Mickey Callaway is no longer an employee of the New York Mets.
The Mets announced on Thursday that they had fired Callaway after a second consecutive season of missing the playoffs. Callaway's team played much better after the All-Star break, but they still came up short of the postseason, and Callaway still lost his job.
Callaway spoke to Newsday after his firing. He admitted that he was hurt by the dismissal, but was still proud of what he had accomplished during his time in Queens.
"I'm proud of what we accomplished together," Callaway said. "Many players got better, our team improved and the Mets are in a better spot today to be a World Series contender. There are only 30 jobs of this kind in the world — so losing one certainly stings a bit. Yet I am filled with pride about some of the individual highlights of the last two years and that will stick with me."
If Callaway had been fired earlier in the season, he wouldn't have left the team in such a good position. The Mets from the first half of the campaign played like a completely different team compared to the Mets that turned things around for a playoff push. Callaway likely does deserve some credit for that.
The 44-year-old manager finished his tenure with the Mets with a 163-161 record. His time in the dugout was marked by good relations with his players, but also by some questionable decision making on and off the diamond.
The ugliest moment of Callaway's stint was undoubtedly an incident in the locker room after a loss in Chicago when Callaway and pitcher Jason Vargas threatened Tim Healey, the very same Newsday reporter who these quotes were given to. Apologies from Callaway and Vargas came the next day, and Vargas was later dealt to Philadelphia.
Callaway also talked about his unique enjoyment at being able to manage a franchise like the Mets in a city like New York.
"To be an on-field leader of a franchise in the greatest city in the world was one of the best teaching lessons I could have been given. The energy and baseball knowledge of the passionate Mets fans excited and challenged me every day. I would like to thank Fred, Jeff and the Wilpon family for giving me my first opportunity to manage a major league ballclub — particularly one of with such history as the New York Mets. I am grateful to Sandy Alderson and his group for giving me this first job and their trust, and thankful for the opportunity to work with Brodie and his team."
