I had forgotten about this.
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What a great story! Somehow I had never heard about that game. Unbelievable!!
For those who prefer video here is Darling and "Sweet Music" (one of the best baseball nicknames ever) talking about it on MLB Network.
Darling threw an 11-inning no-hitter with 16 Ks against a team that was in the CWS the prior year. Staggering performance.
From the picture it’s not hard to see why Darling became a pitcher and not a hitter at the next level.
Darling is a very engaging guy if you ever get the chance to talk to him. I met him at the Walfdorf-Astoria (New York City) in 1986 or 87 (can't remember the exact year) as MLB was doing a tribute to Willie Mays. Tommy Lasorda was also there and a few other players and MLB dignitaries I can't remember. I'm really not sure why I was there, but I somehow found out about it and somehow got in with a friend of mine. Stuff like this was always popping up when I was young and lived in NYC. I also crashed Andy Warhol's wake, but that is a story for another day.
As part of the Mays tribute, the players were selling & signing baseballs for a charity. I bought 3 baseballs and asked Darling to sign two of them for two girls I was dating at the time. One of the girls (my future wife), was a regular at Mets games as her Wall St. firm had box seats. She'd ask me to go with her when she had tickets and she'd occasionally comment on how good looking Darling was. While Darling was signing my two baseballs, he gave me a really hard time (in a fun way) and I told him one the girls I was dating had a crush on him. We laughed, and had a great conversation. I told him I was keeping the Mays autographed baseball for myself. He laughed, and he told me I was a very smart man.
I've been a Ron Darling fan every since. It wasn't until my son started playing college baseball did I realize that Darling went to Yale, and was an exceptional two-way player.
Great story, @fenwaysouth!
Though I'm a little surprised you can't remember if it was 86 or 87, as one of those years was pretty memorable for anyone who followed the Mets.
JCG - The Mays event was in the winter so can't remember exactly if that was before or after the '86 World Series. My younger days are getting fuzzier, and that is probably a good thing.
Was thinking that Darling and Yale is one of the all-time 'mismatches' between player and college program - no disrespect to the Ivies (my son's heading to one) but Darling could have pitched anywhere.
And then I learned that Billy Wagner attended Ferrum College, which I've never heard of. Entered Ferrum standing 5'5" tall. Left at 5'10" and the rest is history. (I'd put Wagner in the Hall but I'm a big Hall guy)
Many paths.