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) – Wally Backman’s FerryHawks reset is moving into a crucial summer stretch, with the former Mets infielder trying to bring edge, attention and accountability to Staten Island baseball.
Backman took over a struggling Atlantic League club with a clear assignment: make the FerryHawks more competitive and more visible. His name still carries weight in New York because of the 1986 Mets, but the real challenge is turning that nostalgia into wins, better habits and bigger crowds at SIUH Community Park.
For Staten Island, the FerryHawks are more than an independent baseball team. They are part of the borough’s sports identity after the loss of affiliated minor-league baseball, and a stronger summer run would help keep the ballpark relevant as a neighborhood gathering place.
Backman’s approach is expected to be direct and demanding. If the FerryHawks can show progress over the next several weeks, the second half of the season could become less about surviving the schedule and more about building something fans want to follow.