Sid Fernandez

Pitcher

Born: October 12, 1962 (age 54)
Honolulu, Hawaii

Batted: Left

Threw: Left

MLB debut

September 20, 1983, for the Los Angeles Dodgers

Last MLB appearance

April 5, 1997, for the Houston Astros

MLB statistics

Win–loss record

114–96

Earned run average

3.36

Strikeouts

1,743

Teams

Career highlights and awards

2× All-Star (1986, 1987)
World Series champion (1986)

Charles Sidney Fernandez (born October 12, 1962) was a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher from 1983 to 1997. 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 New York 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' strikeouts were often commemorated by Mets fans in the outfield upper deck with taped signs marked with the letter S for Sid.

While he was popular with Mets fans, critics of Fernandez point out that his statistics were much better in pitcher-friendly Shea Stadium. Every season from 1986 to 1991, excluding 1989, his earned run average was at least two runs worse on the road than at Shea.

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. 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.

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