Minors: Young Mets accept Losing, Backman Doesn’t
Yesterday at Keyspan Park in Brooklyn, the Class-A Cyclones introduced Wally Backman as their new manager.
In an intriguing report for MLB.com, Marty Noble says players like Tom Glavine and Billy Wagner told Jeff Wilpon they were offended by how their team’s young players seemed to accept losing.
…well, i don’t like hearing that one bit…
“So,” Noble explains, “the Mets were delighted when Jeff Francoeur became available and when Daniel Murphy wore his grit on his sleeve … and when Backman contacted Wilpon in September, looking for work.”
Yesterday, in his interview with WFAN, which you can listen to here, Backman said, while it is true his goal is to develop minor leaguers to become major leaguers, his job is also to teach them how to win.
“I will tell you this: winning is developing,” Backman told reporters yesterday, while wearing his 1986 World Championship ring. “You have to learn how to win before you can go anywhere or accomplish anything as a player… When I was in New York, we took winning and losing personally… I’d like to have 30 guys that played like I played: hard.”
In a post to his blog for 1050 ESPN Radio, Mets reporter Rich Coutinho says, “If the Mets get off to a rocky start, Jerry Manuel could be replaced, and unless the Mets want to ante up for the high-priced Bobby Valentine, Backman could be the guy that would provide the type of fiery field manager many feel the team needs.”
That said, though he is excited to have him back in the organization, Greg Prince of Faith and Fear in Flushing seems to be taking a wait-and-see approach to Backman’s ability to be a Major-League manager.
Speaking of which, Backman and Manuel already have a history competing for work, which you can read more about in the Daily News.
