New Mets Manager Not A Forest Hills Favorite

It's getting downright difficult to find a Forest Hills resident who is excited about the Mets these days. And it's almost impossible to find a local who is pumped up about the team's new manager.

With the owners of the Amazin's officially announcing Terry Collins as the next skipper on Tuesday morning, bar patrons on 70th Road and Austin Street were wishing for the best, but preparing for the worst.

"I'll take a chance on him," said George Callahan as he drank a mojito at . "But I'm worried."

Collins, 61, has not managed a Major League Baseball team for 11 years, but he had multi-year stints with the Houston Astros and Anaheim Angels in the 1990's, compiling a 444-434 lifetime record.

He has a reputation for being hard-nosed and competitive, qualities which Jim White likes. While drinking a Budweiser at , White opined that the team underperformed last year. "They need somebody who's forceful," the lifelong fan said. "He could be good. It's what they need."

However, White also expressed a strong desire among Forest Hills Mets fans: The top brass should have hired Wally Backman, who played second base on the World Series championship team in 1986 and coached the Brooklyn Cyclones last year. "I like Wally," White said. "He came up in the system. He's a Met."

Anthony Iadevaio, who was waiting for dinner at Cabana, agreed. "I don't dislike [Collins]," he said. "I wanted to see Wally...[Collins] better have a good start."

Then he added: "We want to be front page news, but not only for the bad things."

Over at , bartender David Herz lamented ownership's unwillingness to try somebody new, like Joey Cora, a bench coach with the Chicago White Sox known for his spark, or somebody with well-proven chutzpah, like former Philadelphia Phillies manager Larry Bowa.

"He needs to light a fire under [shortshop Jose] Reyes. He needs to get [third baseman] David Wright going," Herz contended. "Get Jose Reyes motivated. That's the key."

Herz noted that the Mets wasted so much money signing high-priced, underachieving players over the last few years that the owners might not have enough funds to sign any notable free agents this year. "We'll find out," he said.

There was optimism in one fan, though. Vishal Sharma, the general manager of , thought that the team could make the playoffs with Collins this year. "It's a good idea. He's really into discipline," Sharma said. "That's what we need."

It appears that Collins will have his work cut out for him. And he'll be performing under a microscope, like all professional sports personalities in New York City. Add in the fact that Backman is the crowd favorite, and the pressure will be intense.

At least some Forest Hills types won't be on his case.

"I don't like the Mets anymore," said Jose Arevalo. "Too many losses, not enough wins. I changed to Boston last year."