Backman to manage Double-A Binghamton Mets

Managing the Mets' Double-A affiliate was not the promotion Wally Backman sought at the start of this offseason, but it's ultimately what he got.

One of four finalists for the position of Mets manager two months ago, Backman was passed over in favor of Terry Collins, but was asked to remain in the organization. That led to yesterday's announcement that the former Mets second baseman will manage the Binghamton Mets this season.

"There's no question there was disappointment, but you've got to turn the page and look at what's in front of you this year," Backman said in a telephone interview. "I'm not going to sit there worrying about what happened or maybe what could have happened. I've got to worry about what I have to do this year to help the organization. To be honest with you, what the future holds for me, I don't know. You take it a year at a time now."

Last year, the Mets hired Backman to manage the Class A Brooklyn Cyclones, giving him his first job with a Major League Baseball-affiliated club since his four-day stint as Arizona Diamondbacks manager in November 2004. (The team aborted the agreement after Backman's off-the-field transgressions came to light.)

After five years spent mostly managing in independent leagues, Backman relished the opportunity to be back in the Mets' fold and led the Cyclones to a 51-24 record in the New York-Penn League.

That performance earned him an interview for the Mets' managerial job last November, and Backman appeared to be the fans' choice to replace Jerry Manuel. But new general manager Sandy Alderson chose Collins, who in his role of minor-league field coordinator last season, worked alongside Backman.

Although disappointed, Backman said the time away from the game afforded him perspective.

"A lot of my friends in the baseball world, they told me, 'You know what, Wally, you've gone from independent ball back to affiliated ball and you were one of the finalists in the interview process, so in that sense, things have turned around pretty quickly,' " Backman said. "I've just got to go out and do my job."

And Backman is eager to get started. His report date for spring training is Feb. 19, but he said he plans to be in Port St. Lucie, Fla., nearly 10 days before that.

"I just want to go out there and prove myself every day," he said. "My main focus, no matter where I'm at, is to make the players better and to try to win with the players that you're given. And that's my focus in Binghamton this year. I'm going to do everything I can to try to help Binghamton win a championship and develop players."