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Collins recalls being part of last winning Bucs team

Pittsburgh bench coach in 1992 happy for former club's current success

ATLANTA -- When Terry Collins was named the Pirates' bullpen coach for the 1992 season, he joined a winning team. Coming off their second straight division title, the Pirates made it three straight in '92 with no plans to look back.

A year later, after Pittsburgh stumbled to a disappointing fifth-place finish, Collins left his post to become the manager of the Astros. What he never could have known at the time was that the Pirates would not experience another winning season until this season.

"They've done it the right way," Collins said. "It's always been a town that you've got to raise your own product. They haven't had a lot of money to go out and spend, and they've raised those prospects and done a good job of getting some guys signed, and obviously they've got some very, very good young talent."

To this day, Collins credits then-Pirates skipper Jim Leyland for molding many of his own philosophies as a manager.

"Obviously, if there's a team that I'm happy for," Collins said, "it would be them."

Anthony DiComo is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @AnthonyDicomo.
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