Today is the fifth anniversary of Johan Santana breaking the Mets’ no no-hitters streak at 8,019 games. As always, we celebrate by repeating our original post from June 1, 2012.
The streak ends at 8,019: Santana no-hits Cards John Santana Johan Santana threw a no-hitter Friday to accomplish what Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, Dwight Gooden and David Cone could do only for other teams — not the Mets. Santana scattered five walks and struck out eight during the 8-0 victory. Sanatana’s no-no leaves the San Diego Padres as the only franchise without a no-hitter, and anoints the Padres with newfound infamy as the team with the longest drought. We haven’t yet worked out their current count. The Mets drought stretched into the team’s 50th season, starting when the St. Louis Cardinals’ Julian Javier singled to left off Mets starter Roger Craig on April 11, 1962, during the Mets franchise’s first Major League game. In addition to Ryan, Seaver, Gooden, Cone, Mike Scott and Hideo Nomo also pitched no-hitters after leaving the Mets. Nomo is the only pitcher to hurl no-nos both before (Los Angeles Dodgers, 1996) and after (Boston Red Sox, 2001) his stints with the Mets. The rest of the cast pitching no-hitters before joining the Mets includes Don Cardwell (Chicago Cubs), Warren Spahn (Milwaukee Braves), Dean Chance (Minnesota Twins), Dock Ellis (Pittsburgh Pirates), John Candelaria (Pittsburgh Pirates), Bret Saberhagen (Kansas City Royals), Scott Erickson (Twins), Al Leiter (Florida Marlins) and Kenny Rogers (Texas Rangers). Thank you, Johan for finally breaking the curse. |
Media coverage:
Helping to Rewrite Record Book and the Tone of a Web Site – New York Times, June 1, 2012 – New York Times writer Vincent Mallozzi, who featured NoNoHitters.com in a May 2011 profile, puts it quite bluntly in his lede: “The curse is history — so is the Web site.” The Web site lives on, actually, but with a new focus chronicling the San Diego Padres’ streak of never throwing a no-no.
Nonohitters.com, Web site that chronicles dubious history, happy to get no hits – New York Post, June 1, 2012 – The New York Post’s Brian Costello talks about the site’s new focus and how it will continue post Mets no-no. Writes Costello, "At 9:50 p.m. Friday, Dirk Lammers made the post to his website he had always dreamed of: ‘We are obsolete … finally!!!’"
‘No-No-Hit’ Blog Loses Its Reason for Being – Wall Street Journal, June 1, 2012 – Wall Street Journal writer Jared Diamond tells the tale of how NoNoHitters.com made history in just one night. The story talks about the superstitious method in which I watched the game (video tuned to SNY on the iPad; audio tuned to WFAN on the Android phone) in order to not jinx the no-no.
Mets’ No Hitter Means NoNoHitters Is No More – The Atlantic Monthly website, June 1, 2012 – Atlantic Wire writer Connor Simpson features NoNoHitters.com in a collection of media reactions to Johan Santana breaking the Mets’ longstanding curse.