Today marks the 10th anniversary of the first NoNoHitters.com Mets count update.
On March 31, 2008, as Johan Santana took the mound for the fourth inning of the New York Mets’ season opener without yet yielding a hit, I was thinking that the site I spent months creating might crash and burn on Opening Day. But then Santana hung a two-out changeup, and Josh Willingham knocked it over the wall to move the newly created NoNoHitters.com count up to 7,321. We would advance the count 698 more times before Santana finally broke the Mets curse on June 1, 2012.
Now we’re counting Padres games without a no-no, and if something doesn’t change, the Padres will catch the Mets about 40 or so games into the 2019 season.
For nostalgia, here’s the March 31, 2008 blog post:
No opening-day no hitter for Santana, but he pitches a gem
It would have been perfect: Johan Santana pitches a no hitter in his first start for the New York Mets since signing a six-year, $137.5 million contract.
But it wasn’t to be.
Santana gave up an fourth-inning two-run homer to Josh Willingham to give our NoNoHitters.com count its first action of the season, ticking it up to 7,321.
But that’s OK. The Mets won 7-2, and the historic moment should really come at Shea Stadium … or, if it’s going to be a while, Citi Field.
Santana pitched a gem, striking out eight batters while scattering just three hits and two walks over seven innings of work. The homer was the only glitch. His change-up was brilliant, and it was amazing to see the way he’s able to keep all of his pitches down in the strike zone.
The bullpen did a nice job as well.
I can see Santana throwing a no hitter some time in his career, but it’s probably more important that he wins a Cy Young award if we’re going to make it to the postseason. He won the AL Cy Young in 2004 and 2006, so if it’s going to be an every-two-year occurrence – it’s time.
