Sports Radio Interviews

Wally Backman: “I am not the guy people make me out to be”

Wally Backman is a big name in the Big Apple. He was best known for being on the Mets from 1980-1988 and on the 1986 World Series team for the Mets. Its all come full circle for Backman, he was recently named the manager for the Mets’ Brooklyn Cyclones minor league franchise of the New York – Penn League for the 2010 season. But this is not his first stint as a manager and Backman has a rough past that almost took him totally out of managing any baseball teams. It’s his first position with a major league organization since the Arizona Diamondbacks hired him as manager five years ago. They abruptly let him go after reports about his off-the-field issues: an arrest for drunken driving and another for assault, along with financial problems. He lasted four days with the D’Backs in 2004 before ever managing a game.  Backman acknowledged he felt blackballed by big league clubs“to an extent” after the Arizona soap opera. When a background check on a employee is done and they find all the history he had, can you really think you were blackballed or you just dug a hole almost impossible to get out of?

Backman contacted Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon about a month ago to ask if the team might be interested in bringing him back. Backman will take over as Cyclone’s manager but early speculation is that if Jerry Manuel gets out of the gate slow for the Mets next season, Backman might be brought up to manage the Mets if he is up to speed. Before he was hired, the club conducted an extensive investigation and background check that probably took at least two weeks. Backman’s contract includes specific language about his behavior that could be characterized as a zero tolerance policy. You talk about a second chance on a tight leash, Backman is living that day-to-day now. The ultimate come back home story could be this one, if he stays out of trouble and the Mets win; he could be the next hero in New York City. The city is engulfed with the Yankees and a story about bringing an old guy back home could be just what the doctor ordered for the Metropolitan’s. Anything at this point is a positive for the Mets after last season and the expectations of the team.

Wally Backman joined WFAN in New York and talked about his history with the Mets, his abrupt firing in Arizona and what it will take to get the Mets to the limelight in New York City again even with the Yankees the top dog in town.

Asked if the Mets put him through anything unusual or did the Mets know enough before the hiring:

“Well, we definitely talked about it, everything has been out there for quite a few years you know.  I made some mistakes, I changed directions, I want to go in a proper direction.  You know the Mets seen it that way, we had some long conversations and everything has worked out so far.”

Asked if he lied to Arizona or if they just didn’t do their due diligence before his hiring there:

“I never lied to anybody, I answered every question that was ever presented to me and it went on from there.  That’s kind of water under the bridge now, and its just nice to get a fresh start.”

Asked if he thought the Arizona debacle held him back from getting a job in New York or anywhere else:

“There is no question, that was five years ago.  Time has hopefully healed a lot of things and I think that time does take care of some things eventually. Right now being back with the organization that I started with, I couldn’t be any happier.”

Asked if his life has settled down now and is life good again:

“Everything is good now. If I could do it all over again, which I cant Mike, I would try to throw two days out of my life away.  But with everything being said and done and over with, you know I had a couple of bad days. I am not the guy that people try to make me out to be. I do play the game hard and I expect players to play the game hard, and I try to teach the guys to go out there and win every day.”

Listen to Wally Backman on WFAN in NY with Mike Francesa

Tags: Arizona Diamondbacks, Brooklyn Cyclones, Jeff Wilpon, Mike Francesa, New York Mets, Wally Backman, WFAN, World Series