AUGUST 19, 1960

RON DARLING BORN—ALL-STAR MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PITCHER

Born in Honolulu of Native Hawaiian ancestry, Ron grew up in Millbury, Massachusetts, and was a star pitcher at Yale University (1979-81).  Drafted by the Texas Rangers, he was traded in 1982 to the Mets.  He lost his Major League debut, in September 1983, but by 1984, was a starting pitcher.  From 1984-89, Ron won 96 games, lost 42, with ERAs of 3.81, 2.90, 2.81, 4.29, 3.25, and 3.52.  An All-Star in 1985, he helped the Mets win the 1986 World Series by starting 3 games with a 1.53 ERA.  Ron also won a Gold Glove Award in 1989.  Aside from going 15-10 in 1992, his career declined after 1988 and ended in 1995.  Darling’s career record was 136-116 with 3.87 ERA.  Entering broadcasting, he did 1 season for the Washington Nationals (2005) before joining the Mets’ booth.  He founded the Ron Darling Foundation for diabetes research & has published 3 books: The Complete Game: Reflections on Baseball and the Art of Pitching; Game 7, 1986; and 108 Stitches.  Ron entered the Cape Cod League Hall of Fame in 2002.

Source:  Audrey Apfel, “Ron Darling,” Society for American Baseball Research, 3/1/2016.  Retrieved 6/12/2020, https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/7f722f9a
Photo:  Ron_Darling,_April_2009.jpg, 8/3/2009.  Permissive Use.  Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ron_Darling,_April_2009.jpg