Mickey Callaway impressed in his introduction as manager of the Mets

As you may have heard, the Mets made it official by announcing Mickey Callaway as the new manager of the team. Earlier today, there was an introductory press conference on SNY. An elated Callaway spoke to the New York media for the first time and held his own. He showed some charisma and had the innocent appearance of a freshman just entering college for the first time. The press conference highlighted how Mickey was one of 35 candidates for the job. He immediately left a good impression after three hours of talking to the team, hence the hiring.

Here are a few highlights from the conference:

He’s very excited to be here – If you didn’t know, Mickey Callaway is extremely excited to be the new Mets coach. He did state it about 15 times, and for good reason. Mickey is getting a chance to shine in the Big Apple after proving himself in Cleveland. When he spoke to his wife and two daughters after the interview, Mickey was happy for the opportunity that was given to him. How his success as a pitching coach will transfer over is still unknown.

A true player’s coach – Callaway highlighted his job is to promote team unity. He was very adamant about that, and it brought out a thought that a cultural shift would be taking over.

“We are going to care more about the players than anyone ever has before. We’re going to know they are human beings and individuals, and this is going to be a group that feels that every day we come to the clubhouse, and that is going to be our main concern.”

It’s a much different dynamic compared to what fans are used to hearing. In regards to culture, Sandy Alderson and Mickey will be working hard to handle any distractions that may affect the team. Consider this a message to the locker room.

Alderson’s guy? – It seems that Callaway and Alderson are on the same page. They share the same vision, something the latter didn’t quite have with Terry Collins. Callaway seems to care about the analytics side as much as Alderson does, and that’s maybe what stood him out as the top choice to lead this team.

The rest of the staff – During the press conference, Alderson stated that Mickey and the front office will work together to find a pitching coach for the team. It is an interesting statement due to the nature of the Mets. Will the team hire someone who they believe is a safe bet? Will Mickey have a true say in the decision? That will be the ultimate test in this new era for the Mets.

Throughout his years in Cleveland, Callaway believes he’s learned a lot from Terry Francona. He thinks the Mets, a team that went a disappointing 70-92 this season, have a chance at contending. With a pitching staff that can adapt to his style, a young team filled with promise and David Wright to guide him, anything is possible.

All in all, it was a day filled with positivity and even a few more questions that still needs answers. Day one is over, and now the real fun begins for Mickey Callaway.