Pic of the Week

Johan Santana dons the Twins Hall of Fame blazer
with assistance from Rod Carew.

Johan Santana declared during his pregame speech that he is indeed retired as a pitcher now.

So he has accepted the reality. It's been six years since he last threw a competitive pitch. For a few years teams would extend minor league offers in hopes that he could find his way back, but those offers eventually dried up.

For a few years, he was as good as it gets. Santana nights at the Dome were magical, and I seldom passed up the opportunity to watch him work.

Pitching in the majors takes its toll. Santana' star burned brightly, and then it burned out.

But I will long remember his mastery of the changeup, the heat of his fastball, the sense that anything was possible when he took the mound.