Danny Darwin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Danny Darwin | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pitcher | ||
| Born: October 25, 1955 Bonham, Texas |
||
| Batted: Right | Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | ||
| September 8, 1978 for the Texas Rangers |
||
| Final game | ||
| September 22, 1998 for the San Francisco Giants |
||
| Career statistics | ||
| Win-Loss record | 171-182 | |
| Earned run average | 3.84 | |
| Strikeouts | 1,942 | |
| Teams | ||
| Career highlights and awards | ||
|
||
Daniel Wayne "Danny" Darwin (born October 25, 1955 in Bonham, Texas), known as the "Bonham Bullet," is a former veteran pitcher of 21 Major League Baseball seasons. He amassed 171 wins and 182 losses over his career for 8 different Major League teams with a 4.07 earned run average. His best season was at the age of 34 when he went 11-4 and won the National League ERA title with 2.21 for the Houston Astros in 1990. He is currently the pitching coach for the Great Lakes Loons (A)- in Midland Michigan.
Contents |
[edit] Early life
Danny attended Bonham High School and Grayson County College. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Texas Rangers on May 10, 1976. He began his professional career with the Asheville Tourists in Single-A in 1976. He pitched for the Double-A Tulsa Drillers in 1977 and the Triple-A Tucson Toros in 1978. With Tulsa, he was 13-4, 2.41 ERA in 23 starts with six complete games and four shutouts.
[edit] Major league baseball
He made his major league debut on September 8, 1978. He pitched two innings of relief in an 11-4 loss against the Oakland Athletics, giving up one run and two hits.
He had his first major league start, against the Seattle Mariners, in the second game of a double-header on September 24, 1978. He pitched six innings, giving up eight hits, striking out seven, and allowing only one walk to record his first victory.
Darwin did not become a full time starter until 1981, a strike-shortened season. He made 22 starts that year, carving out a 9-9 record with a 3.64 ERA.
He remained in Texas starting rotation until he was traded on January 18, 1985 to the Milwaukee Brewers (along with Bill Nance for Don Slaught. In 1985 for the Brewers, he finished with a record of 8-18... coming very close to losing 20 games.
He was traded during the 1986 season to the Houston Astros for Mark Knudson and Don August. He remained with Houston through 1990, gradually being switched from a starting pitcher to a reliver by his last years with the Astros. In his final season in Houston, he was 11-4, 2.21 era in 48 games (17 starts) to win the National League ERA title.
He signed with the Boston Red Sox as a free agent after the season and pitched with them for four seasons, both as a starter and a reliever.
After leaving the Red Sox, he had a shaky season in 1995, starting with the Toronto Blue Jays, but being cut midway through the season (with a 1-8 record and 7.62 era) and signing with the Texas Rangers again.
His return to Texas was short lived as he spent the last three years of his career bouncing around between teams. He signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1996, who traded him back to the Astros at mid-season (for Rich Loiselle). Then he signed with the Chicago White Sox in 1997, only to be delt at the trading deadline to the San Francisco Giants as part of a multi-player deal that sent Wilson Alvarez and Roberto Hernandez to the Giants and Keith Foulke and others to the White Sox. He finished his career in 1998, pitching 1/3rd of an inning for the Giants in his final appearance against the Pirates.
Danny's younger brother, Jeff Darwin (born 1969), also had a professional baseball career that lasted eleven years. Jeff, who also graduated from Bonham High School, spent parts of three seasons in the majors, including 1996-1997 with the Chicago White Sox. Both Danny & Jeff were in the White Sox organization in 1997 but Danny was traded on July 31 and Jeff was not called up from the Minors until August 17. In 1998 again they were both with the Giants but Jeff spent the year at AAA and was not called up.
[edit] Later life
Darwin is the sponsor of the "Danny Darwin Celebrity Open Golf Tournament" at North Central Texas College. [1]
He was the Pitching Coach for the Jacksonville Suns in the Double-A Southern League from 2006-2007 and the current pitching coach of the Class-A Great Lakes Loons.
[edit] Stories about him
[edit] Doctor Death
Darwin was named "Doctor Death" by Astros Hall of Fame radio announcer Milo Hamilton during the 1989 season. In living up to this moniker, Darwin would prove to be the "death" of many opposing teams' rallies in the 7th and 8th innings as the main right-handed set-up man for closer Dave Smith. Despite the name, Mr. Darwin was not a licensed medical doctor.
[edit] Ryan vs. Darwin
Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan was on the same pitching staff with Darwin during the 1986 through 1988 seasons. Both were described by Milo Hamilton as "tall, tough Texans." It was a source of debate amongst Astros players and fans over who would win in a fight, Ryan or Darwin. Though Astros pitcher Bob Knepper attempted to set up a fight between the two during spring training in 1988, manager Hal Lanier stopped it before it could commence. Many experts, including Astros shortstop Rafael Ramirez, felt that Darwin would win because he "looked like someone no man would want to mess with." [2]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Booster Club News – North Central Texas College
- ^ Hou Chronicle March 24, 1988. Story by Neil Hohlfeld
[edit] External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
| Preceded by Scott Garrelts |
National League ERA Champion 1990 |
Succeeded by Dennis Martinez |
