Hellish year taking major toll on Terry
SEATTLE — The competitor in Terry Collins is out there battling every day but make no mistake, this is one of the most difficult weeks of the manager’s long career.
In one of the most difficult seasons of his life.
To know that trades will be made, the Mets season is over and his players are being sent to help other teams is tough for Collins to swallow, along with the difficult losses like Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Mariners at Safeco Field.
It all comes down to one thing for Collins, and it is the essence of baseball — the health of the Mets’ pitching staff.
When the pitching went south, so did the Mets, and now Collins has to deal with the trade fallout and everything else in this Mets’ mess. What was to be such a special season was derailed early because of so many injuries to the likes of Noah Syndergaard, Matt Harvey, Jeurys Familia, Robert Gsellman and all the rest.
“It all revolves on those boys on that bump,’’ Collins told The Post. “Who they are and are they going to be OK? If they’re OK, I stand by the fact that there is a big light at the end of the tunnel.’’
If they aren’t, that light will be an oncoming train like the one the Mets ran into this season.
Collins then became reflective and offered these words, “God, the only thing I wished I could have done was watch those kids pitch 30 games apiece. Because I would have taken my chances, no matter what else happened, I would have taken my chances.’’
That never happened, and you have to feel for Collins.
Collins, 68, never lives in a world of regret. He is a realist. He understands what baseball is all about. Baseball lifers know that better than anyone, especially those who spent as much time on the field and in the dugout as Collins — who first walked onto the field at Niagara Falls in 1971 after being drafted in the 19th round by the Pirates.
When the pitching goes south so does the team, and when the pitching gets decimated with injuries in the last year of a manager’s contract, changes are inevitable.
Only Jacob deGrom survived the injury onslaught, and he leads the Mets with 21 starts. He was the loser Saturday, allowing just two earned runs while striking out 10 as the Mets went 1-for-9 with RISP.
“We couldn’t capitalize on anything,’’ Collins said.
Syndergaard (torn lat muscle) made just five starts. Harvey (shoulder) made 13, a most fitting number considering his unlucky injury history. Familia (surgery to remove a blood clot) managed just three saves.
This trade deadline week has been a struggle.
“It’s a little different,’’ Collins said. “It’s the first time I’ve been through it. I haven’t been through it where so many names were mentioned off your roster, but it comes with the territory. It comes with the job.
“Every time I come in here all I worry about is putting the lineup together and trying to win,’’ he said. “I’m certainly am not going to do something to help somebody else’s team. If they can help us win, that’s all I care about.’’
So if a save is needed, Addison Reed will be out there even if he will be traded soon.
Collins is still trying to win games for the 48-54 Mets.
Seattle held its annual Torchlight Parade at Seafair on Saturday night, which was attended by 300,000 people last year. Collins was well aware of the parade.
He noted that there will be a Trade Deadline Parade on Tuesday and joked that in August, “We’ll have a Waiver Trade Parade.’’
Most of all he was hoping for a parade of 30 starts from his talented pitchers. It never happened.
All he got was a parade of injuries. As a result a season of hope has become a season of despair and a now season of trades. The Mets, of course, haven’t had their own big parade since 1986.
When pitchers get hurt, you have no shot to celebrate.