Melvin, Collins neck-and-neck as finish line nears
Mets minor league field coordinator Terry Collins has been named the next manager of the Mets. (Feb. 24 2010) Credit: Newsday / Thomas A. Ferrara
With the Mets expected to name their next manager as early as this weekend, the race still looks too close to call, with Bob Melvin and Terry Collins going down to the wire.
The two leaders separated themselves from the other two finalists - Wally Backman and Chip Hale - because of their major-league experience, but that appears to be the only quality they share.
Melvin represents the more even-keel candidate, a stable hand that earned Manager of the Year honors in 2007 for leading the Diamondbacks to the National League West title. He seems to be the best fit for the Sandy Alderson regime, a reliable game manager who conveys the company line above all, and the Manhattan resident already has the New York thing down.
"He's definitely the safe pick," said one baseball executive with knowledge of the Mets' process. "They've had enough problems. He won't make any more of them."
Collins brings a little more risk to the equation, having resigned from his last managerial job - with the Angels in 1999 - after a clubhouse revolt. He also has a DUI arrest on his record, but the Mets are not treating that 2002 incident as a deal-breaker.
One person familiar with the situation said Friday that the Mets value Collins' disciplinary edge, which he showed them this past season as the team's minor-league field coordinator, and suggested that Collins easily could emerge as the winner in this managerial derby.
Even after the manager is introduced, which is slated for Tuesday at Citi Field, the Mets could have another significant addition if Omar Minaya returns in some capacity. A person familiar with the situation confirmed Friday that Minaya has received a job offer from the Diamondbacks, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal, but the plan is for him to talk to Alderson before deciding on any other opportunities.
