Mickey Callaway fired as Mets manager

Mickey Callaway went 11-1 in his first 12 games as manager of the New York Mets. After that, nothing ever seemed to go smoothly for him again.

Following more than a year of near-constant speculation about his job security, Callaway was fired Thursday by the Mets after missing the playoffs in both his seasons as their skipper.

The move came four days after New York ended an 86-76 season that marked a nine-win improvement over his 2018 debut. He had one year remaining on his contract.

New York went 46-26 following the All-Star break and was an NL wild-card contender, only to be eliminated during the final week.

"We didn't fulfill what we really had as a goal, which was get to the postseason," chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon said.

"We're not playing October baseball, and that's what it's about."

The Mets became the seventh team seeking a new manager this offseason, joining the Angels, Cubs, Giants, Padres, Pirates and Royals.

Major League Baseball's average attendance dropped 1.7% this year for its fourth straight decline, and five of the six biggest drops were by teams with losing records.

Toronto, Seattle, San Francisco and Detroit combined for more than 1.8 million fewer tickets sold, and a 259-388 won-lost record.

All 30 teams averaged 28,339, according to the commissioner's office, down from 28,830 last year.

• The Pirates fired pitching coach Ray Searage and bench coach Tom Prince.

• Astros outfielder Josh Reddick and his wife, Jett, welcomed twin boys on Wednesday night. Reddick missed the Astros' workout on Thursday but will be in the lineup Friday for Game 1 against the Rays in the ALDS.