Absolutely amazing! A New York baseball team is in 2nd place, 7.5 games out of first place then goes on a nice run where they reclaim first place and currently lead by two games over their bitter division rival.

This first place team has prospered by utilizing an array of young talent brought up from the minor leagues, talent which was drafted and developed by the current General Manager and farm system.

These young kids have contributed in many ways, seamlessly meshing with several established young players and a few seasoned veterans.  Also, the starting rotation was bolstered by a hard-throwing RHP, a former first round pick who has achieved double digit wins his first full year in the rotation. After a slow start, the young starter rewarded the team and its patient GM who bucked public outcry for his demotion, with a tremendous first full season.

When the trading deadline approached, the patient GM eschewed calls to make a big trade for a RH hitting outfield bat plus a reliever, but instead, kept his younger players and promoted from within to fill needs.

Meanwhile, across the city the other team is floundering in fourth place with very few young players having effectively contributed to the team. There are overpaid and under-performing veterans throughout the lineup. A young pitcher, a former first round draft pick and part of the opening day rotation, had a terrible start - and was demoted.  No patience was given to the youngster to work though his problems.

At the trading deadline, instead of using some of their young talent from the minor league system (like most teams do), the GM panics and trades four players, including several young arms, for a RH hitting outfielder and relief pitcher. Fans love the trade, but cry foul as the team continues to lose games and fall in the standings, going only 19-22 since the trade.

If I said to the New York baseball fan that the New York Mets would be utilizing young talent and the Yankees would refuse to use their young players - he would have told me I was crazy.

The Yankees and Mets have traded positions and the Mets are going in the right direction while the Yankees are headed in the wrong direction.

GM Omar Minaya did not trade for Manny Ramirez or Jason Bay, and was roundly criticized for not improving the Mets lineup. But, while taking direct hits from the media and Met fan base, he knew that bringing up Daniel Murphy and Nick Evans would bolster the lineup and infuse some needed young exuberance.  The questionable bullpen was improved with minor league callup Brian Stokes and the minor trade for Luis Ayala. Not one of the Mets top prosepcts were dealt for a mid-season rental player, and that is great for the long term future of the Mets franchise.

The Yankees do have the minor league talent, especially an array of young power arms, and the current GM, Brian Cashman has drafted well. In the last several years he even has TRADED OVERPRICED VETERANS for even more younger talent. See Gary Sheffield and Randy Johnson.

But, the Yankees are the New York team which doesn’t utilize their young talent at the major league level, and even if they do, the team has very little patience if the young players do not immediately perform well. I call it the “Chase Wrighting” of young players. Have a bad outing or two and the young player is banished to the minor leagues - many time it is forever.

On the other hand, the Mets have been the team which usually goes after the big name talent, and is willing to pay the large contracts for their services. This blueprint was the career long modus operandi of GM Omar Minaya who has made his name by buying players, trading young talent for veterans and not paying attention to the minor league system. But, in the last year or so, Minaya has changed his thinking on what needs to be done to build, AND NURTURE, a championship caliber team.

Beginning in 2007, Minaya sought to improve the way his teams drafted. Since his first draft in 2002 as GM of the Montreal Expos, Minaya’s drafts had produced only one impact player - relief pitcher Chad Cordero. (It has now produced a second in Mike Pelfrey). But, last season he followed the leads of smaller market teams Colorado, Milwaukee, Tampa and Minnesota by drafting well - concentrating on high ceiling pitchers who can move through the system fast. All reports have the Mets 2007 draft as one of their best ever under Minaya.

Next season, the Mets rotation should have homegrown talent Mike Pelfrey and Jonathan Niese taking up two spots and 2007 draftees Eddie Kunz and Bobby Parnell could be main cogs out of the bullpen.

I have been one of Minaya’s harshest critics, and the criticism was well deserved; but now, I have to give credit where credit is due. Omar Minaya has proved that a New York baseball team can win while utilizing young talent, and be patient when that talent has some down periods.

Who knew that it would be the New York Mets, and not the New York Yankees, who would figure this out?