Loons To Honor Former MLB Manager, Midland Native Terry Collins
The Great Lakes Loons will honor former Major League Baseball Manager and Midland-native Terry Collins before the game on July 23rd against the West Michigan Whitecaps. The pre-game ceremony will include the dedication of an area of the ballpark in recognition of his accomplishments in professional baseball. Collins played an instrumental role in the founding of the partnership between the Loons and the Los Angeles Dodgers during the formation of the Loons in 2006 as a member of the Dodgers player development staff.
Collins was a three-sport star at Midland High School in football, basketball, and baseball in the late 1960s. He went on to be a four-year letterman in baseball at Eastern Michigan University and was named the team’s MVP in 1971. Following college, Collins played ten years in the minor league systems of the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
After retiring as a player, Collins transitioned to a coaching career. Over three decades, Collins managed at the A, AA, and AAA levels in Minor League Baseball and became a successful manager at the Major League level, managing the Houston Astros from 1994-96, the California Angels from 1997-99, and the New York Mets from 2011-17. Collins led the Mets to the World Series in 2015, and upon his retirement in 2017, was the second-winningest manager in the Mets franchise history.
“You cannot tell the story of the Loons without mentioning Terry Collins,” stated Bill Stavropolous, Chairman of the Michigan Baseball Foundation. “The partnership with the Los Angeles Dodgers would not have been possible without Terry. His advocacy for Midland and the Great Lakes Bay Region was pivotal in solidifying what has been one of the longest-running partnerships in Minor League Baseball.”
Fans wishing to attend the ceremony and the game against the West Michigan Whitecaps can do so by purchasing tickets at Loons.com, calling the Dow Diamond Box Office at 989-837-BALL, or stopping by Dow Diamond during normal business hours.
