Johan Santana American baseball player Date of Birth: 13.03.1979 Country: USA

Biography of Johan Santana

Johan Santana, whose full name is Johan Alexander Santana Araque, was born in 1979 in Tovar, Mérida State, Venezuela. He attended Liceo Jose Nucete Sardi High School where he played on the school's baseball team as a center fielder. In 1994, Santana caught the attention of Chance Partin, the brother of a well-known scout for the Houston Astros. After signing a contract, Santana was sent to the Astros' academy in Guacara.

Despite his initial reluctance to continue his training at the academy, Santana was convinced to stay for a more successful career in the league. Initially a field player, Santana had never tried pitching until the team's pitching coach saw potential in him and immediately sent him to a sports camp to work on his pitching speed.

In 1999, Santana was selected in the first round of the draft by the Minnesota Twins. Although the Florida Marlins also showed interest in him, Santana decided to stay with the Twins after negotiations. On April 7, 2000, he made his debut in the Major League Baseball against the Kansas City Royals, and the game ended with a victory for Santana. In his rookie season, Santana averaged 6.49 earned runs per game, which was impressive for a newcomer.

Santana's speed pitching ability made him particularly valuable to the Twins, as the team had been lacking a precise and fast pitcher for several years. His pitches often reached speeds of up to 95 miles per hour (approximately 160 kilometers per hour). The 2004 season was arguably the best of Santana's career, as he did not lose a single game and had an earned run average of only 1.21 with fewer than five hits allowed per game. He also recorded 265 strikeouts, surpassing Bert Blyleven's record set in 1973.

Santana continued to play for the Minnesota Twins until 2008, during which he received the Gold Glove Award as the league's best pitcher and won the Cy Young Award twice. On February 1, 2008, Santana signed a six-year contract worth $137.5 million with the New York Mets. On May 10, 2008, he won his first game on the Mets' home field, Shea Stadium. On June 1, 2008, Santana achieved his 100th victory in his professional career by pitching seven innings with only one home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In September, Santana suffered a knee injury but continued to play all nine innings of the game. However, he later underwent knee surgery. On April 7, 2009, Santana started the first game of the season against the Cincinnati Reds, pitching just over five innings and allowing only one home run. Despite a minor injury towards the end of the season, Santana ranked third in the "50 Greatest Current Players in Baseball" with an earned run average of 3.13.

The 2010 season was considered the worst in Santana's career. After a promising start, he strained his chest muscle and rarely appeared on the field. Johan Santana is married to his childhood friend, Yasmile Santana, and they have two daughters together. He is also the founder of The Johan Santana Foundation, an organization that supports hospitals and provides sports equipment to local schools.

On August 10, 2010, one of Santana's neighbors filed a lawsuit accusing him of rape and false imprisonment. The court ordered Santana to pay $15,000 in compensation.