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This interview from May suggests he's got the respect of Omar and the ownership, was a serious candidate back in 2004, and any strides forward by the team in development this season have to refelect well on him, but he closes by experssing disinterest in returning to the hot seat.
Q&A with Mets minor-league field coordinator Terry Collins
Published: Monday, May 03, 2010, 12:00 PM
pdated: Sunday, May 02, 2010, 11:35 PM
Brian Costa/The Star-Ledger
The Mets’ farm system, much-maligned last summer, has had a mini-resurgence this year. The emergence of Ike Davis, Jenrry Mejia and Jon Niese has helped the Mets at the major-league level. And there is considerably more depth at the upper levels of the farm system, which was barren by the end of last summer.
Triple-A Buffalo is in first place in the International League's north division at 15-9, and Double-A Binghamton has the second best record in the Eastern League, at 14-9.
Toward the end of spring training, I talked to Mets minor-league field coordinator Terry Collins, who was hired during the offseason to help fill the void left by the firing of Tony Bernazard, the former vice president of player development.
Collins, 60, managed the Angels and Astros in the 1990s and interviewed for the Mets’ managerial opening in late 2004. Most recently, he managed the Orix Buffaloes in the Japanese Professional League.
Collins talked about his approach to the job, his thoughts on how quickly to move players up through the system, and whether he wants to be a major-league manager again.
Q: Why did you take this job?
A: “It came about when I came back from Japan late last summer. Omar (Minaya) called and said, ‘Hey, what are you going to do?’ I hadn’t thought about it, but I said I was going to make some calls at the end of the season and see what might be out there, and he said, ‘We might have an opportunity. I’d love to have you join the organization.’ We’ve been friends for many years. When I interviewed for the job when Willie (Randolph) got the job, I thought it was the best interview I had been through. The most comprehensive. I was very impressed. So I said, ‘Let me know what’s available.’ So he called me over the winter and said, ‘Look, I have this field coordinator’s job,’ which I had just done with the Dodgers before I went to Japan. He said, ‘Would you be interested?’ I said yeah. So I went in and interviewed and they hired me.”
Q: What do you like about working on the player development side?
A: “This game is about player development. Obviously the major leagues are where the money is, but the nuts and bolts of this game are scouting and player development. That’s how everybody got there. And to see a young player get better and improve, it’s really fun. These guys keep you young. They’re young, they’re energetic, they’re fun to be around, so I like it. I enjoyed it with the Dodgers. I went to Japan because I craved getting back on the field. I was also the farm director for the Dodgers besides the field coordinator. I’m a field guy. So when this came about I thought gosh, I enjoyed it once. I’d enjoy it again.”
Q: What does the job of a minor-league field coordinator entail?
A: “Basically, in spring training I outline the daily stuff and we talk about what needs to be taught and what certain players need to work on. We come up with a game plan for how we go about teaching it. Then once the season starts, I go from team to team to make sure stuff is getting done, make sure players are getting better not just on the individual side but the team side. Making sure some of the plans we set down in spring training are being followed. My whole thing I tell coaches is, when I come back into town the next time, something had better be better. Whether it’s cutoffs or relay throws or whatever, something had better be better.”
Q: You look like you have more energy at 8 a.m. than some of these guys have at noon. Where does that come from?
“I don’t know. I guess it’s just me. I have a lot of energy. It drives some people crazy. I care about the game a lot. I respect the game a lot. So I put energy back into it. I’ve always felt along the way that people will, especially when you’re managing a team, your players will take on your personality a little bit. I’ve seen it work, so I try to make sure each day I bring some energy to the field, because I want the staff and players to have the same thing. As a matter of fact, I run from field to field, and they tease me every day. When they see me walking, they tease me about not running. As long as they do it, they can tease me all they want.”
Q: Last year obviously was a tough year for this system. Is there something in particular you feel you can bring that will help?
A: “I have to be honest, I’ve heard all the stories about the last few years. I wasn’t here, so it’s hard for me to talk about it. The only thing I can tell you is what I did in Los Angeles and how we went about it, and the players bought into it. ... There was a plan in place. We tried to make it fun. It’s hard game. They have to understand that, but there’s a way to go about it. So I’ve tried to bring that here, a philosophy of, ‘Look, let’s enjoy it when we’re out here. Let’s get the work done. Let’s go home and come back tomorrow.’”
Q: It seems like it’s been a good spring for several of the upper-level prospects, at least the ones we’ve seen on the major-league side. What’s been your early impression from what you’ve seen?
A: “They’ve got some players here. There are some legitimate prospects here. There are guys on the pitching side who have really good arms. Now we’ve got to get them to throw strikes. On the position player side, they’ve got some talent here. They’ve got some guys who can swing the bat. They don’t have a lot of speed, but we’ve got some players that have the ability to be pretty good base runners. So I think there’s something to build on, for sure. We’re going to try to slow the process down just a bit. I know everybody wants to rush players to the big leagues. I think that can be a hindrance as much as it can be a help. I do believe players need to be challenged when the time comes. They need to learn how to fail, because they’re going to be humbled in the big leagues sometime. They need to learn that in the minor leagues, how to get through those things. So when the time is right, we’re going to challenge them. But to put them over their heads right now and let them drown, I don’t think that’s fair. I believe in playing with confidence. I really think that means something. And I want to move players up, not back.”
Q: Do you still want to be a major-league manager again one day? Is that still a goal?
A: “It isn’t. I did my thing. I had a great time. I was very fortunate to be around good players. When I first got my first major-league managing job, my whole thing was to prove that I belonged there, and I think I did that. So for me, I’m happy doing what I’m doing. I’m working with great people. My job right now is to build this organization up to where our minor leagues are going to produce not only major-league players for the Mets but major-league players throughout baseball. So if Omar needs to make a trade to make them better, we’ve got pieces that can help.” |
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October 27, 2010
