You are right about Doc. When looking back at the #’s he had already started to decline in 88′ – we just didn’t know it yet.

He still pitched well in the playoffs and outdueled Hershiser in Game 1 and would have gotten the win in Game 4 if Davey pulled him. I asked Gary Carter about this a couple of months ago, and he smiled, wouldn’t give an answer to whether Doc should have been taken out, and finally said “I wasn’t the manager”.

Personally I would have started Doc in Game 7 – nothing against Darling- but why not go with your ace? Darling didn’t pitch well in Game 3.

What a frustrating series and one which kept them from a second title. I think if they win a second title that eighties team looks different. Perhaps they don’t make the same panic moves as well.

If you look at the Mets starters in 1988 — Gooden Darling, Cone, Ojeda and Fernandez — and tiered them like we do today — i.e.e, Ace – #1, #2, etc. then I have a slightly different wrinkle on how I believe most would tier the 1988 staff.

The 1988 Gooden was a very, very good pitcher but had regressed considerale from the dominant Doctor he was in 1984 & 1985 …. his velocity fell off in 1986 and his early 1987 drug problems took their toll.

If I had to select an ace from the 1988 staff, it would be David Cone hands down. In fact, I still cringe when I think that Davey Johnson started Gooden in Game 1 of the NLCS — it should have been Cone off his 20-3 record …. I contend that the entire series would have been different if Cone was designatd the #1 and Gooden or Ojeda were #2.

Anyway, here is how I would slot the 1988 staffe:

#1 (Ace) – David Cone
#2: Dwight Gooden
#3: Bobby Ojeda
#4: Ron Darling
#5: Sid Fernandez