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NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: CUBS VS METS

October 21, 2015

Terry Collins

Chicago, Illinois - Postgame four

Mets - 8 - Cubs - 3

Q. What are your raw emotions right now getting to the World Series finally at this point in your career?
TERRY COLLINS: Well, it's just excitement. I mean, I'm sitting there or I'm standing there in the dugout in the ninth inning and I'm looking around the field and looking down in the dugout, and I'm just looking at all the guys, thinking how did they do it? How did they keep it together? How did they stay focused?

And looked at the coaching staff. I'm so happy the job they did. Again, as you guys know, those of you who were around us all year, I mean, there were some tremendous peaks and some big, deep valleys, and to be able to keep those guys motivated and keep them level headed through the whole season takes a lot of work. And my coaching staff, the veterans did a tremendous job, and I just sat there and said, wow, this might be the finest group of guys I've ever been around.

Q. You've chased this moment for an entire baseball life, a lot of decades. I wonder if you could reflect on that what it means to you. And I'm sorry to ask this, but did you reflect on your dad at all in those moments near the end of the game?
TERRY COLLINS: Yeah, baseball has been my life, my whole life. I was one of those guys that started playing when he was 4 or 5. And I told a story tonight to some people that tonight, this day would have been my mom and dad's wedding anniversary, had they been alive.

I remember, when I was 12 years old, I was such a baseball fan, I was begging my mom to stay home and watch the World Series between the Yankees and the Pirates. And she wrote me a note to get me out of school that I was sick in the afternoon and couldn't go back to school in the fifth grade so I could stay home. Because the World Series were all in the daytime back then, so I could stay home and watch the World Series.

I'm sitting there tonight thinking, holy crap, now you're in it after all these years. It was worth the wait. It was worth all the work. To see what it takes, I saw Jim Leyland tonight and he gave me one tip, and he said don't take it for granted, grind it out. And that's exactly what I told the players before the game started. You've got to grind it out again.

So it's a special moment for me. After all these years, when this has been your whole life, to finally get to the ultimate series that every person that's ever played this game wants to get to, let's go home and enjoy it.

Q. A few different topics. One, can you just summarize Daniel Murphy's postseason? And two, what Lucas Duda did today to break out, and the severity of Cespedes injury. Sorry to cram all that in there.
TERRY COLLINS: Let's start with Daniel. There's times when players who are good players, once in a while they get to show the world how good they really are, and this series so far in the postseason Daniel Murphy has done that. He is a good player. He is an overachiever. He's not blessed with the greatest of talents. He can hit. I mean, he can hit. But this guy works to make himself a good player, and that's why I love him.

You have seen it because you're with us all the time. I mean, to watch him when we told him he was going to play second base, the way he went about to learn how to play second base, tireless. That's why he's so tired at the end of the season.

As far as Lucas Duda, I told you last week when you asked me what was going on, I said once in a while you guys show players you've got confidence in them, and I thought I did that with Lucas, knowing that if he breaks out, he can carry us. And tonight he broke out.

And Cespedes' shoulder is going to be okay. They didn't think there was any damage. They thought an injection would calm it down in a day, so he'll be ready. We're going to work out on Friday and I'm sure he'll be ready for that.

Q. You spoke of Jim Leyland. I'd love to hear a little bit about Joe Maddon and how far you guys go back and maybe that conversation that you guys had after the game or maybe even pre-game? I'd just love to hear.
TERRY COLLINS: He just met me in the hallway, which if you know Joe Maddon, you expect nothing less. I knew he was going to be somewhere. I knew one thing, he would not leave tonight without shaking my hand because he's a pro. He is -- deserves any accolade anybody talks about him. He's not just calming, he's extremely intelligent. He runs a great game.

When I hired Joe in Anaheim, as I said, I've told the story, I got the job in Anaheim. I had some managers tell me don't hire any staff. Don't hire anybody who was on that staff. Get all new people in there. And I had known Joe in the past, not well, but I knew him. When I interviewed him, his preparation, his intelligence, what he could bring to the table and when after I interviewed him I had talked to a number of players, and it wasn't just hitters or position players, it was pitchers that said is Joe Maddon going to be on your staff? And that speaks volumes to me.

In professional baseball, there can be a lot of finger pointing. If you have a bad year, there can be a lot of finger pointing. Here's a guy that did his job to the point where the players during a bad year said, hey, we want this guy back. And that spoke volumes to me, so I brought him back. He's certainly gone on to be the best manager in the game.

Q. How many years would this have been the anniversary for your mom and dad?
TERRY COLLINS: My mom passed away on their 43rd wedding anniversary, and that was 30 years ago, so 73.

Q. And your dad just passed away?
TERRY COLLINS: Right before Spring Training.

Q. What were their names?
TERRY COLLINS: Bud and Choyce Collins.

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