Johan Santana throws first no-hitter in Mets history — and already has a no-no baseball card
By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor
After more than 8,000 MLB games, the New York Mets finally have a no-hitter in the record book.
And that infamous drought is gone thanks to Johan Santana, who blanked the visiting Cardinals Friday night at Citi Field for an 8-0 victory.
While Santana made history — and appears on 5,376 baseball cards valued at more than $42,700 according to the Beckett.com database and OPG — the historic no-hitter will not generate the first Mets no-hitter baseball card in existence.
You see, that’s already been done before — and it features … Johan Santana.
A predictor card of sorts — a short-printed gimmick card in the 2008 Topps set — is card No. 661, which is a highlight card for a Santana no-no.
It’s a tough find that sells these days for $250 or less even though it’s a card of a no-no against the Marlins that never happened.
Why was it made? I don’t recall Topps‘ answer. Maybe it was wishful thinking that never came to be.
Well, at least until Friday night.
Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
