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Backman, a former second baseman for the Mets and manager of the Long Island Ducks, was found not guilty of fourth-degree criminal mischief and second-degree harassment for an incident in Riverhead last year.
The not guilty ruling came following a weeklong bench trial.
According to reports, Backman, a Deer Park resident, pushed Amanda Byrnes against a wall in August last year during an incident in her Riverhead home. He allegedly also went after her as she attempted to contact law enforcement.
Backman, 60, had been a fan-favorite to take over as the Mets manager in recent years while he spent time coaching in their minor league system before taking over the Ducks.
A Newsday report said that Byrnes, 39, “testified that Backman had been drinking and was intoxicated when he drove her car from the Ducks’ ballpark in Central Islip to her home the night before the arrest.”
The couple reportedly argued for the rest of the night before Byrnes contacted her mother, who called 911.
Backman was with the Mets between 1980 and 1988, when he became one of the team’s most popular figures. He coached with the team between 2010 and 2016 before becoming the Ducks’ sixth manager in 2018.
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