Strawberry hopes ex-teammate Backman gets Mets job
Former Mets slugger Darryl Strawberry thinks it's time for his former teammate Wally Backman to get a crack at an MLB managing job. Credit: AP
Since the Mets declined to exercise Jerry Manuel's 2011 club option earlier this month, Wally Backman has been bandied about as a candidate to manage them more than ever.
Darryl Strawberry, who played with Backman from 1983-88, would love to see his former teammate get a shot.
"I wish him well, and I truly hope he gets the job," Strawberry said after giving a guest sermon Sunday at Faith Tabernacle Church in West Babylon. "He was one of those players that knew about winning, and hopefully they give him an opportunity to bring some of his former teammates to be coaches."
Strawberry recalled his Mets days, when Backman and Lenny Dykstra were sparkplugs at the top of the lineup. Backman was a fan favorite in his nine seasons with the Mets, and Strawberry believes in revisiting the franchise's past in the name of changing the present-day culture. "Fans are looking for some kind of inspiration, and the fans here are always going to love the '86 Mets," he said. "I think you need to hire people that played here, won here and understand what it's about playing here. And Wally is one of those players that was a big piece of our puzzle."
If hired, Backman would be a stark change from the Mets' past three managers - Manuel, Willie Randolph and Art Howe - all of whom were seen as stoic, introspective types.
Backman is anything but stoic. A fiery presence with his share of dugout and on-field blowups, he returned to the Mets' organization this year and managed the Class A Brooklyn Cyclones to a 51-24 record.
"The players need somebody that's going to get in their faces," Strawberry said. "They need to be pushed a little bit more because obviously the performance they've had the past couple years has not worked."
Of course, Backman's name brings baggage. There is the 2000 DUI conviction, the '01 arrest for a domestic disturbance and the IRS troubles that forced him to file for bankruptcy.
In November 2004, he was fired four days after being named Arizona Diamondbacks manager when his arrests and financial troubles came to light. Strawberry believes now is the time for Backman to be absolved of his past transgressions. "Life is all about troubles," Strawberry said. "None of us are going to walk through this life perfect. So people need to learn to forgive and move on."
