MLB

AMAZIN’ SURPRISE STAR TATIS BUILDS CHURCH

Earlier this week, Fernando Tatis walked into a church in his Dominican Republic hometown of San Pedro de Macoris and gave thanks. This was not just any church and not just any thanks.

This was the Jerusalem First Church, a church Tatis quietly helped build, the church that inspired his amazing comeback.

“I don’t have the words to explain it, it’s unbelievable,” Tatis said of his 2008 season and the new church that opened its doors last spring.

“I think it’s a miracle.”

Tatis did not play baseball in 2004 and 2005. It was then that he decided to come back so he could help raise money to buy land for the church and help get it built. In 2006 he played 28 games with the Orioles.

Omar Minaya said he wanted to give Tatis a chance with the Mets and that is how he wound up with AAA New Orleans in 2007. Tatis played for Montreal for three years when Minaya was GM.

“I thought he still had something left,” Minaya said. “He got his legs back and that was the big difference.”

Tatis, who will turn 34 on New Year’s Day, has more grand plans. He wants to help the Mets to the World Series after two years of collapses. Collapse II really kicked in soon after Tatis separated his right shoulder in a 1-0 loss to the Nationals on Sept. 16.

The Mets lost six of their final nine games and in many ways this collapse was worse than the 2007 free fall. As the losses mounted, a frustrated Tatis sat helpless, his shoulder and his heart aching. Tatis’ leadership, as much as his ability, was missing down the stretch.

With the implosion of the Mets’ bullpen, much was lost – a division, a wild card – and much was overlooked, like Tatis’ truly amazing season. He batted .297, one point below the career mark he set in 1999. With all the big names in New York like Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, David Wright and Jose Reyes, it was Tatis who hit nearly .400 with runners in scoring position (.392).

“Believe me,” he said, “it’s hard to make it in the big leagues. And coming from nowhere, it was just unbelievable what happened.”

Then, just when the finish line was within reach, Tatis separated his right shoulder, diving for a ball off the bat of pitcher Odalis Perez.

“There was a lot of pain for me watching my teammates down the stretch,” Tatis said. “That was devastating for me.”

The injury he could accept, “I put it in God’s hands, that’s part of the game,” he said. The collapse was something else.

Tatis is back playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic. The shoulder is healed.

“I feel good, I’m playing right field,” he said. “I take this game very seriously. I play every game like it’s my last game. You never know what can happen. I have a lot of respect for this game.”

He was named the National League’s Comeback Player of the Year, and the Mets rewarded him with a $1.7 million contract for 2009. Tatis and Daniel Murphy likely will split time in left field.

There is only one way to shake off the collapse, Tatis said. That’s to make it to the World Series next year.

“That’s our goal,” he said. “All we are putting in our mind is to win games. That’s what we are going to focus on this year. We are not going to worry about what the newspapers are saying. We are not going to worry about anything. We’re only going to worry about each other and help each other. We are going to make a stronger team mentally and physically. We have to show we can play this game.

“I believe in this team,” he said. “I have a lot of faith.”

When asked what kind of comments he hears from fellow parishioners at his church, considering he and other donors contributed about a million dollars, Tatis offered this telling statement: “Most people down here do not know I was involved in building the church. I tried to keep it a secret down here. I told my wife I don’t want anyone to know what we did for this church.

“The more we can keep it a secret, the better I feel.”

kevin.kernan@nypost.com