Mets reportedly name Mickey Callaway the new team manager

When the news broke that Terry Collins would no longer be the manager of the Mets, everything changed. It was assumed the team would go younger and the list of candidates piled up. The competition quickly came down to one, as it appears that Mickey Callaway will be the franchise’s 21st manager. Joel Sherman was the first to report the news of a three-year deal.

So, who exactly is Mickey Callaway?

The 42-year old former pitcher has been through quite a journey. Callaway was drafted in the seventh round of the 1996 MLB draft by the then Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He played for a number of teams in his five-year MLB career, pitching for the Rays, Rangers and Angels, the latter team he won a World Series with in 2002. In the majors, Callaway is credited with a 4-11 record and a 6.23 ERA. He later played in Korea and Taiwan before retiring in 2009. After that, his post-playing career thrived in the Indians organization.

During his time with the Indians, Callaway was the pitching coach for the teams minor league organizations. His climb up the ranks was due to his success with grooming young talent. In 2010, he helped the Lake County Captains become champions of the Midwest League and in 2011 he was the pitching coach of the Kinston Indians, who were runners-up in the Carolina League. Before the 2013 season started, Callaway was promoted to become the Indians’ pitching coach, giving him more of a spotlight. The Indians’ pitching staff, specifically Corey Kluber, blossomed into the stars you see today as a result of him. This season, Indians pitchers led the majors in ERA (3.30). They also led in strikeouts (1,614) and have done so for the past four seasons.

How special is Callaway to a lot of baseball folks? Indians manager Terry Francona, someone with a pretty smart baseball mind, didn’t beat around the bush when talking about Mickey:

httpss://twitter.com/TJZuppe/status/922159385224327168

When the Indians were in the World Series last year, he acted as cool as a cucumber. He’ll have to be as he enters the war zone that is the New York media. If he can handle that pressure, he should be fine. Having someone who understands a staff is important, especially with longtime pitching coach Dan Warthen out. If he can help turn the rotation of the Mets into the fine-tuned machine it was once promised to be, he can create some Mets Magic once again.

The hiring of Callaway is is fascinating considering various factors. He is not a Mets-made man, and he’s young. His workhorse mind, and years spent with young members of the Indians, can help keep the young Mets in line. It may also provide some change in the way things are done within the clubhouse. The first day on the job will be the true test of his ability.

It will be interesting to see Mickey Callaway go through a season with a team that has many question marks surrounding them. If executives and other baseball minds are right, he’s ready. How those words translate to on the field results will be something to look out for.