Happy Johan Santana-versary!
3 years ago to the day that Johan Santana broke the Mets curse and finally tossed the franchise’s first no hitter. Did Beltran get a hit? Yup! Was this the nail in the coffin ending Johan’s career? Yup! Did my mother not speak to me for a solid month because I didnt give her the heads up that Johan was working on a No-No? Yessiree!
But none of that matters. It went down as a No Hitter and thats what counts. I know other fans call the Mets pathetic for celebrating this accomplishment so much, and I’ll be honest, its a bit over the top. Ok, its a lot over the top. And it definitely highlights that there’s not much else that we get to celebrate as a fan base. But you know what? Fuck those other fans. Its an important day and an important moment for Mets fans and thats all that matters. This team has always been so rich with pitching. They’ve seen so many arms go on to Hall of Fame careers and accomplishments and championships with other teams, and Johan’s no hitter was finally the one achievement that happened for the Mets. For a change we got to witness the pitching history in Flushing instead of another city in another uniform. Mets fans are a very passionate, very knowledgable, and very loyal bunch. And the No-No Hitter thing loomed over us for so long. Its probably unreasonable that we cared about such a feat of luck, but we did care. Johan Santana knew that and knew he could deliver something unforgettable to a fan base that wanted it more than anything in that moment. Thats what he did and thats why we celebrate.
And to be honest, I hope it continues to be celebrated the way it is. Not for me or for the other fans, but for Johan Santana. That dude gave absolutely everything he had. Literally whatever was left in his tank as a baseball player, he left on the field that night. And for this to just fade into oblivion would make me feel like Johan did it for nothing. But Mets fans still appreciate it and appreciate what he did that night. So fuck off if you dont like remembering this moment or dont think like its important enough. Mets fans and Johan Santana definitely think its important and definitely want it remembered.
PS – To be honest, if I’m Johan, I dont change a thing. Its not like he was in the middle of his prime and was poised to win championships with this team. Things never panned out with the Johan led Mets the way they were supposed to. Time was running out anyway, and now he’s forever immortal with Mets fans. On some level thats what pro sports is all about. Going out there and doing it for the fans and being remembered as a gamer who accomplished something that had never been done before. I’d sign up for a little immortality 100 times out of 100.