After a probable re-tearing of the anterior capsule in his left shoulder, Johan Santana’s Mets career is most likely over. Today, some lament the bad contract, wasted money and poor outlook for the Mets in 2013. But what troubles Mets fans most is the suspected cause of the re-tear.
On June 1st, 2012, Johan Santana threw the first no-hitter in Mets history. 134 pitches on a shoulder already recovering from surgery most likely destroyed whatever was left in him. In the 10 games following the no-hitter, Santana’s ERA rose to a less than mediocre 8.28.
It’s difficult to second-guess Mets Manager Terry Collins. At the time, Collins teared up at the postgame press conference, “In five days, if his arm’s bothering him, I’m not going to feel very good. I just couldn’t take him out, just couldn’t do it.” The truth is, Mets fans wanted it too badly. If Collins had tried to take out Johan, it’s likely he wouldn’t have made it even two feet towards the mound.
On the upside, that night Mets fans celebrated as if they had just won the World Series. And that is something that hasn’t happened in quite a while.
