Wally Backman is back in New York baseball, and the Staten Island FerryHawks are betting his trademark fire can help rescue their season.
The FerryHawks, members of the Atlantic League, have named the former New York Mets infielder and 1986 World Series champion as their new manager, turning to one of the most recognizable figures from the franchise’s championship era in hopes of changing the tone and trajectory of a struggling club.
Backman, 66, takes over a Staten Island team that stumbled to an 8-40 start under its previous staff. The move gives the FerryHawks more than a headline-grabbing hire. It gives them a manager with a long professional résumé, a reputation for demanding accountability.
For Staten Island, the message is clear, this is a franchise looking for urgency, experience and a jolt of credibility in the middle of a difficult season. Backman made that mindset clear in an interview with the New York Post.
“My time in baseball is not over,” Backman told the New York Post. “I’ve been a lifer. I love the game. And I take a lot of pride in winning. Losing sucks. This is a team that has struggled, and I accept the challenge. I believe I can turn this team into a winner.”
Backman remains one of the more popular and recognizable figures tied to New York baseball. A first-round pick by the Mets in 1977, he spent most of his 14-year major league career in Queens and became a fan favorite for his gritty style, hard-nosed baserunning and blue-collar edge. A switch-hitting second baseman, Backman was a key part of the Mets teams of the 1980s and hit .333 in the 1986 World Series as New York captured its second championship.
After leaving the Mets, Backman played for the Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies and Seattle Mariners before retiring in 1993.
His post-playing career has been equally defined by intensity and his commitment to the game. Backman spent years managing in professional baseball, including stops in the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox farm systems. He later managed the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas 51s, from 2013-16. Over time, he developed a reputation as an old-school baseball figure, a dugout presence known for demanding energy, discipline and a relentless style of play.
In 2004, Backman was hired as manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks but was dismissed four days later after the organization determined it had not fully vetted his background. A subsequent review following a New York Times report identified prior legal and financial issues, including a 1999 DUI arrest in Washington state, a 2000 domestic dispute in Oregon and a 2003 Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing involving debts to more than 20 creditors. The Diamondbacks later acknowledged they had not conducted a complete background check before his hiring.
Despite that history, Backman has continued his career in professional baseball, and the FerryHawks are now betting his experience and intensity can help reshape the club.
That mentality is exactly what the FerryHawks are hoping he can bring to Staten Island.
Since taking over, Backman has already begun reshaping both the clubhouse and the roster. The FerryHawks have leaned into his experience and player connections as they try to stabilize a team that has struggled to find traction through the first half of the Atlantic League season.
Backman has immediately targeted former major league and high-level professional talent as part of Staten Island’s roster overhaul, while the organization also hosted an in-season tryout for Division I and previously affiliated professional players who could help the team right away. Among the names Backman has pursued is former major league infielder Jose Miranda, who once set a major league record with hits in 12 consecutive at-bats.
Backman has also made clear that his plans for the FerryHawks extend beyond the roster. “I came here to win,” Backman said. “We’re gonna make some changes, do the right things, try to get the community more involved. I’m actually challenging the community to come out and give us support.”
The early push reflects Backman’s vision for the job as he looks to make Staten Island more competitive now, not simply later.
His first home game at SIUH Community Park is scheduled for June 24 against one of his former Atlantic League clubs, the Long Island Ducks, setting up a fitting return to the New York-area dugout spotlight. Three days later, the FerryHawks will further embrace Backman’s Mets ties by hosting an ’86 Team Tribute Night on June 27, with former teammate Lee Mazzilli scheduled to appear.
For a franchise trying to regain momentum, the hire is about more than nostalgia. The FerryHawks are turning to one of New York baseball’s most fiery personalities in hopes that his edge, veteran experience and winning pedigree can spark a turnaround.
Backman now takes on the challenge of reviving the FerryHawks and pushing them back into contention in the Atlantic League, tasked with bringing urgency and a winning edge to a Staten Island team looking for a fresh start.
Photo: Wally Backman out to prove polarizing baseball journey ‘is not over’ by rescuing Staten Island team. (Courtesy of Heather Khalifa/NY Post)
