Jeff Darwin
{{short description|American baseball player (born 1969)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|image=
|width=
|name=Jeff Darwin
|position=Pitcher
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1969|7|6}}
|birth_place=Sherman, Texas, U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=June 13
|debutyear=1994
|debutteam=Seattle Mariners
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 27
|finalyear=1997
|finalteam=Chicago White Sox
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=Win–loss record
|stat1value=0–2
|stat2label=Earned run average
|stat2value=4.47
|stat3label=Strikeouts
|stat3value=25
|teams=
- Seattle Mariners ({{mlby|1994}})
- Chicago White Sox ({{mlby|1996}}–{{mlby|1997}})
}}
Jeffrey Scott Darwin (born July 6, 1969) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played three seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners and Chicago White Sox.
Career
Darwin attended Bonham High School in Bonham, Texas, where he played baseball, basketball, and football and ran track and field. Darwin was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 46th round of the 1987 Major League Baseball draft after high school but instead accepted a scholarship to play college baseball at Alvin Community College in Alvin, Texas. The Mariners selected him in the thirteenth round of the following season's draft and he chose to sign. He was assigned to the Bellingham Mariners of the Northwest League to begin his professional career.{{cite web |title=Jeff Darwin Minor Leagues Statistics & History |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=darwin001jef |website=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=6 July 2021 |language=en}} Darwin was converted from a starting pitcher to a relief pitcher during the 1992 season while pitching for the Peninsula Pilots.{{cite news |last1=Holtzclaw |first1=Mike |title=Pilot Answers the Bullpen Call |url=https://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-xpm-19920802-1992-08-02-9208020221-story.html |access-date=6 July 2021 |work=Daily Press |date=August 2, 1992}} Years later, Darwin told the Daily Press that the move had "worked out perfectly" for his career.{{cite news |last1=Johnson |first1=Dave |title=Former Pilot Fondly Recalls Summer of '92 |url=https://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-xpm-19980709-1998-07-09-9807090002-story.html |work=Daily Press |access-date=6 July 2021 |date=July 9, 1998}} Following the 1992 season, he was added to the team's 40-man roster.{{cite news |title=Mariners: Seattle adds five to spring roster |url=https://products.kitsapsun.com/archive/1992/11-20/248427_mariners__seattle_adds_five_to_.html |access-date=6 July 2021 |work=Kitsap Sun |agency=Associated Press |date=November 20, 1992}}
On June 27, 1993, the Mariners traded Darwin to the Florida Marlins along with Henry Cotto in exchange for Dave Magadan.{{cite news |title=M's deal Cotto for Magadan |url=https://products.kitsapsun.com/archive/1993/06-28/282892_m__39_s_deal_cotto_for_magadan.html |access-date=6 July 2021 |work=Kitsap Sun |agency=Associated Press |date=June 28, 1993}} Darwin pitched poorly in his brief time in the Marlins' farm system and was traded back to Seattle that offseason, again in exchange for Magadan. Darwin got the news while pitching in the Mexican Pacific League.{{cite news |last1=Finnigan |first1=Bob |title=Mariner Spring Training -- Darwin Comes Back, And It's Not A Dream |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19940226&slug=1897266 |access-date=6 July 2021 |work=Seattle Times |date=February 26, 1994}}
Darwin made his Major League debut on June 13, 1994, with the Mariners against the Texas Rangers.{{cite web |title=Jeff Darwin Stats |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/darwije01.shtml |website=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=6 July 2021 |language=en}} According to the Chicago Tribune, "[n]erves got him" in his brief stint with the Mariners. He gave up six runs in four innings pitched and, "[f]or practical purposes, he was finished with the Mariners."{{cite news |last1=Rogers |first1=Phil |title=Darwins' Evolution: Pitching as a Team |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-03-17-9703170029-story.html |access-date=6 July 2021 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=March 17, 1997}} He returned to the minor leagues the following season and was named a Triple-A All-Star in 1995.{{cite news |title=2018 Tacoma Rainiers Media Guide |url=https://milb.bamcontent.com/documents/9/5/2/276293952/2018_Media_Guide.pdf |access-date=6 July 2021 |publisher=Tacoma Rainiers |date=2018}}
On October 9, 1995, the Mariners traded Darwin to the Chicago White Sox as the player to be named later in a July trade which had brought them outfielder Warren Newson.{{cite news |title=Sports Shorts |url=https://apnews.com/article/9eb65eb0ded65c3759db2467fd6a8511 |access-date=6 July 2021 |agency=Associated Press |date=October 10, 1995 |language=en}} During spring training in 1996, he roomed with his brother, Danny Darwin, who was in camp with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Darwin was called up to the majors from Triple-A Nashville on July 3, 1996, and was used somewhat lightly in relief for the remainder of the season.{{cite news |last1=Sullivan |first1=Paul |title=In Honor of `Dog Day,' Our Sox `All-Dog' Team |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1996-08-28-9608280247-story.html |access-date=7 July 2021 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=August 28, 1996}}{{cite web |title=Jeff Darwin 1996 Pitching Game Logs |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=darwije01&t=p&year=1996 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=7 July 2021 |language=en}} Prior to the 1997 season, the White Sox signed Danny Darwin and the brothers were united on the same team for the first time in their lives.{{cite news |last1=Rogers |first1=Phil |title=Darwin Brothers Reunited |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1997-02-08-9702080012-story.html |access-date=7 July 2021 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=February 8, 1997}} The elder Darwin would be traded away before the younger Darwin could appear in a game for the White Sox, however.{{cite news |last1=Schoenfield |first1=David |title=The Rays and the White Flag trade of '97 |url=https://www.espn.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/13944/the-rays-and-the-white-flag-trade-of-97 |access-date=7 July 2021 |work=ESPN.com |publisher=ESPN |date=20 July 2011 |language=en}} On August 17, 1997, the White Sox added Darwin to the roster after Bill Simas was placed on the disabled list.{{cite news |title=Saberhagen to Return Against Angels |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-aug-18-sp-23708-story.html |access-date=6 July 2021 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=18 August 1997}} He played out the rest of the year on the Major League roster.{{cite web |title=Jeff Darwin 1997 Pitching Game Logs |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=darwije01&t=p&year=1997 |website=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=7 July 2021 |language=en}} It would be his final season at the big league level.
Prior to the 1998 season, Darwin signed with the San Francisco Giants where he was again reunited in spring training with his older brother.{{cite news |last1=Schulman |first1=Henry |title=Darwin brothers evolve into Giants teammates |url=https://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Darwin-brothers-evolve-into-Giants-teammates-3103718.php |access-date=7 July 2021 |work=SF Gate |date=22 February 1998}} Darwin spent the season in the minor leagues and finished tied for second place in the Pacific Coast League in saves.{{cite web |title=1998 Pacific Coast League Pitching Leaders |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/leader.cgi?type=pitch&id=0ee275f6&sort_by=SV |website=Baseball-Reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference |access-date=7 July 2021 |language=en}} The following year, Darwin appeared in only eight games in the San Diego Padres farm system due at least in part to shoulder problems.{{cite news |last1=Guirem |first1=Steve |title=Stars pitcher gets life on track following tornado |url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/1999/may/18/stars-pitcher-gets-life-on-track-following-tornado/ |access-date=7 July 2021 |work=Las Vegas Sun |date=18 May 1999 |language=en}} It would be his final season in professional baseball.
Darwin began serving as a pitching coach at Benson High School in Benson, Arizona, in 2016.{{cite news |last1=Dabovich |first1=Chris |title=New baseball coach, culture beginning to take form |url=https://www.myheraldreview.com/a/socoactive/sports/benson/new-baseball-coach-culture-beginning-to-take-form/article_d45f6478-4ec6-55a4-8087-fc34fe95bde0.html |access-date=6 July 2021 |work=Sierra Vista Herald |publisher=Herald/Review Media |date=February 23, 2016 |language=en}}
Personal life
His older brother is fellow Major League pitcher Danny Darwin, though they were 14 years apart and, according to Danny, had a relationship "more like father and son." Their middle brother played college baseball at Southeastern Oklahoma State and coached baseball at North Central Texas College. Darwin's nephew played baseball at Texas Tech.{{cite web |title=Landon Darwin - Baseball |url=https://texastech.com/sports/baseball/roster/landon-darwin/58 |publisher=Texas Tech Red Raiders |access-date=6 July 2021 |language=en}} {{As of|April 2021}}, he had at least three daughters, Heather, Emily and Jamey. Emily had committed to play college softball at Yavapai College.{{cite news |last1=Lamb |first1=Linda Lou |title=Future appears bright for Benson’s Emily Darwin |url=https://www.myheraldreview.com/sports/benson/future-appears-bright-for-benson-s-emily-darwin/article_94228d0c-9744-11eb-bdbc-af23653c2694.html |access-date=6 July 2021 |work=Sierra Vista Herald |publisher=Herald/Review Media |date=April 10, 2021 |language=en}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/D/Jeff-Darwin.shtml "Jeff Darwin Statistics".] The Baseball Cube. 16 January 2008.
- [https://www.baseball-reference.com/d/darwije01.shtml "Jeff Darwin Statistics".] Baseball-Reference. 16 January 2008.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Darwin, Jeff}}
Category:American expatriate baseball players in Canada
Category:American expatriate baseball players in Mexico
Category:Baseball players from Sherman, Texas
Category:Bellingham Mariners players
Category:Calgary Cannons players
Category:Chicago White Sox players
Category:Edmonton Trappers players
Category:Fresno Grizzlies players
Category:Jacksonville Suns players
Category:Las Vegas Stars (baseball) players
Category:Major League Baseball pitchers
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Category:Peninsula Pilots players
Category:Seattle Mariners players