Mets Manager Terry Collins Aims To Keep It Pro In Spring Training Speech
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Speech! Speech!
Terry Collins will address his team before the Mets' first full-squad workout Monday, and all indications are the manager will stay away from the familiar underdog theme.
"I want to treat them like they're good major league players, which they are, and not make it sound like we have guys in that room who don't belong," Collins said Sunday. "Because that's not true."
Terry Collins
Last year at Port St. Lucie, Mets COO Jeff Wilpon gave every player an orange T-shirt featuring the "U" logo from the classic cartoon "Underdog." Collins called it a "great idea" at the time, but let's just say third baseman David Wright wasn't thrilled.
"I don't really like playing that card," Wright said last February. "I think it's just a way to remind everybody in here that the outside expectations aren't the expectations that we have for ourselves."
Outside expectations again aren't too high for a team that finished 74-88 and carries huge outfield and bullpen concerns into 2013. But with some big-time prospects on the horizon, success -- or at least some excitement at Citi Field -- could be around the corner.
Collins said he had "about three pages" of thoughts to condense to about a half-page.
"I'll make the final judgment of what I really think needs to be said, and make it a little not so in-depth on some things -- a little bit shorter," he said.
Mets fans -- do you mind the underdog theme? Be heard in the comments!
