Mancuso: Last Home Hurrah For Terry And Jose?

Terry Collins and Jose Reyes were a match from the start. At Citi Field Wednesday evening that match may have come to end after the Mets home finale win over Atlanta and with three games remaining at Philadelphia there is every reason to believe that one or both won’t return to Citi Field when the Mets convene again March 28, 2018 for their season opener against the Cardinals.

The signals are there as the Mets will make vast changes, and that can begin as soon as the last last out is made Sunday in the season finale.  Collins is a lame duck manager who deserves another year but will take the fall for everything that has gone wrong.

Reyes is a classic example of business and baseball in his second stint with the Mets. However in a quiet Mets clubhouse there was that certain feel. This was the end of Collins , and perhaps for Reyes, who said he wants to return and if the Mets re-sign the free agent it will be a minimal offer because at this juncture a team would not be looking for Jose Reyes to shore up their needs.

But the Mets could use Reyes for another year.  He has become the mentor in the clubhouse for the rookie Amed Rosario, a chemistry that the veteran offers in a clubhouse that will see many changes next year.

“A lot of stuff went through my head,” Reyes said about his possible last game at Citi Field. “That was an unbelievable feeling.”

Reyes had an RBI single, a double, and scored a run in the Mets 7-1 win.  He has done everything that the manager asked for, and these last few weeks Reyes has been running the bases and ranked fourth in the NL in stolen bases. His 17 RBI this month are the highest total in a single month since June of 2015 with Toronto.

But changes are a part of this game. Reyes knows that, so does Terry Collins who said before the game that 2015 was his highlight of seven seasons as a Mets manager. Allowing Matt Harvey to go out  for the ninth inning to try and finish off the Royals in Game 5 of  the World Series is something that still haunts him.

Getting back to Collins and Reyes and that is just two of the many decisions and changes that will make this one of the busiest Mets off seasons in a long time. Reyes wants to stay in New York and looks at Collins as a second father that gave him another chance to prove himself.

And there is no doubt that Jose Reyes has done his part. Needless to say, so has Terry Collins who along with his players were avoiding the question about this final home game being the last hurrah for the manager.

Collins was asked about his future.  His relationship with the media has been special and in all probability he knows this was the finale at Citi Field. At 68-years of age, Terry Collins has the respect of his players and wants to stay in the game but the higher ups of Mets management reportedly want to make a change in the dugout

And they will make these roster changes, Jose Reyes and another one-year deal remains to be determined.

Said Collins, “At the end of the year is when I kind of sit down and take a look at things. This past week only because of all the questions, has it been hard to deal with because my focus is trying to get the team ready. Every day it’s something else about me not being here.”

He got that right, because every day this week on this final homestand there was that speculation. Will this be the last hurrah for Terry Collins at Citi Field? He got the win Wednesday night and managed as if this was a late September game in a pennant chase.

And with three games remaining there will be a final hurrah. Terry Collins deserves another year but won’t get that opportunity. Because baseball is a business, and more so for the player, Jose Reyes could get another opportunity to be a part of Opening Day next year.

Either way, this was a great match for a manager and player. And in a year of futility for the New York Mets that was something worth the price of admission.

Comment Rich Mancuso: [email protected]  Twitter@Ring786  Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso

About the Author

Rich Mancuso

Rich Mancuso is a regular contributor at NY Sports Day, covering countless New York Mets, Yankees, and MLB teams along with some of the greatest boxing matches over the years. He is an award winning sports journalist and previously worked for The Associated Press, New York Daily News, Gannett, and BoxingInsider.com, in a career that spans almost 40 years.

Get connected with us on Social Media