The True Story Behind Sidd Finch, Baseball’s Biggest Hoax

In this episode of Amazin’ Conversations with Jay Horwitz, we revisit one of the greatest hoaxes in sports history: the curious case of Sidd Finch. Jay is joined by Joe Berton — the man who became Sidd Finch — to reflect on the unforgettable 1985 Sports Illustrated April Fools’ story that convinced the baseball world a barefoot, French horn-playing pitcher could throw 168 mph. Joe shares never-before-heard stories from spring training, behind-the-scenes shenanigans, and what it was like to live the legend. Whether you were there in ’85 or just hearing about Sidd for the first time, this is a Mets moment you won’t want to miss. 📌 Timestamps 00:00 – Intro: 40 years later, Sidd Finch still has legs 00:54 – The origin of the Sidd Finch April Fools’ story 01:50 – Getting cast as Sidd: French horn, Tibetan bowl & spring training 03:26 – Choosing jersey number 21 and keeping the mystery alive 04:14 – Inside the Mets clubhouse with the 1985 team 05:07 – Mel Stottlemyre’s hilarious involvement 06:20 – Posing for photos and improvising wild scenarios 07:55 – Convincing players and locals Sidd was real 09:05 – French horn antics with Kevin Mitchell & Jesse Orosco 10:06 – Trying not to get kicked out by Davey Johnson or Bobby Valentine 10:29 – Photoshoots at Harvard and on the beach 11:21 – George Plimpton’s reaction to the photos 11:55 – Hidden “Happy April Fools’ Day” Easter egg in the article 12:36 – The story hits and fools everyone, including Congress 13:28 – Mets GMs actually call the commissioner 14:03 – Fake retirement & Mets tribute at Shea Stadium 15:10 – How the hoax stayed good-natured and fun 16:09 – Building a friendship with George Plimpton 17:04 – Sidd’s unlikely place in New York Mets history 18:19 – Reflections on being a part of baseball lore 19:45 – From Sportsman of the Year to back to the classroom 20:40 – Closing: Welcome to Mets history forever Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices