TAMPA — This falls into the “we’ll probably never know” department.
But on March 3, Johan Santana was very mad. He was upset at the portrayal he had not worked hard enough in the offseason and was behind schedule to be ready for the season because there was not enough strength in his shoulder. He took out his anger on the media. However, Santana is shrewd. I think he knew reporters had simply reported what general manager Sandy Alderson said.
As part of his anger, Santana went out that day and what everyone remembers is he threw a bullpen session he was not supposed to. Folks will remember that most because Santana essentially seemed to decide his own program and the Mets went along with it to the point where pitching coach Dan Warthen and other officials not only didn’t stop him or walk away, but actually worked with him during the session.
There will be speculation if that is when Santana — rushing his program — tore the anterior capsule of his left shoulder again.
Maybe.
But I will remember something else from that day. Santana played long toss with Pedro Feliciano. In this game, Santana stood on the left field foul line and Feliciano slowly backed up. It was 45 feet, then 60, then 90, until he was 180 feet away. Then he slowly reeled back in to 120, 90 and then maybe 15 or 20 for a short lob back and forth.
However, for his last throw, Santana did not lob the short distance to Feliciano. Instead, he wound up and fired a ball off the orange homer demarcation above the wall just to the left of the 410 sign in center. The throw had to be at least 225-250 feet and it was done in fury, like a child acting out.
I thought it was bizarre. I included it in my column the next day. But I didn’t think much more of it because Santana then went and threw that 15-pitch pen. I figured if he had hurt himself, then why go to the mound.
But now in retrospect, I wonder. I wonder if an organization behaving badly — by calling Santana out — and Santana acting badly — by throwing a temper-tantrum and a ball 250 feet in anger — is why this sad news about the lefty’s career came yesterday.
Alderson announced Santana almost definitely needs a second shoulder surgery. That will end his Mets career. He will be paid $31 million this year not to play and for $137.5 million he will have given the Mets 46 wins and 109 starts and no more, maybe because of a long toss game gone haywire.
Again, it is the “we’ll never know” department. Maybe the capsule was going to tear anyway or was already falling apart. Or it happened before or after.
But that image is not going to leave me anytime soon of Santana heaving that ball — and maybe his career — away.