Word on the meet: He always impresses

L OS ANGELES — Have you heard the one about Mickey Callaway walking into a room? He never goes in the favorite. He never leaves without a job.

Three times with the Indians and now for the managing gig with the Mets, Callaway began an interview process as an underdog. So he now has as many wins in the job market (four) as in his journeyman major league career.

The Callaway pattern begins with a foot — by getting it in the door — and then he overwhelms future bosses with brains and heart.

“I can remember what he was wearing, that is the kind of impression he left,” said Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins of the first time he sat down with Callaway. It was 2008. Atkins was the Indians farm director. Callaway was 33, had just made the last of his pro pitching stops in Laredo in an independent league after three years in Korea.

Atkins had a Low-A pitching coach job opened. He had a relationship with John Courtright, Callaway’s agent. Courtright had a feeling the think-tank philosophy of the Indians would fit his client’s curiosity, smarts and need to learn. Atkins thought he was doing a friend, Courtright, a favor. He met

Callaway at the Indians’ minor league complex in Goodyear, Ariz.

“The interview begins and you do so many, and some guys just stand out. And it was obvious from the beginning with Mickey — the intellect and authenticity,” Atkins said by phone. “I thought we will continue the [interview] process, but I am offering this guy a job. I was thinking I am not letting this guy interview for the Boston Red Sox or whatever. I’m not going to compete for him. I’m going to hire him.”

To Atkins, it was “abundantly clear” that, while he was playing, Callaway had been thinking about coaching and what his values would be and how he would teach. He brought that and confidence in himself to the process, and validated Atkins’ beliefs by doing well in the job and moving to High-A Kingston the following season.

He had just those two coaching seasons when the minor league pitching coordinator position opened. “He was not a lead candidate,” Atkins said. But, by then, Atkins and Callaway had become good friends, and Atkins thought it would be good for Callaway’s future to go through the interviews for that kind of slot.

“You want the interview to be a piece of the equation, but you don’t want it to drive the process,” Atkins said. “You want all the background work you do talking to people and going through references to carry the weight of who the candidate is. But it was just abundantly clear again that he was the best candidate. He actually produced a written vision of how we can impact our pitching in our system that aligned with our values.”

After the 2012 season the Indians hired Terry Francona to manage. He did not know Callaway. He knew Kirk Champion, who was expected to be named his pitching coach. Atkins was among a group of Indians executives who suggested Francona meet with Callaway.

Yeah, you see the trend? Callaway got the job, came to be seen as invaluable by Francona, rose to be one of the top pitching coaches in the game.

“Sometimes when a guy walks in the room it just becomes crystal clear,” Atkins said. “With Mickey, it is crystal clear. Some guys interview well, but his body of work also is now exceptional. He can articulate why the Indians had a lot of success with pitching, not just because he is prepared, but he did it. He is exceptional at body of work and exceptional at articulating it.”

That is why he became a hot managerial commodity this offseason. Still, Kevin Long was viewed as the favorite to replace Terry Collins, and others were mentioned more prominently than Callaway. There was supposed to be two rounds of interviews. But the Mets called that off after one round with Callaway.

Atkins said he believes Callaway will succeed in the new position, though there will be growing pains doing game management for the first time and dealing with the media “more than telling them why Corey Kluber has such a good slider.” Atkins believes from Day 1 that Callaway will excel at running a bullpen and in lineup construction because he will collaborate with staff and front office to maximize a roster.

“This is a smart, conf ident, authentic guy,” Atkins said.

Now, Callaway has another room to win — perhaps the most vital yet — the Mets locker room.