01-10-2005, 12:21 AM
Minaya, Mets aren't kidding around
Ownership, new GM have no patience for rebuilding
-Tom Singer, MLB.com
If Omar Minaya walks up to you on the street and bets you that he can clear the Empire State Building in a single bound, don't take it. It's a sucker's bet.
If Minaya says he can make three years' misery vanish, and wants to see the money that says he can't, walk away.
Ten short weeks ago, the idea of the New York Mets corraling the best pitcher and the prime position player on the free agent market was as preposterous as the Boston Red Sox actually winning a World Series.
Well, here we are. The World Series Trophy is in Beantown. Pedro Martinez is in Flushing and Carlos Beltran is about to join him. The Mets are in the hunt, for the National League East title and New York headlines alike. Their fans are in heaven.
And Omar Minaya very obviously is in charge, in control and in the groove.
He is the embodiment of every parental encouragement. "Aim as high as you wish. You can accomplish anything you put your mind to."
Soon after assuming control of the Mets organization in the waning days of the 2004 season, Minaya put his mind to shoveling dirt on three years and 272 losses. He hustled, he turned on the charm, he was in-person and personable.
No gradual rebuilding for him. None of that Rome gameplan. He would rebuild in a day.
He went right for the foundation, talking Martinez out of a jaded situation in Boston and into a position of influence in New York. Introduced as a Met 3 1/2 weeks ago, Pedro was credited with instantly making the team credible for other free agents.
Complete coverage >
Martinez was also hailed as the Mets' new face. Well, make them two-faced now.
Beltran was such an arresting player not only because of his talents, but because of his age. He is 27, which made him a unique free agent catch, considering all that he has already accomplished.
The Mets, owner Fred Wilpon doubtless foremost among them, needed some heavy encouragement to leap again after a series of doomed big-name imports. But Mo Vaughn and Roberto Alomar were both 34 when acquired, Jeromy Burnitz 33.
Beltran is doom-proof.
His exit from Houston is far less glorious than his entry into New York. But the priorities which led him to spurn Houston's franchise-record nine-figure offer for a marginally bigger payday in New York will be left to be debated elsewhere.
From the Mets' and Minaya's perspectives, this is a major triumph. Beltran's edge had been dulled through 6 1/2 mostly noncompetitive seasons in Kansas City. He wanted a situation that offered him more October exposures as the one he so brilliantly exploited a couple of months ago.
The Mets, beginning with the new GM, had to sell him on a bright future, which of course comes more into focus with him on board.
Minaya also gets points for the behind-the-scenes persuasion, whatever form it took, that moved agent Scott Boras away from his usual tactics.
Boras is not one to subscribe to quick decisions, not when there are financial levers yet to be pulled. There is ample documentation of that.
Thoughts of Beltran agreeing with a team mere hours after the Houston door slammed behind him were far remote. Many felt the passing of the Astros' deadline merely dropped the gavel on an auction.
But Minaya wouldn't be played for a bargaining chip, and he somehow convinced the Beltran camp of that.
That took some daring, but as far as having his neck on the line is concerned, Minaya is just getting started. Wilpon, who on the day his new GM was introduced had said, "I'm tired of losing," would tire of it even more after being talked into peeling off $170 million for Martinez and Beltran.
While it will take a long season to bring the first judgment on the two high-profile signings, there is no argument that the Mets can lay claim to one of the Majors' highest-ceiling stars in Beltran. He is even better than advertised, at least in regards to decorations.
You've heard of the man without a country. Well, Beltran in 2004 was a man without a league.
Splitting his season between the AL's Royals and the NL's Astros essentially discounted his 38 homers, 104 RBIs and 42 stolen bases -- stats in which ranks are assigned along league lines.
But Beltran doesn't need extra validation. In five of his six big league seasons, he has gone 20-100 in homers and RBIs; the lone exception was 2000, when the 1999 AL Rookie of the Year missed two months with a bruised knee.
Well, that's not entirely accurate: Beltran missed one month with the injury, then was suspended by the Royals for the second month for refusing to report to Florida for rehabilitation.
It's not entirely what you think. Beltran had preferred to instead rejoin the big club, feeling his place was in Kansas City, trying to help the Royals win, rather than under the palms.
So maybe we need to make room in his crowded workshop for a sixth tool: Competitiveness.
One he certainly shares with his new general manager.
Ownership, new GM have no patience for rebuilding
-Tom Singer, MLB.com
If Omar Minaya walks up to you on the street and bets you that he can clear the Empire State Building in a single bound, don't take it. It's a sucker's bet.
If Minaya says he can make three years' misery vanish, and wants to see the money that says he can't, walk away.
Ten short weeks ago, the idea of the New York Mets corraling the best pitcher and the prime position player on the free agent market was as preposterous as the Boston Red Sox actually winning a World Series.
Well, here we are. The World Series Trophy is in Beantown. Pedro Martinez is in Flushing and Carlos Beltran is about to join him. The Mets are in the hunt, for the National League East title and New York headlines alike. Their fans are in heaven.
And Omar Minaya very obviously is in charge, in control and in the groove.
He is the embodiment of every parental encouragement. "Aim as high as you wish. You can accomplish anything you put your mind to."
Soon after assuming control of the Mets organization in the waning days of the 2004 season, Minaya put his mind to shoveling dirt on three years and 272 losses. He hustled, he turned on the charm, he was in-person and personable.
No gradual rebuilding for him. None of that Rome gameplan. He would rebuild in a day.
He went right for the foundation, talking Martinez out of a jaded situation in Boston and into a position of influence in New York. Introduced as a Met 3 1/2 weeks ago, Pedro was credited with instantly making the team credible for other free agents.
Complete coverage >
Martinez was also hailed as the Mets' new face. Well, make them two-faced now.
Beltran was such an arresting player not only because of his talents, but because of his age. He is 27, which made him a unique free agent catch, considering all that he has already accomplished.
The Mets, owner Fred Wilpon doubtless foremost among them, needed some heavy encouragement to leap again after a series of doomed big-name imports. But Mo Vaughn and Roberto Alomar were both 34 when acquired, Jeromy Burnitz 33.
Beltran is doom-proof.
His exit from Houston is far less glorious than his entry into New York. But the priorities which led him to spurn Houston's franchise-record nine-figure offer for a marginally bigger payday in New York will be left to be debated elsewhere.
From the Mets' and Minaya's perspectives, this is a major triumph. Beltran's edge had been dulled through 6 1/2 mostly noncompetitive seasons in Kansas City. He wanted a situation that offered him more October exposures as the one he so brilliantly exploited a couple of months ago.
The Mets, beginning with the new GM, had to sell him on a bright future, which of course comes more into focus with him on board.
Minaya also gets points for the behind-the-scenes persuasion, whatever form it took, that moved agent Scott Boras away from his usual tactics.
Boras is not one to subscribe to quick decisions, not when there are financial levers yet to be pulled. There is ample documentation of that.
Thoughts of Beltran agreeing with a team mere hours after the Houston door slammed behind him were far remote. Many felt the passing of the Astros' deadline merely dropped the gavel on an auction.
But Minaya wouldn't be played for a bargaining chip, and he somehow convinced the Beltran camp of that.
That took some daring, but as far as having his neck on the line is concerned, Minaya is just getting started. Wilpon, who on the day his new GM was introduced had said, "I'm tired of losing," would tire of it even more after being talked into peeling off $170 million for Martinez and Beltran.
While it will take a long season to bring the first judgment on the two high-profile signings, there is no argument that the Mets can lay claim to one of the Majors' highest-ceiling stars in Beltran. He is even better than advertised, at least in regards to decorations.
You've heard of the man without a country. Well, Beltran in 2004 was a man without a league.
Splitting his season between the AL's Royals and the NL's Astros essentially discounted his 38 homers, 104 RBIs and 42 stolen bases -- stats in which ranks are assigned along league lines.
But Beltran doesn't need extra validation. In five of his six big league seasons, he has gone 20-100 in homers and RBIs; the lone exception was 2000, when the 1999 AL Rookie of the Year missed two months with a bruised knee.
Well, that's not entirely accurate: Beltran missed one month with the injury, then was suspended by the Royals for the second month for refusing to report to Florida for rehabilitation.
It's not entirely what you think. Beltran had preferred to instead rejoin the big club, feeling his place was in Kansas City, trying to help the Royals win, rather than under the palms.
So maybe we need to make room in his crowded workshop for a sixth tool: Competitiveness.
One he certainly shares with his new general manager.
![[Image: 723475742_8cb2b0be6c.jpg]](http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1019/723475742_8cb2b0be6c.jpg)