Terry Collins Optimism Has Led New York Mets To NL Wild Card Game

Terry Collins has kept an upbeat attitude throughout the season with the New York Mets and is a big reason they are in the NL Wild Card game.

Terry Collins has led the New York Mets to the postseason for a second consecutive season. It was not an easy road traveled, as the Mets had plenty of ups-and-downs during the season. There was even some talk that Collins was on the brink of being fired before a modest three wins in four games stretch.

Despite all the adversity facing him, Collins has managed to keep his cool and keep his players focused. There has been plenty of times during the season that Collins could have let the ship sink. But his continued optimism kept the clubhouse together, as it eventually rubbed off on his players.

“Every day, Terry comes in here and makes you feel like he has confidence in you,” Jose Reyes said. “Even if you’re not hitting, he says, ‘Don’t worry, I know you can do the job. You’re my guy.’ I respect that.”

That is arguably the best quality that Collins has as a manager. He has always been known as a player’s manager, and Reyes’ comments reinforce that. The number one rule for managing is that “You can’t lose the clubhouse,” Collins said earlier in the week. He has mastered the skill of communicating with his players and keeping cordial relationships with his players.

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Collins has done a good job keeping the clubhouse together and close-knit despite constantly being under the microscope of the New York media. There are plenty of chances for something small to snowball into a big problem in New York, but Collins has minimized those problems.

The relationship that Collins has with his players is a big reason for success in that area. The players like him and trust him. His integrity cannot be questioned; he may let Yoenis Cespedes cut some corners, but overall everyone is held accountable from superstars and the highest paid players all the way down to the last player on the roster.

In August when the Mets were two games under .500 with their season hanging in the balance, they could have taken the easy way out. Injuries plagued the roster, as big pieces such as Matt Harvey and David Wright were lost for the season. Wright was a big loss as he is someone Collins can lean on, and he is a player that the players respect and look up to.

Couple that with the lead that the Washinton Nationals had, and it would have shocked no one had the Mets went quietly into the dog days of summer. But Collins would not allow that to happen. He continued working hard, and his players followed suit as his energy and attitude are contagious.

Some players respond well when a manager rides them, but over the course of a 162-game season, the tough guy act runs its course quickly. Collins has adapted and changed his ways, and it has clearly paid off with this Mets team.

The Mets have been changing constantly throughout the 2016 season. They endured some backlash signing Reyes after his domestic violence suspension and dealt with injury after injury. But the one constant was Collins in the dugout leading the team.

While those injuries may not allow the Mets to get as deep into the postseason in 2016 as they did in 2015, there is no doubting the work that Collins has done. Bob Klapisch of The Record said no player speaks badly of Collins on or off the record. That is an indication of a team that has its manager’s

Next: Was Terry Collins Almost Fired In August?

That is an indication of a team that has its manager’s back because they know that he has theirs. This season may not be judged as a success by some people if the Mets do not reach the World Series again. But, there would be little, if any, substance to an argument saying that Collins has not led this team well.

Everyone has their misses during a season as long as MLB has, but Collins has been able to overcome them and lead his team to a place no one throughout they would reach six weeks ago.

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