Darrin Fletcher
Encyclopedia
Darrin Glen Fletcher is a former catcher
in Major League Baseball
who played from to .
Fletcher made his major league debut in 1989 with the Los Angeles Dodgers
and appeared in 5 games. He saw limited major league playing time the following season. On September 13, 1990, Fletcher was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies
for Dennis Cook
, and then was traded to the Montreal Expos
for Barry Jones
on December 9, 1991.
In Montreal Fletcher became a fixture in the lineup, regularly playing in over 100 games a year, knocking in
50 to 60 runs and batting
in the .260 to .270 range.
Fletcher signed as a free agent with the Toronto Blue Jays
on November 26, 1997. With Toronto, he had some of his finest seasons. In , he batted .291 with 18 home run
s and 80 RBI (a career high) and in he had his first .300 season, batting .320 with 20 home runs (a career high) and 58 RBI. On August 27 of that year he hit three home runs in a game against the Texas Rangers
. Fletcher's home runs made him one of seven Blue Jays to hit 20 or more that season, helping Toronto tie a record set by the 1996 Baltimore Orioles
.
After these career highs, however, Fletcher struggled through the season and retired halfway through the 2002 season. He finished with a .269 batting average, 124 home runs, 583 RBI and 377 runs
.
As a Phillie, Fletcher caught Tommy Greene
's no-hitter
on May 23, .
Fletcher has done occasional color commentary for the Toronto Blue Jays on Rogers Sportsnet
.
He is the son of former major leaguer, Tom Fletcher
, and the grandson of long-time minor league Glenn Fletcher.
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who played from to .
Fletcher made his major league debut in 1989 with the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and appeared in 5 games. He saw limited major league playing time the following season. On September 13, 1990, Fletcher was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
for Dennis Cook
Dennis Cook
Dennis Bryan Cook is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball with nine teams from 1988 to 2002: the San Francisco Giants , Philadelphia Phillies , Los Angeles Dodgers , Cleveland Indians , Chicago White Sox , Texas Rangers ,...
, and then was traded to the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
for Barry Jones
Barry Jones (baseball)
Barry Louis Jones is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He played during eight seasons at the major league level for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago White Sox, Montreal Expos, Philadelphia Phillies, and New York Mets. He was drafted by the Pirates in the 3rd round of the 1984 amateur draft...
on December 9, 1991.
In Montreal Fletcher became a fixture in the lineup, regularly playing in over 100 games a year, knocking in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
50 to 60 runs and batting
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
in the .260 to .270 range.
Fletcher signed as a free agent with the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
on November 26, 1997. With Toronto, he had some of his finest seasons. In , he batted .291 with 18 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 80 RBI (a career high) and in he had his first .300 season, batting .320 with 20 home runs (a career high) and 58 RBI. On August 27 of that year he hit three home runs in a game against the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
. Fletcher's home runs made him one of seven Blue Jays to hit 20 or more that season, helping Toronto tie a record set by the 1996 Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
.
After these career highs, however, Fletcher struggled through the season and retired halfway through the 2002 season. He finished with a .269 batting average, 124 home runs, 583 RBI and 377 runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
.
As a Phillie, Fletcher caught Tommy Greene
Tommy Greene
Ira Thomas Greene , is a former Major League Baseball player who pitched from 1989 to 1995 and 1997. He pitched for the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros.-Pro career:...
's no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
on May 23, .
Fletcher has done occasional color commentary for the Toronto Blue Jays on Rogers Sportsnet
Rogers Sportsnet
Sportsnet was launched on October 9, 1998 as CTV Sportsnet. The name was chosen to match the regional "Fox Sports Net" operations across the United States...
.
He is the son of former major leaguer, Tom Fletcher
Tom Fletcher (baseball)
Thomas Wayne Fletcher is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who appeared in one game with the Detroit Tigers in 1962. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign....
, and the grandson of long-time minor league Glenn Fletcher.