Diary: Hail to Omar Minaya

by LAwman on Aug 31, 2006 12:27 PM EDT

(moved from diaries --eric)

There's an interesting article over at hardballtimes by Dave Studeman (who is always a must read) about pickups made by Omar and how well they've worked out. Check it out here: http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/ten-great-pickups-by-omar-minaya/

My thoughts, say what you want about team payroll giving big market clubs an advantage, but looking at the amount we're paying some of these guys and you've got to give Omar a ton of credit. Endy, Stache, Feliciano, Bradford and Oliver were all free agents who could have been signed by anyone (even a small market team at these prices). The fact that we're making these smart pickups in addition to bigger name deals like Beltran and Wagner is a good sign that the talent evalutation with this club has improved tremendously since the days we were sinking big money on guys like Kaz Matsui and Jeromy Burnitz.

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Amen!

If you asked me to wager in April that the Mets would have the best record in all of baseball on August 31, I would not have taken it. But look where we are now.

I expected the team to be competitive, but I thought they might still be a year away from the playoffs. Examine the performance of the guys you site above: Endy, Stache, Feliciano, Bradford, Oliver. What does Omar know that no one else does? Or how is Willie able to get these guys to play the way no one else has? Or both?

I never would have thought that a Mets juggernaut would be possible so quickly following the ascent of Omar and the appointment of Willie, but I am very happy and excited to be a Mets fan right now. Looking forward to the next two months.

Let's go Mets!

[Citizens Bank Park] is a paradise of cheap homeruns. -Gary Cohen

by kingcritical on Aug 31, 2006 12:44 PM EDT reply actions

trades and little signings

These are what makes a GM great in my eye. Sure, anyone with a big wallet can go out and get Beltran and Pedro. It's the trades where Jae Seo was turned into Duaner Sanchez and Kris Benson into John Maine, as well as the pickups of guys like Endy, Stache, Bradford (who the KC Royals all could easily afford).

Who knows, Ollie Perez is on the hill tonight. He could turn into the biggest steal Omar has made thus far.

John Maine for Cy Young!

by Greenpoint Ian on Aug 31, 2006 1:55 PM EDT reply actions

What about some shouts for the coaches?

Anyone think that turning spare parts into well oiled machines might have some coaching to thank?

by peeder on Aug 31, 2006 7:24 PM EDT reply actions

yeah

Jacket, Rick Down, Alomar on the infield(look at Stache's D) and the Manuel in the OF have been great. I would like to see Windmill Acta give a stop sign once, but thats about it.

its a ground ball...trickling... its a fair ball, its by Buckner, rounding third Knight, the Mets will win the ballgame, the Mets win

by DoctorK16 on Aug 31, 2006 8:37 PM EDT up reply actions

big shout to Willie too

All the bitching and moaning about the him has gone away. Does anyone still want to fire him. Complaints about the lineup, why he's not overusing certain relievers, etc? It seems all the of Willie haters got a big can of STFU.

its a ground ball...trickling... its a fair ball, its by Buckner, rounding third Knight, the Mets will win the ballgame, the Mets win

by DoctorK16 on Aug 31, 2006 8:35 PM EDT reply actions

winning cures all ills

This should primarily be a lesson about how little most managerial in-game decisions actually matter, though. The lineup and bullpen utilization probably account for as small a portion of the Mets' successes this year as they accounted for their failings in previous years.

by anonymous on Aug 31, 2006 8:53 PM EDT up reply actions