F-F-F-Foolin'

Ahh, April Fool's Day. The one day a year you can say just about anything to anyone, and play it off as a prank. After kicking around a few ill-fated ideas ("Cyclones Move to Los Angeles") and fumbling a few others ("Operation Hidden Camera"), it doesn't seem like much will come to pass this April 1st around the ol' Cyclones office. (Or, will it? Mwah hah hah hah ha!)

My favorite April Fool's prank of all time is, of course, The Curious Case of Sidd Finch (Sports Illustrated, April 1, 1985). I've gotten to work with the Mets' legendary PR man, Jay Horwitz, over the years, and he shared some of the backstory with me. It's really pretty amazing that so many people fell for it, despite how over-the-top George Plimpton, SI, Jay, and all the other participants made the story.

From the 168-MPH fastball to the acronym in the subtitle to the mystical Tibetan monastery in which he learned to pitch to his eccentric on-field footwear, everything about the Sidd Finch story screamed that it just couldn't be true. But maybe that's what made Mets fans want to believe it so badly. I mean, to be a Mets fan, you gotta believe, right?

If you've never read it, or if you just need to refresh your memory, go read the article today. It's a classic. One of my absolute favorite pieces of writing ever, and definitely my favorite prank ever pulled.

-- Dave