Johan Santana Takes Third Place

It would be hard to imagine a better show than what Johan Santana put on down the stretch this season. But it still was not enough to earn him the National League Cy Young Award.

Santana finished third behind winner Tim Lincecum of the Giants and Arizona's Brandon Webb, even though he led the NL in ERA, finished with a 16-7 record (that could have been far better if not for the bullpen hijinks that cost him at least seven wins) and nearly carried the Mets on his shoulders through the last three months of the season.

Santana did not lose a game after July 28 and after putting up a career-high 125 pitches in his penultimate start, he then took the ball on three days rest and kept the Mets alive with a masterful performance on the second to last day of the season - a feat that became more impressive when it later was revealed that he did it with a torn meniscus in his knee - a fact that he was aware of when he asked for the ball.

“No one likes the way last season finished,” said Santana. “But, we can’t look backwards. We have to look ahead and make it better this season. I loved my first year in New York. The fans were great and I can’t wait for spring training. Right now, I’m rehabilitating my knee and everything is fine. I’ll be ready to go in February.”