Mar
6
2012

All Eyes Will Be On Santana

An article by John Delcos

“Kid gloves,’’ is the term with how the Mets will treat Johan Santana’s return this afternoon in a split-squad game against St. Louis.

Santana, recovering from shoulder surgery, is scheduled for two innings or 35 pitches – whichever comes first – and regardless of how he’s doing there will be no debate.

“I’m not going to do anything crazy,’’ said Santana, a phrase he’s uttered several times during his rehab from shoulder surgery. Santana has repeatedly said this is a process and nothing good can come from him overthrowing.

Mechanics and how he responds are what’s important at this stage. Results don’t mean anything, even if he sets down the side in order twice.

“I’m really excited to see him out there,’’ Collins said. “Obviously (in two days) is when I want to really see how he’s doing, because that will be a test on how he’s going to bounce back.’’

Santana is coming off a serious injury, one most pitchers haven’t been able to do. But, Santana isn’t most pitchers. He has a powerful will which has carried him to this point and hopefully to a full recovery.

His biggest danger is succumbing to adrenalin and emotion today. To get amped to where he’ll try to throw it past a hitter is a temptation he should be smart enough to resist. But, as extraordinary a pitcher Santana has been during his career, he’s still human.

Emotion has carried him in the past, but he can’t afford to be guided by it today.

About the Author: John Delcos

I am an active member of the BBWAA and have covered Major League Baseball in several capacities for over 20 years, including ten in New York working the Mets' and Yankees' beat. I covered the Baltimore Orioles for eight years and the Cleveland Indians before that. I currently serve as an editor and senior staff writer for Mets Merized Online. Follow me on Twitter @jdelcos.

5 Comments + Add Comment

srt March 6, 2012 at 10:52 am

My eyes will be on Johan today too at 1pm.

Is there any one of us who doesn’t want to see Santana make his way back this year and contribute??
Metsie March 6, 2012 at 11:10 am

It’s so good to hear Santana say “this is a process and nothing good can come from him overthrowing”

This was my biggest worry regarding his recovery!
The guy is an out and out competitor and as the stakes rise so does his effort! It’s part of what made him the great pitcher he has been!

I don’t think the guy KNOWS how to hold back honestly but he kind of has to this season…

I don’t expect to see the old Santana this year, anything we get from him is pure gravy but if there was a player who could come back from this it’s a guy like Santana!

And who can say? He might actually become an even better pitcher because of it!

He’s going to be forced to pitch more because he won’t be able to rely on his old ways of dialing it up a notch to get guys out.
Using more location, speed changes and pitching more efficiently!

And if he can get through the year without a setback in the shoulder, that experience in addition to the ability to dial it up a notch like he used to because the shoulder is fully healed could be very tough to deal with as a batter!

He could in the end be a better pitcher than he was!

But it really depends on if the shoulder holds up and doesn’t take too much away from his ability and stuff!
- stick March 6, 2012 at 11:27 am
  
  Even if he loses a a bit of his “stuff”, is it hard to imagine a smart pitcher with good mechanics/control like he has being successful in the Glavine/Moyer vein? Those guys were throwing glorified BP for years, and still winning games.
  - Metsie March 6, 2012 at 11:43 am
    
    Yousaid the key phrase there Stick…
    
    SMART PITCHER!
    
    Yes it’s kind of what I was saying there…
    
    Smart (read Good) pitchers don’t need to throw the best fastball, best slider, best whatever to get guys out!
    
    You can have awesome stuff but if you don’t know how, when and where to throw it your not going to do well!
    
    Santana has that knowledge and he may even still have the zip. It’s a shoulder capsule not a muscle!
    The question there isn’t can he throw as hard as he used to he probably can the question is will the capsule hold up to the stress!
    
    Not likely this year but next year after a full year of healing he could get back some zip and when combined with the experience of getting guys out without that zip for a year could make him quite the Ace we always thought he was, maybe even better!
    
    But he has to make sure he doesn’t over tax and re-injure that capsule this year.
Mr North Jersey March 6, 2012 at 12:29 pm

Off Topic: Speaking of recovering from surgery a shout out to Mr Joe D. Hope your recovering well.

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