PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Mickey Callaway arrives at First Data Field at 4:30 in the morning, gets in a workout and prepares for the day. That is his daily routine. He never wants to feel like he is playing catch-up.
This has been a winter of change for the Mets with the many moves made by new GM Brodie Van Wagenen. Callaway, optimistic by nature, is thrilled with the additions and the early bond created with Van Wagenen.
All the changes won’t be on the field. A relaxed and confident Callaway, 43, met with The Post over the weekend to discuss the upcoming 2019 season and what changes he is going to make in his approach in his second year on the job as Mets manager, beginning in spring training.
Here is Callaway, unvarnished and self-aware.
Q: You’re the son of a civil-engineer father. After having time to digest the 2018 season, what changes are you going to make in the design, construction and maintenance of how you are going to manage the Mets as opposed to your first year on the job?
A: Speaking of thinking like an engineer, I sat down and talked to (new bench coach) Jim Riggleman about some of the moves I made and he explained to me that who I am, where I’m at in my career at this point — an ex-pitching guy going into managing — I need to be a little more traditional and not try to reinvent the wheel. Even if such a move makes sense, like a pitching change to force the action like I did against the Phillies last year (bringing in Jerry Blevins before the pinch hitter was announced), it’s not worth it, and I agree.
So we’ll manage more traditionally this year. As much as you have to think in the National League games, I was thinking too much, so I’m going to dial it back a little bit. Jimmy is going to be proactive.
You will see more hit-and-run, more situational hitting, more steals, we have more speed. We have some players who are capable of it. (Amed) Rosario got a lot better at it in the second half (with 18 stolen bases). We have more options. The bottom line is that you have to be able to expose the weaknesses of the other team.
Q: Changes have been made in coaches and on the roster by Van Wagenen. You were not hired by him, so going in, you are on the hot seat. How will you handle that?
A: It’s an easier hot seat (Callaway laughs, noting the addition of closer Edwin Diaz, second baseman Robinson Cano, catcher Wilson Ramos, relievers Jeurys Familia and Justin Wilson, infielder Jed Lowrie and others).
I don’t mind that at all. I think I should be. And you know what, the players are on the hot seat as well because we now have players who can play behind them and step in and that’s what you want.
I get that adrenaline rush every pitch. You want pressure to do your best job. You are not going to be at your best unless you are pressured to do that. That goes for me and the players. For example, as much as I love Todd Frazier, last year he was going to be our third baseman no matter what when he was healthy. This year that’s not the case and that’s going to be good for him. It’s good for Brodie to have pressure on him. It’s good for me to have pressure on me. It’s good for all of us.
Q: What are your thoughts on Brodie’s comment the Mets are the team to beat in the NL East?
A: You know what, I’ve been in baseball so long, you can’t predict because you don’t know what’s going to happen. I thought we would have competed last year if we hadn’t got hurt. I tend to stay away from speculating, I do think we have a solid baseball team and I think there are other solid baseball teams. We are better than last year. We realized in spring training last year, if somebody gets hurt, we were going to struggle. Now we have some real depth.
Q: There is a lot of buzz about rookie power-hitting first baseman Peter Alonso. What are your thoughts about him coming into the spring?
A: First base is his to lose. He’s got to earn it, though. Todd could always swing over to first and Jed can play third. I am excited to see Alonso.
Q: What’s the latest on Yoenis Cespedes?
A: He’s rehabbing well. I’m optimistic that you are going to see him in 2019. Right now I kind of look at him like a trade-deadline addition.
Q: With a year under your belt in New York and all that entails after being a pitching coach in Cleveland, how is it different heading into this spring training?
A: I’ve learned a ton in one year. I don’t mind criticism. If you don’t learn, how are you going to get better? No doubt about it, no matter how the season goes, after one year in New York versus one year anywhere else, you are a better manager after that season. You have to go through it. You manage up. You manage down. You manage yourself. You change yourself. I enjoy that. I look back and I am proud at how the players battled last year.
Now I have a sense what is going to happen on a daily basis. I think I can put out more fires because I’ve been through it. I am going to try to head things off, I want to be in the clubhouse a little bit more. The one thing you can’t prepare for is the time management of dealing with everything you have to deal with. As a manager, without having gone through it and I am such a routine-oriented guy, I have to change that in myself a little bit so I can spend more time in that aspect of the job.
Q: What have your conversations been like with Jeff McNeil, who is not the second baseman and will play the outfield with the addition of Cano?
A: He’s excited about the season. Jeff just likes to play. He can play left or right, we have a lot of options now across the board with him and that is a good thing. And just talking to Cano, too, having him here is going to help everybody in that clubhouse. His knowledge of the game is incredible. He thinks at it, in all aspects of the game. The way he thinks is all about winning, not just playing his position.
Q: Your early thoughts on the lineup or at least the first five.
A: Still working on it, it could be (Brandon) Nimmo, Lowrie, Cano, (Michael) Conforto, Ramos, Frazier. We have to see how the spring goes (with Alonso). Rosario could hit anywhere from sixth through eighth. Todd could hit sixth, seventh or eighth. … The pitcher will hit ninth most times. … We’ll have the coaches involved in the lineup meetings and we’ll communicate with the players so they will know why a lineup was made out a certain way. You can’t please everybody. Everybody is going to hate me at some point. That’s OK. This year we will have a better lineup and a better bench.
Q: Your Opening Day starter is a lock in Jacob deGrom?
A: Yes, no doubt. I am so excited about Jake and our rotation and the job (pitching coach) Dave (Eiland) did with them.
Q: How much better of a manager are you going to be with Edwin Diaz and his 91 saves over the last two years to close games?
A: (Callaway laughs). Much better. He’s a great kid, real good family. He is going to be fun to watch. I can’t wait to get going.