Callaway earned right to stay on

The Mets stayed alive for one more day in their playoff pursuit by rallying for a 5-4 victory over the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night at Citi Field after it appeared they would be eliminated with a potential loss in the ninth inning and the Milwaukee Brewers’ 4-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. Michael Conforto spared them from elimination by hitting a two-run home run (his second of the game) off Marlins closer Jose Urena to tie the game in the ninth inning, and Marlins reliever Jeff Brigham walked Brandon Nimmo with the bases loaded in the tenth inning to give the Mets the victory.

But make no mistake. They are going to be done since they are five games out of the last wild-card spot with five games to go and their tragic number is at one with a Mets loss or a Brewers victory, and soon, the Mets have to address a pressing issue. That would be Mets manager Mickey Callaway’s status for next season.

Callaway enters next season in the final year of his contract. Either the Mets let him stay on for next season as a lame duck or they extend him for several years.

It says here the Mets will likely keep him. It would be hard to fire him after he guides the Mets to a winning season despite an unreliable bullpen and an inconsistent starting rotation. He also guided the team through so much adversity this season by having them in the wild-card race all the way until September. Yes, they fell short of making the playoffs, but the Mets were a flawed team, even before the season started despite what Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen thinking otherwise.

It would not be the worst thing for the Mets if this happens. I will go even further to say he should get an extension. Callaway is the right man for this team and in this market. Managing in New York is not easy, and it’s not for anyone. For him to do that is something the Mets can’t poo-poo.

The last thing the Mets need is lack of stability. Firing managers every few years does not make this team any better. There’s no one out there that is a right fit for this group than Callaway. He earned the respect of his players for navigating the team all season, so there’s something to be said about that.

For anyone that wants Joe Girardi, Buck Showalter, Mike Scioscia, Bruce Bochy, Joe Maddon or Dusty Baker as the next Mets manager, give up that dream. The Mets are not paying big bucks for a manager, and the WIlpons and Van Wagenen don’t want to deal with a manager who would not be a company guy. Could anyone envision Girardi tolerating Van Wagenen in the Mets dugout during the game or even calling him from the general manager’s booth? That’s what I thought.

Callaway won’t break the bank when it’s time to get paid, and that makes the Wilpons happy. He is one of the lowest paid managers in the game at $850,000, so if he gets a raise, it will be minimal at best.

The Mets can do worse than retaining Callaway. There’s no one out there that is qualified if Van Wagenen and the Wilpons come up with names out of a sheet of paper to replace him. MLB Network analyst Mark DeRosa, Cubs bench coach Mark Loretta and Houston Astros bench coach Joe Espada does not do much for the Mets. They would be promising candidates just like Callaway was when he took the job.

Question Callaway’s managerial decisions all you want. He has zero feel for the game such as taking Steven Matz out after throwing 79 pitches and cruising against the Atlanta Braves on Aug. 14, which he took his starter out after the Mets took a 2-1 lead. He decided to use his best reliever Seth Lugo to protect the lead, which did not make sense since the Braves could not hit Matz, so why change the pitcher in that moment? Yes, Callaway cited Lugo being the right guy at the right spot, but managing requires common sense than going by the book. No reason to change things when everything was not broke with Matz dominating at a low pitch count.

Be irritated at Callaway for putting his faith in Edwin Diaz and Jeurys Familia. Throw stuff at the TV when he puts an obscure reliever such as Paul Sewald, Tyler Bashlor or Wilmer Font in the game or leaves the starter way too long. Take a drink when he gives his best hitters days off in the rubber game of a three-game series. Wince when anything stupid comes out of his mouth in his post-game presser after the game. Be mad when he shows no emotion or when he does not come of the dugout to argue with the umpires in defending his players.

Despite all that, Callaway can get better at his job by applying all those lessons he learned. It’s just his second year. Remember Terry Francona was not Terry Francona at first when he learned on the job as a Philadelphia Phillies manager. If given the opportunity to stay longer, Callaway can be like what Francona is today. That’s why it’s worth keeping him.

Besides a manager only looks good when players execute. In other words, there are not many good tactical managers out there.

Here’s something about Callaway that players appreciate: He keeps the clubhouse loose, and he takes the blame for the players when things go wrong. He made sure distractions never permeated the clubhouse. He allows them to play and be themselves. In return, the players did not quit on him, even when it got bad when the Mets were 11 games below .500. The players kept at it, and the Mets put themselves in a position to make the dog days of summer interesting.

It’s because of Callaway that Pete Alonso and Jeff McNeil develop by having him be patient with them. He puts them in a position to succeed by making sure they learned through their mistakes. That type of approach with Robinson Cano and Todd Frazier helped those two play much better late in the season. Even he got results from Familia in the last few weeks.

A manager can be useful in time of need. When players need to be supported in tough times, a manager has to be there for them. It makes the players work hard for the manager. A manager’s job is to make sure the workplace is conducive to a player’s sucess. Callaway’s strength of working with his players turns out to be an asset. He also creates trust, which is another attribute that have players play for him.

The Mets made strides under Callaway’s second season mainly because the manager knew how to work with them. One can make a case he should be the NL Manager of the Year.

No one here compares Callaway to Davey Johnson, Bobby Valentine or Terry Collins, but he isn’t Jeff Torborg, Art Howe or Jerry Manuel, either.

Best thing can be said about him is that he is a work in progress, and that’s okay. It could be so much worse.

The last thing the Mets need is another manager learning on the job.

Despite Callaway’s flaws, he offers the Mets a best chance to win next season than a new, inexperienced manager.