Terry Collins facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Terry Collins
Collins with the New York Mets in 2015
Manager / Consultant
Born: (1949-05-27) May 27, 1949 (age 76) Midland, Michigan, U.S.
Bats: Left Throws: Right
MLB statistics
Managerial record	995–1017
Winning %	.495
NPB statistics
Managerial record	83–105
Winning %	.441
Teams
As manager Houston Astros (1994–1996) Anaheim Angels (1997–1999) Orix Buffaloes (2007–2008) New York Mets (2011–2017) As coach Pittsburgh Pirates (1992–1993) Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2001)

Terry Lee Collins (born May 27, 1949) is an American former baseball manager. He led teams like the Houston Astros, Anaheim Angels, and New York Mets in Major League Baseball (MLB). He also managed the Orix Buffaloes in Japan's top league, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Today, he works as a baseball analyst for Mets TV shows and helps the Miami Marlins as a consultant.

Before becoming a manager, Collins played as a shortstop in Minor League Baseball. He managed several minor league teams, including the Albuquerque Dukes and Buffalo Bisons. In 1994, he started managing in MLB with the Houston Astros. He also managed the Anaheim Angels for three years. Collins was known for being a very passionate and energetic manager. His longest time as a manager was with the New York Mets. He led the Mets to the playoffs in 2015, which was their first time in nine years. They even made it to the 2015 World Series, their first championship series since 2000.

After he stopped managing, Collins worked in the Mets' front office. He was a special assistant to the general managers in 2018 and 2019. He also joined Fox Sports in 2019 as a studio analyst for their baseball coverage.

Terry Collins' Early Baseball Days

Playing Baseball in High School and College

Terry Collins went to Midland High School in Midland, Michigan. He played on the school's baseball team there. He finished high school in 1967.

From 1968 to 1971, Collins attended Eastern Michigan University. He played shortstop for their baseball team. Each year he was there, Collins led the team in stolen bases. In 1971, his team won the national championship for the NAIA. Collins was named the Outstanding Defensive Player of that tournament. In 1994, he was honored by being put into the Eastern Michigan University Athletic Hall of Fame.

Playing in the Minor Leagues

In 1971, the Pittsburgh Pirates picked Terry Collins in the baseball draft. He played for 10 years, from 1970 to 1978, and again in 1980 and 1984. He played for teams in the Pittsburgh Pirates and Los Angeles Dodgers organizations. However, he never played in the major leagues. Collins batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was about 5 feet 9 inches tall. In 671 games, he had a batting average of .255.

Terry Collins' Coaching Journey

Starting as a Manager (1981–1993)

A 1987 baseball card of Collins as manager of the Albuquerque Dukes

Terry Collins began his managing career in 1981. He managed a Single-A team for the Dodgers in the California League. In 1983, he managed the Albuquerque Dukes, which was the Dodgers' Triple-A team. He led the Dukes until the 1987 season, winning the Pacific Coast League championship that year. He also led the Tigres del Licey to win the 1984 Caribbean Series.

Collins then managed the Buffalo Bisons, a Triple-A team for the Pirates, for three years. He won 246 games with them. In 1992, he was promoted to be the bullpen coach for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He coached there until the end of the 1993 season. Because of his success in Buffalo, he was inducted into the Buffalo Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992. He was also inducted into the Albuquerque Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.

Managing the Houston Astros (1994–1996)

After the 1993 season, the Houston Astros hired Terry Collins as their new manager. He never had a losing season during his three years with the Astros. The team finished in second place all three years.

The 1994 season was looking great for the Astros and Collins. They had a record of 66 wins and 49 losses. Their first baseman, Jeff Bagwell, was having an amazing year, batting .368. The team was only half a game behind in their division. However, Bagwell got a season-ending hand injury on August 10. Two days later, a player strike happened, which ended the season early. Bagwell still won the MVP award, becoming the first Astros player to do so.

The 1995 season was shorter, with 144 games, because the strike lasted for many months. The Astros finished with 76 wins and 68 losses, placing second in their division. Collins was a coach at the 1995 Major League Baseball All-Star Game that year. They were hoping to get into the playoffs as a Wild Card team, but the Colorado Rockies won that spot by just one game.

In 1996, the Astros had some challenges. There were disagreements between pitchers and batters. The team also struggled in September, losing 8 of 17 games. They finished second in their division with 82 wins and 80 losses. Collins was let go at the end of the 1996 season. During a game in 1996, Collins was accidentally hit in the face by a batting helmet during a fight. He needed stitches above his lip. He finished his time with the Astros with 224 wins and 197 losses.

Later, Collins admitted that he might have asked "too much" from his team during that time.

Leading the Anaheim Angels (1997–1999)

Less than a month after leaving the Astros, Collins became the manager of the Anaheim Angels for the 1997 season. His first two years with the Angels also resulted in winning records and second-place finishes. In 1999, the Angels struggled. Collins resigned with 29 games left in the season. He finished his time with the Angels with 220 wins and 237 losses.

Managing in Japan and College Baseball (2006–2009)

At the end of the 2006 season, Collins signed a two-year contract to manage the Orix Buffaloes in Japan. He resigned from the Buffaloes on May 21, 2008. The team was in 5th place at the time.

Collins also became the manager of the China national baseball team for the 2009 World Baseball Classic. In July 2009, he managed the Duluth Huskies of the Northwoods League, a summer college baseball league, for the rest of their season.

Managing the New York Mets (2011–2017)

In 2010, Collins worked as a minor-league coordinator for the New York Mets. On November 23, 2010, he was announced as the Mets' new manager, signing a two-year deal. He wore jersey number 10 to honor his mentor, Jim Leyland, who managed the Detroit Tigers. Collins had worked on Leyland's coaching staff with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1992 and 1993.

In 2011, the Mets decided to keep Collins as manager for the 2013 season. In 2012, after the Mets had a good start to the season, Collins was chosen to be a coach for the 2012 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. He was also a coach for the 2013 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 2013, which was held at the Mets' home ballpark, Citi Field.

At the end of September 2013, Collins agreed to a two-year extension with the Mets. When Jim Leyland retired in October 2013, Collins became the oldest active manager in MLB.

On June 16, 2015, Collins won his 340th game as Mets manager. This moved him past Gil Hodges for the third-most wins in franchise history. On September 26, the Mets won their division, the National League East. This was the first time Collins had ever led a team to the playoffs as a manager. On October 15, the Mets beat the Los Angeles Dodgers to reach Collins's first-ever National League Championship Series. On October 21, the Mets defeated the Chicago Cubs to advance to the 2015 World Series against the Kansas City Royals. The Royals won the Series.

In 2015, Collins received the Sporting News Manager of the Year Award for the National League.

In 2016, even though the Mets had a record below .500 in August, they played very well in their final 40 games. They made the postseason for the second year in a row, which was only the second time in Mets history. They lost to the San Francisco Giants in the Wild Card Game.

Collins with the Mets in 2017

On May 20, 2017, Collins managed his 1,013th game with the Mets, which is the most in the team's history. On August 25, he won his 537th game with the Mets, making him the second-winningest manager in franchise history, behind only Davey Johnson.

Collins retired as manager after the last game of the 2017 season on October 1, 2017. Right after retiring, Collins was named a special assistant to the Mets' general manager.

Working with the Miami Marlins (2023–Present)

On February 16, 2023, the Miami Marlins hired Terry Collins. He now works for them as a baseball consultant.

Terry Collins' Managerial Record

Terry Collins' career record as a manager in Major League Baseball is shown below.