That Baseball Mood

Spring Training, at least for me, has been mostly a study in the mundane. I barely know what's going on with the Mets; I don't particularly care whether or not they win or lose, just so long as the players that need to play well do so and there are no significant injuries. The less there is to talk about, the better.

That being said, since it's now merely two weeks until Opening Day, I figure I ought to get back into the swing of things, and there's a spate of new literature for me to go through in preparation for the season. With apologies to Greg Prince, whose book was unavailable during a recent trip to The Strand (hardly a good excuse on my part), my current reading material is the latest offering from our own Ron Darling.

I've always been a fan of Darling's analytical abilities; perhaps I'm biased from having not only watched him in my youth but also having listened to him broadcast the Mets for the last decade. This of course comes forth in his writing, his first book offered up a study of specific games in his career as opposed to a particular memoir. This book is more of a memoir, but condensed into his life approaching, and during, Game 7 of the 1986 World Series.

You'll of course remember the result of the game. Most tend to forget that Darling started for the Mets but was long gone by time things were decided. He's the first to admit that under the harsh glare of the World Series spotlight, he didn't have a very good game, lasting only into the 4th inning and departing down by 3 runs.

But in reading this book (aside from learning the odd fact that Darling lived on 33rd and 3rd, while I, 7 years old at the time, resided at 36th and 3rd and on occasion frequented the same Italian restaurant on 34th Street owned by former Red Sox pitcher Jerry Casale) I kept drawing the parallel between Darling pitching in the 1986 World Series and the crazy ride that we followed the Mets through last season. Probably because I've been carrying it around with me all Winter. Not so much the ride to get to the World Series, but particularly the way it ended, and that final Sunday Night where the bottom fell out so quickly.

The end result is usually what's remembered more than the journey that gets you there, particularly when it comes down to a Championship series, and yes, perhaps even if the Mets had won that final game, they could have just as easily lost the next one and had their season end with the same result. Darling talks about being too much in his own head going into that 7th Game, and feeling out of rhythm, and out of sorts, and those such things can wreck a pitcher's night. It doesn't detract from the fact that he had a generally good career and is remembered fondly among Mets fans, although maybe if that 7th game had ended differently, that might not be the case.

And this is the sort of stuff I've been thinking about all winter, because consider that 5th Game against Kansas City and what ended up happening to Matt Harvey. The prevailing thought, what everyone remembers, is that Hotheaded Matt Harvey demanded to stay in the game for that 9th inning and blew it, and the Mets lost (and they suck and Harvey sucks).

I sometimes have a tendency to over-romanticize games like this but while most of the talk this Winter made a punchline of Harvey, I don't think what happened in that game up to the 9th inning should be overlooked. I've gone over many times about Harvey pitching angry, and how he's at his best when he has that look, and for 8 innings, he had that look. The Royals couldn't touch him. Harvey was pitching with smoke coming out of his ears. You know that's what's going on when he comes charging off the mound screaming at the end of a key inning. By contrast, when you consider the fragility of an athlete's psyche in a big spot, Darling allowed himself to be psyched out. Harvey had no such problems.

But in the end it's the final score that determines everyone's perception of the game. Mets 8, Red Sox 5, and Darling is a footnote. Royals 7, Mets 2 (12), but Harvey shit the bed.

Sometimes the perception of the players can bother you just as much as the end result. Particularly when you're on the losing end of things.

50 Years in Cards: 1989

Part 28 of our 50-year Potrzebie...

What is it: 1989 Topps #105, Ron Darling

What makes it interesting: Another classic-looking '80s set from Topps. The '89s are generally under-appreciated in the grand scheme of things, but I've always been a fan of this set.

Currently, of course, Ron Darling is best known as one third of our fine play-by-play team on SNY, who has garnered a great deal of much-deserved respect and recognition for his work. In the history books, Ron Darling can sometimes be overlooked for the work he did on the field for the Mets. A mainstay in the starting rotation for 6 seasons, Ron Darling often found himself on the mound at times when the Mets needed a big outing out of him. And more often than not, he delivered. He may not have always racked up the Ws, but he always left the Mets with a chance to win the game.

Initially, Ron drew acclaim for being a rare Yale graduate to reach the Major Leagues (only two Yale grads have played in the Majors since). A cerebral finesse pitcher, Darling's repertoire was the perfect compliment to Dwight Gooden's heat. His rookie year of '84 started out strong, but fizzled with a number of poor outings and no-decisions in the latter half of the season. It was in '85 that Darling blossomed, making his only All Star appearance and finishing with a sterling 16-6 record, and a 2.90 ERA. It was in '85 that he also gained his reputation as a big game pitcher. But it was a start that he didn't win that he was best remembered for. With the Mets in St. Louis for a crucial pennant race game on October 1st, Darling found himself matched against Cardinals ace John Tudor. And Darling matched Tudor zero for zero all night long, keeping the game scoreless into extra innings before Darryl Strawberry's 11th inning Home Run won the game, 1-0.

Darling was equally solid in 1986, winning 15 games, finishing 3rd in the National League with a 2.81 ERA, and finishing 5th in the Cy Young Award voting. Darling saved a couple of his best outings that season for the postseason. Although he was hit hard by Houston in the NLCS, he was solid in his first World Series outing, pitching shutout ball into the 7th inning before losing on Tim Teufel's error. But if he was good in Game 1, he was great in Game 4, pitching 7 shutout innings as the Mets won that game to tie the series 2-2. His start in Game 7 was, by his own admission, not very good, but as he would note, his teammates bailed him out and won the World Series over Boston.

Darling would struggle to match his success of '85 and '86 in the years that followed. Injuries would take a toll on him, among other things. The thumb injury he suffered on that fateful September game vs. the Cardinals in '87 would end a season marked by a number of no-decisions and also rob him of his ability to throw his curveball, one of his out pitches. Nonetheless, Darling rebounded with an excellent season in 1988, winning a career high 17 games with a 3.25 ERA. His record included the incredible home/road split of 14-1 at Shea Stadium, and 3-8 elsewhere. That season would end with another Game 7 start for Darling, this time against the Dodgers in the NLCS, where he was done in by errors and poor luck, and failed to last the 2nd inning. 1989 brought more inconsistency. Although he would win 14 games, marking his 6th straight season of posting at least 12 victories, and a 3.52 ERA, he also lost 14 games, and his grip on a spot in a now-crowded starting rotation became more tenuous. By 1990, he would begin to drift in and out of the rotation, and, of course, he was traded to Montreal in 1991.

Darling's Mets career has to be considered a success overall. He finished with 99 wins and a 3.50 ERA, throwing 25 complete games and 10 shutouts in a Mets uniform. One of the more literary figures in Mets history, Darling's book, "The Complete Game," ranks up there as one of my favorite Baseball reads. He also earned acclaim, early in his career, for being one of the Mets more eligible bachelors, scoring dates with Madonna, most notably, before settling down with a Wilhelmina Model (just imagine if he played in the Twitter era!). Mostly, however, Darling should be remembered as a fierce competitor who could always be trusted to deliver a strong outing. He often delivered with performances equal to the magnitude of the game, and, of course, was a key member of the 1986 World Series Champions.

Card back:

And he's not even getting a Divorce!

In April, 2001, El Guapo and I were taking in a Mets game on a lazy weekend afternoon, when the following exchange took place between Gary Thorne and Tom Seaver.

Thorne: Lemme tell you about Pittsburgh...

(Pause)

(Pause)

(Pause)

(Long Pause)

Seaver: Go ahead.

Truly a watershed moment in Mets History.

It really makes you think about what the qualifications must be to announce a Baseball game. And through the years we have followed the Mets, we've heard some of the best and quite a bit of the worst you can get out of an announcing team. Let's take a look at some of the men who we listen to as we watch, or listen, as some of us prefer, to our team.

Gary Cohen, SNY TV

Now, Cohen sounds just like what a good announcer should sound like. Crisp, clean and to the point. I really feel comfortable listening to him announce games. His calls are never over the top (well, unless Benny Agbayani was involved), and he does an excellent job playing the straight man in the booth to the clown that is Keith Hernandez (Or Ron Darling, depending on the day). For years, he was the radio voice, and as a radio listener, I can certainly say that the Mets Radio broadcast suffers without him.

Howie Rose, WFAN Radio

Let's face it, Rose is and will always be remembered for a certain Hockey call made on May 27, 1994.

Rose is where we start to get into some trouble. Rose is now the #1 man on the Radio. He was, for many years, the host of Mets Extra, the Radio version of the Pre/Post game show, and was fired in 1992 or 93 for being overly critical of the team. He then spent many years on TV, jockeying for time during the Dark Ages of Mets Broadcasting, when the TV team consisted of Rose, Tim McCarver, Fran Healy and Rusty Staub. Now you know why I always listened to the radio.

But Rose seems to be much more at home on the Radio. He doesn't have to fill in with idiotic banter, and as far as being too opinionated, well, some men you just can't reach. But he peaked in 2004/05 when he was teamed with Cohen in the Radio booth. Thoroughly enjoyable listening. He's still decent, but I much prefer him over Tom McCarthy.

But you will never, ever get another moment out of him like "MATTEAU! MATTEAU! MATTEAU!"


Keith Hernandez, SNY TV

I think Keith Hernandez just lives his life in complete "I'm Keith Hernandez" mode. He truly plays the role of the clown on the air, and much of his charm comes from his love of mindless banter and idle chit-chat. Nobody knows more about the game of Baseball, and what a specific player could be thinking about at a specific game moment like Keith Hernandez. As a player, he had the reputation as a thinking man's player, and it came across in his performance. Now, with nothing more to prove, he can just kick back and say whatever he feels.

Well, until he offends somebody...





Ron Darling, SNY TV

Darling's purpose in the booth is mainly to counter Hernandez and provide an ex-Pitcher's perspective to the game, which he does quite well. He and Keith were, of course, ex-teammates, forever bonded by a 1986 World Championship, and they're both lionized by Mets fans because of it. In fact, few remember that Darling was the starting pitcher in Game 7 of the 1986 World Series, and by his own admission, he pitched rather poorly in that game. We hadn't heard much from Darling since his retirement in 1995 until he resurfaced as an announcer for the Washington Nationals, and then was hired by SNY for the '06 season.

Darling and Hernandez in particular seem to have a good rapport in the booth, and as El Guapo noted, they often joke around about their playing days together. It's fun during Spring Training. It can get a little annoying when they start talking about Mentos during a blowout.

Tom McCarthy, WFAN Radio

Because there is usually one announcer who is universally disliked by Mets fans, and the other four are generally liked, it's McCarthy who is the fall guy. His calls aren't necessarily bad, and he seems to get along well with Rose on the radio, but I swear to God when I listen to him announcing, it's almost as if Gilbert Gottfried stepped into the booth. And he came to the Mets after several years of working for the Phillies. That right there should give you bad vibes.

Ralph Kiner, SNY TV (occasionally)

The absolute King of Unintentional Comedy. Kiner has been butchering the English Language for as long as the Mets have been in existence. His quips are legendary. Kiner's Korner is ingrained in all of our minds. His comments page on the UMDB alone tell you how loved and revered Kiner is among Mets fans. Yes, his ability to call a game has been compromised by Bell's Palsy, and his appearances in the booth are always few and far between, but always enjoyed. The Mets are holding a night for him on July 14th this season. Nobody deserves it more.

And those who are gone, but surely not forgotten...

Fran Healy

OK, we all wish we could forget Fran. It's hilarious now, when you turn on FSNY, and there's Fran, randomly interviewing some Lacrosse player on the "Regional Sports Re-Port!" or talking to a retired basketball player on "Halls of Fame."

Every Mets fan has that moment when Fran simply threw them over the edge. For me, it was in July, 2000. The Mets were playing a game in Toronto, and Mike Piazza hit a Grand Slam over an advertisement in the outfield that read "PIZZA PIZZA." And no less than 20 times over the course of the rest of the game, Fran kept repeating, "And Mike Piazza...Hit a Ga-Rand Sa-Lam! And he hit it OVER THE PIZZA SIGN!" And who can forget that "THE NEW YORK METS 22 YEAR OLD SHORTSTOP IS CREATING ALL KINDS OF EXCITEMENT!!!" Fran would never hesitate to beat a fact into your head repeatedly.

Bob Murphy, Emeritus

I was at Murph's last game in 2003, and I admit that I cried. And I cried again when he passed away the following summer. I know I'm going to sound a little cheesy when I say this, but Murphy was the voice of my childhood, and the first voice I remember associating with the Mets. Murphy was the perfect announcer because he always remained positive about the team without being a homer (hear that, Sterling?). You knew he rooted for the Mets, but it was always something gentle, like the Happy Recap. Of course, like Kiner, Murphy had his moments with the English Language, and as a comment on the UMDB said, "If there was ever a man on this earth who looked like Porky Pig it's Bob Murphy," but all of those things just added to his charm. Sultry Summer nights are not the same without him.

I'll close with another anecdote. Again, it's April of 2001. El Guapo and I are watching a Mets game, I believe they were playing Montreal. Fran was announcing, and Keith was in the booth, filling in (so they were in "MUHN-tree-al"). Keith had been talking about the times he had hit 2 Home Runs in a game. He had mentioned that one of the times was the day his divorce was finalized. Almost as if on cue, Lee Stevens of the Expos cranked a HR, his second of the day (most likely off Trachsel). This, of course, prompted Fran to yell with glee, "HIS SECOND HOMER OF THE DAY! AND HE'S NOT EVEN GETTING A DIVORCE!"