'Right person for this job': What New York Mets are getting in manager Carlos Mendoza

NEW YORK — After a long, grueling interview process that spanned coast-to-coast, Carlos Mendoza's youngest son, Andres, approached his wearied father with a request: "Let's play catch."

As Mendoza was doing what he does best, looping ground balls to his son, the phone call came. Mendoza fulfilled his dream. He was going to be the next manager of the New York Mets.

On Tuesday afternoon, Mendoza was emotional as he thanked his family and a myriad of members of the baseball community for propelling him to one of the top jobs in the sport.

"When (the Mets) started talking about culture, people, relationships, preparation, I felt a connection right away because that's who I am," Mendoza said. "I care a lot about people, relationships, respect and the ability to put a product (on the field) that's going to be able to compete for championships."

Throughout the process, which included interviews with the Guardians, Padres and Giants, the 43-year-old Mendoza was interviewing his prospective teams just as much as they were interviewing him.

"Carlos' upbeat, positive personality, his genuine care for people, his baseball knowledge, his experience in this city, his sincerity, all shone through throughout our process, throughout our time getting to know each other, and make him the right person for this job," Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said.

Stearns acknowledged that there is a unique challenge associated with managing in New York for managers of all backgrounds. While Mendoza will be managing a Major League Baseball team for the first time in 2024, his experience in the Yankees system made him a strong candidate for the job across town.

Mendoza has spent the last 15 years in the Yankees organization, including the last four as the team's bench coach under Aaron Boone. He was the team's lower-level field coordinator in 2017 and infield coordinator between 2013-17.

Mendoza, who is the second Venezuelan-born manager in major league history, joining Ozzie Guillen, is excited to plant his roots down in New York and is well aware of the challenges that come with coaching in that major market.

"The fans are going to let you know. They expect to win," Mendoza said. "They expect championships, and they're going to let you know when you're not meeting those expectations, but I go back to relationships, building that culture in that clubhouse with players and people that you work with and trust you. I believe that this is a huge part of the job and you're going to go through some ups and downs, and I'm ready for this challenge."

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Carlos Mendoza, new NY Mets manager, is 'right person for the job'