Andy Green was announced as the Mets’ 26th manager in franchise history, removing the interim tag that he’s held for months, and the players are on board with the decision.
“I’m glad they did. Everyone’s happy,” Marcus Semien said prior to the team’s series opener with the Rangers on Tuesday. “You look at our entire season, not great. But since Andy stepped in, he’s helped a lot of guys be a better version of themselves. We’ve been playing a good brand of baseball. Glad to have that continuity moving forward. Extremely happy for him and his family.”
Since Green took over for Carlos Mendoza, the team is 37-38 entering Tuesday but is 31-28 since the All-Star break.
A big part of that turnaround has been the improving health of the team, but also Green’s managing style. As many players pointed out Tuesday, Green isn’t afraid to hold players accountable, and that has led to better play overall.
“He’s a guy that is straight up with you,” Semien said of Green. “Whatever he sees, whatever he may be feeling, he communicates it in a way that you react to well, and you want to work hard for that guy.”
“Felt like he’s done a good job and you don’t want to go into the offseason thinking about what’s going to happen,” Francisco Lindor said of Green’s hiring. “A familiar face that’s been around for a couple of years now, and in the clubhouse with us. It’s a wise decision; it’s a good decision. And looking forward to the next couple of years.”
Lindor is one of those players whose improving health has coincided with the team’s better play, but the Mets shortstop said that Green brings the “light, joy and accountability” to the team, and that has impacted the clubhouse.
“He’s someone from day one said he would hold players accountable, so if he says something, for better or worse, you have to listen,” Lindor said. “He can be a guy that can blend in and stand out as well. With that, that gives him the ability to call people out and the ability to tap someone on the back and say good job.”
As Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said in Green’s introductory presser ahead of Tuesday’s game, continuity was a big reason for the decision to keep Green as the manager. But it couldn’t be just anyone, it had to be the right person for the job.
“It has to be the right voice, and we have the right voice with Andy,” Stearns said. “A lot of the players pulled me aside after we informed them earlier today. And that familiarity is helpful. The ability to go into the offseason understanding what this is going to look like from a leadership perspective when we all get back in the same room is important for players. It’s comforting for players and allows us as an organization to all move ahead together.”
“It’s valuable not only for the manager, but for the guys in here,” Semien said of the continuity. “To come back strong, understand what this year was. Learn from it and come back hungry as a group. We want to finish strong here first…and work hard in the offseason. Show up ready to improve.”
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