For the first time in 8,019 games, a New York Mets game has ended with a zero in the opposing team’s “H” column.
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.
Sanatan’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.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
This is just amazing! Thank you very much for your long commitment and blogging about the Mets. It’s just amazing how Johan could do this! I was at the Padres 4-hit game, but this was just the best!
If you don’t mind, can I possibly copy this post onto my blog, ZachHalpern.com?
Thank you,
Zach Halpern (15)
wowowowo the streak has just ended!!! let’s go mets!!! Congrats to all from Italy!!!
Santana did it!! he was against me at fantasybaseball!! i like to lose that way!!!
I don’t know why, but I hope you keep this site going somehow. I’ve kept it bookmarked for years. You have been a testimony to NYM fan faithfulness and patience [and 8019 no-no hitters.] Whatever you do with this site in the future, thank you, brother, for your service to Mets fans everywhere!
Congratulations on this site being obsoleted! Hurray!!!(Nothing personal) I guess the next time rival gets a hit against a Met pitcher the site can set the number to one!
I enjoyed this site for a while, congrats met fans, and thanks of your efforts!
This was a great site where I’ve loved checking to commiserate. Time to donate the domain name to a Padres fan.
So…”Games without a Mets no hitter” starts at zero tomorrow?
Howie actually said in T4, “If you’re thinking tonight’s the night, Santana already has 4 walks…”
Amazing night.
Maybe you can sell the domain name to a Padres fan now,LOL! For the record, SD is at 6900+ games without a no-no so they are 7 years away from breaking the Mets stream. I enjoyed my occasional checkins here.
So at this pace the next Mets no hitter will be on August 1, 2062.
Never thought I see one, so I was so unprepared for just how intense watching that 9th inning was. Wow. Wonderful night.
PS In your write up of former Mets to pitch no-nos, you left out Phil Humber, whose perfect game earlier this year fully convinced me it wasn’t going to ever happen for a Met in a freaking Met uniform.
was going to plop a tape into the VCR but I didn’t want to ruin the no no…i can replay the 9th inning forever anyway 🙂
Is noperfectgames.com available? It’s been 8020 games without one, and quite frankly I doubt I’ll ever see one in my lifetime…
P.s. Thanks Johan – I don’t member feeling this way after a Mets game since that ball rolled through Buckner’s legs in ’86.
An historic night. Congrats to Johan Santana, Mets fans everywhere – and you especially.
Now it’s time to restart the count. Hopefully it won’t make it to 8,019 next time.
This site is a treasure and I wish I’d found it sooner (came here from deadspin’s article). I hope it stays up so I can absorb the content. I’m not even a Mets fan per se, just a huge fan of baseball history.
One minor point of clarification: I believe the 2012 season is the Mets’ 51st season – not their 50th. Nevertheless, this site is a job well done. Thanks.
I find it hilarious that the no-hitter the Mets finally get has a great big ASTERICK next to it. (Beltran base hit down the 3rd base line.)