A look back at Terry Collins’ tenure as manager of the Mets

After seven long years, the manager’s office for the Mets will be empty. Terry Collins announced his resignation as manager of the team before the last game of the season on Sunday. He will still remain as a member of the organization, becoming a Special Assistant to GM Sandy Alderson. A baseball lifer, Collins’ tenure with the team has had it’s ups and downs. One thing was certain though: he gave it his all each and every day.

Terry Collins lived and breathed baseball. It was all that he knew. Little did he know he would become one of the most memorable managers in baseball history, whether he liked it or not.

When Terry Collins became the manager of the Mets in 2011, it was a team filled with question marks. Replacing Jerry Manuel, the choice of Collins seemed to divide fans. Knowing his history of being emotional, some fans accepted it and called it great team leadership. Over the years, the divide fans had over him continued to grow. He set the franchise record for games managed with 1,134 and finished his Mets career with a 551-583 record, good for second in managerial wins for the team. Terry spoke to the media after his last game to reflect on his time with the team.

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As I stated before, he was an emotional manager who had debates with himself over key decisions. Think back to Johan Santana’s no-hitter in 2012 or when Matt Harvey went out for the 9th inning in the 2015 World Series. His bullpen managing was a true conundrum for fans, and even representatives of the team, to comprehend. Through it all though, Collins may have exceeded expectations. He took a battered team and, with the help of a generous farm system and trades, molded them into World Series contenders.

2016 was a year of redemption, something fans weren’t expecting when Terry first got hired. The honeymoon phase after 2015 ended with a disappointing loss to the Giants in the Wild Card game. This season, expectations were high for the team. Injuries started piling up, players ended up underperforming and Collins’ decisions were more questionable than usual. Chaotic is the best way to describe 2017.

Days before the end of the season, there was a report by Marc Carig of Newsday stating that Fred Wilpon managed to save Terry many times from being let go. All of a sudden, a witch hunt was brought on to Terry’s door. While the reports could be seen as unfair, so much so that David Wright spoke out about it, Terry understood how these things work. He will take the office role with caution, and he will continue to support a team that gave him one last chance in the majors.

What is Terry Collins’ legacy with the Mets? Did he help or hinder the team. It’s hard to speak for fans all over the world, but one thing is for sure: He left a significant impact on the franchise. The young players who played for Terry will get a chance to shine, and those that respected him will still be able to get guidance from him.

And now the Mets look towards the future. The team will look for a new manager who may be younger, or who understands analytics better. Whoever it may be, they will open a door that Terry Collins helped tear down.