Mike Darr
| Mike Darr | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Outfielder | |||
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Born: March 21, 1976 Corona, California | |||
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Died: February 15, 2002 (aged 25) Peoria, Arizona | |||
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| MLB debut | |||
| May 23, 1999, for the San Diego Padres | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| October 7, 2001, for the San Diego Padres | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .273 | ||
| Home runs | 5 | ||
| RBIs | 67 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Michael Curtis Darr (March 21, 1976 – February 15, 2002) was a Major League Baseball outfielder who played for the San Diego Padres (1999–2001).
Darr was a promising young outfielder. The last season he played prior to his death, he appeared in 105 games for the San Diego Padres, compiling a .277 batting average with 2 home runs, 34 runs batted in, and 6 stolen bases.
On February 15, 2002, Darr was involved in a single car accident in Peoria, Arizona, during spring training. Darr and friend Duane Johnson, who were not wearing safety belts, were killed. Minor league pitcher Ben Howard, who had his safety belt on, survived with only minor injuries.[1] Darr was legally drunk at the time. He was buried at the Riverside, California, Crestlawn Memorial Park.
Nearly the entire Padres organization was among the more than 1,500 in attendance at Darr's funeral. Darr left behind a wife, Natalie, also a graduate of Corona Senior High School and two sons. The Padres wore a black circle patch with Darr's uniform number 26 on the right-sleeve of their uniform during the 2002 season.
Personal
His father, Mike Sr., pitched in one game, for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1977. Brother Ryan played in the Detroit organization for many years before ending his baseball career.
See also
- List of baseball players who died during their careers
- List of second-generation Major League Baseball players
References
- ↑ Rob Fernes, Padres' Darr Dies in Car Accident, Los Angeles Times (February 16, 2002). Retrieved September 6, 2014.
- Baseball-Reference.com
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
Frank Russo (March 6, 2002). "Mike Darr". Baseball player. Find a Grave. Retrieved July 1, 2011.