Johan Santana Makes History for the New York Mets with First No-Hitter

Johan Santana has thrown the first *no hitter in New York Mets history. Or maybe the 36th one-hitter in Mets history. Either way.

Aided by an incredible catch out in left by hometown hero Mike Baxter and a blunder by the third base umpire, the 33-year-old lefty managed to squeeze out an 8-0 no-hit victory over the St. Louis Cardinals Friday night.

Carlos Beltran, who was enjoying his first game back at Citi Field since the Mets traded him last July, hit a liner over third base in the sixth that hit the foul line and probably should have been called fair, but whoopsie, it was ruled foul... and the rest is literally history.

Santana, who was more or less just hoping to stay healthy this season, wound up striking out eight and walking five while credited with the first no-hitter in the entire 51-season, 8,020 game-history of the New York Mets. Pretty special... and fortunate that there's not more instant replay involved in the game.

[Amazin' Avenue]

The Sexytime Pornvano Stache

We're fairly certain Carl Pavano's mustache has magical powers.

The Minnesota Twins right-hander, who is now 9-6 with a 3.33 ERA on the season, three-hit the Mets Saturday afternoon for a 6-0 shutout in his second consecutive complete game.

You may also find his two hits and sacrifice impressive, which helped to end the Twins' four-game skid.

On the other side of the ball, former Twin and adulterer Johan Santana struggled early. Joe Mauer, Jason Kubel and Delmon Young all drove in runs in the first by laying off that sneaky changeup. Denard Span added an RBI double in the fourth before Kubel homered off Fernando Nieve in the ninth to hand the Mets just their third loss in 16 games at Citi Field this season.

Thank you, Sexytime Pornvano Stache.

[MLB] | [Twinkie Town] | [Knuckleballs Blog]

Johan Santana Cheated on His Wife

I am not impressed with New York Mets pitcher Johan Santana. At all. Not to generalize, but seriously, when will (a lot of) male athletes start to show some respect for their marriages?

Here's a snippet of the exclusive from TMZ...

TMZ has learned New York Mets star pitcher Johan Santana was accused in a police report of sexual battery that allegedly went down on a Florida golf course ... but the case went nowhere...

Law enforcement sources say DNA evidence did prove there was intercourse, but, according to a Sheriff's document, the prosecutor concluded, "There was not enough evidence to prove lack of consent, the alleged victim's statement is not consistent with other witnesses." The case was closed out on December 8, 2009.

I am so grossed out right now. In fact, I hope his wife Yasmile, was sleeping with the pool boy. Your thoughts?

[Sherrif's Document]

***Speaking of the Twins and mustaches... check out RandBall's Evolution of the Pavstache, which we like to refer to as the Sexytime Pornvano.

Another One Bites the Dust for the Mets

It looks like it's going to get much, much worse for the New York Mets before it gets any better.

Adding to their laundry list of injuries this season, Johan Santana will need surgery to remove bone chips from his left elbow, putting an end to his fantastic season. This marks player #12 to hit the disabled list for the Mets this season.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner is expected to be ready to pitch again this spring, which is pretty good news considering he still has four seasons left on his gigantic $137.5 million contract. Santana is 13-9 with a nice 3.13 ERA and 146 strikeouts over 25 starts in his second season with the team.

The Real Top Ten Hottest Players In Baseball

I'm a woman who has been accused of being more passionate about baseball than I am about boyfriends.

That may be true, but it doesn't mean I'm unable to spot a smokin' hot baseball player when I see one.

An unidentified Fox Sports analyst has recently come up with a list of the Top 10 Hottest Baseball Players, in slideshow format. What the requirements were to land on this list, I have no idea. It's so incredibly wrong in so many ways, I felt the need to speak out about it.

Jimmy Rollins, Barry Zito and Ichiro Suzuki as your top three? Umm, no.

Continue reading this story at Fantasy Pros 911.

Liveblog at Walkoff Walk!

It's been a busy morning so far, so I'm going to go ahead and link to some great stories around the blogosphere instead of actually using my brain.

The SportsBubbler is pumped to have Trevor Hoffman back in action.

Very Small Talk is glad fans are now getting a "bargain" on tickets at the spankin' new Yankee Stadium.

Read about Jorge Cantu! believing in himself at his very own big league blog.

Cubs Hub details Big Z's near-cycle. Oh, what could have been.

Anyway, I get the joy of live-blogging Johan Santana and the New York Mets vs. Josh Johnson and the Florida Marlins, whose bandwagon I abandoned earlier this week, over at Walkoff Walk. If you've never been to this blog, I demand you go there immediately. It's my favorite. Seriously. Right. Now.

Felix Hits Slam then Hurts Ankle

Felix Hernandez went from becoming the first American League pitcher in 37 years to hit a grand slam to spraining his ankle covering home three innings later.

The Seattle Mariners righty, not figured into the 5-2 winning decision, nailed his opposite-field grand salami off New York Mets ace and fellow Venezuelan, Johan Santana with two out in the second inning to give Seattle a 4-0 lead. The last AL pitcher to do this was Cleveland's Steve Dunning in 1971, and no Mariners pitcher had ever hit one.

Johan Santana Deals His Way to 100

Congratulations to New York Mets ace Johan Santana for notching career win #100 Sunday with a 6-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

At 7-3 with a 3.20 ERA, the two-time AL Cy Young Award winner pitched into the eighth, allowing six hits, three walks and fanning six for his sixth win in seven decisions.

Yeah, I totally miss him.

[Mets Merized]

Whole New Ball Game

I suppose that if Johan Santana were to ask anyone for batting tips, it'd be the man with one of the sweetest swings around, Joe Mauer.

Johan Santana Pitches for the Cycle

In a not-so-Santana-like debut for the New York Mets new ace on Friday, Johan Santana was greeted with cheers from his new fans, as well as a hard-hitting St. Louis Cardinals lineup.

Santana threw 30 pitches -- 22 for strikes -- giving up three runs and four hits over two innings: a Chris Duncan single, an Albert Pujols double, a Brendan Ryan triple and a Juan Gonzalez bomb.

But he feels really good.

“I’m very happy to be able to perform today. The numbers will say something different, but I feel really good,” he said.

Third baseman David Wright was just as excited to see Santana in action as Mets fans were, saying that the two-time Cy Young award winner didn't need to get a bunch of Spring Training hitters out to show him what he's made of.

[New York Times]

We Want to Pump You Up

This post is meant for nothing other to get you super fired up for baseball. Pitchers and Catchers reported to their camps this week, which means Spring is finally here. Even though it's -4 degrees where this girl is at, things are heating up in the Grapefruit and Cactus leagues.

So, just stare at this picture of Chipper Jones for a while, and imagine how awesome you'd have to be to smash a bat into slivers with one sweet swing.


Are you pumped?


How about now?

Yeah, us too. Okay, one more.



[Spring Training '08] | [Spring Training Online] | [Spring Training Mag]

St. Peter Speaks to Fans

No, that's not Tom Arnold, it's Minnesota Twins President, Dave St. Peter! Apparently, Dave felt he had a bit of explaining to do.

Club officials released a mass email this weekend to their fans explaining the botched Johan Santana trade. Seriously.

A snippet:

"Trading a pitcher of Johan Santana's stature and character was a very difficult decision for the Twins organization."

Feel free to read the letter in its entirety over at Siberian Baseball... which brings us to this poll.

Twins, Mets: the Blockbuster is Official

Man, Mets fans are pumped.

After being given two extra hours to work out the kinks, Johan Santana officially agreed to a record $137.5 million, six-year deal with the New York Mets Friday. This becomes the biggest contract ever given to a pitcher, topping Barry Zito's $126 million, seven-year contract he received from the San Francisco Giants last offseason.

With the club option for 2014 and $5.5 million buyout, he's looking at making roughly $150 million over seven seasons with his new team. Holy crap.

Mets general manager Omar Minaya is excited, as well.

"It was unbelievable the work that went into this," he said. "It's a historic day."

Santana is a career 93-44 with a 3.22 ERA over eight big league seasons, brandishing two AL Cy Young Awards with the Minnesota Twins. Last year, he finished with a 15-13 record and 3.33 ERA, slumping a bit in the last half of the season against ALC foes, including an 0-5 mark against Cleveland Indians and 1-3 vs. the Detroit Tigers.

Read about the four new Twins prospects acquired in the trade here.

[Associated Press]

So Long, Santana: a Sad Day in Twins Territory

First, my Canadian Crusher announces his engagement, and now this.

The New York Mets have finally agreed on a trade for two-time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana, sending four prospects to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for the strikeout machine, according to officials close to negotiations.

The six or seven-year contract extension, which will no doubt be ginormous, is pending a passed physical after which the lefty's no-trade clause will be waived. Johan completes the best rotation in the National League, joining veteran Pedro Martinez, John Maine, Oliver Perez and Orlando Hernandez. Wow.

Okay. So are you ready for who the Twins will get in this deal? Here we go.

Carlos Gomez:
Gomez, a 22-year-old outfielder who may help fill the Twins' hole in center field, batted .232 with 2 homers and 12 RBIs over 58 games with the Mets last season, walking 8 times and striking out 27, but also stealing 12 bags. He's considered to be a five-tool player whose biggest assets are his speed and above-average defense. Gomez hit .275 with 2 homers and 13 RBIs in the minors in 2007.

Philip Humber:
Phil, a 25-year-old right-handed reliever, had a 7.07 ERA in 3 appearances (7 innings) for the Mets last season. Wait! It gets better. He struck out two batters. In 25 games with the AAA New Orleans Zephyrs last year, he went 11-9 with a 4.27 ERA, walking 44 and fanning 120. As the Mets' first-round pick in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft, Humber hasn't seen much time on any hill since last year was his first full season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2005.

Deolis Guerra:
Guerra, an 18-year-old righty from Venezuela who stands 6'5", went 2-6 with a 4.01 ERA for the Class-A St. Lucie Mets last season, his first in the minors. Over 89.2 innings, he walked 25 and struck out 66.

Kevin Mulvey:
This kid spent most of last season at Double-A Binghamton. The 22-year-old righty was 11-10 with a 3.32 ERA in 26 starts there.

Wait... who? Exactly. Congratulations, Mets fans. Apparently, Bill Smith was bribed threatened convinced that those four -- a motley crew, as Mel called them -- added up to one Johan Santana, regardless of their status as New York's #2, 3, 4 and 7 youngsters. Let's just say I hope there's some cash thrown into the mix, and at least the Twins will only have to face him during Interleague Play.

[USA Today]

Twins Could Move Johan Santana Within 10 Days

Rumors continue to fly surrounding a possible trade between the Minnesota Twins and New York Mets for Johan Santana... and suddenly we have a time frame.

According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press -- who has a representative harass me via telephone at least once every two months in an attempt to gain a subscription -- a trade "is expected to occur within 10 days." Yikes! Looks like the Twins are planning on moving their two-time Cy Young winning ace before the start of Spring Training.

The Mets, who may be willing to part with young prospects such as minor league outfielder Fernando Martinez, seem to have delayed inking free-agent pitchers Livan Hernandez and Kyle Lohse until the Twins make a decision.

Santana, who is demanding a six-year, $150-million extension in order to waive that pesky no-trade clause, went 15-13 with a 3.33 ERA last season behind a lethargic Twins offense. He fanned 235 batters over 219 innings, walking 52.

In 63 games last season between the Gulf Coast League and Binghampton Mets, Martinez batted .265 with 4 homers and 22 RBIs. Still a long way from the big leagues.

In other Twins news, right-handed starter Boof Bonser has shed 20 pounds from his husky frame. Before an intervention by GM Bill Smith and skipper Ron Gardenhire in September, Bonser weighed in at roughly 260 pounds, standing at 6'4". He contributes his weight loss to eating right and working out extra hard. Way to go, buddy!

[Newsday]

Twins Marry Justin Morneau

My Canadian Crusher, Justin Morneau and the Minnesota Twins have finally taken the plunge, tying the knot on a six-year, $80 million deal Friday. Chalk that up to the longest and richest contract in franchise history, and you have yourself one pumped up slugger.

The 26-year-old lumberjack first baseman, who reportedly turned down a four-year, $33 million offer from the Twins last winter, settled on arbitration after signing a one-year deal worth $7.5 million a week ago. Morneau hit .271 with 31 homers and 111 RBIs in 2007, a year after winning the AL MVP award.

The Twins also signed cannon-armed right fielder Michael Cuddyer to a three-year, $24 million deal, including a club option for 2011. Cuddy, who may see some time in center, hit .276 with 16 longballs and 81 RBIs over 144 games last season - his seventh with the organization.

Obviously, this begs the question, will Minnesota still be able to afford to lock up Johan Santana for the six years he demands? All offseason, rumors have flown that the two-time Cy Young Award winner is seeking a long-term commitment worth upwards of $140 million. The Twins reportedly made Santana a four-year, $80 million offer, which doesn't quite cut it.

But GM Bill Smith is confident these two most recent deals will not affect negotiations with Johan, offering this comforting quote:

"We've had extensive negotiations with Santana. Our goal is always to keep him in a Twins uniform. If we can, we will. If we can't, we'll move forward."

[MLB]

What's the Time?

It's time to get ill! And talk about Johan Santana some more.

Thus far, the two-time Cy Young-winning ace is still on the Minnesota Twins active roster, but that doesn't keep him out of the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Mets' wet dreams. Ever since he rejected the Twins' four-year, $80 million offer this offseason, trade talks have lingered.

A veteran presence would be welcome in my fantasy land to lead Francisco Liriano, who will make his triumphant return from Tommy John surgery, Boof Bonser, Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn and Kevin Slowey in a youthful 2008 rotation.

Facing free agency after the 2009 season, Santana's services won't be cheap. There are just a few elite teams that could afford parting ways with their young studs, something which would no doubt be demanded by Twins GM Bill Smith.

Smith made it clear during the Winter Meetings that the Mets would have to surrender thieving shortstop Jose Reyes in any deal for Johan, while Mets GM Omar Minaya refused to do so. The Yankees and Red Sox have a couple of tasty offers of their own, chock full of big name prospects like Phil Hughes and Jacoby Ellsbury.

Contrary to popular belief, Santana's agent, Peter Greenberg insisted Friday that he has not demanded that Smith complete a swap before pitchers and catchers report on February 17th. Johan's latest comments about the situation were made in December:

"I'm a Minnesota Twin. That's all I know... whatever will be the best for this team and this organization, I'll agree with that."

[Newsday]

Venezuelan Heat Update

Yes, the New York Yankees are still mulling over the idea to pursue a trade for Minnesota Twins ace Johan Santana.

Righty phenom Phil Hughes and center fielder Melky Cabrera would still likely be part of a three-player package needed to obtain the two-time Cy Young Award winner, who faces free agency after this season.

Hank Steinbrenner says, "I'm still leaning towards doing it. There's others leaning not to do it. There are some others that are leaning to do it also."

Thanks for clearing that up, Hank.

[ESPN]

Check out this post on Epic Carnival to see who will be testifying before the House of Pain in a couple weeks.

Johan Santana: Anytime Now?

It occurred to me this morning that Lizzy and I haven't really discussed whether we'll still be all BFF if/when this whole Johan Santana to Boston thing goes down... but since I'm a big girl and can totally cope with my anger and sadness, I'm gonna take the gloating gracefully if/when it comes. More on that later.

Sources close to both clubs -- though both Twins general manager Bill Smith and Red Sox GM Theo Epstein decline to comment -- say a deal is in the works to bring Santana to Beantown in a swap which may include starting pitcher Jon Lester or rookie sensation Jacoby Ellsbury (not both), who is now a client of superagent, Scott Boras.

"We have no payroll constraints. Our issues aren't payroll right now," Smith said. "Some of it is more length. Length of contract is an issue. Some things around groundbreaking issues. I'd just as soon leave it at that."

Basically, he's in no rush to give an extension to a pitcher -- the best in baseball or not -- for six seasons and an unprecedented amount of money. I get that. It sucks, but I get it.

This is me totally letting go... while wearing my Santana shirt which may or may not be soaked in tears of disappointment.

Johan would likely help the Red Sox in their quest for total world domination, joining a strong rotation that already includes Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Curt Schilling and Tim Wakefield.

Total. Domination.

[SI.com]

Johan Santana Shopping Spree Set for Monday

Trade talks surrounding Minnesota Twins ace Johan Santana are sure to heat up when big league executives and his agent, Peter Greenberg, meet up to wheel and deal during the annual Winter Meetings beginning Monday in Nashville, Tennessee.

Though Santana will not hit free agency until after the 2008 season, Twins GM Bill Smith has given other clubs the opportunity to sink their bobbers in the water and try to catch a big fish for their rotation.

It's going to take a ridiculous package deal chock-full of big name prospects to acquire the two-time Cy Young award winner, who has a no-trade clause with the power to veto. He's expected to demand a six-year offer, which may cost no less than $150 million.

There are few teams of elite payroll who can afford such a deal, including the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox and New York Mets.

The latest rumor involving the Yanks is a shuffled roster that would send top pitching prospect Phil Hughes (rather than Ian Kennedy,) outfielder Melky Cabrera and a random minor leaguer to Minnesota for the 28-year-old Santana. The Twins were not as impressed with this offer as expected, and want to add another top-tier prospect from New York.

The Red Sox have reportedly offered hardcore pitcher Jon Lester, center fielder Coco Crisp and minor league infielder Jed Lowrie, along with a fourth minor league pitcher, who is yet to be determined. However, the Twins want to add center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury and pitcher Clay Buchholz to the mix. The Red Sox have agreed to throw Ellsbury into the deal, but would take away Lester if that is the case.

This is getting a little out of control. Do these big dogs not know that signing a pitcher to a long-term deal (best in the league or no) is not the wisest move in the history of the game? Take Atlanta Braves hurler Mike Hampton for example. He's made more than the entire Florida Marlins roster in the past two seasons, yet hasn't pitched once due to injury. Just a thought.

[NY Daily News]