Omar Minaya, the first Latino general manager in MLB history, on advice to Younger Generation: ‘Try to be the best you can be’

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Baseball Omar Minaya, the first Latino general manager in MLB history, on advice to Younger Generation: ‘Try to be the best you can be’ by Melissa Aguirre April 16, 2025 Omar Minaya’s impact on baseball goes beyond the field – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports BRONX, NY — Omar Minaya made history in 2002 when he became the first Latino general manager in Major League Baseball history, taking the helm of the Montreal Expos. Born in the Dominican Republic, Minaya’s rise to GM was a significant moment for both the sport and the Latino community. Growing up in New York, Minaya was immersed in baseball from a young age, and his background gave him a unique understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by Latino players. His hiring marked a breakthrough in MLB, where Latino players had long been a dominant presence but had never held such a high-ranking executive position. Nelson Cruz chatting with Latino Sports president Julio Pabón, Omar Minaya, and Ray Negron – Image Credit: Maz Adams/Latino Sports Minaya’s career in baseball began with the Texas Rangers’ scouting team in the mid 1980’s, and his keen eye for talent led him through various roles in the organization, followed by a stint with the New York Mets before becoming the general manager in 2002 with the Expos. He has always had a reputation for being a hard-working and knowledgeable talent evaluator. As a GM, Minaya’s work was characterized by his dedication to improving team performance, especially by identifying and acquiring players with high potential. He has always had a knack for bringing in Latin American talent, which was often overlooked by other teams in early 2000’s, giving the Expos an edge in player development. CC Sabathia, Brian Cashman and Omar Minaya prior to Game 5 of the 2024 World Series at Yankee Stadium – Image Credit: Latino Sports During his tenure with the Expos, Minaya faced challenges, including the team’s unstable financial situation and looming uncertainty about the franchise’s future in Montreal. However, his efforts helped to build a competitive team that featured stars like Vladimir Guerrero and José Vidro, both of whom became cornerstones of the franchise. Minaya’s ability to navigate these challenges, coupled with his unwavering belief in his players, earned him respect throughout the league. His impact went beyond the field, as he was also a symbol of hope for aspiring Latino executives and players, showing that high-level positions in MLB were achievable. Omar Minaya had three different stints with the Mets and in each tenure, helped shaped the organization improve their Latin American scouting, development and much more – Image Credit: MLB Omar Minaya and Juan Alicea on the day the Mets named the Spanish Radio Booth at Citi Field after Juan – Image Credit: MLB During the 2004-2005 offseason, Minaya was hired by the Mets as their general manager, where he continued to shape successful rosters, including the 2006 Mets, who made an appearance in the National League Championship Series. Following his tenure with the Mets, Minaya worked with the Padres before returning back to Queens and now works in the front office of the New York Yankees, currently serving as an executive advisor to senior vice president and general manager Brian Cashman. Minaya, who has almost four decades of experience in baseball front offices, reports to Cashman on an assortment of topics and observations. In this role, he contributes to player development and organizational strategy, continuing to leverage his extensive scouting and executive experience. His presence in the Yankees’ leadership further demonstrated the increasing recognition of his expertise across the league and underscored his influence in shaping competitive teams. Omar Minaya’s knowledge on the game still makes an impact today as he plays a massive role in the Yankees’ front office – Image Credit: Latino Sports His legacy in MLB remains significant, not only for his successes but for breaking barriers for Latinos in the sport. Minaya’s trailblazing role in the front office set a precedent, encouraging the MLB to increasingly diversify its leadership ranks. His work paved the way for future Latino executives, cementing his place in the history of baseball. Provided below is our exclusive Q&A with Omar, which you could watch on our Instagram MA: Melissa Aguirre & OM: Omar Minaya MA: You are the first Latino general manager in MLB, how does it feel to have opened the door and paved the way for people like us who have dreams of working in MLB. How does it feel to be that leader, and the person in that role? OM: I feel blessed and fortunate that God has given me that opportunity. The reason I’m here is because of a lot of work that others have done before me. That came and opened doors and opened the path for me to have been put in that position. I’m just excited and now I’ve been doing this for many years now. So for me, it’s a good feeling but it’s also a responsibility to not only do the right thing but also share that responsibility and give opportunity to others the same way when I got into this to be able to give opportunities to those that are coming behind me. MA: So in that responsibility, what would you say to the younger generation, just like us, Dominican, that are aspiring to become somewhere in the MLB? OM: Well listen, it’s not hard when I say this. There’s certain things that have to happen no matter who you are. To me, you basically have to work hard, which you hear all the time, you have to be consistent in who you are and how you do your things. Character, values, I’m pretty sure your parents have taught us all of these kinds of values, stick to those things. Don’t give up, don’t give up, it can frustrate you, it can be frustrating. I also say this, if you’re looking to get into the field, don’t only lock into baseball, don’t only lock in into sports. I think just lock yourself into being the best that you can be in whatever leadership role you want to be in. I think that yes, if it’s baseball, football, if it’s media, but try to be the best you can be. I also think it’s important, a lot of times who you know, and a lot of times it’s luck. Make sure that you engage with people. MA: It’s not what you know it’s who you know. OM: Exactly, it helps, it helps. And that’s how it is, I’ll be honest. You know whenever you’re frustrated, whenever you don’t get that job, bounce back. MA: People give up so close to their goal and don’t even realize it. OM: And understand that your goal today may be a different goal in about five or ten years. So it’s okay to change, but I think what you want to do is you want to have a couple of things you want to strive for okay. And you know one, two or three different things, always be striving for them. Even when you get the things that you want, be open for other things and most important of all, it’s really to treat people the way you would want them to treat you, with respect. I always tell people, especially like us you said, you know we don’t get what we want, I always tell my two boys, ‘Hey man, have a short memory, don’t have a long one.’ MA: Right! Baseball is a game of short term memory, if you’re worried about that last ball you missed then you’re going to be messing up on the next one. OM: And not only baseball is a game of short term memory. Life is a game, success and life is a game of short term memory. MA: Baseball and life they go hand in hand. So it’s like you’ve got to be ready to, you know, if you fall down, you brush it off and onto the next thing. OM: And move forward, don’t look back. Follow us on Social Media for updates and exclusive content Instagram: @latinosportsoficial Facebook: Latino Sports Twitter: @latinosports Related Topics Brian Cashman Dominican Republic featured General Manager Jose Vidro Juan Alicea Julio Pabón Latinos in MLB Major League Baseball MLB Montreal Expos Nelson Cruz New York Mets New York Yankees Omar Minaya Ray Negrón San Diego Padres Texas Rangers Vladimir Guerrero Click to comment Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. 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