Omar's Pitch To Johan

Johan Santana went tonight against the Mets at Shea, and the Mets might have tampered with him...They let him pitch a complete game shutout without a fight, and let him run around the bases, like it was the Dynamets Dash (when the Mets used to let kids run around the bases after a Sunday game)...Santana will be a free agent after the '08 season, and the Mets will be one of his suitors (he will probably get one of the richest pitching contracts in history)...for those who don't know, Santana is second all-time in winning percentage for pitchers...The good thing, as a Mets fan, is that we are one of 6 teams that can offer the richest pitching contracts in history, and the Twins can't...So if I'm Mr. Santana, what am I looking for, when I become a free agent, outside of the big money...I would be looking for a team that has a Latin influence, which the Mets have...I would be looking for run support, which the Twins don't have...I would be looking for a big ballpark and centerfielder that gives me the same feel of the security that Torii Hunter gives me (Hunter may be gone before the deadline this year, and is a free agent after the season), Beltran is a gold-glove centerfielder, and I want to live in one of the great cities in the world...the Metrodome is a bandbox, so I would like to play in a spacious new stadium (Citi Field and New Yankee Stadium will be opening in the '09 season)...well, I would like to play in the National League, because no DH will allow my really low e.r.a. get even lower, and I get to hit (I happen to be a really good hitter)...so that leaves the Mets as my best availible destination...This is one big reason why Pedro needs to show he has 3, or more, years left...Santana wants legitimacy as he gets ready to make his Hall of Fame run, and having HOF pitchers, and a strong Pedro will be one of the best reasons for Johan to come to NY...I am now naming Laredo Slider as the Home of the Johan Santana to the Mets Campaign...now its up to Fred Wilpon to ante up and make it a reality