...And Here’s the Eleventh

Email to a friend Permalink

Sunday, March 04, 2012

Mark Volain, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

As tipped by a reader, GoLocalWorcester's list of the10 Best Baseball Players Ever in Central MA, should have included Ron Darling.

Darling was not on our list becuase unlike all the other players in the list - he was not born in Central Mass. Darling was actually born in Honolulu, Hawaii, which is just about as far away from Worcester as you can get. However, he did grow up and play baseball here, so here is an addendum to the list.

Ron Darling, Millbury- Darling attended Shrewsbury's St. John's High School before playing for Yale University. Darling was the ninth pick of the 1981 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers. While still in the minors, Darling was traded to the New York Mets for Lee Mazzilli.

Darling made his major league debut at age 23 as a September call-up in 1983, when he made five starts, going 1-3 with a 2.80 ERA and one complete game.

The following year, he made the Mets' rotation and went 12-9, the first of six straight seasons where his record would be at least .500 and pitch 200+ innings. That year, he finished fifth in the Rookie of the Year voting. 

1985 was Darling's best year. A selection to the National League All Star team, Darling went 16-6 with 248 innings- both career highs- with a 2.90 ERA, four complete games, two shut outs and 167 strikeouts.

Most people from Central Mass. would remember the 1986 season- or at least the World Series. Darling was a crucial part of the Mets' run to the championship, with a career high in ERA with 2.81 and a 15-6 record. Darling started games one, four and seven of the World Series, going 1-1 with an impressive 1.53 ERA. Darling finished fifth in Cy Young voting that year.

Darling would never pitch as well as he did at the beginning of his career, but had a career high in wins in 1988 with 17. In his decline, the Mets traded Darling to the Montreal Expos in July 1991. Just 16 days later, the Expos would flip Darling to the Oakland Athletics, the team he would finish his career with.

Overall, Darling compiled a 136-116 record, with a 3.87 ERA, 37 complete games and an average 215 innings pitched.

Darling is now known for his color commentary for the New York Mets on television with SportsNewYork and on the radio with WPIX. He also does national broadcasts for TBS.
 

Related Articles

• Red Sox Report: Big Papi Weighs In On Fried Chicken, Beer & Baseball
• Red Sox Update:  Beckett is Clueless
• 10 Best Baseball Players Ever in Central MA
• Red Sox Update:  Francona Rips
• 2012 Central Mass Baseball Players to Watch
• Red Sox Update:  Valentine Bans Beer and More
• Central Mass College Baseball Preview
• Red Sox Update: “Lapse in Judgment” and More
• Central Mass High School Baseball Players to Watch in 2012
• Red Sox Update: Crawford and Much More
• Central Mass High School Baseball Teams to Watch
• Red Sox Update: Varitek and Yankee Cuts
• High School Baseball Preview for Central Mass
• EXCLUSIVE: Jeter Caught In A Lie

Enjoy this post? Share it with others.

Email to a friend Permalink