Andy Green was honest when he took over as the Mets' interim manager. He fully intended to return to his previous role once the season ended, and he had a specific reason. Now that he has the job full-time, he explained on MLB Network what shifted, and the decision ran through his family first.
“I've got three daughters, two are high school seniors, and I was passionate about being wholesome in their senior year,” Green said in an appearance at MLB Tonight. “And then as this year unfolded, kind of the love for being back in the dugout and with this group of guys kind of rekindled a lot of passion in me. And my girls hopped on board and got excited about it.”
Once he had their blessing, he made the call. “So once I had them on board, I let David know, hey, if you guys want to consider me, I'd love to be considered,” Green said. “That happened kind of early September.” Asked to characterize the arrangement, he did not hesitate. “They signed my permission slip to go to work. That's basically how it worked.”
The turning point came during the least pleasant stretch of the season. Green said the trade deadline, when the Mets moved eight players out the door, was when he realized how much he had missed the work.
“All those guys kind of had different individual situations that they needed to be walked through with,” he said. “And I just love being in the grind with them and love the way we responded after the deadline.”
Green also pointed to the seven years since his last managerial job, including four alongside David Ross in Chicago, as the stretch that changed his approach. “When you live life and you get fired and life doesn't end and you still have impact and you still have passion and you make this about everybody else instead of about yourself, then that's exactly where I want to live life,” he said.
He described the roster as a blend of established stars and emerging young talent, naming Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor alongside Carson Benge, AJ Ewing and Nolan McLean.