Mickey Callaway always had questions.
In his five years as the Cleveland Indians' pitching coach that preceded his current role as Mets manager, Callaway constantly spoke with Dan Coyle, an Indians special advisor, author and culture expert.
Callaway has always had a deep passion for understanding what goes into creating a sustainable culture, and he took full advantage of having direct access to a New York Times bestselling author who specializes in that field.
If Callaway had questions about how to handle a certain pitcher, he asked Coyle. When he wanted feedback on his coaching, he knew who to turn to. After meeting with Navy SEAL captains and other successful coaches, Callaway often circled back to Coyle to dig even deeper. He wanted to continue the conversation.
"Almost everything I do and think about," Callaway said, "came from him."
As Callaway has guided the Mets to a 14-6 start that has them atop the NL East, his time learning from Coyle about the intricacies of culture helped prepare him for this role as a first-time manager.
Callaway has earned rave review from his players and staff alike for the culture he has created with the Mets, one that stresses accountability and punctuality.
"Mickey is really curious about people, and what makes them tick," Coyle said. "With any great coach, you always see them able to do two things: they're able to have the technical expertise, but they also have this amazing ability to connect and create a safe connection with the player.
"Mickey combines those two, and adds this incredible curiosity where he's a learner."
