put him in Double-A. He might have had a little problem in the beginning, but at the end of the year, he’s the best player in the league bar none.

My time with the Dodgers, Paul DePodesta was the GM, and when Jim Tracy was let go and I was going to get that job, Paul got fired two days before they were going to name me the manager. Ned got hired, and he came down to Florida to talk to me, and he said, “Look, you’re not going to get the job. I’m going to go with somebody else.” I said, “Okay.” And he said, “I don’t know what you want to do.” I told him, ‘I’m going to do what I always do: I’m just going to do my job.’

But I didn’t mope; shit happens! I stayed on and tried to help Ned as best I could and was always there and calling about different things. I had a great relationship with him, but I had a chance to go to Japan [to manage] for a lot of money, and I couldn’t turn that down. That’s why I left.

MMO: How would you compare baseball in Japan vs. the States?

Collins: The whole game’s different. Number one, they are fundamentally off the charts; tremendous cut-offs and relays. They can lay down the best bunts you’ll ever see, they can run the bases – they don’t steal a lot – but they run the bases great. They play to score one run and they play to protect one run. It might be the top of the first inning, and a guy’s on third base with one out and they’re bringing that infield in. They’re not giving up runs. You’re going to have to get a hit to earn a run; that’s how they play.

They have a tremendous work ethic. I mean, the pitchers with 200-pitch bullpens between starts, and hitters will take 500 swings before a game. They trained themselves and want to make the game easier so they get themselves into tremendous shape. They run and run and run and run!

You go to spring training, and they don’t have the number of fields we have over here, but spring training starts at nine in the morning and you’re off the field at six. You have dinner, and then the players get their bats and go out in the parking lot and swing. The rookies went to a room at the hotel and had night batting where they used wiffle balls. It’s pretty intense. It’s always go, go, go!

They have a day off or two every week, they play 144 games, but there’s a number of off days. They take the bullet trains, or they’ll take an easy flight, which are only an hour and ten minutes.

They’re very sound players. All of their pitchers throw the ball over the plate. Here, we like strike one and then expand the zone. They do almost the opposite. They nibble the outside corner and see if you’ll swing at it. If you don’t, they’ll throw it over. They don’t like to strikeout, so those guys will put the ball in play. They’ll hit that borderline pitch. They may not hit it good, but if you really work the count, you’re going to get a good ball to hit.

When I got over there, Bobby Valentine told me, “Terry, you’re not going to like the cut-offs or relays, but leave them alone because they do it.” Mathew, in all my years in the United States, I have never seen a guy tag up at third base on a fly ball to the outfield and try to score where the ball is cut off and relayed to home never be thrown out. I saw it three times in Japan! They are so good at it. Every cut off is perfectly thrown.

MMO: Did you take anything you learned in Japan and bring it back to the States when you were managing the Mets?

Collins: Not really. I saw a thing the other day that Carlos [Mendoza] was saying we took infield. Well, you know, in all my years in New York, we took infield. You know how they used to take it after batting practice? We took it before. When we were at home, our guys threw to the bases twice during a homestand. The outfielders loved it. You had [Yoenis] Céspedes and [Juan] Lagares, who both had tremendous arms. It was like a challenge of who was going to make the better throw.

Tommy Goodwin was my outfield coach, and those guys loved him. We took infield/outfield most every day. Those fundamentals in Japan, I remember I took an American coach over and a scout asked him one day before the game, “You guys going to take infield?” And John said, “Let me think, this is our hundredth game, and we’ve taken infield one-hundred times. Yeah, we’ll take it again.” [Laughs.]

I liked it. You make it easy because they want to take ground balls anyway. We came out 15 minutes early before we started hitting, and guys got all of their defensive work in. Now, if you want to take some balls off the bat during batting practice, that was fine. It eliminated guys getting hit because they were catching a ground ball while someone was taking BP. It really helped out, and I thought it was a big difference, so I brought that over.

Their batting practices at home [in Japan], have two cages going; they have a right-handed pitcher and a left-handed pitcher. You just go from cage to cage. It’s tremendous! They have routines, man. I saw [Yu] Darvish when he was 19. I saw [Masahiro] Tanaka when he was 17. They were electric, and both threw between starts. They would throw 150 pitches in the bullpen because that would make their game easier when they got to 120. That was their theory. But you couldn’t bring that here. You’d never get an American guy to do that.

MMO: The July 29, 2015, game is one fans will likely never forget with the sight of Wilmer Flores crying on the field believing he had been traded. What memories stick out for you from that night, and how did you go about managing a game that clearly had so much off-the-field speculation going on?

Collins: It was during the trade deadline, and Wilmer’s name was never mentioned; Sandy did that stuff himself. I’m just standing in the dugout and the game’s going on, and Wilmer was on deck, and some fans were yelling good luck and we love you. I’m going, “What the heck is that?”

David [Wright] came up to me and said, “Terry, it’s all over TV. He’s been traded.” I said, ‘David, he has not been traded.’ He said, “I’m telling you they’re broadcasting right now on TV; he’s been traded.” I said, “David, this guy has not been traded. You see that phone right there?” He said, “Yeah.” I said, ‘That phone goes to Sandy. If there’s a deal done, that phone would be ringing, and I’d be taking him out of the game.”

Now people are telling Wilmer he’s been traded, and he’s upset. I walked down the dugout to him, and I said, “Hey, let’s go. You’re on this team. You have not been traded. You’ve got to go out and play.” He goes out, and sure enough, he starts crying on the field. As he comes in off the field, I went over to him, and at the time, I think he was the only shortstop I had who was healthy. I said, “Look, you’ve got to finish this game, man. You’re fine, you’re still a Met. You’re not going anywhere.”

He went back, and he’s still crying on the field. The next thing you know, the phone rings, and it’s Sandy. And he said, “You’ve got to take Wilmer out.” I asked, ‘Is he traded?’ He said, “No, but he’s crying on the field!” So, he came back in, and I got him out, and sure enough, he wasn’t traded. I didn’t know what else to do. I told him, ‘Wilmer, if you were traded, I would’ve been told, and I would’ve taken you out of the game. You are a Met. Everything’s going to be okay.’

Sure enough, it ended up being okay. And that’s why, Mathew, two days later he hit that home run against the Nationals that couldn’t have been written. You can’t read a Hollywood script better than that.

MMO: Your “To who? For What” postgame comment will forever be etched in my brain. I always loved watching your pre and postgame press conferences because you were very transparent.

Collins: Absolutely, Mathew, and I’m going to go back to Jim Leyland. Right when I got my interview with the Houston Astros, I called Jim and said, ‘I’m going to go to Houston tomorrow and interview for the manager job.’ He said, “I’ll meet you at the stadium.” I was living in Pittsburgh, and we went to the stadium and I spent six hours with him. He just talked about all these different questions that I was going to face and different things.

One of the things he said was, “Listen, I’m going to tell you right now, you treat every reporter as if they’re the sports editor of The New York Times. There are no dumb questions, but if you’re hit with one, treat it like any other question. Don’t belittle the guy, just answer the question.”

When I got to the Mets, Jay Horwitz was the guy who told me, “Terry, one of the best things you can do is learn everybody’s name.” When I did these press conferences and if Mike Puma asked me a question, I would say, “Well, you know Mike…” Now his name is tied to that question.

There were some questions asked by some young guys or people from a different team or something that didn’t make much sense and all the writers would laugh. I didn’t laugh; I just answered the question. I thought that really helped, not to belittle any reporter. They have a job to do, and I respect it.

The only thing I ever asked of these guys was not to lie. Don’t make something up. It’s your opinion and strictly your opinion; that’s fine. There were a couple of times where there was an unnamed source that says this. I would go to them and say, “I know you won’t tell me who it was that said it, but how do I know you just didn’t make that up? Maybe you just said this is what I think, and I’m going to put it down and say somebody else said it.” I always did that one-on-one, I never did it in front of any of the other writers.

After your press conference, you’ve got to budget two minutes for almost every one of those guys; they all want their own two minutes. They’d ask a question or two for their own stories that they don’t want out there. That’s why I try and tell anybody that’s ever managed in New York that you’ve got to understand to budget your time for these guys and answer their questions. Don’t blow them off because they’ve got the pen, and they can make it miserable for you. Just treat them with respect, and that’s about it. I thought it helped me out a lot.

MMO: How beneficial was the Matrix during the 2015 season?

Collins: It was just coming into play then. I think it was a great coaching tool, I think it’s really good for coaches to use. The players can get overwhelmed with information, and their job is to go play. As a coach or manager, you take that information and try to use it to your benefit to put those guys in the best position to succeed. We didn’t flood them with a bunch of information; I just didn’t like it. Number one, most of them have played a long time, I had a pretty veteran club. The last thing I want to do is put stuff in their head.

I remember one time when I was in Anaheim, Tim Salmon, who’s a great, great player, somebody on the team said, “Hey, I’ve got the signs. Do you guys want them? If I’m on base I can tell you what’s coming.” And Tim said, “I do not want to know. I’m fine.” I asked him after the game was over why that was, and he said, “Terry, if he’s wrong, it’ll screw me up mentally. Let me just figure it out.” I thought that made sense.

They used it (analytics) a lot in Japan. In interleague play in Japan, you can have your advance scout on the bench with you. The other team brought in a pitcher, so this advance scout got up and talked to my rookie shortstop, who was a pretty nice player, and said, “There’s a thirty percent chance you’re going to get this, another thirty percent chance you’re going to get this pitch, a twenty-five percent chance you’re going to get this pitch.” You’ve got to be shitting me! [Laughs.] Go up there, and if you get a fastball, hit it!

You’ve got to filter it. I thought our coaches did a great job of using that information for their benefit to help the players and not try to overwhelm them.

MMO: One of the moments I’ll always remember is when SNY caught the shot of you going over and putting your arm around Jacob deGrom in the dugout after he gave up eight earned runs against the Texas Rangers in 2017. Do you remember some of the things you relayed to deGrom in that moment?

Collins: First of all, everybody saw how talented Jake was. Great talent. He was the best pitcher we had. There were times Matt [Harvey] was the best, or [Noah] Syndergaard might have been the best, but Jake was our guy.

I remember years ago, Walter Alston told me when I first started managing, “Terry, there are two kinds of players. There are the ones who have been humbled, and ones who will be humbled in this game.” And that was what I pretty much told Jake. Everybody’s going to have a bad day. [Sandy] Koufax had a bad day; Bob Feller had a bad day. He had a bad day. You’ve got to be able to forget about it, because in four days you’re going back out there, big boy. Blow it off, tip your cap and say I’ll see you in four days.

That was just a moment where you could look back and say, guess way? Welcome to the game. It’s not easy out there. That’s why guys who compete like he did, it can cause that humbleness that a player needs once in a while to realize the game is not easy. I thought that was a coaching chance for me to tell Jake that he’s still the guy. You’re going to be just fine, you had a bad night and move on.

MMO: Does a day go by where someone doesn’t mention the ass in the jackpot game?

Collins: You know what? It’s become part of me, it really has!

I live in St. Lucie, and I belong to a golf course where three quarters of the members are New Yorkers. During this time of year, people come down and they’ll come out and somebody will introduce me. And that’s the first thing they’ll bring up!

I have a friend who’s a golf pro at the pro shop, and every time I walk in the first thing I hear is, “Give us a shot! Gotta give us a shot!” So there’s not a day.

MMO: It still baffles me that Adam Hamari had such a quick trigger when it came to Syndergaard’s pitch behind Chase Utley.

Collins: That was my argument. Do you remember John McSherry? Great, big umpire. He actually died on the field in Cincinnati. He was a long-time umpire, and we had a fight in Houston. When the fight finally stopped, I went over to him, and he’s writing down names of guys he’s going to kick out. He never looked up; he was just writing names down. He said to me, “You get one shot. You get the first guy in the batter’s box and then I’m going to put an end to this.”

Four years later, I’m managing the Angels, and we get in a big fight in Kansas City. Don Denkinger said exactly the same thing to me when all the stuff stopped finally. He said, “You get the first guy and it’s over with.” This was the first time we saw Utley, and I was shocked. That’s why when Tom [Hailon] said, “You had a shot,” no we didn’t! This was it! That was my whole argument. I wasn’t mad at Tom; we didn’t get the chance to get Utley and that’s what I was upset about.

MMO: What advice would Terry Collins in his final year as manager in 2017 give to first-year manager Terry Collins in 1994?

Collins: Enjoy the game more. I took it real serious, that’s why I rubbed people the wrong way. I’m a pretty intense guy, you know, when I played, I was intense. I had an old manager tell me one time, “Players will take on the personality of the manager.” I really respected the game. I wasn’t a good enough player, but there wasn’t a time that I didn’t play as hard as I could. Not one day.

One year I broke my jaw, and seven days later with my jaw wired shut, I was in the lineup. I was playing with a pair of pliers in my pocket in case I got sick so I could snip the wires off. You just played; you played as hard as you could. I always thought you had to respect the game. If it wasn’t for baseball, what would we all be doing? Give it back, give it back effort. And for some people that rubbed them the wrong way. And I understood it. Shoot, I apologized to a lot of players.

Garret Anderson was a really good player, but he was one of those guys who didn’t run every ball out. One time I went up to him and asked, “Do you have a problem with me?” He said, “Absolutely not. You’re wound a little too tight for me, but I know you want to win, and I have no problem with that.” I told him okay, and that I just wanted to make sure because he’s going to be playing, he’s going to be in the lineup every day.

There are times where you’ve got to take a stance on something. It might rub a player the wrong way, but I just think that’s the way the game should be played and managed.

When I went to New York, I told myself that I’ve got to start enjoying the game more. I’ve got to enjoy my time because these jobs are hard to get. I’ve got good players, and there’s nothing more fun than going out with the best players in the world and competing. So, I told myself I’ve got to enjoy it, and that’s how I went about it in New York.

MMO: Tell me about joining X and starting a podcast. What can fans expect from “The Terry Collins Show”?

Collins: John Arezzi called me about it, and I had absolutely no idea I was going to do it. I’m not a big social media guy, and I’m too old to get on that stuff. But I just want to have some fun with it.

As you said earlier in the conversation, I’m an honest guy. I think there are things the fans might want to know about with the actions during a game or what goes on behind the scenes. The more they know the more they’ll enjoy the game. I want to have some fun and have guests on and talk about their careers.

I’ve got a buddy who’s a bookie, and one of the shows is going to be about gambling in sports, especially baseball. It’s just something to have some fun with and to relate to the fans. I’ve never been big enough in the game to think that I don’t have a relationship with the fans. I respect that. I try and say hi to everyone and take pictures. It takes ten seconds to sign an autograph, and that ten seconds means a lot to people.

MMO: When you look back over your fifty years in the sport, what are you most proud of?

Collins: That’s a tough one. I guess I’m most proud that I lasted for fifty years. After I signed, three years later I was released. I loved the sport and endured enough through all of the years, rode a lot of buses and didn’t make much money for a long, long time. I still respected and loved the game enough that it was fun, and it was all I wanted to do. So, I stayed with it.

I stayed with what I wanted to do and made a life. I took the ups and downs and tried to be the same guy every day. I think baseball teaches that.

Follow Terry Collins on Twitter, @TerryCollins_10.

Check out Terry’s podcast here.

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The free agency saga of Shohei Ohtani took many turns on Friday. It was first reported Friday morning by Jon Morosi of the New York Post that Ohtani’s free agency decision was “imminent.” J.P. Hoornstra of Dodgers Nation then reported that Ohtani made his decision and was signing with the Blue Jays. Morosi then claimed that Ohtani was en route to Toronto which prompted the entire baseball world to think that Ohtani was going to be a Blue Jay. However, these reports were debunked by several reporters, including Bob Nightengale and Jon Heyman, who claimed that Ohtani was not going to Toronto, but was rather home in southern California. He may or may not wind up a Blue Jay, but the reports by Hoornstra and Morosi appeared to be a bit premature. For MMO’s live reporting of this series of events, click here.

Morosi later apologized to the baseball community for reporting false information.

Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News

On Friday, the Mets announced that they signed outfielder Taylor Kohlwey to a minor league deal. The 28-year-old Kohlwey was a career minor leaguer before making his major league debut this past season with the Padres, though he only saw 13 at-bats. He is a career .296/.387/.444 hitter at the Triple-A level.

MMO’s own Mike Mayer reported on a few coaching changes in the Mets’ minor league system. According to Mayer, A.J. Sager will be the pitching coach for Triple-A Syracuse. Sager spent last season as the pitching coach for Double-A Binghamton, and will be replacing Kyle Driscoll who has accepted a job as pitching coordinator in the Diamondbacks organization. Mayer also reported that Gilbert Gomez, a former Mets prospect, will manage High-A Brooklyn this year. He most recently served as the manager for Low-A St. Lucie.

Latest MLB News

The Cardinals announced that they traded outfielder Tyler O’Neill to the Red Sox in exchange for pitchers Nick Robertson and Victor Santos. Jon Heyman of the New York Post was the first to report O’Neill being sent to Boston. O’Neill had a huge year in 2021 when he recorded a .912 OPS, but has struggled the past two seasons. He replaces Alex Verdugo in the Boston outfield and will hope a change of scenery can allow him to return to his 2021 form.

Jon Heyman also reported that the Giants signed Yoshi Tsutsugo, who spent part of the 2023 season in their minor league system.

Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that the Braves acquired infielder David Fletcher and catcher Max Stassi from the Angels in exchange for infielder Evan White and pitcher Tyler Thomas.

The Tigers signed catcher Anthony Bemboom to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. Bemboom spent 2023 in the Orioles’ system and received 11 at-bats at the big league level.

Latest on MMO

Brian Wright makes the case for Bobby Abreu to make the Hall of Fame. Abreu was a longtime Phillie but ended his playing career with the Mets.

The latest preview in MMO’s Mets Madness series features the 2016 Mets matched up against the 1988 Mets.

On This Date in Mets History

2000: Mike Hampton signed an eight-year, $121 million deal with the Colorado Rockies, just two months after helping the Mets reach the World Series. It was the largest contract in major league history at the time.

Birthdays: Geoff Hartlieb (30), Adam Wilk (36), Buddy Baumann (36), Fred Lewis (43), Jeff Duncan (45), Tony Tarasco (53), Mike Fyhrie (54), Juan Samuel (63), Bruce Boisclair (71), Doc Medich (75), Jerry Cram (76), Del Unser (79)

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The confidence Davey Johnson exuded as a manager for 17 seasons surfaced when he spoke at his introductory press conference soon after being hired by New York Mets’ general manager Frank Cashen for his first big-league gig.

“I would like to thank Frank for being smart enough to hire me,” he said.

There was action behind those words. Johnson was about to embark on the best stretch of a successful managerial career that spanned 30 years. In his first season, the Mets went from last place to 90 wins. In his second season, the Mets won 98 times. In his third year, the Mets won it all.

Davey remains the winningest manager in team history at 595 wins with a .588 winning percentage, five years of at least 90 victories, and never finishing below second place. The franchise hasn’t had as good a manager since. He was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame in 2010, but does he merit a more distinguished recognition?

Davey Johnson.

His bravado established the personality of the ’86 club. While this was a plus in many ways, it was a detriment both in New York and during his later stops in Cincinnati, Baltimore, and Los Angeles (specifically when it came to relationships with general managers and owners). 

There are managers with fewer wins who have more rings and managers with more wins and no rings. You could say Johnson should have won more titles with the talent he had, yet you could also say he lucked out with the one he got.

When examining the larger sample, results show that Johnson’s presence yielded winning teams in the many places he went.

The Case for

Johnson’s perennial success with the Mets made him the first manager to attain 90 or more victories in each of his first five seasons. The 1986 title is his certainly signature accomplishment, but he had a knack for turning clubs into postseason members. 

He became the Reds’ skipper 44 games into the 1993 campaign. They were a first-place club when the 1994 strike came and were NL Central champs in 1995. The Atlanta Braves dynasty prevented him from reaching the World Series.

A fallout with Cincinnati owner Marge Schott opened up an opportunity to move to Baltimore, where he was a part of the Orioles’ glory years as a player. The year before Davey arrived, the Orioles were 71-73. The year Davey arrived, the Orioles went to the American League Championship Series.

Johnson took a 10-year break from the bench, serving as an advisor to the Washington Nationals in the interim, before being asked to take over the reins in D.C.—a franchise that hadn’t seen a winning season for more than a decade.

Davey Johnson.

His first full season guiding the Nats resulted in an NL East crown, the best record in the majors, and signs of early development from teenage rookie Bryce Harper. It was also Johnson’s second Manager of the Year Award, becoming one of a few to earn the honor in both leagues. 

He retired for good a year later, finishing 301 games over .500 as a manager, and is 10th all-time in winning percentage among those winning at least 1,000 games. The nine managers above him on the list are all in Cooperstown. 

Many of Johnson’s decisions were based on statistical analysis, a practice that in the 1980s seemed unnecessary but lately has become an organizational requirement. His computer-generated, forward-thinking approach to the game is an added bonus, as is his career as a player—highlighted by four All-Star selections and three Gold Glove Awards. Johnson spent eight years in Baltimore, where he was a part of teams that won four pennants and two World Championships. In 1973 as an Atlanta Brave, he was lineup protection for Hank Aaron and set a then-record for home runs by a second baseman with 43.

The Case Against

Perhaps the biggest deterrent to Johnson’s chances is his relative lack of games managed, primarily the result of that hiatus from 2001 into 2011. Compared to the 22 managers currently in the Hall of Fame, Johnson has more career wins than only four of them.

His sub-.500 postseason record is a sign that his teams underachieved in October. The ’88 Mets were heavy favorites to reach the World Series and didn’t. The 1997 Orioles had the most wins and didn’t make it past the AL playoffs. The 2012 Nationals couldn’t advance past the Division Series. In fairness, he managed the Mets without an expanded postseason. And as we’ve seen from recent history and the Wild Card era, the best teams don’t always prevail. But there are 14 Hall of Fame managers who have better postseason winning percentages.

This is the fifth Johnson’s fifth time on a version of the Veterans Committee ballot and he hasn’t been close yet. On his most recent attempt, fellow ballot-mate Lou Piniella got 11 votes out of 16 while Davey got “less than five” (the results didn’t specify).

Davey also never established himself with one team. Arguably he’s known for his time with the Mets (plus that was his longest), but he never settled anywhere longer than the six-plus seasons in New York. The closest comparison that’s in the Hall is Dick Williams, who stayed less than five seasons with six teams. The difference is that Williams managed in four World Series and won twice.

Davey Johnson.

Final Thoughts

If past voting history is any indication, Davey Johnson faces an uphill battle to get the 75 percent of votes needed especially when faced with the rest of the names on the ballot. If there’s a consideration for the quality of the teams he led rather than the quantity of games he managed on top of a solid playing career, it’s a resume that merits induction one day—perhaps even next summer.

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Former Yankee Harrison Bader is one of the voices commending Mets new manager Carlos Mendoza. Bader shared his thoughts tonight at Joe Torre‘s Safe at Home charity gala in midtown, as reported by Anthony McCarron of SNY. Bader says: “Baseball is obviously going in a direction where you have to manage the front office and manage the analytical department, but, at the same time, you need to manage and take care of your players, understand their personalities, understand what makes them tick, knowing u have to build them up and sometimes slow them down. His personality, his level of intelligence, it’s a good recipe for balancing those acts, because it’s no easy undertaking, especially in NY. He’s certainly cut out for it.”

Now onto the morning briefing!

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Latest MLB News

According to Jon Heyman from the New York Post, the Los Angeles Dodgers are currently leading in the race to acquire Shohei Ohtani. Heyman indicates that the general consensus at the GM meetings this week is that Los Angeles is the frontrunner due to their efforts in managing payroll, impressive track record of success, and their favorable west coast location. For more on this, check out our article on the news.

The Detroit Tigers announced that they have hired broadcaster Jason Benetti away from the Chicago White Sox to become the team’s main play-by-play broadcaster. Benetti announced for his hometown White Sox for seven plus seasons, along with appearing on Fox Sports, Peacock and ESPN. Benetti replaces outgoing Tigers broadcaster Matt Shepard.

As per Dennis Lin, the Padres beat writer for The Athletic, it has been reported that the Padres held a formal interview with Phil Nevin for the managerial position on Wednesday. Sources, who informed both Lin and Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic, have confirmed this development. Padres general manager A.J. Preller stated yesterday that an official decision on the matter might be revealed as soon as next week.

Latest on MMO

Sam Neumann reports on Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor winning a Silver Slugger award.

Sean Kenny discusses the Mets offseason plan to prioritize pitching for the upcoming season.

Evan Mazza highlights David Stearns’ comments on Pete Alonso and a possible trade.

On This Date in Mets History

Birthdays: Omar Minaya (65), Shawn Green (51), Butch Huskey (52), Junior Noboa (59), Kenny Rogers (59), Mike Vail (72)

The post Morning Briefing: Mendoza Continues to Receive Praise appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

David Frerker-USA TODAY Sports

It was previously reported by multiple outlets that Venable would likely decline any interview requests this offseason. The San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Angels are looking for a new manager as well. 

Venable, in his first season on the Texas coaching staff, played nine seasons in the major leagues, from 2008-2016, with the Padres, Rangers, and Dodgers. His career slash line was .249/.315/.404 in 967 games. 

He served as a first and third base coach with the Cubs from 2018-2020. From 2021-2022, Venable was the Red Sox bench coach and amassed a 1-5 record as interim manager in 2022 when Alex Cora was diagnosed with COVID-19.

To this point, there have been no known interviews for the Mets managerial opening, and the only new names we’ve heard linked are Blue Jays first base coach Mark Budzinski and Brewers manager Craig Counsell. It has been reported that the Mets will not make an internal hire for their next manager. 

The post Will Venable Declines Mets Interview Request appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

John Sheridan

The most important thing to look for in a manager is someone who will have synergy with the front office. Whether or not everyone agrees on everything, everyone has to be on the same page.

With that in mind, the answer is Craig Counsell.

He’s the perfect man for the job. He’s exactly what the Mets need. If the Mets look in another direction, it’s only because Counsell wants to go somewhere or do something else.

If not him, then Néstor Corredor, Pat Murphy, or Walker McKinven. If you don’t know them, Google them, and you’ll get my point here.

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Johnluke Chaparro

The obvious answer is Craig Counsell. Stearns emphasized a working-like relationship with his manager and almost immediately took Joe Maddon out of the equation. If he’s not available, then Eric Chavez and Carlos Beltran should be considered for the job.

Counsell brings experience and an understanding of New baseball along with having a previous relationship with Stearns. No pun intended here, but he’s a home run hire if there ever was one.

Jorge Eckhardt

I think deep down, everyone knows who the manager should be. He’s, really, the only man for the job, and it’s been that way for years. Recently made a free agent, he’s just sitting there waiting for an opportunity. The one, the only, Wally Ba— Just kidding. This isn’t Mets Facebook.

It’s Counsell. It’s the boring answer because it’s the right answer. It’s almost too telegraphed with David Stearns now in the building. He’s a good manager. Don’t need to reinvent the wheel here. It’ll be Counsell.

Mike Mayer

The obvious answer here is Craig Counsell. He worked under Stearns for almost a decade in Milwaukee, and he’s widely regarded as one of the better managers in baseball. It feels like a natural fit, assuming that is what Stearns wants to do. I’m sure that the Mets will interview multiple other solid candidates, and in the end, I believe that Stearns should hire whomever he feels most comfortable with to build a long-term World Series contender. This is an organization that has seen crazy turnover at almost every leadership role, and hopefully, Stearns, other front office hires, and the manager he chooses will give the franchise much-needed continuity.

Christian De Block

I believe there is three or four candidates who are in a tier above the rest, but the right answer is Craig Counsell. He did a fantastic job in Milwaukee, and his relationship with David Stearns should not be undersold in this discussion. The opportunity to work together in New York is available for the two of them. The question is, will Counsell be willing to leave Milwaukee, where he is beloved, both as a player and a manager.

If Counsell is willing to do so, I think this would be a home run hire for the Mets. He provides a certain sense of stability that the organization desperately needs. Stearns has been given the freedom to choose his manager, and at the end of the day, I believe that will be Craig Counsell.

Andrew Steele-Davis

The Mets don’t need to get cute with this one. In other words, don’t try to be the smartest person in the room. Sometimes, the obvious option is that for a reason. Craig Counsell should be the next manager of the New York Mets. No question.

He did a brilliant job in Milwaukee with the resources given to him. He turned basic ingredients into a mouthwatering, delicious meal that did the job every single time. Counsell shares a great working relationship with David Stearns, which seems like an easy win.

Most importantly, the Mets desperately need some stability, and a tandem of Stearns in the front office and Counsell in the dugout would go a long way toward achieving that aim. Counsell is the guy. Now go get him.

Dan Quiñones

I think it’s pretty universally understood that Craig Counsell should be the top choice. There’s not much more I can add that hasn’t already been said in this roundtable, so to avoid being repetitive, I want to mention Carlos Beltrán.

If Counsell doesn’t work out, I would love to see Beltrán get another opportunity. It’s no secret that he has a brilliant baseball mind, and although it was under a different front office and ownership, he has earned the job before.

I know most people would like to see someone with managerial experience get hired, so I want to point out that 10 of the 12 managers who made the postseason this year are in their first managerial jobs. With Alex Cora and A.J. Hinch both managing again after the Astros’ scandal, I think Beltrán deserves another chance.

Michelle Ioannou

We all know that it should be Craig Counsell – I don’t need to repeat all the points made above. I do agree that Carlos Beltran does deserve another chance and shouldn’t be counted out. I wouldn’t hate it if it were him.

The post MMO Roundtable: Who Should Be the Mets Next Manager? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Craig Counsell, who has managed the Milwaukee Brewers for the last nine seasons, is now a free agent. David Stearns, the Mets news president of baseball operations, had a strong relationship with the skipper during their time in Milwaukee together. Counsell is currently the betting favorite at +200.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

He is certainly not the only “big” name being discussed, as former San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler is tied for the fourth shortest odds at +1000. Mark DeRosa, who managed Team USA at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, is also set at +1000. Former Met Carlos Beltran, someone who was hired for this job in the past, is back in the mix at +1200.

Here is a list of all the potential candidates and their betting odds via BetOnline.

Will Venable (+1200)

Stephen Vogt (+1600)

Joe Maddon (+1600)

Eric Chavez (+2000)

Danny Lehmann (+2000)

Joe McEwing (+2200)

Clayton McCullough (+2500)

Mike Piazza (+5000)

David Wright (+5000)

Keith Hernandez (+10000)

The post Evaluating the Betting Odds for the Mets Next Manager appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Yogi Berra.

We’re looking back at the 50th anniversary of the Mets’ 1973 National League pennant-winning team by examining the most inspirational figures of that remarkable run. We continue with the leader of this club, a Hall of Fame catcher known for his exceptional play and unique sayings to become a New York baseball legend and an American icon.

By 1973, no baseball fan didn’t know Yogi Berra. It would’ve been hard to think of many living beings who didn’t know of him. Berra was beloved in the Big Apple and beyond for being on countless championship teams with the Yankees, his remarkable play at catcher, and his unique sayings.

Of all the famous quotes he allegedly said, the most notable might be: “it ain’t over ’til it’s over.”

A possibly apocryphal story claims it originated while in the middle of his team’s attempt to move up the National League East ladder a half-century ago.

Berra’s role as Mets’ manager began under tragic circumstances. Gil Hodges succumbed to a heart attack days before the start of the 1972 season. Berra, who served as a coach under Hodges, was reluctant to take the role of a man who led the Mets to the 1969 championship.

After some convincing from his wife Carmen, Yogi took the job. The Mets played at an inspired level, jumping out to a big lead on Pittsburgh before injuries did them in. Rusty Staub, Cleon Jones, and Bud Harrelson (among others) were out for significant parts of the season and the Mets fell out of the race but 10 games over .500.

The following season appeared to be charting a similar course. As the injured list mounted, the Mets’ chances got worse. On July 8, they were 12.5 games back. Despite not having all the resources at his disposal, some felt Berra was to blame for the team’s demise. As late as Aug. 30, the Mets were 61-71 and in last. Luckily, the rest of the NL East wasn’t running away with it.

Finishing 21-8 with a final record of 82-79 proved to be enough to take the division title. But as challenging as leaping over the entire division in September was, an equally daunting task awaited. The Cincinnati Reds made the World Series in 1972 and there was every reason to think they’d return. Berra and the Mets got in the way of those plans.

By taking the NL pennant, Berra became just the second manager to guide a team to the Fall Classic in both leagues, joining Joe McCarthy. Nine years earlier, Yogi managed the Yankees to the World Series. That time, he lost to the Cardinals in seven. This time, he’d lose to the Athletics in seven.

New York gained a split after winning in a wild Game 2 at Oakland Coliseum, which was notable for his argument on an out call at home plate on Harrelson’s attempt to score on a sacrifice fly.

Many feel one decision was costly in determining the Mets’ final fate. Tom Seaver pitched with a sore shoulder as the playoffs began yet performed well in two starts. He was victorious in the deciding fifth game, meaning he would only be available for two World Series appearances. Seaver got the ball for Game 3, went eight innings, and struck out 12 in a no-decision.

The Mets took the next two at Shea and carried a 3-2 edge as the series shifted back to Oakland. With the luxury of a series lead, Berra weighed his options. He could go with his best, Seaver, or his freshest, George Stone—12-3 during the regular season—and preserve “The Franchise” an extra day if Game 7 presented itself. Berra played his ace and paid the price.

Seaver pitched well over seven innings, allowing two runs. His opponent, Catfish Hunter, pitched better—one run over 7 1/3 innings. The result of that day and the next (both in Oakland’s favor) made the decision dubious, forever fostering debate as to whether the alternative would’ve led to a different outcome.

Berra stayed on as manager until August 1975 when he was replaced by Roy McMillan. In three-plus seasons, Berra went 292-296. Yogi could never replicate 1973 and, honestly, it would’ve been hard to.

He often doesn’t get the credit he deserves for this season. Game 6 has plenty to do with it, and perhaps winning with many of Hodges’ players as well. It doesn’t matter who was there before him and the lack of competition his teams faced down the stretch, leading a team from last to the precipice of a title is certainly worth recognizing.

The post Spirit of ’73: Yogi Berra appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

On Friday, the San Francisco Giants fired Gabe Kapler after four years as the team’s manager. The highlight of Kapler’s tenure was an out-of-nowhere 107-win season in 2021, but the results in his other three years as the team’s leader were underwhelming. The Giants are officially eliminated from playoff contention after having a dreadful second half of the season and they will now be looking for a new manager this offseason. Kapler’s tenure in San Francisco ends with a 295-248 record.

Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News

Jeff McNeil revealed that he was dealing with a wrist injury in June and July, which he partially explains for his extended struggles this season.

Former Met Wally Backman and the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League agreed to mutually part ways after the 2023 season, ending his stint as their manager.

Cleon Jones, a key member of the 1969 World Series Mets, has a new permanent card in the simulation game Out Of The Park Baseball. Dave Stieb, a dominant starter for the Blue Jays in the 1980s, is the other new card alongside Jones.

Latest MLB News

Per MLB Communications, the average time of a baseball game during the 2023 season was 2:40, down 30 minutes from 2021 and 24 minutes from 2022. The 2:40 mark is also the shortest average time of game in Major League Baseball since the 1985 season.

Per Robert Murray of FanSided, outfielder Charlie Blackmon signed a one-year extension with the Rockies worth $13 million, with the possibility of another $2 million in performance bonuses.

Orioles’ owner John Angelos and Maryland Governor Wes Moore put out a statement on the new 30-year agreement that will keep the Orioles playing at Camden Yards.

Shohei Ohtani finished the 2023 season with the most popular player jersey in the league, the first time he tops the list. Francisco Lindor was the only Met to appear in the top 20, coming in at no. 19.

Former Met Tyler Clippard announced his retirement in a post on his Instagram page.

Latest on MMO

Michael Mayer writes about the plan for Brandon Nimmo to get an MRI on his shoulder after he injured it during Thursday night’s suspended game with the Marlins.

Michael Famulari breaks down the terrific final start of David Peterson‘s season.

Patrick Glynn writes about David Stearns’ introductory press conference planned for Monday.

Brian Wright looks back in time to five years ago yesterday, when David Wright played his final game as a Met.

Michael Mayer notes how prospect Jett Williams has his eyes set on the big leagues in 2024.

Metsmerized is looking for an editor to cover the site on Wednesdays. Candidates who are interested can message @mikemayer22 on Twitter/X.

On This Date in Mets History

1962: The first season in New York Mets history ended with a defeat at the hands of the Cubs by a score of 5-1. The loss was the team’s 120th on the year, securing a 40-120 record. Those 120 losses were, and still are, a modern day major league record.

2007: In a win-and-in scenario on the final day of the season, Tom Glavine infamously gave up seven earned runs in just 1/3 of an inning pitched. Glavine’s meltdown capped off what was a team-wide collapse down the stretch that resulted in the Mets unbelievably missing the postseason.

Birthdays: Yorkis Pérez (56), Dave Magadan (61)

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Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Good morning, Mets fans.

According to USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale, Brooks Raley is being replaced on the Team USA roster due to injury, with former Met Aaron Loup taking his spot. It’s not certain what kind of injury Raley is dealing with, or how severe the injury is, but it’s enough to keep him out of the World Baseball Classic which raises concerns. Raley was acquired from the Rays this past offseason and is projected to be the lone left-hander in the Mets’ bullpen this season.

WBC Scores

Japan defeated Korea 13-4.

Chinese Taipei defeated Italy 11-7. Mets minor leaguer Claudio Scotti pitched in the ninth inning for Team Italy.

Latest Mets News

Details of the first ever Amazin’ Day have been announced. On March 25, anyone wearing a Mets hat or any Mets gear will have access to several events and celebrations across New York City.

Buck Showalter told the media Friday night that Brandon Nimmo will make his Grapefruit League debut on Sunday. Showalter also said that the team is still gathering information on José Quintana, who has a stress fracture in one of his ribs.

Darin Ruf said that the arthritis in his right wrist is feeling better but is still bothering him.

John Sheridan wrote on MetsMinors.net about Brett Baty and how Eric Chávez sees a lot of himself in the Mets’ prospect.

Steve Gelbs posted a GoFundMe link on Twitter to raise funds for a family who recently lost their home to a fire. The family has also been dealing with medical issues with their baby boy, and Gelbs got to know them when his own daughter was having health issues. Anyone who would like to donate can click this link.

Latest MLB News

Barry Svrluga of The Washington Post reported that Keibert Ruiz and the Nationals agreed to an eight-year contract extension with two club options that could bring the total value of the deal to $50 million.

Matt Monagan of MLB.com spoke to Team Italy pitcher Joey Marciano about his relation to famous boxer Rocky Marciano.

Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune spoke to former Met prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong and how his defense continues to improve.

Jake Mintz at FOX Sports wrote about Team Israel’s Shlomo Lipetz and his impact on the team.

Latest on MMO

Michael Famulari evaluated several bullpen candidates and their performances so far this spring.

Mike Mayer wrote about Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio‘s continued success this spring.

Tyler Antonelle recapped game one of the split squad doubleheader on Friday while Ross Bentley recapped game two.

On This Date in Mets History

Birthdays: Jeremy Hefner (37), Rich Hill (43), Bobby Abreu (49), Steve Reed (58)

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