Ron Darling - My Favorite Cigar March/April Edition of Cigar Aficionado

[JohnS]

Cigar Aficionado's latest edition (March/April 2026) has just been released. In the magazine they regularly run a segment on Celebrities favorite cigars, which can vary from person to person. I found Ron Darling, New York Mets Announcer's (and former MLB pitcher) choice rather interesting...a Cohiba Piramides Extra. Wow...what a choice and well done!

An excerpt from this article is below...

Ron Darling METS ANNOUNCER Cohiba Pirámides Extra Long before he pitched in the Major Leagues, Ron Darling was drawn to cigars by their aroma. “I had a grandfather who smoked cigars and pipes. I was just so fascinated by the smell.” He had the occasional smoke in his college days at Yale, but his cigar smoking really took off when he was playing golf. “After a round, you would have a cigar. Then it started to come back to the house . . . sit outside, have a glass of red wine or a Bourbon and a cigar.” Today, he smokes most often on the course or, perhaps, by the fireplace in his backyard. “Whenever we play golf, the first nine holes we are adamant about having the best round…

Source: https://www.discountmags.com/magazine/cigar-aficionado-march-1-2026-digital/in-this-issue/44

[NYGuido]

Well, well, the Mets AND cigars!? There goes the next 15 minutes for me!

[JohnS]

True. Although...could you imagine if they had Keith Hernandez as a celebrity? Now, that would be interesting too!

[NYGuido]

10 hours ago, JohnS said:

True. Although...could you imagine if they had Keith Hernandez as a celebrity? Now, that would be interesting too!

Gary, Keith, and Ron are the best booth in sports for this exact reason. I’d love to hear them do a podcast or smoke cigars with them and just listen.

[zacca]

5 hours ago, NYGuido said:

Gary, Keith, and Ron are the best booth in sports for this exact reason. I’d love to hear them do a podcast or smoke cigars with them and just listen. 

Even though he’s a filthy Met 😂, Darling has some great stories…he ran into Mantle, Whitey, and Billy one night when he was playing. The three of them drank him under the table then stuck him with the bill. 

[NYGuido]

4 hours ago, zacca said:

Even though he’s a filthy Met 😂, Darling has some great stories…he ran into Mantle, Whitey, and Billy one night when he was playing. The three of them drank him under the table then stuck him with the bill. 

Can’t we all just get along and hate the Yankees?

That story is absolutely epic. 

[zacca]

3 hours ago, NYGuido said:

Can’t we all just get along and hate the Yankees?

That story is absolutely epic. 

Fine. I’ll only dislike the Mets when we play them. I reserve the right to change my mind during the season though. 

Oh another Darling story - I’m hazy on this one, but it could have been with the '86 team (they were probably hazy too). He goes into the locker room one day and the old Mets announcer is passed out on the trainers table. Totally annihilated. His name escapes me, but apparently that guy got after it as much as the players so Darling saw it as business as usual. 

[NYGuido]

15 hours ago, zacca said:

Fine. I’ll only dislike the Mets when we play them. I reserve the right to change my mind during the season though. 

Oh another Darling story - I’m hazy on this one, but it could have been with the '86 team (they were probably hazy too). He goes into the locker room one day and the old Mets announcer is passed out on the trainers table. Totally annihilated. His name escapes me, but apparently that guy got after it as much as the players so Darling saw it as business as usual. 

Bob Murphy. That story is legendary. 

[zacca]

7 hours ago, NYGuido said:

Bob Murphy. That story is legendary 

The stories about that '86 team I constantly come across soften my attitude towards the franchise…hilarious stuff.