In 1997, he was a highly touted rookie. His name: Fernando Tatis, and he was going to be the Texas Rangers thirdbaseman for years to come. But a funny thing happened on the way to the ball park....Tatis stunk up the joint. He hit just 11 homeruns in two seasons for the Rangers before they dealt him to the Cardinals. After a mediocre 8 HR season with St. Louis, the Cardinals thought they had hit paydirt when Tatis hit 34 homeruns and had 107 RBI. This was the Tatis everyone expected to see. But the success was short-lived.

Tatis dropped off to 18 homeruns the following season, and rumors circulated that Tatis had become uninterested and was displaying poor work ethic. The truth is that Tatis suffered from panic attacks. He insists it was that that caused his decline in production, and not poor work ethic. After three years with St Louis, he was dealt to the Expos. That's when his career spiraled out of control. Tatis forgot how to hit, field, and run. He was bounced back and forth between the Expos and the minors. After three years, and nineteen homeruns with Montreal, he was released and decided to retire...at the ripe old age of 28. Tatis did not play in 2004 and 2005, saying he wanted to stay in the Dominican with his family of five children who are all under the age of 10. His older children eventually encouraged him to return, telling him they wanted to see him play in the majors again. "My kids wanted to see me play in the big leagues one more time," Tatis said.

Tatis attempted a comeback with the Orioles in 2006, but his "perceived" attitude preceded him, and Baltimore never gave him a legitimate chance to stick with the team. He hit a mere two homeruns, and was soon released.

Before the start of the 2007, rather than calling it a career, Tatis decided to reach out to the former Texas Ranger scout who signed him to his first professional baseball contract when he was 16 years old. The former scout was Omar Minaya, and as Minaya often does with his former players, he invited Tatis to Spring Training. Tatis never earned a spot with the Mets in 2007, but he did show that he had changed his work habits. Tatis worked hard, and showed a determination that few had seen in the past from Tatis. And so, Minaya decided to keep Tatis, telling him to work hard and he may get a shot with the Mets. Tatis had a decent Spring, but didn't make the 2008 Mets...until injuries resulted in a call up from the Mets. What has happened since has been surprising to say the least.

Tatis brought a team that was reeling back to life. Tatis displayed grit and came through with timely hits. Suddenly, Tatis went from a former phenom-turned-dud into a key sub for the Mets. Many credit the Mets recent resurgence with the arrival of Tatis...a notion that seemed utterly ridiculous just a few years ago. "He plays the game hard. He's got a lot of heart.", says Omar Minaya. "Players see his passion and intensity," said David Wright, "and they want to go out there and match it."

Not many people saw this revelation coming. Especially not the fans, who thought Tatis was just with the Mets minor league team because Minaya was doing him a favor. Minaya often takes in former players no other teams want. But in Tatis' case, the move and perhaps even "charity" of Minaya has paid off in a big way. Tatis has come through with clutch hits since joining the Mets, and he's quickly becoming a fan favorite. Even if he doesn't continue the torrid hitting, he helped inspire the Mets, and helped them turn their season around. And that may just help keep Tatis in the major leagues for the remainder of this season...and perhaps beyond. He may not be the star he was projected to be, but he can be a valuable addition to the Mets bench. Regardless of what happens in the future...Tatis children can be proud of their Dad.



Court Adjourned!