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Santana is the new Bannister

For those linked directly to this page, might I also interest you in what I wrote yesterday?

http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2008/04/darryl-strawberry-your-time-has-come.html

As well as something I wrote on Billy Wagner's hitless innings streak
http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2008/04/no-no-hitters-but-many-minis.html

How's this for synergy? About 2 minutes after I win a Brian Bannister bobblehead doll on E-Bay, Johan Santana became the first Mets pitcher with two doubles in a game since ... Brian Bannister tore his hamstring doing so, against the Giants on April 26, 2006.

It's an eclectic group of pitchers that have twice doubled in a game for the Mets:

Johan Santana (2008)
Brian Bannister (2006)
Bobby Jones (1997)
Sid Fernandez (1986)
Mike Scott (1982)
Tom Seaver (1967)
Gerry Arrigo (1966)

For the record, the only pitcher to lose a game in which he doubled twice for the Mets was Seaver, who got beat that 1967 day on a walk-off home run by Joe Torre.

For those curious about other Mets pitcher hitting records

* The record for most triples in a game by a Mets pitcher is 1, done 28 times.

* The record for most home runs in a game by a Mets pitcher is 2, done once, by Walt Terrell in 1983, against the Cubs and Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins

* The record for most hits in a game by a Mets pitcher is 3, done 24 times.

Oh, and also on a synergy note. Did anyone else notice that the Mets and Marlins games ended almost simultaneously, with the same final score, with the road team winning? Weird night.

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