An Open Letter to Terry Collins

Dear Mr. Collins,

Congratulations on beating out Bob Melvin, Chip Hale, and Wally Backman and becoming the 20th manager in franchise history. You inherit a team that went from contenders to choke artists to master choke artists to injured to just plain garbage. And that's putting the last five years eloquently.

I'm not expecting 2011 to be much better. I'd be happy with the team finishing 81-81 and Johan Santana returning to form. And for Carlos Beltran to actually show up to the park. I understand 2011 needs to be a rebuilding year. And I'm okay with that.

Along with becoming the manager of this team, you also automatically become the scapegoat Mets fans turn to if things start to really suck...except for that time Luis Castillo dropped the ball; that was totally his fault. A lot of Mets fans are unhappy with your hiring because you're not Wally Backman. They'll overlook the fact that you were the Mets Minor League Field Coordinator and probably know the farm system inside and out, coinciding with Sandy Alderson's strategy to rebuild this team from within the organization. They just see that you quit your job with the Angels and fear you'll do the same thing with the Mets, and in some ways, their worries are legitimate.

However, I think most of us are being too quick to disregard you in any sense. I mean, you haven't managed a game for this team yet, and there are quite a few who have counted this team out for the next two years. This is a team whose fanbase has suffered. Over the last four years, we were mismanaged, injuries were mistreated, and ticket prices went up. Ownership was taking our hard-earned money and not giving us a product that we can actually root for. I mean, when Oliver Perez pitches, you can put it in the books as a loss. Yet, he is getting $12 million a season to suck at his job. That's just bogus man.

I'm willing to give you a shot, because nobody can predict the outcome of the next two seasons. However, my only stipulation is that you get Bobby Valentine's Groucho Marx mustache and wear it in the dugout. And have Paul Lo Duca just walk around with his crazy eyes.

Again, congratulations on the job and Godspeed!

Sincerely,

Jessica