Return to majors still on Backman’s radar

Wally Backman was named the Arizona Diamondbacks manager on Nov. 1, 2004, but he was fired four days later following revelations he'd been arrested twice - for harassment and DUI - and filed for bankruptcy.

Backman, one of the most fiery members of the 1986 New York Mets World Series title team, has been trying to get back to the big leagues ever since.

"That's in my past," Backman, 53, said of his non-stint as Arizona's manager. "It was a tough time. It was tough on my family. I put it in the past, and I'm trying to go forward and get another opportunity to manage in the big leagues."

Backman guided New York's Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo, N.Y. last season and will return to manage the team this year in Las Vegas, the Mets' new Triple-A home. He becomes the 22nd manager in Las Vegas' 30-year franchise history.

Backman will be joined by hitting coach George Greer and pitching coach Randy St. Claire.

Greer, who returns as the Mets' Triple-A hitting instructor, is a former college coach who guided Wake Forest for 17 seasons. St. Claire, who pitched for five teams spanning nine major league seasons, spent the past four year as pitching coach for the Florida/Miami Marlins after six years as pitching coach for the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals.

Backman, who guided Buffalo to a 67-76 record last season, has a 10-year managerial record of 601-564 (.516) in the Mets, Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox organizations, as well as three seasons in independent leagues.

He was named minor league manager of the year by The Sporting News in 2004 - when he led Single-A Lancaster of the California League to an 86-54 record - but was out of baseball in 2005 and 2006.

Backman returned to the game in 2007 as manager of the independent South Georgia Peanuts.

"I made a lot of phone calls, got the gig in South Georgia and kind of went on from there," Backman said.

After paying his dues in independent ball for three years, Backman rejoined the Mets organization in 2010 as skipper of the Single-A Brooklyn Cyclones, guiding them to a 51-24 record.

A call to Mets owner Fred Wilpon was all it took to return Backman to the organization he began his career with in 1977, when he was drafted by New York in the first round.

"I should have made the call a lot sooner," Backman said. "There was a real tight group of people back when I played with the Mets, and they've done some good things for past players and given them opportunities."

After being bypassed for the Mets managerial job in 2011, Backman managed Double-A Binghamton (N.Y.) that year before taking the reins of the Bisons last season.

An Oregon native, Backman batted .275 in 14 seasons (1980 to 1993) in the majors as an infielder for the Mets, Twins, Pirates, Phillies and Mariners. He batted a career-high .320 for New York in 1986, when he platooned at second base with Tim Teufel and hit .333 in the World Series.

The 51s, who went 79-64 last season, are expected to be led by pitcher Zack Wheeler - the Mets' top-ranked prospect - and catcher Travis d'Arnaud, Toronto's top prospect last season who was acquired in a trade for Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey.

D'Arnaud batted .333 with 16 home runs and 52 RBIs in 67 games for Las Vegas last year before suffering a season-ending knee injury.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0354.