I may be off base here (no pun intended), but am I the only one that doesn?t get the whining and crying that is being heard emanating from the Met faithful and some talk show hosts who obviously are short on material? New York Mets General Manager Omar Minaya is in the middle of a tempest. For some reason, a right-wing faction of Oliver Stone conspiracy theorists seem to believe that Minaya, who is of Latin decent has somehow brainwashed the Wilpon's and in doing so enabled his plan ?Latinizing? the New York Mets to be set into motion. Gone are Jason Phillips, Vance Wilson, Mike Cameron, John Franco, Joe McEwing, Braden Looper, Mike Stanton, Mike DeJean, Kris Benson (?bye Anna), Mike Piazza, Mike Cameron, Jae Seo and Mike Jacobs. In are Carlos Delgado, Xavier Nady, Ramon Castro, Carlos Beltran, Pedro Martinez, Julio Franco, Jorge Julio, Jose Valentin, Juan Padilla, Endy Chavez and Duaner Sanchez. Did anyone forget to tell the theorists that Chris Woodward, Bret Boone, Chad Bradford, Billy Wagner and Paul Lo Duca somehow found their way onto the Mets payroll? In total, since Minaya?s arrival the Mets Latin roster total has increased from 8 to 18. While I can agree that on its face the change in culture is dramatic. This is exacerbated by the Latin tinged media blitz that followed Minaya?s hiring. Carlos Delgado himself made it a point of discussion when he spurned the Mets last season, making reference to the Mets trying to appeal to his heritage and not him as a person. Look, if all things are equal, would Minaya select a Latin player over a non-Latin player? His recent track record might indicate the answer to be Yes. That said, this is not the lowly Colorado Rockies or the Tampa Bay Devil Rays that Minaya is in charge of. This is the New York Mets and as such, he does not have the luxury to make mistakes according to heritage. Let?s take a step back. Which is more outrageous? Minaya?s acquisition of Latino players or the 9, count them, 9 recent NFL Head Coach appointments that did not include one minority in a league where its players are over 70% minorities? This is not apples and oranges when you consider the impact of each. As a player, race and ethnicity do not impact the outcome of a game or the direction of a franchise. As a coach and or executive of a franchise, an individual has a far greater impact on the social issues that seem to be at the eye of this storm. When you review Minaya?s executive hiring record, it actually flies in the face of his critics. Aside from Tony Bernazzard and Willie Randolph, all of the other critical non-player appointments made by Minaya have been to non-minorities. Similar complaints were made against the Houston Astros during the World Series, except for a lack of minority ballplayers. Aside from Willie Tavarez, the Astros were decidedly Caucasian. The off-season acquisition of Preston Wilson bumps their African-American representation on the major league roster up to a resounding ?1?. If we really look at this with an honest view, we understand that most people gravitate to things with which they are either comfortable or familiar. My problem with that is that sports were supposed to be the great equalizer. African-American children in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn who were fans of Magic Johnson, may not have liked Larry Bird, but they respected him. The ability in the sport dismissed any questions associated with race or ethnicity. Minaya could turn the Mets into a roster that is 95% Martian. If they do not win, he will join the ranks of the unemployed as have those who had white only rosters. All a fan should worry about is if their team is making an effort to put a quality product on the field. Whether the players be White, African-American, Latin Asian, or any other group, what counts is the performance. By the way, the last time that I checked, Major League Baseball was trying to field rosters for this World Baseball Classic. Just maybe, the problem lies elsewhere.