Las Vegas is Wally’s World again.
The Mets and their Triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas 51s, announced Tuesday that Wally Backman will be back for a fourth season as manager. Pitching coach Frank Viola will also return to the club.
The 56-year-old Backman, a member of the Mets’ 1986 championship team, has skippered Las Vegas to three consecutive winning seasons, including division championships in 2013-14. Last year’s club was 77-67.
There were 11 players on the Mets’ World Series roster who played with Triple-A Las Vegas over the past three years.
Overall, Backman is entering his fifth season as the Mets’ Triple-A manager – he managed the club’s highest affiliate when it was in Buffalo in 2012.