Ron Darling: 1986 World Champion Mets Pitcher (1985 - 1991) & Emmy Award Winning Broadcaster (2007 - 2024)
.JPG)
The Darling family eventually moved to Millbury, Massachusetts, where he grew up and attended high school.
He played baseball in the Cape Cod League & was considered one the league's best players ever. He was later inducted into the Cape Cod League Hall of Fame with 11 others including Mets manager Buck Schowalter.
Ron Darling vs Frank Viola Pitcher's Duel: On May 21, 1981, Darling went up against St. John University's pitcher, Frank Viola. The two tossed no hitters for their teams until the 12th inning.
.jpg)
1984: Darling got a spot-on Davey Johnson’s 1984 starting pitching staff behind the young phenom Dwight Gooden & Walt Terrell.
Pitcher of The Month: Darling won seven straight decisions in June earning the Pitcher of the Month Award, going 5-0 during the month of June, while posting a 1.88 ERA. Darling threw a four-hit complete game shutout in St. Louis on June 14th beating John Stuper 6-0. He then took two victories over the Phillies, one in New York & one at Philly even though he allowed five runs.
On July 1st, he shut out the Braves at Shea Stadium, for seven innings allowing just two hits in a great 2-1 Mets win. Darryl Strawberry's two run single off Rick Mahler was the difference in the 2-0 win.
.jpg)
Darling finished the year at 12-9 with a 3.81 ERA gathering 136 strikeouts, walking 104 (3rd most in the NL) in 205 innings pitched in 33 starts. He also had two shut outs (8th in the NL).
He came in fifth place in the Rookie of the Year voting, in the shadows of rookie super star Dwight Gooden. Darling quietly went about his business as New York's one & two pitchers were among the best in the league.
.JPG)
On May 7th, he allowed just one run over eight innings, striking out seven Braves in a 5-3 Mets win. From there he won five straight decisions through June 17th as the Mets took over first place.
Stolen Base: On July 6th he stole his only career base after reaching first base on an error. The steal came off Braves pitcher Jeff Dedmon & catcher Bruce Benedict.
.JPG)
He would win his next six starts to get to 16 victories & keep the Mets in the pennant race. On August 30th, he threw his fourth complete game win, a 2-1 win in San Francisco over Mike Kruko. Keith Hernandez & Howard Johnson drove in the two runs. The Mets were two games behind the St. Louis Cardinals at this point.
The Mets lost three of their four last games with the Expos being the spoilers. Darling lost his last start of the year as well. The Mets finished second winning 98 games (98-64).
On May 27th at Shea Stadium, he matched his personal career-high of 12 strikeouts, pitching a five-hit complete game victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
On July 13th he pitched a four-hit shutout to beat the Braves & Doyle Alexander 2-0, with Len Dykstra's HR leading the way. On July 18th he took a loss at Houston to Bob Knepper, he would run into more trouble the next night.
Houston Night Club Drama: On July 19, he and teammates Bob Ojeda, Rick Aguilera and Tim Teufel were arrested outside a bar in Houston, Texas for fighting with security guards, who were also off-duty police officers. In the highly publicized ordeal, the four were quickly released & ordered to pay $200 fines. Darling appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated & GQ magazine less than a month later.
His next start came in Cincinnati on July 23rd, where he pitched eight innings, out dueling Tom Browning 3-2, allowing just five hits along the way for his tenth win. From mid-August on he went 4-2 through the end of the season. In the first game of a July 29th, double header at Wrigley Field he shut out the Cubs for his 11th win of the year.
On September 15th, he pitched nine shutout innings, allowing just four hits in a game in St. Louis, but earned no decision as the Mets lost it in the 13th inning, when Roger McDowell walked in Willie McGee with the winning run. In his next start he beat the Phillies for his 14th win.
1986 Post Season -NLCS: The 1986 NLCS was tied at one game each, when Darling started Game #3 against the Houston Astros at Shea Stadium in New York. The first playoff game in 13 years at Shea Stadium. Darling gave up two runs in the 1st inning & then a HR to Bill Doran who had only hit six HRs all season, in the 2nd inning.
1986 World Series: Darling opened the 1986 World Series against the Boston Red Sox at Shea Stadium.
In Game #1 he pitched well, allowing only one unearned run which was the only run of the game.
.JPG)
He was outstanding on this night, as he pitched seven shutout innings, allowing four hits with four strike outs. But he did walk six on the evening. He got out of jams when he had to & extended his 0.00 World Series ERA to 14 innings.
The Mets won Game #4, by a score of 6-2 behind Gary Carters two HRs 3 RBIs & Lenny Dykstra's two run HR. Ray Knight added an RBI hit as well.
Game Six: In the legendary Game Six at Shea Stadium, the Mets had their backs against the wall down three games to two. Darling was sitting in his usual non pitching day spot on the far side of the dugout & gave a high five to Mike Sergio who jumped out of a small airplane landing on the Shea infield in a parachute with a sign that read "Lets Go Mets".
Trivia: The Mets won the game on Mookie Wilson's little roller up along first that got by Bill Buckner & allowed Ray Knight to score the game winning run. Game Six ran so long, past midnight, NBC had to start Saturday Night Live later than usual. That night Darling recorded a video message apologizing for the late start & the bit opened up that SNL's night's show.
Darling got the ball to start in the final Game # 7. The entire 1986 season came down to one
game. The Sox scored three early runs, as they started the 2nd inning with back-to-back HRs by Dwight Evans & Rich Gedman. He then walked Dave Henderson & gave up an RBI single to Wade Boggs.
Darling had an easy 3rd inning but then appeared tired & shaky in the 4th inning. He hit Henderson with a pitch, then had Spike Owen fly out deep to right.
In the World Series Darling was 1-1 posting a 1.53 ERA in 17.2 innings pitched with 12 strike outs & ten walks.
After the game & the clubhouse celebration, Ron Darling, Howard Johnson, Rick Aguilera, Kevin Elster & some Shea employees broke out the champagne then went to the pitcher's mound to celebrate some more.
Darling & his model wife Terri were big hits at the ticker tape parade held in the Mets honor in New York City. The pretty couple enjoyed the spotlight at many of the New York hot spots as well being treated like celebrities.
After the Championship: Darling had a rough start in 1987, as did the whole ball club, coming off the World Series Championship, there was the drama of Dwight Gooden’s drug problems, then injuries to the team. Darling had to step up taking over as the ace of the staff when Gooden was off to rehab as the season began.
After his successful 1986 season leading the team in wins, Bob Ojeda got the Opening Day start. Then Darling earned no decision in the second game of the season, pitching into the 7th inning in the Mets 4-2 win over the Pirates.
After a May 1st game where he gave up six runs to the Expos, Darling was 2-1 with an ERA over six (6.62). He didn't win a game in over two months, covering all of May & June, going 0-4 with eight no decisions in that time with an ERA of 5.01.
On June 28th he had a no-hitter going through seven innings in Philadelphia, but Greg Gross broke it up with a leadoff triple in the 8th inning. Juan Samuel drove in the first run & the Mets wound up losing the game 5-4.
From July 7th through the end of the season he had gone 10-2 keeping the Mets in contention.
The Mets lost the game, and it was that night that is looked back on when the Mets were eliminated from contention in 1987.
The Mets were only in first place briefly in April that season. They crawled back into second place getting as close as a game & a half by mid-September, but never caught the Cardinals. Without Darling the Mets finish was even tougher, as they finished second 92-70 three games back.
Darling finished the year at 12-8 with 167 strikeouts (7th in the NL) 96 walks (4th most in the NL) and a high 4.29 ERA, the worst of his first seven seasons. He pitched 207.2 innings making 32 starts with two complete games & the first year he did not throw a shutout.
1988 NL East Champs: In 1988, Darling bounced back strong; having arguably his beat season of all his Mets years. The Mets staff was now even stronger with the emergence of David Cone.
On April 22nd, he shut out the rival Cardinals at Busch Stadium in an eight hit five K complete game, performance. After taking a loss to Zane Smith & the Braves in Atlanta, he beat the Reds on May 8th, in a three hit one run victory to get to 3-2 with a 1.54 ERA.
Darling would win his 12th game on August 5th, then take a pair of losses but from August 27th to the end of the year he was undefeated going 5-0 helping lead the team to another Eastern Division title.
1988 NL East Clincher: On September 22nd, Darling took the mound against the Philadelphia Phillies in front of 45,274 fans at Shea. He allowed just six hits winning 3-1 as the Mets clinched the NL Eastern title, their second divisional title in three years.
In 1988 Darling was an incredible 14-1 with a 2.29ERA at Shea Stadium for the year. He was 3-8 on the road with his ERA almost doubled at 4.83.
Darling finished 1988 with a career
high 17 wins (8th most in the league) going 17-9.
That year he was third behind David Cone (20 wins) & Dwight Gooden (18 wins) on the Mets strong pitching staff.
Darling pitched four shut outs (6th in the NL) & seven complete games. He threw 240 innings, with 161 strikeouts (10th in the NL) and 60 walks (lowest in his career up to that point) posting a 3.25 ERA.
1989: The Mets would finish second, six games behind the Chicago Cubs. & it was the start of the decline
Six Straight Seasons in Double Figures of Wins: At the start of August, he was 9-9 after a complete game win over the Expos at home. He followed with another complete games win over the Cardinals, also at Shea. That win was his tenth giving him six straight seasons with double figures in victories.
At the Pate- HRs: During the summer, he hit HRs in back-to-back games that he started, the only two HRs of his career. On June 24th he homered off the Phillies Floyd Youmans in a 4-2 win. On June 30th he hit a three-run shot off the Reds Norm Charlton in Cincinnati in an 11-2 win.
In September he lost four of six decisions, although he allowed two runs or less in four starts. The '89 Mets finished second to the Chicago Cubs 87-75 six games back.
Gold Glove: That season Darling became the first Mets pitcher to win a Gold Glove Award making just four errors in 56 chances.
He had a .500 season going 14-14 with 153 strike outs, 70 walks, in 207 innings over 33 starts (7th most in the NL) posting a 3.52 ERA. He had four complete games, with no shut outs. He also threw 12 wild pitches, six most in the league.
1991: This year Darling was back on the starting staff again but continued to struggle. He was 2-4 by mid-June. He won his next two starts to get himself to .500.
On July 3rd, he pitched a two hit, eight inning shut outs in Montreal to beat the Expos, in a game which turned out to be his last win as a New York Met. On July 14th he gave up two runs but took a loss in San Diego in what was his final Mets game.
Post Mets Pitching Career He pitched just three games for the Expos going 0-2. Two weeks later he was sent to the Oakland A’s in exchange for two minor leaguers.
For the Oakland A's, Darling won his first three decisions, but then got wild & lost seven straight games. Overall, in 1991 he was 8-15 with a 4.26 ERA for the three teams. That year the A's finished fourth ending their three-year World Series run.
On May 24th he pitched a two-hit shutout in his hometown of Boston to beat the Red Sox. Later in the year on July 12th, he pitched another two hitters against the eventual World Champion- Toronto Blue Jays. The A's won 96 games & took the AL West again making the playoffs.
1992 ALCS: In the ALCS Darling pitched Game #3 against the Blue Jays. He gave up two HRs to Roberto Alomar & Candy Maldonado, taking the loss. The A's lost the series to the eventual World Champion Blue Jays.
In 1993 Darling struggled, at 5-9 with a 5.16 ERA, as the A's fell to a 7th place last place finish, their worst run since 1979.
Career Stats: In his 13-year career, Darling made three post seasons, winning a World Series with the 1986 Mets. He made one All Star team, won a 1989 Gold Glove & a June 1984 Pitcher of the Month Award.
On the mound he was 136-116 with 1,590 strikeouts (194th all time), 13 shut outs, 37 complete games in 2360 innings pitched and a 3.87 ERA.
.jpg)
Emmy Award Winner: Starting in 2007 he worked the TBS network during the post season. For his outstanding television work, he was won an Emmy Award. In 2013 he joined the MLB network as a studio analyst as well.
Darling & his wife lived in Williamsburg Brooklyn & in Connecticut. One of his favorite hangouts was Bamonte's Restaurant in Williamsburg (this is the place centerfieldmaz met him the first time).
Author: Darling is the Author of three books, "The Complete Game Reflections on Baseball" & "the Art of Pitching, Game 7; 1986 Failure & Triumph in the Biggest Game of My Life" & "108 Stitches. Loose Threads Ripping Yarns & the Darndest Characters from My Time in the Game."
Darling said in a statement. “The doctors will continue to closely monitor me over the next several months to assure my progress remains on the right track.
I look forward to rejoining my partners Gary and Keith in the SNY booth to call tomorrow night’s Mets vs. San Francisco Giants game at Citi Field.” He was soon recovered & back in the booth.
Darling then attended Yale University from 1979 - 1981. He had a majored in French & Southeast Asian history, while also playing baseball for the school's team. Darling was one of the best baseball players in Yale’s history, a top pitcher & one of the team's best hitters batting atop the lineup. He pitched in the school's most famous game against another future Mets MLB star pitcher.
Ron Darling vs Frank Viola Pitcher's Duel: On May 21, 1981, Darling went up against St. John University's pitcher, Frank Viola. The two tossed no hitters for their teams until the 12th inning.In the 12th inning, St. Johns got their first hit ended up winning the legendary game 1-0 on a double steal.
In 1981 The six foot three right-handed, Darling was the first-round draft pick of the Texas Rangers, the ninth pick overall.
The following April, he was traded to the New York Mets along with Walt Terrell, for the popular Mets player, Lee Mazzilli.
Darling pitched well at AAA Tidewater in 1983 going 10-9 with a 4.02 ERA but gave up 102 walks in 159 innings pitched.
Mets Debut: That September he was called up to the Mets staff, getting his first start on September 6th, 1983, at Shea Stadium vs the Phillies.
He pitched 6.1 innings giving up only one run to Philadelphia but took a 2-0 loss. The Phillies' winning pitcher was former Met Tug McGraw.
Darling pitched well at AAA Tidewater in 1983 going 10-9 with a 4.02 ERA but gave up 102 walks in 159 innings pitched.
He pitched 6.1 innings giving up only one run to Philadelphia but took a 2-0 loss. The Phillies' winning pitcher was former Met Tug McGraw.
In Philadelphia he took his second loss, this time to John Denny. Darling allowed just two runs in seven innings but walked six. After losing his first three decisions, he pitched a complete game victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates on September 28th, finishing the month at 1-3 with a 2.50 ERA.
.jpg)
1984: Darling got a spot-on Davey Johnson’s 1984 starting pitching staff behind the young phenom Dwight Gooden & Walt Terrell. On April 4th, he won his first start in the second game of the Mets season. He shut out the Reds in Cincinnati for six innings, beating Bruce Berenyi. Keith Hernandez drove in one of the Mets two runs that night. He gave up six runs in starts against Montreal & Philadelphia, taking losses while getting his ERA at 5.57.
On May 4th he shut out the Astros over eight innings while just giving up two hits. Keith Hernandez drove in one of the two Mets runs & Hubie Brooks homered off Bob Knepper in the 2-0 win. On May 9th he got his third win in a six inning one run outing over the Braves. He was 3-3 by the end of May with a 4.64 ERA and then rolled through the summer.
On May 4th he shut out the Astros over eight innings while just giving up two hits. Keith Hernandez drove in one of the two Mets runs & Hubie Brooks homered off Bob Knepper in the 2-0 win. On May 9th he got his third win in a six inning one run outing over the Braves. He was 3-3 by the end of May with a 4.64 ERA and then rolled through the summer.
Pitcher of The Month: Darling won seven straight decisions in June earning the Pitcher of the Month Award, going 5-0 during the month of June, while posting a 1.88 ERA. Darling threw a four-hit complete game shutout in St. Louis on June 14th beating John Stuper 6-0. He then took two victories over the Phillies, one in New York & one at Philly even though he allowed five runs.
On July 1st, he shut out the Braves at Shea Stadium, for seven innings allowing just two hits in a great 2-1 Mets win. Darryl Strawberry's two run single off Rick Mahler was the difference in the 2-0 win.That summer the Mets stayed in contention for first place for the first time in almost a decade. There was a new excitement at Shea Stadium & it was fun to be at the ballpark as the crowds came.
On a rainy July 6th Friday night, he threw a four-hit 1-0 complete game shutout against the Cincinnati Reds & Jeff Russell at Shea as well. It was the first game of a double header sweep, where the Mets won the night cap on Kelvin Chapman's walk off single.
On July 17th at the Astrodome, he pitched eight innings allowing just one run that was unearned. He faced off against Joe Niekro who held the Mets to a run. Dave Smith also was charged with a run but the Mets lost the game when Mark Bailey hit a walk HR off Doug Sisk.
He struggled from August on, going 2-6 the rest of the way. He was much better pitching at Shea Stadium than on the road, getting seven wins at home (7-2) with a 3.01 ERA, while going 5-7 on the road with a 4.59 ERA.
.jpg)
Darling finished the year at 12-9 with a 3.81 ERA gathering 136 strikeouts, walking 104 (3rd most in the NL) in 205 innings pitched in 33 starts. He also had two shut outs (8th in the NL).He came in fifth place in the Rookie of the Year voting, in the shadows of rookie super star Dwight Gooden. Darling quietly went about his business as New York's one & two pitchers were among the best in the league.
1985: Darling became known around the league as a top pitcher in his own right. He had a great pickoff move for a righty and was one of the best defensive pitchers in baseball.
He began the season allowing just one run, pitching seven innings in each of his first two starts but earned no decision each time, although the Mets did win both games later on.
On April 26th, he tossed a five-hit shutout, striking out a season high eleven batters, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates, for his first victory of 1985.
He began the season allowing just one run, pitching seven innings in each of his first two starts but earned no decision each time, although the Mets did win both games later on.
On April 26th, he tossed a five-hit shutout, striking out a season high eleven batters, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates, for his first victory of 1985.
.JPG)
In his next start he gave up hits for the second straight game but allowed just two runs in seven innings for 3-2 win over the Phillies at Shea. On May 17th, he pitched nine innings against the San Francisco Giants at Shea, allowing just two runs but got no decision. The Mets won the game in the 12th on Gary Carters walk off base hit.
On May 27th, the Mets beat the Dodgers 8-1 behind Darling's one run seven K performance. The Mets were a half game out of first, they would take over the top spot the next night for the next week but then fall to second.
On June 17th, he tossed a five-hit shutout against the Chicago Cubs at Shea, getting the Mets to 2.5 games of first place behind the Expos & two games behind the Cubs. He made his first relief appearance in the July 4th, epic 19 inning classic in Atlanta. Darling came on in the bottom of the 19th with the Mets ahead 16-11. Darling gave up two runs a Terry Harper two run single but held on striking out pitcher Rick Camp who had homered earlier, to end the game.
Stolen Base: On July 6th he stole his only career base after reaching first base on an error. The steal came off Braves pitcher Jeff Dedmon & catcher Bruce Benedict.1985 All Star: Darling was 9-2 with a 2.52 at the All-Star break & was named to his first All Star team. He did not pitch in the 6-1 NL win at the Metrodome in Minnesota.
After the All-Star game, he earned his 10th win beating the Braves. He reached a snag losing three straight decisions thru mid-August.
On August 19th he & Bryn Smith both shut out their opponents through seven innings in Montreal. Darling got the win when Wally Backman's double off Tim Burke scored Danny Heep in the 8th inning, with the game's only run.
On August 19th he & Bryn Smith both shut out their opponents through seven innings in Montreal. Darling got the win when Wally Backman's double off Tim Burke scored Danny Heep in the 8th inning, with the game's only run.
.JPG)
He would win his next six starts to get to 16 victories & keep the Mets in the pennant race. On August 30th, he threw his fourth complete game win, a 2-1 win in San Francisco over Mike Kruko. Keith Hernandez & Howard Johnson drove in the two runs. The Mets were two games behind the St. Louis Cardinals at this point.On September 10th he pitched a nig game against the Cardinals at Shea Stadium. The night before the Mets had beaten the LA Dodgers & combined with a St. Louis loss, the teams were tied for first place. Darling faced Danny Cox. In the top of the 1st, Tommy Herr hit his 5th HR of the season off Darling & he gave up four runs in 6.1 innings on just four hits. The Mets big blow came on Howard Johnson's 1st inning grand slam in the 5-4 Mets win.
On October 1st, the Mets went to St. Louis three games out of first place with six games left to play. Darling pitched the first game of the series facing off against John Tudor in front of 46,026 fans at Busch Stadium. Darling & Tudor both shut out the other team for nine innings.
Darling allowed just four hits while striking out seven & walking no one. The Mets won the game on Darryl Strawberry's massive HR off Ken Dayley that hit the clock at Busch Stadium. The Mets got to within one game the next night when Dwight Gooden beat Joaquin Andujar with his 24th win of the year.
Overall, in that year Darling had seven no decisions where he had allowed two runs or less.
He finished up the year at 16-6 with his career best winning percentage (.727). His 2.90 ERA was 9th best in the league, as he pitched 248 innings (8th in the NL) with 167 strikeouts (7th in the NL) throwing two shut outs in 36 starts. His weaknesses was giving up 21 HRs & leading the league with 114 walks. At the plate he batted .171 with four doubles.
'86 Mets Celebrity Status: Darling was a good pitcher & a fine looking young man. The girls loved him & he took full advantage of the high profile in New York City. He graced the cover of GQ as well as Sports Illustrated & other magazines. He did many ads & was one of the most sought-after Mets for endorsements.
1986 Championship Season: In the second game of the 1986 season, he allowed six runs at Philadelphia, losing to the Phillies 9-7. He only notched one victory in the first month, it came in his second start of the year, his first at Shea in 1986, where he always pitched better.
1986 Championship Season: In the second game of the 1986 season, he allowed six runs at Philadelphia, losing to the Phillies 9-7. He only notched one victory in the first month, it came in his second start of the year, his first at Shea in 1986, where he always pitched better.
Soon everything came together for the Mets and Ron Darling was no exception. He won five straight starts in May, pitching eight or more innings in three straight games from May 10th through May 21st.
On May 27th at Shea Stadium, he matched his personal career-high of 12 strikeouts, pitching a five-hit complete game victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In June he lost his first two starts coming back on June 11th to beat the Phillies as he struck out six in six innings of work. On June 22nd he earned another win at home, beating the Chicago Cubs in a two-run complete game victory. He shut out the Expos in Montreal for seven innings on June 16th but earned no decision.
Trivia: Once again Darling, pitched well at Shea Stadium, going 10-2 at home during the 1986 championship season.
Houston Night Club Drama: On July 19, he and teammates Bob Ojeda, Rick Aguilera and Tim Teufel were arrested outside a bar in Houston, Texas for fighting with security guards, who were also off-duty police officers. In the highly publicized ordeal, the four were quickly released & ordered to pay $200 fines. Darling appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated & GQ magazine less than a month later.
His next start came in Cincinnati on July 23rd, where he pitched eight innings, out dueling Tom Browning 3-2, allowing just five hits along the way for his tenth win. From mid-August on he went 4-2 through the end of the season. In the first game of a July 29th, double header at Wrigley Field he shut out the Cubs for his 11th win of the year.
Darling ended the regular season with a 9-0 two hit, five inning shutout victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the last game of the regular season.
He finished the 1986 regular season posting a 2.18 ERA (third best in the N.L.) with a 15-6 record (8th most wins in the league). He notched a career high 184 strikeouts (7th in the NL) with four complete games, two shut outs, while pitching in 237 innings making 34 starts (10th most in the NL).
He lowered his walks to 81, which was 33 less than the previous year. For the second straight year he led all NL pitchers in assists on the mound & at the plate he had ten sacrifice hits batting .099.
He finished the 1986 regular season posting a 2.18 ERA (third best in the N.L.) with a 15-6 record (8th most wins in the league). He notched a career high 184 strikeouts (7th in the NL) with four complete games, two shut outs, while pitching in 237 innings making 34 starts (10th most in the NL).
He lowered his walks to 81, which was 33 less than the previous year. For the second straight year he led all NL pitchers in assists on the mound & at the plate he had ten sacrifice hits batting .099.
Overall he allowed four runs on seven hits, five Ks & two walks. He left the game down 4-0 after six innings.
His opponent Bob Knepper also gave up four runs, highlighted by Darryl Strawberry's three run HR in the 6th inning. The Mets won the game on Lenny Dykstra’s walk off HR in the bottom of the 9th inning off Save Smith.
In Game #1 he pitched well, allowing only one unearned run which was the only run of the game.
In the top of the 7th inning, he walked Jim Rice to start the inning. After a wild pitch advanced Rice, Jim Gedman hit a ground ball to Tim Teufel. The ball went under his legs & Rice scored the only run of the game.
Darling pitched seven innings, striking out eight, walking three & scattering three hits.
Darling got the start in Game #4 at Fenway Park, with the Mets down 2-1 in the Series. It was a homecoming for Ron as his dream had come true pitching in a World Series at Fenway Park in the town he grew up around.
.JPG)
In the 1st inning a double & two walks had the bases loaded with two outs when he got Dwight Evans to ground out to shortstop Rafael Santana. He then retired ten in a row. In the 6th inning with Evans on base Rich Gedman was thrown out at second base by Mookie Wilson trying to stretch a single into a double, for the third out. In the 7th with two in, he got Billy Buckner to pop out for the third out.
Game Six: In the legendary Game Six at Shea Stadium, the Mets had their backs against the wall down three games to two. Darling was sitting in his usual non pitching day spot on the far side of the dugout & gave a high five to Mike Sergio who jumped out of a small airplane landing on the Shea infield in a parachute with a sign that read "Lets Go Mets".
Trivia: The Mets won the game on Mookie Wilson's little roller up along first that got by Bill Buckner & allowed Ray Knight to score the game winning run. Game Six ran so long, past midnight, NBC had to start Saturday Night Live later than usual. That night Darling recorded a video message apologizing for the late start & the bit opened up that SNL's night's show.
game. The Sox scored three early runs, as they started the 2nd inning with back-to-back HRs by Dwight Evans & Rich Gedman. He then walked Dave Henderson & gave up an RBI single to Wade Boggs.
Darling had an easy 3rd inning but then appeared tired & shaky in the 4th inning. He hit Henderson with a pitch, then had Spike Owen fly out deep to right.
After pitcher Bruce Hurst bunted successfully to move Henderson over, Davey Johnson came in & took Darling out. He was relieved by Sid Fernandez who revved up the crowd with 2.1 scoreless / hitless innings & four strike outs.
The Mets tied it up in the 6th on Keith Hernandez two run single & Gary Carter's sac fly. Ray Knight & Darryl Strawberry added HRs & the Mets won the World Series, their first championship since 1969.
In the World Series Darling was 1-1 posting a 1.53 ERA in 17.2 innings pitched with 12 strike outs & ten walks. After the game & the clubhouse celebration, Ron Darling, Howard Johnson, Rick Aguilera, Kevin Elster & some Shea employees broke out the champagne then went to the pitcher's mound to celebrate some more.
Darling & his model wife Terri were big hits at the ticker tape parade held in the Mets honor in New York City. The pretty couple enjoyed the spotlight at many of the New York hot spots as well being treated like celebrities. After the Championship: Darling had a rough start in 1987, as did the whole ball club, coming off the World Series Championship, there was the drama of Dwight Gooden’s drug problems, then injuries to the team. Darling had to step up taking over as the ace of the staff when Gooden was off to rehab as the season began.
After his successful 1986 season leading the team in wins, Bob Ojeda got the Opening Day start. Then Darling earned no decision in the second game of the season, pitching into the 7th inning in the Mets 4-2 win over the Pirates.
In his next start he pitched eight innings at Philadelphia allowing five runs, but still got the win as the Mets scored seven runs in his support. In his next outing he gave up four runs in Pittsburgh but still earned a win.
After a May 1st game where he gave up six runs to the Expos, Darling was 2-1 with an ERA over six (6.62). He didn't win a game in over two months, covering all of May & June, going 0-4 with eight no decisions in that time with an ERA of 5.01. On June 28th he had a no-hitter going through seven innings in Philadelphia, but Greg Gross broke it up with a leadoff triple in the 8th inning. Juan Samuel drove in the first run & the Mets wound up losing the game 5-4.
On July 7th in the second game of a double header in Atlanta, he finally notched a long-awaited win. He pitched seven innings allowing a run in a 5-1 Mets victory. He then earned a win pitching into the 8th inning at Houston striking out seven.
After the All Star break, he really got it going, winning six consecutive starts. On July 22nd he beat Zane Smith & the Braves at Shea Stadium 4-3, he didn't strike out anyone in the six innings, but earned his fifth win. He notched two more victories & reached the .500 mark at 7-7 with an August 2nd win in Montreal.
After the All Star break, he really got it going, winning six consecutive starts. On July 22nd he beat Zane Smith & the Braves at Shea Stadium 4-3, he didn't strike out anyone in the six innings, but earned his fifth win. He notched two more victories & reached the .500 mark at 7-7 with an August 2nd win in Montreal.
On August 7th, he struck out eleven Chicago Cubs, matching his season high, pitching a four hit one run, complete game victory at Shea Stadium. It was the only complete game win he had all season. Wins over Montreal & Chicago which was a Mets 23-10 win at Wrigley Field got him into double figures in wins at ten. On August 26th he beat Bob Welch & the Dodgers in L.A. pitching into the 8th, as he fanned eight for his 11th win.
From July 7th through the end of the season he had gone 10-2 keeping the Mets in contention. Big Blow & Injury: On September 11th during the heat of the pennant race with the rival St. Louis Cardinals, Darling pitched six shutout innings against the Cards, when he tore his thumb fielding a Vince Coleman bunt. He got to the bench & realized his season was over.
Quotes- Ron Darling: “They put me in my car and told me, ‘drive over to Roosevelt Hospital, take X-rays & they’re going to repair your thumb.’ I said, ‘okay, fine,’ got in my car…and back in those days we parked out past center field…and as I got in my car Terry Pendleton’s homer nearly hit me in the head.”
The Mets lost the game, and it was that night that is looked back on when the Mets were eliminated from contention in 1987.
The Mets were only in first place briefly in April that season. They crawled back into second place getting as close as a game & a half by mid-September, but never caught the Cardinals. Without Darling the Mets finish was even tougher, as they finished second 92-70 three games back.
1988 NL East Champs: In 1988, Darling bounced back strong; having arguably his beat season of all his Mets years. The Mets staff was now even stronger with the emergence of David Cone.
In the Mets second game of the year, Darling took a loss at Montreal. He gave up just two earned runs, but Pascal Perez held the Mets to a run.
On April 12th, he pitched a three hit complete game shut out at Shea beating the Expos for his first win of the year. It was the first of his four shut outs that season.
After a loss in San Francisco, he won three straight beating the Padres in San Diego then the Giants & Dodgers at Shea. In June he tossed another complete game shutout, a seven hitter over the Pirates in a 9-0 June 21st Mets win. He was 2-2 that month.
On July 1st, he matched up with Joaquin Andujar in Hoston & beat the Astros 3-2, pitching into the 8th inning. After a win over the Reds, Darling had ten wins in the first half of the season (10-5) with a 2.70 ERA.
After the break he got shelled for nine runs in Cincinnati, giving up HRs to Chris Sabo & Eric Davis. In the previous game he gave up three HRs to the Braves in a no decision. He had given up seven HRs over three games.
On July 1st, he matched up with Joaquin Andujar in Hoston & beat the Astros 3-2, pitching into the 8th inning. After a win over the Reds, Darling had ten wins in the first half of the season (10-5) with a 2.70 ERA.
After the break he got shelled for nine runs in Cincinnati, giving up HRs to Chris Sabo & Eric Davis. In the previous game he gave up three HRs to the Braves in a no decision. He had given up seven HRs over three games.
Darling would win his 12th game on August 5th, then take a pair of losses but from August 27th to the end of the year he was undefeated going 5-0 helping lead the team to another Eastern Division title.
On August 27th he beat the Giants 17 game winner, Rick Reuschel in a 2-1 game in San Francisco. Howard Johnson provided the two Mets runs. On September 2nd, Darling struck out eight Dodgers pitching a five hit complete game shut out to beat former Met Tim Leary at Shea for his furth shut out of the year.
He then gave up six runs at Wrigley Field but earned no decision.
1988 NL East Clincher: On September 22nd, Darling took the mound against the Philadelphia Phillies in front of 45,274 fans at Shea. He allowed just six hits winning 3-1 as the Mets clinched the NL Eastern title, their second divisional title in three years.
In 1988 Darling was an incredible 14-1 with a 2.29ERA at Shea Stadium for the year. He was 3-8 on the road with his ERA almost doubled at 4.83.
high 17 wins (8th most in the league) going 17-9.That year he was third behind David Cone (20 wins) & Dwight Gooden (18 wins) on the Mets strong pitching staff.
Darling pitched four shut outs (6th in the NL) & seven complete games. He threw 240 innings, with 161 strikeouts (10th in the NL) and 60 walks (lowest in his career up to that point) posting a 3.25 ERA.
At the plate he batted .220 with six extra base hits, ten sac hits & four RBIs.
1988 Post Season: Darling had a bad 1988 NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In Game #3 at Shea, with the series tied 1-1, he fell behind 3-0 by the 3rd inning. He pitched six innings, three runs five hits, four walks & five K's before getting relieved by Roger McDowell.
But the Mets came back to win the game 8-4 with a big five run 8th inning.
In the deciding Game #7 he went up against that years Cy Young Winner & Player of the Year, Orel Hershiser,
In the deciding Game #7 he went up against that years Cy Young Winner & Player of the Year, Orel Hershiser,
Darling gave up six runs, four earned due to two Mets errors, six hits while getting knocked out in the second inning. The Dodgers shocked the Mets, winning the game & moved on to the World Series, where they beat the mighty Oakland A's.
Darling started out the year at 0-3 giving up six runs at Montreal in his first start & then seven runs to the Phillies in his third start.
He didn't win his first game at the end of April, a 5-1 victory in Houston. At that point his ERA was still near six.
On May 24th he shut out the Padres for six innings taking a win to get to 3-3. He then pitched a complete game victory against the Pirates at Shea on June 3rd. On July 13th he had another complete game win, a 5-1 victory in Atlanta. He would go back & forth staying at .500 most of the season.
On May 24th he shut out the Padres for six innings taking a win to get to 3-3. He then pitched a complete game victory against the Pirates at Shea on June 3rd. On July 13th he had another complete game win, a 5-1 victory in Atlanta. He would go back & forth staying at .500 most of the season.
On August 21st, he struck out a season high 10 batters in a 4-1 win over the Giants. On August 26th he allowed just one run while pitching into the 9th inning, in a 4-1 win against the San Francisco Giants.
At the Pate- HRs: During the summer, he hit HRs in back-to-back games that he started, the only two HRs of his career. On June 24th he homered off the Phillies Floyd Youmans in a 4-2 win. On June 30th he hit a three-run shot off the Reds Norm Charlton in Cincinnati in an 11-2 win.
That year he also had a career high, five RBIs while at the plate.
In September he lost four of six decisions, although he allowed two runs or less in four starts. The '89 Mets finished second to the Chicago Cubs 87-75 six games back.Gold Glove: That season Darling became the first Mets pitcher to win a Gold Glove Award making just four errors in 56 chances.
Trivia: Darling was the last N.L. pitcher to win the Gold Glove award before Greg Maddux's remarkable streak of 13 consecutive Gold Gloves.
1990: Darling struggled having his worst year. He was even sent to the bullpen for a while to work things out. He made 18 starts in 33 appearances, didn’t get any saves and went 7-9 on the year, having the first losing season of his career.
In 126 innings he struck out 99 batters, walked 44 & posted a 4.50 ERA.
In 126 innings he struck out 99 batters, walked 44 & posted a 4.50 ERA.
The 1990 Mets fell short again, coming in second place four games behind the Pittsburgh Pirates. That year they fired Davey Johnson & gave Bud Harelson the manager's job. I was the teams last winning year until 1997.
1991: This year Darling was back on the starting staff again but continued to struggle. He was 2-4 by mid-June. He won his next two starts to get himself to .500.On July 3rd, he pitched a two hit, eight inning shut outs in Montreal to beat the Expos, in a game which turned out to be his last win as a New York Met. On July 14th he gave up two runs but took a loss in San Diego in what was his final Mets game.
Traded: On July 15th, Ron Darling was traded to the Montreal Expos for pitcher Tim Burke.
Mets Career Stats & All Time Leader Board: Ron Darling spent nine seasons pitching with the Mets. He has 99 Mets victories (4th on Mets All Time list). He has 1148 strike outs (7th on Mets All Time list)
Mets Career Stats & All Time Leader Board: Ron Darling spent nine seasons pitching with the Mets. He has 99 Mets victories (4th on Mets All Time list). He has 1148 strike outs (7th on Mets All Time list)
He made 241 starts (5th on Mets All Time list). He made 257 appearances (17th on Mets All Time list). He has ten shut outs (7th on Mets All Time list) threw 25 complete games (10th on Mets All-time list) while posting a 3.50 ERA. He walked 614 batters (4th most) & allowed 155 HRs (3rd most).
Post Mets Pitching Career He pitched just three games for the Expos going 0-2. Two weeks later he was sent to the Oakland A’s in exchange for two minor leaguers. For the Oakland A's, Darling won his first three decisions, but then got wild & lost seven straight games. Overall, in 1991 he was 8-15 with a 4.26 ERA for the three teams. That year the A's finished fourth ending their three-year World Series run.
In 1992 he made a solid return, having his last quality year. He pitched over 200 innings, going 15-10 with 99 strike outs & a 3.66 ERA. He tossed three shut outs (4th in the AL).
1992 ALCS: In the ALCS Darling pitched Game #3 against the Blue Jays. He gave up two HRs to Roberto Alomar & Candy Maldonado, taking the loss. The A's lost the series to the eventual World Champion Blue Jays.
In 1993 Darling struggled, at 5-9 with a 5.16 ERA, as the A's fell to a 7th place last place finish, their worst run since 1979.
Darling came back with a good 1994, leading the Athletics staff going 10-11 as the only pitcher in Oakland to win double figures. He posted a 4.50 ERA leading the league with 25 starts. In 1995 he was 4-7 in August when he was released ending his playing career at age 35.
Career Stats: In his 13-year career, Darling made three post seasons, winning a World Series with the 1986 Mets. He made one All Star team, won a 1989 Gold Glove & a June 1984 Pitcher of the Month Award.On the mound he was 136-116 with 1,590 strikeouts (194th all time), 13 shut outs, 37 complete games in 2360 innings pitched and a 3.87 ERA.
He made 364 starts (192nd most all time) allowing 906 walks (157th all time) 97 wild pitches (116th all time) & served up 239 HRs (151 all time).
At the plate he is a .144 hitter with 76 hits in 526 at bats, 2 HRs 21 doubles & 21 RBIs.
At the plate he is a .144 hitter with 76 hits in 526 at bats, 2 HRs 21 doubles & 21 RBIs.
Retirement: Ron began his career as a broadcaster for the Oakland A's right after his playing
days. In 2005 he was commentator for the inaugural season of the Washington Nationals.
days. In 2005 he was commentator for the inaugural season of the Washington Nationals.
SNY Career: In 2006 he came home to the New York Mets on the new SNY NY Sports Network as a color commentator & studio analyst.
The Mets broadcast team of long time play by play man Gary Cohen, Ron Darling & his 1986 World Champion Mets teammate Keith Hernandez are rated one of the best broadcast teams in the game. They are very popular among Mets fans, as their knowledge as well as their antics & bantering are beloved by the fans. They have created a website, various sports memorabilia & hold many charitable events.
The Mets broadcast team of long time play by play man Gary Cohen, Ron Darling & his 1986 World Champion Mets teammate Keith Hernandez are rated one of the best broadcast teams in the game. They are very popular among Mets fans, as their knowledge as well as their antics & bantering are beloved by the fans. They have created a website, various sports memorabilia & hold many charitable events.
Emmy Award Winner: Starting in 2007 he worked the TBS network during the post season. For his outstanding television work, he was won an Emmy Award. In 2013 he joined the MLB network as a studio analyst as well.In 2009 he published a book called "The Complete Game" which is broken down in chapters titled innings. The book explains the mind of an MLB pitcher breaking down what goes through his head in certain situations.
Family: Previously he was married to Irish model Antoinette O'Reilly. She had small roles on television and in movies, using her married name: Toni Darling. During their marriage, they appeared in numerous magazine features together. They had two children, Tyler and Jordan Darling.
Family: Previously he was married to Irish model Antoinette O'Reilly. She had small roles on television and in movies, using her married name: Toni Darling. During their marriage, they appeared in numerous magazine features together. They had two children, Tyler and Jordan Darling.
In 2004, he married Joanna Last, a makeup artist for Fox Sports. Together they have one son, Maurice born 2016.
Darling & his wife lived in Williamsburg Brooklyn & in Connecticut. One of his favorite hangouts was Bamonte's Restaurant in Williamsburg (this is the place centerfieldmaz met him the first time).Quotes-Ron Darling: "Two blocks away is an Italian place called Bamonte’s. It’s an institution in Williamsburg. We all love the food there, but for me it’s also a historical place. After game days, Joe DiMaggio would go there — he’d get a seat at the corner table. More times than not, I get that seat, too, and to sit where DiMaggio sat and eat the chicken and sausage that DiMaggio ate, it’s just a huge thrill."
Author: Darling is the Author of three books, "The Complete Game Reflections on Baseball" & "the Art of Pitching, Game 7; 1986 Failure & Triumph in the Biggest Game of My Life" & "108 Stitches. Loose Threads Ripping Yarns & the Darndest Characters from My Time in the Game."Drama: In that 2019 release, Darling wrote that former teammate, Lenny Dykstra yelled racial slurs to Red Sox pitcher, Oil Can Boyd, during the 1986 World Series. Dykstra denies the comments & filed a lawsuit against Darling.
Health Scare: In March of 2016 Darling announced he had been diagnosed with Thyroid cancer. He had surgery to remove a mass on his chest & the prognosis was that the cancer was treatable. He returned to the booth in early June.
Quotes- Ron Darling: “My doctors have informed me that my thyroid cancer has been stabilized for now and that I have been cleared to return to work,”
Health Scare: In March of 2016 Darling announced he had been diagnosed with Thyroid cancer. He had surgery to remove a mass on his chest & the prognosis was that the cancer was treatable. He returned to the booth in early June.
Quotes- Ron Darling: “My doctors have informed me that my thyroid cancer has been stabilized for now and that I have been cleared to return to work,”
Darling said in a statement. “The doctors will continue to closely monitor me over the next several months to assure my progress remains on the right track. I look forward to rejoining my partners Gary and Keith in the SNY booth to call tomorrow night’s Mets vs. San Francisco Giants game at Citi Field.” He was soon recovered & back in the booth.
Honors: In 2021 he was elected into the New York Mets Hall of Fame.
Ron Darling threw out the ceremonial first pitch of Game #7 of the 2006 NLCS.
He was on hand for the 20th & 30th Anniversary tributes to the 1986 Championship teams.
He was also on hand for the Ralph Kiner Tribute night, and the Closing ceremonies of Shea Stadium in 2008.
Trivia: Ron Darling has also had small roles in the films Shallow Hal, Mr. 3000 and The Day After Tomorrow.
He was also on hand for the Ralph Kiner Tribute night, and the Closing ceremonies of Shea Stadium in 2008.
Trivia: Ron Darling has also had small roles in the films Shallow Hal, Mr. 3000 and The Day After Tomorrow.
Comments