Darren Oliver
From SoSH
| Born: | October 6, 1970 |
| Birthplace: | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Hometown: | |
| Height: | 6' 2" |
| Weight: | 190 lbs |
| Bats: | Right |
| Throws: | Left |
| Drafted: | 1988: 3rd Rd by the Texas Rangers |
| College: | None |
| High School: | Rio Linda High School (CA) |
| Other Teams: | Texas Rangers 1993-98, 2000-01 St. Louis Cardinals `98, `99 Colorado Rockies 2003 Florida Marlins 2004 Houston Astros 2004 New York Mets 2006 Anaheim Angels 2007-Pres |
| Years with Boston: | 2002 |
Darren Christopher Oliver (born on October 6, 1970 in Kansas City, MO) was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the third round of the 1998 Amateur Draft. Oliver made his major league debut on September 1, 1993 and his Red Sox debut on April 1, 2002.
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Overall Career
Darren played for the Texas Rangers from 1993 until a midseason trade sent him to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1998. He played in St. Louis for a year and a half and posted a 4.62 ERA in 1999, which was apparently good enough for the Rangers to offer him a 3 year, $19 million contract in January 2000. Oliver responded by posting ERAs of 7.42 and 6.02 in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Desperate to get out from under the final year of his contract, the Rangers sent Oliver to Boston in a rare two-sided player dump, as Texas exchanged Oliver's bad contract for Carl Everett's bad personality. Oliver played the role of long man/spot starter out of the bullpen for the Sox in 2002, yielding a respectable 4.66 ERA, albeit in just 58 innings. Following the 2002 season, Oliver was non-tendered by the Sox, and has subsequently played for the Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, Florida Marlins, and the New York Mets. Following a successful 2006 campaign as a reliever for the Mets, Oliver signed with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Oliver's Moments in the Sun
- As a Cardinal, Oliver was the starting and winning pitcher in the game where Mark McGwire hit his record-tying 61st home run on September 7, 1998.
- Oliver is the first pitcher ever to pitch in interleague play. He was the starting pitcher in the Texas Rangers' 4-3 loss to the San Francisco Giants on June 12, 1997 at The Ballpark in Arlington.
Trivia
- Son of former Major Leaguer Bob Oliver.
Transactions
- June 1, 1988: Drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 3rd round of the 1988 amateur draft. Player signed June 2, 1988.
- July 31, 1998: Traded by the Texas Rangers with Mark Little (PTBNL) and Fernando Tatis to the St. Louis Cardinals for Royce Clayton and Todd Stottlemyre.
- October 29, 1999: Granted Free Agency.
- January 27, 2000: Signed as a Free Agent with the Texas Rangers.
- December 12, 2001: Traded by the Texas Rangers to the Boston Red Sox for Carl Everett.
- July 2, 2002: Released by the Boston Red Sox.
- July 19, 2002: Signed as a Free Agent with the St. Louis Cardinals.
- August 13, 2002: Released by the St. Louis Cardinals.
- February 3, 2003: Signed as a Free Agent with the Colorado Rockies.
- October 26, 2003: Granted Free Agency.
- February 6, 2004: Signed as a Free Agent with the Florida Marlins.
- July 22, 2004: Purchased by the Houston Astros from the Florida Marlins.
- November 8, 2004: Granted Free Agency.
- January 22, 2005: Signed as a Free Agent with the Colorado Rockies.
- March 31, 2005: Released by the Colorado Rockies.
- April 12, 2005: Signed as a Free Agent with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
- May 3, 2005: Released by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
- May 7, 2005: Signed as a Free Agent with the Chicago Cubs.
- May 20, 2005: Released by the Chicago Cubs.
- December 19, 2005: Signed as a Free Agent with the New York Mets to a minor league contract
- December 11, 2006: Signed as a Free Agent with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
External Links
- Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis
