Mets' Collins: Manager of the Year consideration 'all about the players'
With the New York Mets poised to clinch a postseason berth after a resurgent second half of the season, manager Terry Collins' name has been listed among those considered for this year's National League Manager of the Year award.
While Collins is flattered by the talk, he assures that the credit for this year's turnaround resides with his players, like slugger Yoenis Cespedes, who has had a major impact on the team since being picked up at the trade deadline.
"It's always nice to get an award," Collins said. "But those kind of things – it's all about the players, believe me. I've talked to a lot of the great managers who have won these awards hundreds and hundreds of times and very few of them have ever said, 'Oh boy, I managed my a--off.' They put the right names in the lineup is what they've done and let them go play."
With 10 games remaining after the Mets play the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday, New York holds a 6 ½-game lead in the NL East with a magic number of six.
Collins knows his consideration for Manager of the Year is a direct reflection of the growth of the franchise, which hasn't been to the playoffs since 2006.
"It's nice to be mentioned. You know why? Because our players are playing good," said Collins, who has been managing the Mets since 2011. "That makes me a lot happier than anything else. If we can finish this off, nothing can top that. With what we've gone through for five years, nothing can top the fact that we've finally given this organization and this fan base something to cheer about."
(h/t NJ.com)
