Mets’ Callaway seeks smoother ride in Year 2
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla.— Mickey Callaway’s first season as a manager with the New York Mets was … well … messy.
His team batted out of order due to a lineup-card snafu. Several puzzling decisions drew heavy scrutiny. And the banged-up Mets faded fast following an 11-1 start, finishing eight games under .500.
“I experienced a ton. I think that’s probably the most valuable thing, is just going through it. Going through the ups and downs,” Callaway said Wednesday. “I’m looking forward to Year 2.”
But as he prepares to begin his second spring training in charge, the 43-year-old Callaway is already under plenty of pressure in a potentially dicey situation.
The club’s new general manager, former player agent Brodie Van Wagenen, didn’t hire him. Not to mention, Van Wagenen and chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon want a playoff contender after spending about $80 million on free agents plus more big bucks to obtain second baseman Robinson Cano in a blockbuster trade with Seattle.
On paper, the Mets look much improved, and a confident Van Wagenen hasn’t been shy about saying they fancy themselves NL East favorites.
“I don’t have a big concern at this point,” Callaway said about his team.
But wins won’t come easily in a robust division that includes Atlanta, Washington and Philadelphia. New York finished behind all three last year, and each one has made significant moves to upgrade this winter.
“Bring on as much pressure as possible,” Callaway said. “The pressure is welcomed, and I’m going to be better suited to handle things on a daily basis because of my experience last year.”
Sandy Alderson was the GM when Callaway was brought in following a highly successful stint as Cleveland’s pitching coach. He felt so sure about the Mets roster at his disposal when camp started last year that Callaway proclaimed: “If we don’t do something special with the group we have in place, it’s going to be on the leadership. That’s going to be on me.”
After his rookie season at the helm, Callaway spent a lot of time reflecting on his performance.
“I got to sit down with my coaching staff. I got to sit down with Brodie. I got feedback from everybody I could,” Callaway said. “People that are no longer in the organization, I reached out to them and asked them what I could do to be a better manager.”
To assist him in the dugout this year, the Mets hired Jim Riggleman as their new bench coach.
The 66-year-old Riggleman has 13 seasons of experience as a major league manager with five teams—four in the National League.