Johan Santana pitches first no-hitter in Mets history
By Michael J.W. Stickings
It took 8,020 games, starting way back in 1962, but finally, finally a Mets pitcher threw a no-hitter.
And it was oft-injured former ace* Johan Santana, acquired from the Twins after the '07 season, who did it, beating the high-flying Cardinals 8-0 Friday night.
For a two-time World Series-winning franchise (1969, 1986) that's had some outstanding pitchers on its roster (notably Tom Seaver and Dwight Gooden) it's amazing it took that long.
And where's my pal and fellow blogger Richard Barry -- a life-long Mets fan who wanders around Toronto sporting a Mets cap and reliving those old glory days in his mind? Why hasn't he commented yet?
Honestly, I think he's still in shock.
**********
*Actually, Santana is the Mets' ace this year. He's currently 3-2 with a 2.38 ERA and 1.03 WHIP, excellent numbers, and the fact that he only has five decisions in 11 starts this season tells you the Mets' offence hasn't given him nearly enough support. Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey has been just as good (he's 7-1), but otherwise it's not like the Mets have anyone who can challenge Santana's spot atop the rotation.
Otherwise, it may not be fair to refer to Santana as "oft-injured." He became a full-time starter for the Twins in 2003 and was consistently healthy through his first year with the Mets in 2008, starting a remarkable 34, 33, 34, 33, and 34 games during the 2004-08 seasons. He started 25 games in 2009, then 29 in 2010, still putting up solid, if not outstanding, numbers those two years. He missed the entire 2011 season, but seems back on track now. Hopefully, anyway. He's been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the past decade, and it's good to see him doing so well again.
And it was oft-injured former ace* Johan Santana, acquired from the Twins after the '07 season, who did it, beating the high-flying Cardinals 8-0 Friday night.
For a two-time World Series-winning franchise (1969, 1986) that's had some outstanding pitchers on its roster (notably Tom Seaver and Dwight Gooden) it's amazing it took that long.
And where's my pal and fellow blogger Richard Barry -- a life-long Mets fan who wanders around Toronto sporting a Mets cap and reliving those old glory days in his mind? Why hasn't he commented yet?
Honestly, I think he's still in shock.
**********
*Actually, Santana is the Mets' ace this year. He's currently 3-2 with a 2.38 ERA and 1.03 WHIP, excellent numbers, and the fact that he only has five decisions in 11 starts this season tells you the Mets' offence hasn't given him nearly enough support. Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey has been just as good (he's 7-1), but otherwise it's not like the Mets have anyone who can challenge Santana's spot atop the rotation.
Otherwise, it may not be fair to refer to Santana as "oft-injured." He became a full-time starter for the Twins in 2003 and was consistently healthy through his first year with the Mets in 2008, starting a remarkable 34, 33, 34, 33, and 34 games during the 2004-08 seasons. He started 25 games in 2009, then 29 in 2010, still putting up solid, if not outstanding, numbers those two years. He missed the entire 2011 season, but seems back on track now. Hopefully, anyway. He's been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the past decade, and it's good to see him doing so well again.
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| New York Mets glory: 1969... 1986... and, in a different way, June 1, 2012. |
posted by Michael J.W. Stickings at
9:59 PM
1 Comments:
Yes, I thought about writing about this but you beat me to it. And I do recall the glory days of '69 and '86 very fondly. Alas my ties to the Mets are all about the past. I barely pay attention to the current version.
By
Richard K. Barry, at 10:16 PM
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