3 underrated Mets player performances in the World Series

2) Sid Fernandez was overlooked as a Mets starter for 1986 World Series

Sid Fernandez is often overlooked as a member of the Mets great starting pitching staffs of the mid to late 80’s. So it only stands to reason that with all of the exciting moments of the 1986 World Series that are dramatized with the very mention of the ’86 Mets, El Sid’s contribution to that World Series victory gets overlooked.

Yeah, yeah, yeah…we all know about Game 6 and Mookie Wilson’s ground ball through Bill Buckner’s legs. But the Mets still needed to win Game 7 and Ron Darling didn’t have his stuff and was quickly down 3-0 against a hard-hitting Red Sox club.

Fernandez had already pitched two games out of the pen, as the Mets were going with a three-man rotation for the Series – Doc Gooden, Ron Darling, and Bobby Ojeda. Fernandez relieved Darling with two outs in the fourth inning and pitched 2 1/3 innings of no hit, no run ball to allow the Mets the chance to come back from the deficit.

The drama of Game 6 was still in the air and Game 7 provided for yet another exciting comeback. But that comeback could never have happened if Fernandez didn’t shut down the Sox and open that door.