Johan Santana No-Hitter: Celebrating Man Given Life-Time Ban From Citi Field

Mets No-Hitter: Fans Charged With Misdemeanors After Celebrating On Citi Field

A lot of New York Mets fans were caught up in the excitement of Johan Santana's no-hitter Friday night against the St. Louis Cardinals. However, no fans were as excited as Rafael Diaz and John Ries, who both decided to jump onto the field and celebrate with Santana and the rest of the New York Mets.

Well, the first-hand experience of the event, which no other Mets pitcher has ever been a part of, came at a price Sunday, as both were charged with misdemeanors in a Queens, NY courtroom. The officials chargers were listed as trespassing and entering the field of a sports event.

Diaz and Ries face up to a year in jail. But with previously clean records, they’ll almost certainly get only a fine and probation.

After being arrested, both fans spent 34 hours in custody and are expected back in court July 2.

Johan Santana's No-Hitter: Mets' Ace Could Get Two Extra Days Of Rest After 134-Pitch Outing

Sometimes there's a price to pay for making history. And that's just what the New York Mets and manager Terry Collins are finding out days after starting pitcher Johan Santana tossed 134 pitches Friday in his no-hitter, the first in franchise history.

The issue in question is the health of Santanta, who's still in recovery mode from having a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder, which kept him out for the entire 2011 season, and how well he will recover in just his 11th start back.

"My whole thing was my heart told me to take him out due to the fact that I’m playing with a huge part of the organization," Collins said. "If this guy goes down, it’d be pretty drastic."

Collins reported Santana told him yesterday, "I am fine. I will be fine."

Santana later told the media, "Today I feel fine." But he admitted, "Definitely the next couple days are going to be important to see how I recover."

Reports have the Mets giving Santana one and possible two extra days of rest, as Chris Young is being called up from Triple-A to start Tuesday and veteran Miguel Batista could start Wednesday if necessary.

The move by Collins to keep Santana in the 8-0 contest is being supported by the Mets' front office and other baseball minds. However, the repercussions for that decision have yet to be seen.

Stick with this storystream for more on Johan Santana's no hitter and Mets vs. Cardinals updates. Amazin' Avenue is your home for New York Mets news and analysis.

Ramon Ramirez Injured During Mets No-Hitter Celebration

[UPDATE: Joel Sherman later corrected himself. It was RAMON Ramirez who was injured, not Elvin as originaly reported.]

The recently-called-up Elvin Ramirez injured his hamstring during the New York Mets' no-hitter celebration on Friday night, according to the New York Post's Joel Sherman. He will likely be placed on the disabled list.

Hard to believe dept: I heard Elvin Ramirez,called up yest by #Mets, hurt hamstring diving into Johan no-no pile, likely DL bound. #unreal.

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) June 2, 2012

The 24-year-old Ramirez has been in the Mets system since 2007, but he's been opening some eyes in 2012. He pitched 13 innings in double A this season, with an ERA of 1.38 and 16 strikeouts before, being promoted to Triple A, where he continued his stellar pitching – in 14.2 innings, he struck out 19 batters, walked only one, and did not allow an earned run.

Stick with this storystream for more on Johan Santana's no hitter and Mets vs. Cardinals updates. Amazin' Avenue is your home for New York Mets news and analysis.

Johan Santana No-Hitter: New York Mets' Ace Surprised By March Into History

After delivering the first no-hitter in New York Mets history, Johan Santana admitted he entered this season with decidedly lower expectations.

"Amazing. Coming into this season, I was just hoping to come back, be healthy and help this team. And now I'm in this situation, in the greatest city in baseball. I'm just happy for you guys -- finally, the first one," Santana said, pointing at the Citi Field crowd.

Even Friday night along the path into the record books, Santana had to fight himself.

"I was just hoping everything would work out quick, just trying to get ahead in the count. It was a crazy night, trying to command my fastball moving all over the place," Santana noted after walking five batters in the no-hitter. "But I was able to locate some command, get some quick outs and get out of there."

Out of there, yes, and into history.

(And also into a pie-in-the-face.)

via assets.sbnation.com

Stick with this storystream for more on Johan Santana's no hitter and Mets vs. Cardinals updates. Amazin' Avenue is your home for New York Mets news and analysis.

Johan Santana Is The Perfect Met To Throw Team's First No-Hitter

Johan Santana No-HItter: This Doesn't Seem Real

Leave it to the guy who missed the entire 2011 season and has a surgically-repaired shoulder to put the New York Mets in the history books for something good -- their first no-hitter in franchise history.

It seems like a dream. Eight-thousand-twenty games. Over 50 years of existence. A myriad of wonderful pitchers. And, finally, one feat has been crossed off. Now, the San Diego Padres are the lone team remaining who hasn't had a pitcher toss a no-no.

What makes this all the more unbelievable to me is that I've been alive for about half of the franchise's life -- this will be my 24th year -- and the Mets have been the joke of the league. They've never gotten respect, especially with the New York Yankees in town. I've been able to enjoy three playoff seasons. Luckily, I've only been alive -- witnessing it is probably a bit much - for one no-hitter against: Darryl Kile in 1993. The Amazin's, as a whole, have tossed 18 one-hit games during my lifetime. But only six of them have occurred with one pitcher giving up a hit in the sixth inning or later.

The funny thing is, Santana was far from "perfect" with his stuff in reaching this milestone. He did fan eight, but he also had five walks. Threw first-pitch strikes to 18 of 32 batters. Tossed 134 pitches altogether. And when he was "mowing" down the St. Louis Cardinals hitters, I couldn't help but continue my night, with the Mets game on in the background. Why should I divert my full attention to a game that will ultimately end up breaking my heart? So many games and seasons had before. Disappointment is something all Mets fans have gotten accustomed to.

Like all no-hitters/perfect games, there are the pivotal plays that keep the hope alive. Two of those come to mind in this 8-0 win: Carlos Beltran's drive down the third-base line that was erroneously called foul in the sixth inning and Mike Baxter's seventh-inning running grab to rob Yadier Molina.

Before this season began, it was a relevant question to ask whether Santana would even be able to pitch at all this year. With a 2.38 ERA and 1.03 WHIP and a strikeout per inning, Santana has proven he's still one of the top pitchers in baseball. Now, he's also enshrined in the baseball record books as a member of the New York Mets. It couldn't have happened to a better guy. Staff ace. Leader. Warrior. Now a record-setter in his 273rd start.

Pinch, me, please: there's actually something to celebrate about the boys from Queens.

via assets.sbnation.com

Mets Vs. Cardinals: Reactions To Johan Santana's No-Hitter

Johan Santana has thrown the first no-hitter in New York Mets history, defeating the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night, 8-0. Naturally this has inspired a great deal of discussion across the Internet. Enjoy a sample of some of the reactions below, and check back with SB Nation New York for more coverage.

Metsblog has plenty of praise for Santana:

Santana is a true baseball warrior, and I am so very happy he has completed his journey back from such uncertainty, beaten all of the odds and the naysayers, and has put his stamp on baseball history. There is nobody more deserving of this honor – even if Carlos Beltran‘s ground ball was really fair…

Dan Perry at CBS Sports' Eye On Baseball follows up on that thought with video of the call in the sixth inning.

Via the Mets twitter account comes this picture of the board at Citi Field as well as this one of a heavily iced Santana's post game press conference.

SB Nation's Mets Blog Amazin' Avenue points out the lasting implications of Santana's accomplishment:

Never again will Mets fans hear the exact number of games played in franchise history without a no-hitter.

The New York Times has the story as the lead at nytimes.com, but their caption is rubbing some Mets fans the wrong way:

On the night Carlos Beltran returned to New York, the evening belonged to Johan Santana and the type of history the Mets failed to write with Beltran on the team.

After more than 8000 games before the team's first no-hitter, there's likely to be lots of discussion around Johan Santana and the New York Mets. Stick with this Storystream for all the coverage, updates and more.

As always, Amazin' Avenue is your source for quality New York Mets analysis and insight.

Mets 8, Cardinals 0: Johan Santana Throws First No Hitter In Mets History

Johan Santana pitched the first no-hitter in New York Mets history Friday night, as the Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-0. Santana threw 134 pitches, struck out eight and walked five in his historic outing.

Santana, who missed all of the 2011 season due to shoulder surgery, had not thrown so many pitches in more than two years. With the score 8-0, however, Mets manager Terry Collins left him in for a chance at history. The Mets played 8,019 games before their first no hitter, though 35 one-hitters over the years came close. The ninth inning saw Santana put down Matt Holliday on a line drive straight to Andres Torres, the recently activated Allen Craig on a fly ball to left, and David Freese on a strikeout in six pitches.

Mike Baxter made a terrific catch in the seventh inning to preserve Santana's no-hit bid, but appeared to hurt his arm running into the wall. Kirk Nieuwenhuis and Lucas Duda led things on the offensive side of the ball, with Nieuwenhuis going 2-3 with a walk and Duda picking up four RBI.

Stick with this storystream for more on Johan Santana's no hitter and Mets vs. Cardinals updates. Amazin' Avenue is your home for New York Mets news and analysis.