“Today he said, ‘When your mind is empty like a canyon you will know the power of the Way.’ “ Eliot Posner, courtesy of Sports Illustrates When asked if Finch said anything during their rides, Posner replied: When he spoke to teammates, it was always words of advice and wisdom.Įliot Posner was responsible for bringing Finch back and forth to his apartment. He had very few belongings, and stayed by himself in an apartment instead of with the team at the hotel. My catching hand feels like it’s been hit with a sledgehammer.” Ronn Reynolds, courtesy of Sports Illustratedįinch kept to himself during Spring Training and barely spoke to anyone. So I’m standing behind the plate without a mask, chest protector, pads or anything, holding my glove up, sort of half-assed, to give him a target to throw at…and suddenly I see this windup like a pretzel gone loony, and the next thing, I’ve been blown two or three feet back, and I’m sitting on the ground with the ball in my glove. The first time I see him is inside the canvas coop, out there on the pitcher’s mound, a thin kid getting ready to throw, and I’m thinking he’ll want to toss a couple of warmup pitches. “Well, I hope nothing like that guy ever comes down the pike again. The Mets gave Finch his own locker and number, and had players do interviews with Sports Illustrated about their new teammate.Ĭheck out this quote from former Mets catcher, Ronn Reynolds: The Mets and Sports Illustrated teamed up for the trick, asking Joe Berton, a junior high school teacher from Illinois, to pose as Finch for pictures. In Finch’s words, he “learned it in the mountains” How did he throw his fastball with perfect aim without ever warming up? After his time studying at Harvard University, Finch travelled to Tibet to learn yoga, allowing him to have immense control over his mind and body. What was unique about Finch, (besides his record breaking fastball) was that he only pitched with one shoe (a hiker’s boot) and he didn’t need to warm up. An English orphan, he was adopted by an archaeologist who later died in a plane crash in Nepal. So who is this mysterious new Mets rookie?įinch was a young member of the Mets organization who was deciding between a career in professional sports or playing the French horn. But when writer George Plimpton expressed concerns about a lack of content, the two decided to craft their own joke.Īnd so Hayden Siddhartha “Sidd” Finch was born. Mark Mulvoy, the manager editor, thought it would be a fun idea to write an article about jokes in professional sports. In 1985, a Sports Illustrated publication was due to be released on April 1. That would be because Finch was an April Fools Day hoax, created by Sports Illustrated and the New York Mets. So why is it that very few baseball fans today remember Finch? Hitters feared him, pitchers wanted to be him. On the 20-80 scale, his 168 mph fastball was graded a 90. ![]() Sidd Finch was the greatest pitcher in history, signed by the Mets in 1985.
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