Terry Collins Has Turned the New York Mets Season Around

Each year, there are pivotal games that can change the course of a team's season. Today, the New York Mets, New York's most beloved team, played such a game.

Trailing the resurgent Pittsburgh Pirates 7-0 in the bottom of the third inning with two outs, the New Yorkers struck for three quick runs.

Jose "The Igniter" Reyes singled, underrated Justin Turner singled, and the much-maligned Carlos Beltran hit a home run to left field, making the score 7-3.

In the sixth inning, Terry Collins showed why he is not only the best manager in New York, but probably among the top two or three managers in the game today.

Beltran led off with a double and Jason Bay drew a walk. The next two batters were retired, but Nick Evans walked to load the bases. Ruben Tejada singled home two runs to cut the deficit to 7-5.

Pinch hitter Daniel Murphy drove in the Mets' sixth run with a single, with Tejada taking third on left fielder Matt Diaz' throwing error. It was a critical play, allowing Tejada to score soon after on a passed ball, tying the game.

Then Terry Collins went to work.

Ronnie Paulino led off the eighth with a single to put the potential leading run on first. Willie Harris ran for Paulino.

Collins sent up last night's losing pitcher, Chris Capuano, to bunt for Jason Isringhausen. When Harris moved to second on a passed ball, Collins sent in Josh Thole to hit for Capuano.

Harris moved to third on a wild pitch, and Thole worked out a walk.

Tejada once again came through, hitting a sacrifice fly on which the ever-alert Thole moved to second. He would score what turned out to be the game-winning run on a bases loaded Carlos Beltran walk.

Last night, Collins laced into the Mets something fierce after his team lost, giving up five infield hits in the seventh inning against the the Pirates on their way to a 9-3 loss.

Speaking to the media after the game, Collins related that he told his team "...we're good enough, but we have to go and play the game right. We just can't continue to make foolish mistakes."

Some of the players sat quietly at their lockers after the game, staring blankly into space or resting their heads in their hands. Willie Harris and Justin Turner said they'd never seen a manager so angry.

Jason Bay told reporters that Collins had made his point.

"He was fed up with the way we're playing and I don't blame him....If he didn't think we could do it, he wouldn't be pushing us...I think his message was there's been a lot of waiting and hoping, and there needs to be more doing."

Today was a key game that will probably turn the season in favor of the Mets. The Atlanta Braves are coming to town tomorrow to start a three game series which will end the current home stand. Jon Niese will face Derek Lowe, which bodes well for New York.

Many seasons ago, when a man named Yogi Berra managed the Mets in 1973, they were playing the Braves in Atlanta. Going to the ninth inning, the Mets trailed 7-1.

They scored seven runs in the ninth win to win 8-7 and went on to their second pennant in four years.

Almost two-thirds of the season remain. The Philadelphia Phillies, even with the return of future Hall of Fame second baseman Chase Utley, are an offensively challenged team, but despite the fact that the Mets won't catch the Phillies, the reality is they don't have to.

The Mets are still in an excellent position to make a serious run at the wild card, and we all know what can happen there.

Just ask the 2000 Western Division Champion San Francisco Giants, or the Central Division Champion St. Louis Cardinals.

Reference:

New York Daily News