Every minor league system has instructors and coordinators for every aspect of the game. These coaches are there to train the players in the farm system their specific skills and get them to the next level in their development. Now the Mets have some familiar names teaching the younger players in their roles as instructors. Gary Carter handles the catching and Edgar Alfonzo is the infield coordinator. Former Met coaches Rick Waits, Mickey Brantley and Al Jackson are also involved in the system. For teaching the outfielders, New York this year went outside the system and brought in Rick Patterson.

The former Met farmhand (1975-1977) has just gotten back into professional baseball after eight years as the Head Baseball Coach for Bishop State Community College in Mobile, AL. Before that he had numerous minor league coaching and managing jobs, including ones with the White Sox, Cubs and Yankees. After being on the job almost one year with the Mets, the 50 year-old can tell us what he thinks of the Mets minors and how he figures the team’s future outfielders will fare.

MOFO Sports sat down with Patterson the other day in Brooklyn and if you click here, you can hear the interview.

Photo by Joe McDonald.