In his Sunday Q&A for the New York Post, Steve Serby talked with new Brooklyn 
Cyclones manager Wally Backman, who said he is most bothered by the lackadaisical players run the bases today.
“They wouldn’t have survived playing in New York in the ‘80s,” he explained. “People woulda run ’em out of town.”
To read more from Backman, who also answers questions about Mike Piazza’s reaction to Roger Clemens, partying with the 1986 Mets, and how they enjoyed playing the role of the villan, read Serby’s Q&A, here.
I love the style of baseball that he will be bringing to our younger levels. Thats exactly where they need to learn it. My only worry is, I hope he isn’t too “old-school” for today’s current generation of players. Maybe thats what they need, but the 1986-team would not survive in today’s world. (the baseball team would, but not the off-field team, and unfortunately, they go hand in hand)
Backman is exactly the type of manager our organization needs and our Major Legaue team needs as well. He’s the type of manager that stresses fundimentals and toughness. Basic, every day traits that you’d want your players to have.
And, starz31, to your point…if he’s too old school then we probably don’t want those players on our team. Backman echos the voice of the City he coaches in. Tough, never back down and basic skills. This is what we want from our players. This is what we expect from our players. The past two managers have not, and are not, getting that from the team.
Case in point..Was there any retaliation when Wright was hit? Nope. Nothing. Not an inside pitch. Not a beaning. Nada. I’m not suggesting people should be hit by a career ending pitch but, if my guy gets beamed in the head, suffers a concussion and is kncoked out…I’m throwing at the first batter I face. Hit him below the neck, of course, but hit him none the less.
This team needs to toughen up and Backman is just the guy to get that type of play from them. And, he’s a pretty good coach to boot!
Actually, I thought Santana hit Sandoval; who was the Giants best player.
I bet Wally was on Nixon’s list also for 3 people to have dinner with:) Maybe Wally wanted dinner with him to get a pardon.
I know I’m not alone in having very mixed feelings about Backman. The guy seems like a real weirdo, but a great baseball guy. I don’t know him – probably a nice person, too in a lot of ways. It was quite curious that they brought him right in the thick of the media action to Brooklyn, especially when you consider the Bernazard “shirtless” incident.
It would be nice for the Mets to embrace their past more, except that a lot of their past has so many sordid details. This guy isn’t a statue – he is a living highly flawed individual who could stain the Mets current “legacy”. In other words, the Mets will always only have a sordid past as long as they don’t start doing things right in their current present. They need to create something for the folks in the future to cling onto with pride. Besides 1969, that’s pretty hard to do, because no matter how amazing 86 was, there are always some qualifiers. Whether it was bad behavior, lingering bad vibes or the “what might have beens”. Nobody’s perfect and I don’t expect the entire Mets organization to be both successful and only filled with choir boys. I just think that there are a lot of very good baseball people available who are less risky. This could turn out to be a great thing, but this was more like Wally picked the Mets than the Mets picked Wally.
What exactly is the mets current “legacy?” 3 years of underperformance? I am not following you.
When I say current legacy, I mean whatever legendary history that they have had since their inception and by that, as i wrote, the only “clean legend”, I contend, is the 69 club. The rest is tainted, although there were tons of great moments.