Hero/ Zero of the Week

This weekend has been thrilling for fans of baseball, especially if you are a fan of the NY Mets. Weekly, I like to discuss a single Hero and Zero of the last seven days. Tonight, I am going to stray from the exact make-up of this feature simply because I have so much excitement for what transpired at Citi Field on Friday night. (It is worth noting, I am pretty excited about everything that has gone on at Citi Field this series so far.)

So here it is, this week's Heroes:

I could sit here and name every player on the Mets roster that contributed to the first no-hitter in franchise history, but I don't have to do that. We all know the team effort that took place, and like Johan did, we thank them all. 

But with that being said, there is one young Met, who sacrificed his body to preserve the no-hit for Johan, the Mets, and NY fans, that deserves to be recognized. A boy from Queens, growing up a Mets fan, Mike Baxter made a fantastic catch in the outfield, only to slam full force into the wall and exit the game with injury. This was the play that truly solidified the gravity of the night before that last out. 

So, thank you Mike Baxter, for laying it all out to make the dream come true for that little boy from Queens and all those other life long fans out there.

Dear Terry Collins: I know I am not Sandy Alderson. I am not Fred Wilpon. And I'm defiantly not Tony LaRussa. But I need to say, you did good. Without your courage, history would not have been made on June 1, 2012. Santana may be your Hero, but here at Into The Stands, Terry, you are a Hero.

And lastly, this week's biggest Hero is the one and only Johan Santana. Johan's return to the mound this season has been storied, with solid pitching, lack of run support and wins, followed by a shut out, and a no hitter, earning him the nickname No-Han. Friday night, with Josh Thole, catching, Johan threw a career high 134 pitches, nearly 20 more than Collins' pitch limit for the recovering left hander, clearly adding to the drama of the event. 

Johan accomplished what Met pitchers such as Seaver, Gooden, Ryan and Darling could not do for the club. His heroics will extend well beyond this week, beyond the season. He will forever be a Hero in Mets History.

Mike Stobe