Johan

Watching SportsCenter the other night, I happened to catch some highlights from the Mets 3-2 victory over the Dodgers in St. Lucie. Johan Santana pitched three innings and struck out four, while yielding one run on two hits.

Nice suit

It's only the spring, but there was something special about that highlight. SportsCenter incorporated all four strikeouts into the highlight, three of which Santana registered with a downright filthy circle change.

We've had Pedro for a few years, but you have to go back slightly beyond my lifetime as a Mets fan to recall a time when the Mets had a dominant pitcher in his prime. I never really got to see Doc Gooden pitch; I was born in '88 and didn't start watching the Mets until '92 or '93.

I've known this, of course, ever since the trade for Santana and subsequent signing went through, and I've been excited to have a chance to watch a bona fide ace who works as hard as anyone do his thing. But something about actually seeing Santana pitch for the first time, even in spring, just made me feel good. I'm so pumped for this season - now if Carlos Beltran, Duaner Sanchez, Ryan Church, Marlon Anderson, Moises Alou, El Duque, Carlos Delgado, Endy Chavez, Jose Valentin, Ruben Gotay, Michel Abreu, and Brian Schneider can all only get nice and healthy for Opening Day, we'll be in business. Who's our trainer?

(Photo courtesy brucekphoto.com)