Keith Hernandez sits down for a far-ranging interview with Sports Illustrated, in part to promote his upcoming book.
SI: What was your relationship with Ron Darling when you played?
KH: There were only about five of us that lived in the city. He and I were two. You have to live on the East Side because Shea is in Flushing. If you want to live on the West Side and do crosstown traffic, be my guest. But I was on 49th and Second. Ronny stayed downtown. He was more of a loner, more bohemian. As a teammate, I was very involved with the pitcher during a game but with Ronny, he didn’t like to be bothered. So I left him alone to his own devices. I respected that. As we’ve come into the booth together, I think our friendship has grown exponentially. We’ve gotten to know each other without the pressure of performing.
SI: Really, you’re not—
KH: Baseball is an entirely different level of performance in my mind.
SI: What did playing in New York mean to your career?
KH: New York broadened my horizons. Probably one of the best things that’s ever happened to me, even though it didn’t seem that way at the time.
Source: Jon Wertheim, SI.com