Darren Oliver facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Darren Oliver |
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Oliver with the Texas Rangers
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: October 6, 1970 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 1, 1993, for the Texas Rangers | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 29, 2013, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 118–98 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.51 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,259 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Darren Christopher Oliver (born October 6, 1970) is a former American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for many years. His father, Bob Oliver, was also a major league player. This makes Darren a second-generation MLB player.
Contents
Growing Up and Early Life
Darren Oliver was born on October 6, 1970. His father, Bob Oliver, was a baseball infielder. Darren grew up playing both baseball and basketball. He played these sports at Rio Linda High School in Rio Linda, California.
Darren Oliver's Baseball Journey
Starting His Professional Career (1993–2005)
Darren Oliver made his first appearance in Major League Baseball on September 1, 1993. He was 22 years old at the time. His debut game was at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox.
In 1996, Oliver became a starting pitcher for the Texas Rangers. He had a great year, winning 14 games. Oliver also made history in 1997. He was the first pitcher to play in an interleague play game. This is when teams from different leagues play each other.
Oliver pitched for the Rangers from 1993 to 1998. In 1998, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals. While with the Cardinals, he was the winning pitcher in a famous game. This was when Mark McGwire hit his 61st home run in 1998. After playing for the Cardinals until 1999, Oliver returned to the Rangers for two more years.
In 2002, Oliver joined the Boston Red Sox as a left-handed reliever (a pitcher who comes into the game after the starter). He then pitched for the Colorado Rockies in 2003, winning 13 games. In 2004, he played for both the Florida Marlins and the Houston Astros. After the 2004 season, he became a free agent. This means he could sign with any team. In 2004, Oliver was one of only four African-American starting pitchers in MLB. He missed the entire 2005 season.
Playing for the New York Mets (2006)
After missing a season, Oliver signed with the New York Mets in 2006. He became a very important part of their bullpen (the group of relief pitchers). He had a good record of 4 wins and 1 loss. His ERA (a measure of how many runs a pitcher gives up) was 3.44. He pitched in 45 games that year.
Oliver also pitched well in the 2006 NLCS. He pitched six innings in one game without giving up any runs.
Time with the Los Angeles Angels (2007–2009)
Oliver became a free agent again after the 2006 season. He then signed with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. By joining the Angels, he became one of only two players to play for all four original MLB expansion teams. The other player was Nolan Ryan. Interestingly, both Darren and his father, Bob, were once teammates with Nolan Ryan.
In 2009, Oliver had a great season with the Angels. He finished with 5 wins and 1 loss. His ERA was very low at 2.71. Many people thought he was a key player for the Angels that year. Even though he was 39 years old, many believed the Angels should re-sign him. However, they did not agree on a new contract.
Returning to the Texas Rangers (2010–2011)
On December 22, 2009, Oliver signed a contract to return to the Texas Rangers. This was his third time playing for the team. His contract included an option for 2011. This option would become active if he pitched enough games.
In 2010, Oliver set a unique record. He recorded a save (finishing a game without giving up the lead) for the Rangers. This save came 15 years and 271 days after his previous save for the same team. This was the longest gap between saves for one team. In 2011, Oliver continued to pitch well. He finished with 5 wins and 5 losses. His ERA was 2.29, which is excellent. He was also the sixth-oldest player in the American League that year.
Playing for the Toronto Blue Jays (2012–2013)
On December 30, 2011, Oliver signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. This was a one-year deal with an option for 2013. In 2012, Oliver had one of the best seasons of his career. He finished with a 3-4 record and a 2.06 ERA. He also had 52 strikeouts in 56 and two-thirds innings pitched.
Before the 2013 season, there was talk that Oliver might retire. However, he decided to honor his contract. In May 2013, he was placed on the disabled list due to a shoulder injury. He returned to play in June. On June 22, 2013, Oliver was the pitcher of record (the pitcher who gets the win or loss) in a game where the Blue Jays won their 10th straight game.
Towards the end of the 2013 season, Oliver wanted to start the final game. This would have been his first start since 2009. However, the Blue Jays won their previous two games. This affected the Tampa Bay Rays' chances for a wild card spot in the playoffs. So, Oliver pitched one inning in relief in the final game. He struck out two batters and did not allow anyone to reach base. This was his final appearance as a player.
After Playing Baseball
After retiring from playing, Darren Oliver stayed involved in baseball. On April 24, 2014, he accepted a job with the Texas Rangers. He became a special assistant to the general manager.
Oliver was eligible to be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019. However, he did not receive enough votes to be considered for future ballots. In 2024, Oliver served as the pitching coach for the National League team in the All-Star Futures Game.
See also
- List of second-generation Major League Baseball players
Images for kids
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Oliver pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays
