New York Mets manager Terry Collins announced his resignation after his team’s final game of the 2017 regular season on Sunday afternoon, an 11-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.
“I’m stepping down for sure. This has been a tremendous time,” Collins said. “It’s been a blast, but it’s time.”
Collins managed seven seasons with the Mets and holds the franchise record for most games managed. He will remain with the team in a front-office role.
The 68-year-old joined the team in 2011after the firing of Jerry Manuel and wasn’t able to find much success. In each of his first four seasons with the club, the Mets failed to make the postseason and did not win more than 79 games in a season.
But in 2015, the combination of a dominant pitching staff and the acquisition of Yoenis Cespedes turned the Mets from a fringe team to a National League contender. By early August of that season, New York was in first place and never looked back, finishing the year with a 90-72 record — their most wins in a single season since 2006 —and a National League East title.
After squeaking by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the divisional round, the Mets swept the Chicago Cubs to win their first National League pennant since 2000 before falling to the Kansas City Royals in five games in the World Series.
Collins led the Mets back to the playoffs in the following season, marking just the second time in franchise history that New York made the playoffs in two-straight seasons. However, a Wild Card Game encounter with Madison Bumgarner of the San Francisco Giants cut the team’s playoff stay extremely short.
With his contract expiring at the end of the 2017 season, Collins and his Mets had high expectations heading into the season as another playoff berth was expected. The Mets had never made the postseason in three consecutive seasons.
After a disastrous, injury-riddled campaign, the Mets have to continue waiting for that drought to end as they limped to a dreadful 70-92 record.
In his seven years, Collins’ record as Mets manager is 551-583.
Early candidates for the Mets managerial job next year are Bob Geren, Chip Hale, Kevin Long, Robin Ventura and Alex Cora, according to the New York Post’s Mike Puma.
