Ron Darling
A cerebral Ivy League pitcher who became a linchpin of the New York Mets' swaggering 1986 World Series championship team.
Born 1960 (age 66)·American baseball player and broadcaster·Birthday: August 19·Baby Boomers
Biography
Ron Darling stood out in the hard-partying, fiercely competitive world of 1980s baseball. A Yale University graduate with a degree in Southeast Asian history, he brought an intellectual's poise to the pitcher's mound. Drafted by the Texas Rangers and traded to the Mets, he formed a crucial part of a stellar young rotation alongside Dwight Gooden. Darling was known for his sharp control, a devastating split-finger fastball, and a competitive fire that belied his calm demeanor. His masterpiece came in Game 4 of the 1986 World Series, pitching seven shutout innings against the Boston Red Sox in a contest that stretched deep into the night. After his playing career, he smoothly transitioned to the broadcast booth, where his analytical mind and deep knowledge of the game have made him a respected voice for Mets fans for nearly two decades, often paired with former teammate Keith Hernandez.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Ron was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ron Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Ron's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won a World Series championship as a starting pitcher for the 1986 New York Mets.
- Pitched 7 scoreless innings in Game 4 of the 1986 World Series, a game the Mets won in extra innings.
- Won a Gold Glove Award in 1989 for his defensive excellence as a pitcher.
- Authored the baseball memoir 'The Complete Game' about the art and psychology of pitching.
- Has served as a primary television color commentator for New York Mets games since 2006.
Did You Know?
He is of Hawaiian and Chinese descent through his mother.
At Yale, he was a teammate of future MLB pitcher and executive Chris Getz on the baseball team and also played hockey.
He threw a no-hitter for Yale against St. John's University in the 1981 NCAA tournament.
He played himself in an episode of the TV show 'The Good Wife.'
“Pitching is the art of instilling doubt.”
