We hear a lot of talk about players coming through in the clutch. But what about general managers? In the wake of Mets GM Omar Minaya delivering not one but two home runs when the Mets needed them most, it begs the question: is there any honcho in baseball more clutch than Omar?
Consider the needs and moves for each offseason since Minaya took over as GM in 2004:
2004
Needs: Drag the Mets franchise out of the abyss. Change the culture.
Result: Right out of the gate Minaya showed an ability to make things happen. In this case he convinced the top free-agent position player (Carlos Beltran) and pitcher (Pedro Martinez) to join a then cellar-dwelling franchise. Sure, money helps, but it also takes skills to convince superstar players to join mediocre teams.
2005
Needs: After the team increased its win total by 12 games, it was time for the next step forward. The Mets needed a cleanup hitter and a closer, along with parts for the bullpen and bench.
Result: Delgado (after Carlos rejected the Mets the year prior), Billy Wagner, and the various spare parts necessary. The Mets won a division two offseasons after Omar joined.
2006
Needs: After being a few outs away from a World Series berth, the Mets had no major glaring needs. Minaya made some moves -- and in fact some of those moves, perhaps done out of boredome, look bad now -- but nothing to change the makeup of the major league roster much.
Result: This is one of those situations where "making no deal is the best deal." Omar didn't force anything.
2007
Needs: Year of the epic collapse. The Mets need stability, and a true ace since old veterans like Glavine and Pedro aren't cutting it.
Result: Well getting an ace starter is just about the toughest thing for a GM to do in baseball; there are only a few of them after all. No problem for Omar, however, as Johan Santana miraculously falls into his lap. He doesn't even need to touch the major league roster to land one of the top 2-3 starters in baseball. Just what the franchise needed after experiencing the wrong side of history.
2008
Needs: Another horrible finish, Mets bullpen is hated on more than George Bush and the economy. Need. Closer. Badly.
Results: Omar lands the current single-season record holder for saves to close out things out, and the AL's best closer from 2007 to set him up.
Sports
Looking at that track record of performance, the only problem Omar seems to have is getting his guys on the field to step up in the clutch like he does.
