The Unsung Hero of Game 7
There were so many different heroes who helped us win the World Series 35 years ago against the Red Sox.
Of course, there was Keith, The Kid, Kevin Mitchell, Mookie, Lenny, Ron Darling, Doc, Bobby O and Wally. But, in my mind and in the minds of many others, we don’t win Game 7 without Sid Fernandez
“Sid kept us alive,” recalled Keith Hernandez. “If Sid doesn’t do what he did, the game would have gotten out of hand and who knows what would have happened.”
Fernandez relieved starter Ron Darling with a man on second and two outs in the third inning. The scoreoard read, Boston 3, Mets 0.
Sid walked Wade Boggs to put runners on first and second but retired Marty Barrett for the third out. Over 2.1 innings in relief, he allowed no runs and no hits, only walking one batter and striking out four.
Davey Johnson’s team rallied for three runs in the sixth inning to tie the game and added three more runs in the seventh, then two in the eighth for an 8–5 victory and our second World Series title.
“For me it was all about doing your job, whether I started or came out of the bullpen,” Fernandez said recently. “I knew if I shut the Red Sox down,we would come back and win. We were winning those kind of games all year long. I’m just glad I was ale to contribute on such a special night.”
