Sunday School: Forgotten Faces of Flushing #79 — Roy McMillan: The Man Who Was Never Supposed to Be the Boss

Last week in Sunday School, we began our month-long look at one of baseball's most unusual job titles...

Interim Manager.

We started with Salty Parker, the first man ever asked to temporarily steer the Mets ship.

This week, we move ahead eight years to the second.

Roy McMillan.

Unlike Salty, McMillan wasn't just another baseball lifer passing through Queens. Mets fans knew him first as a veteran infielder, then as one of Yogi Berra's most trusted coaches.

Then, almost overnight, he became the guy replacing Yogi.

Imagine walking into work one morning and being told, "Congratulations...you're replacing a Hall of Famer."

No pressure.

Long before he arrived in New York, McMillan had already earned the nickname "Mr. Shortstop." Despite never playing baseball in high school, the athletic Texan worked his way into the Cincinnati Reds organization and developed into one of baseball's finest defensive shortstops. Three straight Gold Gloves, two All-Star selections, and a reputation that had opponents wondering how so many ground balls mysteriously ended up in his glove.

Eventually, time catches every player.

McMillan joined the Mets in 1964, bringing veteran leadership to a young franchise still learning how to win. His best playing days were behind him, but his baseball IQ wasn't. Over three seasons in Queens, he became exactly the kind of veteran every developing club needs before finishing his playing career after the 1966 season.

Retirement didn't last long.

Like so many baseball lifers, McMillan simply traded his glove for a coach's uniform.

By 1975, he was serving on Yogi Berra's coaching staff when an injury-plagued season prompted the Mets to make a surprising move. On August 5, Berra was dismissed, and rather than look outside the organization, the Mets turned to the quiet, steady coach already sitting in the dugout.

Roy McMillan.

His assignment wasn't to save the season. That ship had already sailed.

His job was to guide the club through the final 53 games with professionalism and stability, something baseball men like Roy McMillan had been doing their entire careers.

And he did exactly that.

McMillan led the Mets to a respectable 26-27 record over the season's final 53 games. It wasn't enough to erase the disappointment of 1975, but it was enough to steady the club after the midseason managerial change. When the season ended, the Mets hired Joe Frazier as their new manager, and McMillan quietly returned to coaching before eventually finishing his baseball career as a scout.

Interim managers rarely become franchise legends.

They're baseball's caretakers.

The bridge between what was...and what's next.

Roy McMillan spent only 53 games managing the Mets.

But for one late summer in Queens, "Mr. Shortstop" became Mr. Manager.

And that's why he deserves his place among the Forgotten Faces of Flushing.

Next Sunday: We'll continue our look at the men who briefly held the Mets' top job, with another forgotten interim manager whose time in the dugout came under very different circumstances. Class will once again be in session.