Mets look to Terry Collins as next manager

After a deliberate process that stretched nearly two months, the New York Mets have chosen Terry Collins as the team’s next manager, but the team was holding off an official announcement Sunday until the contract details are finished.

Collins emerged from a group of 10 candidates picked by general manager Sandy Alderson, who trimmed it to four finalists for last week’s round of interviews in Orlando, Fla., and the Mets have scheduled a news conference for Tuesday at Citi Field.

"We’ve made our decision," a Mets spokesman said Sunday, "and we are working on the terms of a contract."

Alderson completed the second round of the managerial interviews Thursday, despite the death of his 87-year-old father, John, who was struck and killed by a car last weekend in St. Petersburg. The Mets’ GM attended a funeral service for his father Saturday, but still had planned to make a decision by Monday, at the latest.

Collins becomes the 20th manager in the 49-year-history of the Mets, who have used four since the 2002 season, the last of Bobby Valentine’s tenure. Jerry Manuel survived 2½ years at the helm before he was fired Oct. 4, the same date GM Omar Minaya was reassigned, and the Mets have been busy since then forging a new direction for the franchise.

"This is what we get into the game for," Collins said after Thursday’s interview in Orlando. "I grew up trying and wanting to be a coach and a manager and I got my chance. Here it is again."

Collins, the minor-league field coordinator for the Mets this past year, assumes his new role needing to win the support of a restless fan base before the players even step on the field. He has a career .506 (444-434) winning percentage in two previous managing stints with the Astros and Angels — a total of six seasons. Collins failed to lead either team to the playoffs, and never won more than 85 games, but he finished second five times.

Collins, 61, had a strong ally in newly hired front-office executive Paul DePodesta, who almost brought him on board to manage the Dodgers during his time as the GM in Los Angeles. The Mets’ ownership group also was impressed by Collins’ performance this past season as minor-league field coordinator, an important position that basically oversees the entire farm system.

"I think it helps," Collins said Thursday. "I think I know the kids a lot. We’ve got a good bunch of guys. This organization has done itself very, very proud."

Other than Tuesday’s introductory news conference, next up for the Mets and Collins is to round out his staff, and Dave Wallace — a close friend of Collins — could even return as pitching coach. Wallace, 63, held that job with the Mets from 1999-2000 under Valentine and later with the Red Sox [team stats] (2003-06) and Astros (2007). Chip Hale, one of the four finalists for manager, is likely to remain on the staff, as well.

Collins’ previous managerial experience helped distinguish him from two of the other finalists — Wally Backman and Hale — and his fiery demeanor likely gave him an edge over the more even-keel Bob Melvin, who had logged six years as manager between the Mariners and Diamondbacks.

Melvin was probably considered a safer choice than Collins, whose flameout in Anaheim back in 1999 was a mark against his candidacy. But the Mets opted for the high-energy candidate who is likely to be more visible — and vocal — in the position.

Still, the people’s choice appeared to be Backman, the fiery second baseman from the 1986 Mets, a misfit cast of characters who are beloved by the fan base. From the start of the search, or even as soon as Manuel seemed to be in jeopardy, there was a public outcry for Backman, the manager at Class A Brooklyn last season.

Backman also was a favorite of Mets ownership, with chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon personally giving him the chance with the Cyclones. That was Backman’s first shot with a major-league organization since the Diamondbacks fired him in 2004 after allegations of domestic abuse surfaced, along with a DUI arrest. Backman has been haunted by those ghosts since, but the Mets intend to have him stay in the organization, with maybe a promotion to Class A St. Lucie.