Carlos Mendoza Q and A: 10 minutes with Mets manager

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Carlos Mendoza has as much pressure on him as anyone in baseball. Coming off one magical season and one disastrous one, he’s in the final year of his contract, and all he wants is to be the manager who breaks the Mets’ championship drought.

Mendoza sat down with Newsday for a Q&A on life in the hot seat, putting players in positions to succeed and how the manager role has evolved.

NEWSDAY: Is there anything about this job that has surprised you?

MENDOZA: "Not really. Being the bench coach with the Yankees for so long, you see how much is thrown at the manager’s chair. Pretty much every decision — and I'm not talking about baseball decisions, I'm talking about everything that happens within the organization — comes through your desk. I felt like I was prepared from the very beginning, and it was more about reinforcing some of the things I already knew."

You started in player development. How do you think that helped you in this role?

"The number one thing is understanding that the game is hard. You lived it as a player, and then as a coach, and you see the importance of getting to know players on a personal level, knowing their different backgrounds. You learn their personalities and how they like to learn. There are so many things that go on behind the scenes and you understand there's a process. The other important thing you learn is communication — not only between player and manager or player and coach, but just coach to coach, manager, front office, trainers. There are so many people trying to impact players in a positive way.You become a teacher — you’re teaching skills, you're teaching the mental part, you kind of become their dad, their friend, their brother."

How do you go about helping younger players, particularly ones who might be coming here from different countries?

"I went through it. I came here from Venezuela as a 16-year-old and I thought I knew English because my mom used to be an English teacher. I remember showing up to instructional league right out of high school, and I was asked a simple question — ‘How was your flight last night?’ Or ‘What did you have for dinner?’ I had no idea what the coach was saying. I went back to the hotel and I called my mom crying — like, I don’t know what I'm signing up for here. It wasn't easy. When I see these kids coming from a lot of different countries, cultures, I know how they feel. And if you're not playing well, you get homesick. I remember those days like it was yesterday. It was hard. But it goes back to developing relationships. It doesn’t matter where you’re coming from — whether you’re a high school kid from the States or a college guy or a guy that's coming from Dominican Republic or Venezuela — they're different, but you’ve got to meet people where they’re at and build relationships."

How have your wife and sons helped you grow as a manager and acclimate to the role?

"They’re the key to everything. To do this job at the highest level, you need a very good support system. There are going to be tough moments, but knowing that you're going back home to your wife and your two kids waiting for you is a different feeling. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them. Everybody knows Carlos Mendoza, but they're real heroes. My wife, Francis, and the two boys, they understand that I’m away a lot, that there's so much out there said about you. I'm pretty much the face of the franchise, and that can take a toll on them. But what’s helped is staying together, knowing who we are and knowing the principles that we believe as a family."

Having worked for so long with the Yankees, what are your impressions of Mets fans?

"I was struck by their loyalty. Not that they don’t have that [for the] Yankees, but I think it’s an older fan base here. I think just like every fan base, they know baseball and they understand it, but they’re going to let you know when you’re doing well and they’re going to let you know when you’re not performing. It’s a great feeling knowing that people are going to hold you accountable, and that’s the Mets' fan base. They’re great and we feel the support from them all the time."

The role of the manager has changed a lot in recent years. How do you balance that with your managerial style?

"That’s the art of managing, right? Not only are you making the decisions in the game, it's also about using all the resources that we have as an organization. I’ve been blessed to work with David Stearns, who’s super-smart. We’ve got so many good people here, and he also understands the human side of things. I manage people, personalities and the locker room. You get all the information, you use all the resources, you talk to pretty much every department and you feel really prepared. When you do get to game time, then it's just you managing, using all the information you’ve prepared. The game continues to evolve, and as managers, we have to continue to evolve. It’s like how everyone has an iPhone now, but you’ve got to continue to update it."

How do you handle the pressure?

"I see it as a great opportunity. There’s always going to be pressure here in New York, especially when you're the manager. But I always saw it as, man, I have a really good opportunity to do something special here. So I don't see it as pressure. I see it more like an opportunity to do something really special for this organization and for the fan base."

Being the first manager in 40 years to win a championship?

"That’s the opportunity. That’s how I see it."

By Laura Albanese

laura.albanese@newsday.com@AlbaneseLaura

Laura Albanese is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. She's been covering MLB since 2014 after starting at Newsday as an intern seven years earlier.