The first Hispanic general manager in baseball history and a leader in the Latin community, Omar Minaya was named the New York Mets Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager in September 2004.

Born in the inland town of Valverde Mao in the Dominican Republic, Minaya’s family moved to Corona, Queens when he was eight years old. He grew up in the shadows of Shea Stadium.

Minaya played briefly in the minor leagues before joining the Texas Rangers scouting team in 1985. With the Rangers, he helped sign future stars like Sammy Sosa and Juan Gonzalez.

Minaya later spent several years with the Mets organization, rising through the ranks to become Assistant General Manager.

In 2002, Minaya was appointed General Manager of the Montreal Expos, becoming not only the first Hispanic general manager, but the highest ranking foreign-born official in Major League Baseball. Minaya was given six employees and three weeks to rebuild the entire Expos organization. Despite working with severe financial limitations, Minaya filled over ninety vacancies, saved the Expos from contraction, and led the team to a winning record for the first time since 1996. He added star players like Bartolo Colon and Cliff Floyd through aggressive mid-season trades.

Since re-joining the Mets in 2004, Minaya has heavily recruited Latino players, including fellow Dominican Pedro Martinez and Puerto Rican-born Carlos Beltran. In just his first season at the helm, the Mets improved their win total from the previous year by thirteen games and contended for a playoff spot. Last season, they finished with the best record in the National League (NL), captured the NL East crown for the first time in eighteen years, and reached the NLCS.

In October 2003, Minaya was honored at the White House by President George W. Bush. He has also been recognized by the Hispanic Heritage Awards Foundation, the New York Hispanic Federation, and Harlem RBI. Minaya is currently a member of the Selection Committee for the United States’ Pan-American and Olympic Teams. In February 2007, he led a baseball delegation on a goodwill tour of Ghana.

Minaya resides in New Jersey with his wife, Rachel, and their children Teddy and Justin.