New York Mets manager Terry Collins (R) and Mets minor league manager Wally Backman speak during the Mets’ MLB baseball spring training workout in Port St. Lucie, Florida February 22, 2012. REUTERS/Joe Skipper (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)
(Staten Island, New York) – The FerryHawks have a familiar New York baseball name leading the dugout, with Wally Backman announced as manager.
Backman is best known to local fans as the gritty second baseman from the 1986 Mets championship team, but his baseball life did not stop there. He has managed and coached across professional baseball, including in the minors and independent ball, which makes him a natural fit for the constant roster movement and player-development demands of the Atlantic League.
For Staten Island, the hire gives the FerryHawks instant identity. Backman brings name recognition, edge and a direct connection to New York baseball history, all things that can help pull attention toward SIUH Community Park during a busy city sports summer.
The job now is turning that buzz into steadier baseball. If Backman can build a hard-nosed clubhouse and keep the FerryHawks competitive at home, Staten Island has a manager fans will know, talk about and want to watch.