Sid Fernandez

In 1701⁄3 innings, Fernandez struck out 180 batters, while only allowing 108 hits for New York.

Both ratios were the best in the Major Leagues, with second place in both categories going to teammate and Cy Young Award winner Dwight Gooden.

Fernandez's average 5.71 hits allowed per nine innings was the second-best in National League history, behind only Carl Lundgren's mark of 5.65 in 1907.

Fernandez struggled with walks and wound up finishing the year with a record of 9-9.

In seven of his nine losses, he gave up two earned runs or fewer.

Despite having the third-best record in baseball at 98-64, the Mets placed second in their division and missed the postseason.

Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Fernandez was proud of his roots and wore uniform number 50 in honor of Hawaii being the 50th state.

The theme song to Hawaii Five-O was often played before his starts at Shea Stadium during his days with the Mets.

Fernandez had an unorthodox pitching motion with a hesitation at the end, followed by a sudden slingshot sidearm delivery.

This deceptive motion, coupled with an effective curveball and a rising fastball, made him a major strikeout threat throughout his career.

Fernandez's strikeouts were often commemorated by Mets' fans in the upper deck putting up taped signs marked with the letter "S" for Sid.

Fernandez has the fourth-lowest ratio of hits allowed per innings pitched in Major League history, behind only Nolan Ryan, Clayton Kershaw, and Sandy Koufax.

According to the Portuguese Heritage Foundation, Fernandez is believed to be of Portuguese descent.

He attended St. Louis High School (briefly) and Kaiser High School in Honolulu and pitched a no-hitter in his first high school start.

Charles Sidney Fernandez (born October 12, 1962) is an American former professional baseball left-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, and Houston Astros, from 1983 to 1997.

He led the Kaiser High School Cougars to a state championship in 1981 and was drafted out of high school at age 18 by the Los Angeles Dodgers, who chose him in the third round (73rd overall) of the 1981 Major League Baseball draft.

Over 76 innings pitched with the Pioneer League's Lethbridge Dodgers, Fernandez struck out 128 batters, and posted a 5-1 record, with a 1.54 ERA his first professional season.

After going 8-1 with a 1.91 ERA and 137 strikeouts for the class high A Vero Beach Dodgers in the first half of the 1982 season, Fernandez was promoted to the AAA Albuquerque Dukes, though he was less successful there, and was assigned to the AA San Antonio Dodgers for 1983.

At San Antonio, Fernandez went 13-4 with a 2.82 ERA and 209 strikeouts to become only the second pitcher ever to win the Texas League's pitching triple crown.

Fernandez was named the Texas League Pitcher of the Year, and received a September call-up to the Los Angeles Dodgers, making his major league debut on September 20 versus the Houston Astros, entering the game in the sixth inning, and allowing one earned run in three innings of work.

He made his first Major League start in the last game of the season, losing to the San Francisco Giants.

Fernandez fought weight problems throughout his time in the Dodgers organization.

He did not make the Dodgers' post-season roster, and following their loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1983 National League Championship Series, the Dodgers traded him and infielder Ross Jones to the New York Mets for Carlos Diaz and Bob Bailor.

In 1984, Fernandez posted a record of 6-5 with a 2.56 ERA and 123 strikeouts with the Triple-A Tidewater Tides, earning a call-up to the Mets in mid-July.

Fernandez earned his first Major League win in his first start with the Mets in a 13-3 victory against the Houston Astros at the Astrodome on July 16.

For the season, he went 6-6 with a 3.50 ERA in 15 starts in the big leagues.

Fernandez split the 1985 season between Tidewater and the Mets.

Known by his nickname as El Sid, he finished his career with 114 wins, was a two-time All-Star, and helped the Mets win the World Series in 1986.

Fernandez finished with a career-best record of 16-6 in 1986.

A 12-2 start resulted in his first All-Star Game appearance and the first-ever appearance by a Hawaii native in the game.

In his only inning of the All-Star Game, Fernandez walked the first two batters, but then struck out Brook Jacoby, Jim Rice, and Don Mattingly in succession to get out of the inning.

During the regular season, Fernandez posted a 2.17 ERA at home and had a 5.03 in road games.

Fernandez was one of four Mets pitchers to receive consideration for the 1986 Cy Young Award, marking the only Cy Young vote of his career.

He finished seventh behind the Houston Astros' Mike Scott.

The Mets easily won the National League East with their record of 108-54.

In Game 4 of the 1986 National League Championship Series, Fernandez went head to head with Scott with a chance to give Mets a 3-1 lead in the series.

Fernandez gave up two home runs in the game, ultimately allowing three earned runs in six innings as the Astros prevailed by a 3-1 score.

The Mets recovered to win the next two games and advance to the World Series.

In the World Series, Mets' manager Davey Johnson opted to go with a three-man rotation and use Fernandez out of the bullpen against the Boston Red Sox.

Gooden struggled in Game 5, falling behind 4-0 in the game.