NY Sports Dog: Johan Santana Saves NY Baseball

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Johan Santana Saves NY Baseball


Two new stadiums, one a palace, one an homage to a time when baseball was king.

New high-priced free agents.

Tons of talent.

MVP caliber holdovers.

This was supposed to be the golden time of NY baseball....a can't miss season for two teams stacked with stars, in new cathedrals of the game.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the forums....

CC Sabathia has crashed his 300 pound body back to Earth:

2009 Season Stats
SPLITSGGSCGSHOIPHRERHRBBSOWLP/GSWHIPBAAERA
Season661039.03923212152413109.31.38.2624.85
Career26026027101698.1158075469515253814171187691.41.25.2483.68
Last 7661039.03923212152413--1.38.2624.85
Projected3434602182181281171184134617109.31.38.2624.85

AJ Burnett has been less than stellar:

2009 Season Stats
SPLITSGGSCGSHOIPHRERHRBBSOWLP/GSWHIPBAAERA
Season660037.23522226153320104.01.33.2575.26
Career2212171991414.012346676051285831311897681.81.29.2353.85
Last 7660037.23522226153320--1.33.2575.26
Projected3434002071961231233484184110104.01.33.2575.26

Mark Texiera is off to a slow start and hearing boos:

2009 Season Stats
SPLITSGABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSOSBCSAVGOBPSLGOPS
Season2491141940515191800.209.354.418.772
Career9283505580100822713208691461712133.288.377.538.915
Last 77285620255700.214.333.500.833
Projected15960393126270339912611900.209.354.418.772

And the Yankees bullpen has been a trainwreck--that's the main reason they are 13-13 and have allowed a major league worst 170 runs to score against them.

For the Mets it's been the tale of the holdover stars struggling.

Jose Reyes can't get on base right now:

2009 Season Stats
SPLITSGABRH2B3BHRRBIBBSOSBCSAVGOBPSLGOPS
Season2610911272218141272.248.331.330.661
Career7813315544946157736231825539829775.285.336.433.769
Last 77293301015530.103.229.172.401
Projected16267969168121265087754412.248.331.330.661

And Oliver Perez, well, he is on another planet--a bad planet:

2009 Season Stats
SPLITSGGSCGSHOIPHRERHRBBSOWLP/GSWHIPBAAERA
Season550021.2282424321201290.22.26.3159.97
Career180179321021.09245605111495491047566299.31.44.2424.50
Last 7550021.22824243212012--2.26.3159.97
Projected3030001261681441441812612061290.22.26.3159.97

And let's not forget the Mets lineup--a lineup that has one of the best batting averages in baseball, but one of the worst with runners on base. David Wright hearing the boo-birds?

The stadiums have both taken their share of beatings as well.

The Yankees play to entire sections of empty seats and have suffered through the embarrassment of a public ticket price reduction scheme that didn't really do anything for the average diehard fan. The former home field advantage is gone--the stadium is quiet.

The Mets have some obstructed views and forgot one important little thing in the new stadium--paying tribute to the Mets. It's Jackie Robinson stadium...remember the 1969 team? How about 1986? Yeah, well go try to find a bit about them in the stadium...terrible. Thankfully the food is good and the prices are low enough for most folks to enjoy.

So we have two .500 teams right now....thankfully one man can save this city....one man is saving this city.

That man, Johan Santana, is off to a season like no other...a Triple Crown performance of excellence and dominance that is a sheer joy to watch. It's baseball heaven, nirvana, a few hours a week when you just drop what you're doing to watch in awe of what he's doing.

2009 Season Stats
SPLITSGGSCGSHOIPHRERHRBBSOWLP/GSWHIPBAAERA
Season660039.224642125441102.20.91.1680.91
Career291215961582.2129858053816943916411135297.11.10.2213.06
Last 7660039.224642125441--0.91.1680.91
Projected36360023414436241272324246102.20.91.1680.91

Those are Bob Gibson numbers....Dwight Gooden in 1985 numbers...Pedro at his peak numbers.

And he's here, in NY, doing his best against all odds without any run support.

He's Superman in flannel, a lefty Wolverine, Batman with a changeup.

He is saving a city.
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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Best thing I read all day.

Anonymous said...

A full season like this, in New YOrk, and Johan will become enshrined as THE pitching god...

Dave Singer said...

No doubt!

It just boggles the mind how good this man is.

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