Darren Oliver

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23 innings pitched. During the offseason, it was reported that Oliver and his agent, former Blue Jay Jeff Frye, attempted to renegotiate his contract with the Blue Jays, demanding a higher salary from the team, or a trade to the Texas Rangers to be closer to where he lives in the offseason with his family. [12] General Manager Alex Anthopoulos later said "His contract is his contract. That's what we signed him to. I don't see us doing that", and that he ultimately expected Oliver to retire. [13] On January 16, 2013, Oliver announced that he would honor his contract for the upcoming season. [14]

Oliver was placed on the 15-day disabled list on May 24, 2013, with a left shoulder strain. [15] He was activated from the DL on June 9, with Thad Weber being optioned to make room on the 25-man roster. [16] Oliver was the pitcher of record in a 4–2 win against the Baltimore Orioles on June 22, 2013, when the Blue Jays extended their winning streak to 10 games. [17]

Shortly before the end of the 2013 season, Oliver made a request to start the final game of the season, which would have been granted had the Blue Jays not won their previous two games over the Tampa Bay Rays, who were still in playoff contention. The start would have been his first since the 2009 season. [18] The two wins moved Tampa Bay down into a tie with the Texas Rangers for the second wild card spot going into the final day of the regular season. He was honored before his final game with a montage of career highlights, and made a relief appearance in the game, pitching one inning and striking out two batters without yielding a base runner. [19]

Post-playing career

On April 24, 2014, it was announced that Oliver had accepted a front office role with the Texas Rangers, working as a special assistant to general manager Jon Daniels. [20]

Oliver was eligible to be elected into the Hall of Fame in 2019, but received less than 5% of the vote and became ineligible for the 2020 ballot.

Oliver served as the pitching coach for the National League team in the 2024 All-Star Futures Game. [21]

See also

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References

  1. Scarr, Mike (December 11, 2006). "Angels add Oliver to deep bullpen". MLB.com. Archived from the original on April 26, 2014. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  2. Brauner, Lindsay (April 4, 2014). "10 things you didn't know about Sacramento baseball". KCRA-TV . Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  3. Newman, Mark (June 27, 2005). "Interleague Play a rousing success". MLB.com. Retrieved October 24, 2010.
  4. Munn, Scott (August 10, 1998). "Rangers Finish Trade, Send Little to St. Louis". The Oklahoman. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  5. "ESPN.com: Page 2 : Baseball's silent segregation". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 24, 2012.
  6. Bisheff, Steve (October 20, 2009). "Postseason's Hidden Hero". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 1, 2009.
  7. Bisheff, Steve (October 26, 2009). "A little perspective, and a 2010 plan". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 1, 2009.
  8. Crasnick, Jerry (December 21, 2009). "Source: Oliver nears deal with Rangers". ESPN.com.
  9. Sullivan, T.R. (December 22, 2009). "Rangers hound Oliver until he signs". MLB.com. Archived from the original on December 24, 2009. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
  10. Rubin, Adam (July 19, 2011). "Izzy does it". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  11. 1 2 "Darren Oliver Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
  12. Rosenthal, Ken; Morosi, Jon Paul (January 3, 2013). "Sources: LHP Oliver mulls retirement". FOXsports.com. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
  13. Short, D.J. (January 4, 2013). "Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos believes Darren Oliver will retire". NBCSports.com. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
  14. Chisholm, Gregor (January 16, 2013). "Oliver puts off retirement, will return for 20th season". MLB.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
  15. "Veteran Blue Jays reliever Darren Oliver goes on DL". CBC.ca. May 24, 2013. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
  16. Wray, Michael (June 9, 2013). "Blue Jays Activate Darren Oliver, Option Thad Weber to Triple-A". JaysJournal.com. SI.com. Retrieved June 22, 2013.
  17. "Bautista homer gives Blue Jays 10th straight win". Sportsnet.ca. June 22, 2013. Retrieved June 22, 2013.
  18. Davidi, Shi (September 27, 2013). "Jays' reliever Oliver has requested one last start". Sportsnet . Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  19. "Blue Jays' Oliver ends career on high note". Sportsnet. September 29, 2013. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
  20. Adams, Steve (April 24, 2014). "Darren Oliver Joins Rangers' Front Office". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  21. Adler, David (July 1, 2024). "2024 MLB All-Star Futures Game coaching staffs announced". MLB.com. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
Darren Oliver
Darren Oliver.jpg
Oliver with the Texas Rangers
Pitcher
Born: (1970-10-06) October 6, 1970 (age 54)
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Batted: Right
Threw: Left
MLB debut
September 1, 1993, for the Texas Rangers
Last MLB appearance
September 29, 2013, for the Toronto Blue Jays