Congratulations to Johan Santana for pitching the first no-hitter in Met history. No better way to celebrate (actually there are a lot of better ways) than with the top quotes about the no hitter. I also will provide my personal commentary about the no-hitter after the quotes. Way to go Johan.
"Finally, the first one. That is the greatest feeling ever."
---Johan Santana
"Being part of this organization, they deserve one---they deserve more than one. All the great pitchers that have come through here."
--Josh Thole, on the Santana no-hitter and a tribute to all the great pitchers from the past who wore the Met uniform like Seaver, Gooden, Ryan and Koos
"I never had in my mind that I would throw a no-hitter, here. They're the world champs."
--Johan Santana, on his no-hitter coming against the Cardinals
"I'm glad I had a chance to be part of it."
--Mike Baxter, on his great catch to save the no-hitter
"It was amazing. An outstanding play that saved the game."
--Johan Santana, on Baxter's catch
"I thought it was a fair ball. At the end of the day, one hit wasn't going to make a difference in the ball game."
--Carlos Beltran, on the ball he hit that was ruled foul
"I just couldn't take him out, just couldn't do it."
--Terry Collins, on keeping Santana in the game well after his pitch count
My Thoughts;
I have been a Met fan for my entire life (and I'm not a kid). It meant a lot to finally get the no-hitter especially coming from a pitcher the caliber of Santana. In one of my awful predictions from the past, I thought that Oliver Perez would be the first Met to pitch a no-hitter (given his occasionally unbelievable stuff). I always thought during the 84 and 85 season that Gooden was the best pitcher I ever saw and was always amazed that he never had a no-hitter in every start.
Then there was Tom Seaver---the greatest Met pitcher of all-time...An icon. I remember watching the Mets play the Cubs in the 1969 season when Seaver was working not only on a no-hitter but a perfect game. Top of the ninth, Cub manager, Leo Durocher had Randy Hundley trying to bunt for a base hit. He gets thrown out at first. Next batter up is pinch hitter Jimmy Qualls. Who the hell is Jimmy Qualls? Well, he will live in Met infamy when he laced a base hit with one out ending Seaver's perfect game bid. Well, now the Jimmy Qualls curse is over. The Met have their first no-hitter and we have Johan Santana to thank for that. My next bold prediction---they will have another one this year and it will be from R.A. Dickey---you heard it hear first.
