List of New York Mets managers
Encyclopedia
The New York Mets
are a Major League Baseball
(MLB) franchise based in Flushing, Queens
, in New York City
, New York
. They play in the National League East
division. In the team's 48-year history, the Mets have employed 20 managers
. The duties of the team manager include team strategy and leadership on and off the field. Of those managers, only Joe Torre
was a player-manager (a manager who also plays for the team); Yogi Berra
did, however, play four games while he was a coach
in 1965.
The Mets posted their franchise record for losses in their inaugural season in the league, with 120 losses in 160 games in 1962. This was the first of seven consecutive losing seasons, a season in which the winning percentage
was below .500, and the most losses by a post-1900 MLB team. During this stretch from 1962 to 1968, the Mets employed four managers. Five managers have taken the Mets to the postseason; Davey Johnson
and Bobby Valentine
have led the team to two playoff appearances each. Johnson and Gil Hodges
are the only Mets managers to win a World Series
: Hodges in 1969
against the Baltimore Orioles
; and Johnson in 1986
against the Boston Red Sox
. Johnson is the longest-tenured manager in franchise history, with 1,012 games of service over 7 seasons (1984–1989 and part of 1990).
The manager with the most wins and highest winning percentage over a full season or more is Johnson; his 595–417 record gives him a .588 winning percentage. Conversely, the worst winning percentage over a full season or more in franchise history is .302 by inaugural manager Casey Stengel
, who posted a 175–404 record from 1962 to 1965.
|-
|WPct ||Winning percentage: number of wins divided by number of games managed
|-
|PA ||Playoff appearances: number of years this manager has led the franchise to the playoffs
|-
|PW ||Playoff wins: number of wins this manager has accrued in the playoffs
|-
|PL ||Playoff losses: number of losses this manager has accrued in the playoffs
|-
|WS ||World Series: number of World Series victories achieved by the manager
|-
|bgcolor="#ffffbb"|† or ‡ ||Elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
(‡ denotes induction as manager)
|-
|§ ||Member of the New York Mets Hall of Fame
|}
Statistics current as of September 30, 2011
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
are a Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
(MLB) franchise based in Flushing, Queens
Flushing, Queens
Flushing, founded in 1645, is a neighborhood in the north central part of the City of New York borough of Queens, east of Manhattan.Flushing was one of the first Dutch settlements on Long Island. Today, it is one of the largest and most diverse neighborhoods in New York City...
, in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. They play in the National League East
National League East
The National League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. The Atlanta Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies are tied for the most National League East Division titles . All of Atlanta's NL East titles came during a record stretch of 14 consecutive division titles...
division. In the team's 48-year history, the Mets have employed 20 managers
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
. The duties of the team manager include team strategy and leadership on and off the field. Of those managers, only Joe Torre
Joe Torre
Joseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...
was a player-manager (a manager who also plays for the team); Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
did, however, play four games while he was a coach
Coach (baseball)
In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...
in 1965.
The Mets posted their franchise record for losses in their inaugural season in the league, with 120 losses in 160 games in 1962. This was the first of seven consecutive losing seasons, a season in which the winning percentage
Winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...
was below .500, and the most losses by a post-1900 MLB team. During this stretch from 1962 to 1968, the Mets employed four managers. Five managers have taken the Mets to the postseason; Davey Johnson
Davey Johnson
David Allen "Davey" Johnson is an American Major League Baseball player and current manager of the Washington Nationals. He was the starting second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles when they won four American League pennants and two World Series championships between 1965 and 1972...
and Bobby Valentine
Bobby Valentine
Robert John "Bobby V" Valentine is an American professional baseball manager and former player who is currently the manager of the Boston Red Sox. He previously managed the Texas Rangers and New York Mets as well as the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan...
have led the team to two playoff appearances each. Johnson and Gil Hodges
Gil Hodges
Gilbert Ray Hodges was an American Major League Baseball first baseman and manager. During an 18-year baseball career, he played in 1943 and from 1947–63, spending most of his career with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers...
are the only Mets managers to win a World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
: Hodges in 1969
1969 World Series
The 1969 World Series was played between the New York Mets and the Baltimore Orioles, with the Mets prevailing in five games to accomplish one of the greatest upsets in Series history, as that particular Orioles squad was considered to be one of the finest ever...
against the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
; and Johnson in 1986
1986 World Series
The 1986 World Series pitted the New York Mets against the Boston Red Sox. It was cited in the legend of the "Curse of the Bambino" to explain the error by Bill Buckner in Game 6 that allowed the Mets to extend the series to a seventh game...
against the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
. Johnson is the longest-tenured manager in franchise history, with 1,012 games of service over 7 seasons (1984–1989 and part of 1990).
The manager with the most wins and highest winning percentage over a full season or more is Johnson; his 595–417 record gives him a .588 winning percentage. Conversely, the worst winning percentage over a full season or more in franchise history is .302 by inaugural manager Casey Stengel
Casey Stengel
Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel , nicknamed "The Old Perfessor", was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in ....
, who posted a 175–404 record from 1962 to 1965.
Table key
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National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
(‡ denotes induction as manager)
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New York Mets Hall of Fame
The New York Mets Hall of Fame was created in 1981 to recognize the careers of former New York Mets players, managers, broadcasters and executives. There are presently 25 members...
|}
Managers
| # | Manager | Seasons | Wins | Losses | WPct | PA | PW | PL | WS | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ठ| 175 | 404 | .302 | ||||||
| 2 | 142 | 237 | .375 | |||||||
| 3 | (Interim) | 4 | 7 | .364 | ||||||
| 4 | § | 339 | 309 | .523 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 5 | † | 292 | 296 | .497 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 6 | (Interim) | 26 | 27 | .491 | ||||||
| 7 | 101 | 106 | .488 | |||||||
| 8 | 286 | 420 | .405 | |||||||
| 9 | 81 | 127 | .389 | |||||||
| 10 | (Interim) | 52 | 64 | .448 | ||||||
| 11 | § | 595 | 417 | .588 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 12 | 145 | 129 | .529 | |||||||
| 13 | (Interim) | 3 | 4 | .429 | ||||||
| 14 | 85 | 115 | .425 | |||||||
| 15 | 229 | 283 | .447 | |||||||
| 16 | 536 | 467 | .534 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | |||
| 17 | 137 | 186 | .424 | |||||||
| 18 | 302 | 253 | .544 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |||
| 19 | 204 | 213 | .489 | |||||||
| 20 | 77 | 85 | .475 | |||||||
| Totals | 3811 | 4149 | .479 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 2 | |||