BETHPAGE, N.Y. (WFAN) -- Wally Backman is back in New York baseball.
The Long Island Ducks announced Wednesday they have hired the former Mets second baseman as their new manager.
"I'm excited to join the Ducks knowing the professionalism of the organization and how much they care about winning," Backman said in a news release. "It's an added bonus that this opportunity brings me back to New York and keeps me in the Atlantic League, where I have enjoyed managing."
The Ducks are a member of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and play their home games at Bethpage Ballpark. Backman replaces Kevin Baez, who was hired by the Rockland Boulders of the Can-Am League this week.
Backman, 59, has 20 years of managerial experience, including seven in the Mets' farm system. In 2014 with the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s, he was named Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year.
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Backman's tenure with the Mets, however, ended on rocky terms after the 2016 season when reports surfaced that he was let go because of a "pattern of defiance." But Backman said he did not defy the organization's wishes and accused then-general manager Sandy Alderson of blackballing him from finding other jobs.
Backman has since managed Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican Baseball League and the New Britain Bees of the Atlantic League.
A first-round draft pick by the Mets in 1977, Backman played nine seasons for New York and was a member of the 1986 World Series championship team. He also spent time with the Twins, Pirates, Phillies and Mariners.
