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
SPLITS	G	GS	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	W	L	P/GS	WHIP	BAA	ERA
Season	6	6	1	0	39.0	39	23	21	2	15	24	1	3	109.3	1.38	.262	4.85
Career	260	260	27	10	1698.1	1580	754	695	152	538	1417	118	76	91.4	1.25	.248	3.68
Last 7	6	6	1	0	39.0	39	23	21	2	15	24	1	3	--	1.38	.262	4.85
Projected	34	34	6	0	218	218	128	117	11	84	134	6	17	109.3	1.38	.262	4.85

AJ Burnett has been less than stellar:

2009 Season Stats
SPLITS	G	GS	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	W	L	P/GS	WHIP	BAA	ERA
Season	6	6	0	0	37.2	35	22	22	6	15	33	2	0	104.0	1.33	.257	5.26
Career	221	217	19	9	1414.0	1234	667	605	128	583	1311	89	76	81.8	1.29	.235	3.85
Last 7	6	6	0	0	37.2	35	22	22	6	15	33	2	0	--	1.33	.257	5.26
Projected	34	34	0	0	207	196	123	123	34	84	184	11	0	104.0	1.33	.257	5.26

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

2009 Season Stats
SPLITS	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Season	24	91	14	19	4	0	5	15	19	18	0	0	.209	.354	.418	.772
Career	928	3505	580	1008	227	13	208	691	461	712	13	3	.288	.377	.538	.915
Last 7	7	28	5	6	2	0	2	5	5	7	0	0	.214	.333	.500	.833
Projected	159	603	93	126	27	0	33	99	126	119	0	0	.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
SPLITS	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Season	26	109	11	27	2	2	1	8	14	12	7	2	.248	.331	.330	.661
Career	781	3315	544	946	157	73	62	318	255	398	297	75	.285	.336	.433	.769
Last 7	7	29	3	3	0	1	0	1	5	5	3	0	.103	.229	.172	.401
Projected	162	679	69	168	12	12	6	50	87	75	44	12	.248	.331	.330	.661

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

2009 Season Stats
SPLITS	G	GS	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	W	L	P/GS	WHIP	BAA	ERA
Season	5	5	0	0	21.2	28	24	24	3	21	20	1	2	90.2	2.26	.315	9.97
Career	180	179	3	2	1021.0	924	560	511	149	549	1047	56	62	99.3	1.44	.242	4.50
Last 7	5	5	0	0	21.2	28	24	24	3	21	20	1	2	--	2.26	.315	9.97
Projected	30	30	0	0	126	168	144	144	18	126	120	6	12	90.2	2.26	.315	9.97

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
SPLITS	G	GS	CG	SHO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	W	L	P/GS	WHIP	BAA	ERA
Season	6	6	0	0	39.2	24	6	4	2	12	54	4	1	102.2	0.91	.168	0.91
Career	291	215	9	6	1582.2	1298	580	538	169	439	1641	113	52	97.1	1.10	.221	3.06
Last 7	6	6	0	0	39.2	24	6	4	2	12	54	4	1	--	0.91	.168	0.91
Projected	36	36	0	0	234	144	36	24	12	72	324	24	6	102.2	0.91	.168	0.91

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.