Word: minaya
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...Minaya, 47, the son of working-class parents, slogged his way up the baseball ladder, becoming the sport's first Hispanic general manager in 2002 when he took over the baseball junkyard known as the Montreal Expos, after being rejected half-a-dozen times for top jobs. The low-budget Expos overachieved under Minaya, earning him a shot with the big-market Mets. In just two years, he has remade a last-place organization lacking credibility into a paradigm of tried-and-true New York. The Mets are a diverse, dramatic (37 come-from-behind wins), free-spirited team that...
...Minaya's formula is straightforward: use the vast resources of Mets owner Fred Wilpon to buy top players, but most important, trust your gut when filling out the mix. And skip the stuffing and sweet potatoes. On Thanksgiving Day 2004, Minaya trekked to the Dominican Republic to nail down his top target: free-agent pitcher Pedro Martinez, fresh off a Series victory with Boston. "It's a family day, and you show up in a place where you're not supposed to be, just to talk to me," Martinez recalls. "That was more than enough." The four-year, $53 million...
...Martinez signing had two benefits for Minaya. Not only would Pedro draw Hispanic (and other) fans to Shea, but his leadership would attract other top-tier Latino players to the Mets. Carlos Beltran, coming off a torrid postseason for the Houston Astros, signed a seven-year, $119 million contract one month after the Martinez deal. "Beltran wouldn't have considered us without Pedro," Minaya says. Before this season, Minaya traded for Beltran's close friend, slugger Carlos Delgado, who has hit 38 home runs. Delgado eased Beltran's burden in the lineup, contributing to his MVP-caliber resurgence...
...Minaya isn't just a checkbook GM. He has clearly added value, following what he calls his "Montreal model": look for cheap players no one else will touch. Based on last year's stats, second baseman José Valentin and outfielder Endy Chavez should be in the bush leagues. But Minaya trusted his scouts, and each player has delivered. Valentin hit two homers in the division-clinching win over Florida...
...Minaya's mix of Spanish-speaking stars, including leadoff sparkplug Jose Reyes (who leads the majors in stolen bases), and goofy white guys like closer Billy Wagner and third baseman David Wright has yielded a team chemistry that includes healthy doses of loving abuse. "It's a beautifully vicious clubhouse," says former Met pitcher Ron Darling, now a team broadcaster. The players energetically hurl insults--especially at Wright, 23, the All-Star whose looks have inspired female fans to wear "Mrs. Wright" jerseys. "He thinks he's God's gift to women," says pitcher Tom Glavine. "We have to remind...