Then-Mets general manager Omar Minaya appeared on "Mike and the Mad Dog" on Jan. 25, 2006, just as the back pages were accusing him of showing preference toward signing Latino players.

“I understand when you’re the first Hispanic general manager, there are going to be people that are going to look at everything that you do and try to analyze it or try to say, ‘He’s doing this because of that,'” Minaya said. “The fact is growing up in New York City, I never think about race.

“The New York Mets, what we’re trying to do as an organization is put the best team on the field.”