 This one also was for Dad.Jordan Wiener, the Queens teen who threw a no-hitter for Robert F. Kennedy High School a day after his father's emotional funeral last month, was honored at Citi Field Sunday before the Mets' 3-2 win over the Marlins.
Wearing an unbuttoned Johan Santana jersey, the lanky southpaw threw out the ceremonial first pitch, snapping off a curveball that broke over the heart of the plate. He then jogged off the field, but not before stopping midway between the mound and home plate and giving an emphatic umpire's strike call. "If it wasn't for my father passing away I wouldn't have gotten all this attention and this honor. I wish he was here sharing this moment with me," Jordan said. "He would have told me to concentrate out there and throw a curve." Wiener's father, Mitchell, an assistant principal at IS 238 in Jamaica Estates, died on May 17 after contracting swine flu. Four days later - and less than 24 hours after he spoke at his father's funeral - Jordan threw a no-hitter in the first round of the PSAL Class B playoffs. He followed that performance with 19 strikeouts in a second-round game on May 26. "Him not being there behind the bench cheering me on, it was a big loss," Jordan said. "His initials were on my hat so I believe he was there with me in spirit. It's too bad we couldn't go out there and win a title for him." The Panthers' run through the playoffs ended with a 10-0 loss to Taft in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Jordan, 18, didn't pitch in his final high school game, but he plans to continue his baseball career at Queens College. He attended Sunday's Mets game with members of his high school baseball team, a few teachers from his school, friends and family, including his two brothers. "With all the media attention and all the love and support from family members and friends, we're still in shock mode," Jordan said. "The loss of our father really hasn't hit us yet. In the next month or two, once we enter back into reality, it'll be a big loss and hit us hard." Original Source
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