Darryl Hamilton facts for kids

Darryl Quinn Hamilton (December 3, 1964 – June 21, 2015) was an American professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1988 to 2001. Darryl played for teams like the Milwaukee Brewers, Texas Rangers, San Francisco Giants, Colorado Rockies, and New York Mets. He was known for his strong hitting and great defense.

Darryl Hamilton's Baseball Journey

Starting with the Milwaukee Brewers

Darryl Hamilton was chosen by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 1986 baseball draft. He started playing professionally that same year. In 1987, he hit very well, with a .328 average. This showed he was a promising young player.

He made his first MLB appearance on June 3, 1988. He got his first major league hit in his very first time at bat. Later that year, he hit his first home run. During his first start in left field, he was involved in a collision with teammate Dale Sveum. This unfortunately caused Sveum to miss a lot of playing time.

In 1990, Darryl played in 89 games and hit .295. He won the Brewers' "Unsung Hero Award" that year. In 1991, he won the "Good Guy Award" while hitting .311.

Speed and Hitting for the Brewers

Darryl was very fast and stole 41 bases in 1992. The Brewers team was known for stealing many bases that year. In one game, the Brewers set a league record with 31 hits. Darryl had four hits and five RBI in that game.

When star player Paul Molitor left the Brewers, Darryl became even more important. In 1993, he led his team in batting average (.310) and hits. He also stole 21 bases. He received the team's "Harvey Kuenn Award" for his efforts.

In 1994, Darryl played only 36 games due to an elbow injury. He had surgery and missed most of the season. Even so, he received an award for his community service. After the 1995 season, the Brewers decided not to keep Hamilton, and he became a free agent.

Playing for the Texas Rangers

Darryl joined the Texas Rangers for the 1996 season. He played in a career-high 148 games as their main center fielder. He hit .293 with six home runs and 51 RBI. He also stole 15 bases.

He was a great defensive player, making no errors all season. The Rangers won their division that year, which was a first for the team. They played in the playoffs against the New York Yankees.

Time with the San Francisco Giants

Darryl signed with the San Francisco Giants in 1997. On June 12, he got the first hit in the first-ever regular-season game between teams from different leagues. This was a big moment in baseball history.

In 125 games, he hit .270 with five home runs and 15 stolen bases. The Giants made the playoffs but were swept by the Florida Marlins. In 1998, he played in 97 games for the Giants and hit .294.

Moving to the Colorado Rockies

In July 1998, Darryl was traded to the Colorado Rockies. He was surprised by the trade but played well, hitting .335 in 51 games. He stayed with the Rockies for the 1999 season. He played in 91 games and had a good on-base percentage of .374.

Finishing with the New York Mets

Darryl was traded to the New York Mets in July 1999. He played with the Mets until 2001. In his three seasons there, he played in 150 games and hit .283.

The Mets made the playoffs in both 1999 and 2000. In 1999, they won a special game to get into the playoffs. They then won their first playoff series before losing in the next round. Darryl had six hits in that series.

In 2000, the Mets won two playoff series to reach the 2000 World Series. They played against the New York Yankees. The Yankees won the series in five games. Towards the end of his time with the Mets, Hamilton felt he wasn't playing as much as he hoped, and he later left the team. He retired from baseball at the end of the 2001 season.

Over his 13-year career, Darryl Hamilton hit .291. He had 51 home runs and 454 RBI in 1328 games. As an outfielder, he was excellent, making very few errors.

Life After Baseball: Broadcasting

After retiring from playing, Darryl Hamilton became a baseball broadcaster. He worked for MLB Advanced Media and other sports networks. He also worked in the Major League Baseball Commissioner's Office.

In 2012, he became a radio analyst for some Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim games. In 2013, he joined the MLB Network as an on-air analyst, sharing his baseball knowledge. In 2014, he also worked as a part-time analyst for Brewers radio broadcasts.

Personal Life

Darryl Hamilton was married in 1994 to Shaun Robinson. They later divorced. In 2000, he married Ursaline Steinke, and they had two sons, Donovan and Julian. He also had another son in 2014.

Death

Darryl Hamilton passed away on June 21, 2015, at the age of 50. He is buried in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.