Did Collins or Roberts Make the Right Decision?

On June 1, 2012, Johan Santana threw the first no-hitter in Mets history with a surgically repaired shoulder. 

The shoulder injury cost Santana the entire 2011 season, and the Mets wanted to be cautious with their ace in 2012. He was in the middle of a six year $137.5 million contract. The Mets certainly wanted to see Santana pitch effectively to the end of the contract. Accordingly on that rainy June night, Santana was supposed to be limited to 110 – 115 pitches. Santana threw his 115th pitch with two outs in the eighth inning. 

Terry Collins checked with Santana each step of the way. Santana was not going to let Collins pull him from the game. Santana fought hard to reach this point and getting this no-hitter was his reward. Finally, on his 134th pitch, Santana became the first ever Met to throw a no-hitter. Instead of jubilation, Collins openly wept in the post game press conference. He admitted he kept thinking about what effect this could have on Santana’s career. He said, “It was without a doubt, the worst night I’ve ever spent in baseball.”

After that fateful night, Santana would made 10 more starts. He went 3-7 with an 8.27 ERA. Batters hit .327/.377/.587 against him. He averaged just under five innings per start. He was shut down in August. He needed a second shoulder surgery in the offseason. He hasn’t thrown another pitch in the majors since then. His career effectively ended one glorious rainy night when he was 33 years old. 

Looking back at the moment five years later, Santana still has no regrets. 

Last night, in his fifth ever game as a manager, Dave Roberts was in the same position Collins was almost six years ago. Ross Stripling was looking to become the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in his first ever start since 1892 when Bumpus Jones did it. 

Unlike Jones, Stripling has had Tommy John surgery. This was only his 15th start since the surgery, and the first one this season. Heading into the start, it was determined he would be limited to 100 pitches. He reached the hundredth pitch with one out in the eight inning. He was five outs from history. Dave Roberts came out of the dugout and pulled Striplng from the game. Roberts decided Stripling’s future was worth more than just this one game:

The San Francisco crowd booed. People watching the game on television were in disbelief. Many felt it was karma that the Dodgers lost the no-hitter and the lead when the very next batter homered. About the only person on the planet who agreed with Dave Roberts was Ross Stripling:

It begs the question – who made the right decision?  Collins or Roberts?

Fact is, we’ll never know. If Collins lifts Santana after his 115th pitch, he may still have needed shoulder surgery. If Stripling threw 134 or more pitches last night, he may have felt no ill effects. He might’ve had a long and healthy career. With that said, there could be room for both Collins and Roberts to have been right in the decisions they made. 

Collins let a player who fought so hard to get to this point have his moment of glory. Roberts might’ve robbed a young player of his moment, but he also might’ve made a decision that could allow Stripling to pitch 10 plus years in the majors. 

Admittedly, I wanted Stripling to continue pitching. I wanted to see history be made. However, I will not say I was shocked at the decision. For better or worse, this is the culture of baseball. Everyone pays more attention to pitch counts. Pitch counts are around because organizations look for ways to prevent pitcher injuries. Pitch counts are a part of the game.  

Keep in mind, if you ask any Mets fans how many pitches Santana threw in his no-hitter, they will answer 134 without hesitation. They will do it much in the same way Dodger fans will forever know Stripling threw 100 pitches in his first ever start. 

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