Live: Omar Minaya Conference Call
SNY will televise this morning’s conference call with Omar Minaya, which is set to begin around 11 am EDT.
I will also live blog the call, since I know many of you are unable to be in front of a television or computer speakers.
…Update…11:03 am…
The conference call seems to be a bit delayed, as usual.
…Update…11:11 am…
As expected, Jeff Wilpon announced that Omar Minaya has been given a three-year contract extension, which expires at the end of the 2012 season, with club options for 2013 and 2014.
Minaya says he is happy, and will continue to work hard to bring a championship to New York, which is and has been his goal since joining the organization.
…Update…11:16 am…
Wilpon told reporters that he feels Minaya and his staff are the best group to lead their baseball operations, adding, ‘We failed this year, and we want to get the redemption we need and move forward, and we feel Omar and his staff are the best group to put us in that position.’
Wilpon has great confidence in Minaya’s leadership, and ability to ‘re-evaluate everything from top to bottom here.’
Wilpon, Minaya and his staff have already met and discussed a plan to move forward this off-season.
…Update…11:18 am…
According to Minaya, the team is still in discussions with Jerry Manuel about bringing him back for next season.
…Update…11:22 am…
The disapproval he is seeing from fans, as reflected in ‘fan polls,’ according to Minaya, ‘It comes with the territory.’
He acknowledges that, in a city as passionate as New York, ‘when things are going good they like you, and when things are going bad they don’t.’
…Update…11:24 am…
Minaya would not say what his favorite move has been since becoming GM of the Mets, nor would he acknowledge ‘one he would like to take back.’
…Update…11:26 am…
Minaya says he has talked with Carlos Delgado’s agent, to let him know he is ‘probably looking to’ pick up the option and bring Delgado back.
…Update…11:30 am…
Wilpon says the current financial crisis has not yet had an impact on the team or Citi Field, as they have ‘not requested funds above what they have budgeted for.’
…Update…11:35 am…
Minaya intends to look closely at what the team lacks, and what is missing, which is keeping the Mets from ‘crossing the finish line.’
Wilpon said he is asking many of the same questions that are being asked by the fans, including whether the answer is ‘addition by subtraction.’
…Update…11:40 am…
Minaya acknowledged that there is ‘something there, something missing,’ that the club needs to get over, and he will continue to work to find ‘the right mix,’ ‘the right fit,’ to try and get ‘across the finish line.’
…Update…11:43 am…
“One of the top areas we need to address is the bullpen and the closer,” Minaya said. “There’s only a few guys in the game what we say can, ‘lock-out an inning,’ so we’ll have to look in the market place, or look internally, because for a championship team that is very important.”
…Update…11:48 am…
Minaya says that David Wright, Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran are ‘winning players,’ adding, ‘We’re going to do everything we can as an organization to put them in a position to get those big hits in the playoffs.”
However, Minaya said, ‘We have to be open-minded all winter to see if there’s a fit that makes us better.’
…Update…11:49 am…
The conference call has ended.
