Darren Dreifort
Encyclopedia
Darren James Dreifort is a former Major League Baseball
pitcher
for the Los Angeles Dodgers
whose career was cut short by numerous injuries.
and was drafted out of High School by the New York Mets
in 1990. He chose instead to attend college at Wichita State University
. As a college ballplayer, Dreifort was a two-time consensus All-American and the 1993 NCAA Player of the Year. He was 26-5 with a 2.24 ERA in his career at WSU and was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame for his performance there.
He was subsequently drafted in the 1st round (2nd overall behind Alex Rodriguez
) in the MLB Draft
by the Los Angeles Dodgers
.
Dreifort became one of only a select few players to make his professional debut in the Majors, without first appearing in a minor league game. He made his debut on April 7, 1994 against the Florida Marlins
, working one scoreless inning as a relief pitcher. He appeared in a total of 27 games for the Dodgers that season, finishing 0-5 with a 6.21 ERA.
After missing the 1995 season due to injuries, Dreifort returned to the Dodgers bullpen for the 1996 and 1997 seasons, pitching effectively as a late inning setup man. He recorded his first career win on August 30, 1996 in relief against the Philadelphia Phillies
. In 1997 he was very good out of the pen, finishing 5-2 with a 2.86 ERA in 48 appearances and notched 4 saves.
He transitioned to the starting rotation for the 1998 season, making his first start on April 11 against the Houston Astros
at Dodger Stadium, working five innings and taking the loss. He finished the season 8-12 with an ERA of 4.00. He continued to pitch effectively in 1999 (13-13) and in 2000 turned in his best season with a 12-9 record, 4.16 ERA in 32 starts and 164 strikeouts.
sold the Dodgers on the right-hander's future potential, hinting he might sign with their National League
West rival, the Colorado Rockies
. The Dodgers responded with the big contract.
In 2004, after team medical personnel advised the Dodgers Dreifort could not pitch as a starter due to his injuries, Dreifort became the Dodgers' seventh inning reliever in front of setup man Guillermo Mota
and closer Eric Gagne
. Dreifort pitched inconsistently due to knee and hip troubles in addition to older arm and shoulder issues.
Dreifort's issues may be traceable to a degenerative condition that weakened his connective tissues, as well as a deformed femur that may have been the root of his hip problems, affecting in turn his ability to rotate his body properly, which could have affected his knees and his elbows as well. He is reported to have had 22 surgeries total, 20 of them since leaving college to play professional baseball.
Dreifort retired at age 32. He is divorced and lives in Pacific Palisades, California, close to his three young sons who live with their mother in Santa Monica. He remains involved with baseball, working as a Dodgers minor league spring training instructor.
Dreifort was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame
in 2009.
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...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
for 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...
whose career was cut short by numerous injuries.
Early career
Dreifort played baseball in High School at Wichita Heights High SchoolWichita Heights High School
Wichita Heights High School, known locally as Heights, is a coeducational secondary school located in Wichita, Kansas, USA, serving students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the USD 259 public school system. The school principal is Mr. Bruce Deterding, who replaced Mr. Mark Christian after...
and was drafted out of High School by the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
in 1990. He chose instead to attend college at Wichita State University
Wichita State University
Wichita State University is a NCAA Division I public university in Wichita, Kansas with selective admissions. WSU is one of six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The current president is Dr. Donald Beggs....
. As a college ballplayer, Dreifort was a two-time consensus All-American and the 1993 NCAA Player of the Year. He was 26-5 with a 2.24 ERA in his career at WSU and was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame for his performance there.
He was subsequently drafted in the 1st round (2nd overall behind Alex Rodriguez
Alex Rodriguez
Alexander Emmanuel "Alex" Rodriguez is an American professional baseball third baseman with the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball. Known popularly by his nickname A-Rod, he previously played shortstop for the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers.Rodriguez is considered one of the best...
) in the MLB Draft
MLB Draft
The First-Year Player Draft, also known as the Rule 4 Draft, is Major League Baseball's primary mechanism for assigning amateur baseball players, from high schools, colleges, and other amateur baseball clubs, to its teams. The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings, with...
by 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...
.
Dreifort became one of only a select few players to make his professional debut in the Majors, without first appearing in a minor league game. He made his debut on April 7, 1994 against the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
, working one scoreless inning as a relief pitcher. He appeared in a total of 27 games for the Dodgers that season, finishing 0-5 with a 6.21 ERA.
After missing the 1995 season due to injuries, Dreifort returned to the Dodgers bullpen for the 1996 and 1997 seasons, pitching effectively as a late inning setup man. He recorded his first career win on August 30, 1996 in relief against 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...
. In 1997 he was very good out of the pen, finishing 5-2 with a 2.86 ERA in 48 appearances and notched 4 saves.
He transitioned to the starting rotation for the 1998 season, making his first start on April 11 against the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
at Dodger Stadium, working five innings and taking the loss. He finished the season 8-12 with an ERA of 4.00. He continued to pitch effectively in 1999 (13-13) and in 2000 turned in his best season with a 12-9 record, 4.16 ERA in 32 starts and 164 strikeouts.
The Contract
A free agent after the 2000 season, Dreifort re-signed with the team, and received a five-year, $55 million contract in 2001, a large contract in spite of the fact that he had had a career record of 39-45, and a history of arm trouble. But, in 2001, with a limited free-agent pitching market, Dreifort's agent Scott BorasScott Boras
Scott Boras is an American sports agent, specializing in baseball. He is the founder, owner and president of the Boras Corporation, a sports agency based in Newport Beach, Calif. that represents roughly 175 professional baseball clients, including many of the game's highest-profile players...
sold the Dodgers on the right-hander's future potential, hinting he might sign with their National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
West rival, the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
. The Dodgers responded with the big contract.
Injuries
Dreifort's health shut him down during the very first season of the deal; he was finished in early July when he was forced to undergo elbow reconstruction surgery that kept him out until the end of 2002. With continuing arm and shoulder trouble, plus additional knee and hip trouble, Dreifort actually pitched in only three of the five years on the deal, also missing the entire 2005 season and parts of two other seasons during the life of the deal.In 2004, after team medical personnel advised the Dodgers Dreifort could not pitch as a starter due to his injuries, Dreifort became the Dodgers' seventh inning reliever in front of setup man Guillermo Mota
Guillermo Mota
Guillermo Reynoso Mota is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He stands tall and weighs . He throws and bats right-handed. Mota has played for the Montreal Expos, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Florida Marlins, the Cleveland Indians, the New York Mets, the Milwaukee Brewers and the San...
and closer Eric Gagne
Éric Gagné
Éric Serge Gagné is a former Major League Baseball pitcher.Signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent in 1995, Gagné began his career as a starting pitcher...
. Dreifort pitched inconsistently due to knee and hip troubles in addition to older arm and shoulder issues.
Dreifort's issues may be traceable to a degenerative condition that weakened his connective tissues, as well as a deformed femur that may have been the root of his hip problems, affecting in turn his ability to rotate his body properly, which could have affected his knees and his elbows as well. He is reported to have had 22 surgeries total, 20 of them since leaving college to play professional baseball.
Dreifort retired at age 32. He is divorced and lives in Pacific Palisades, California, close to his three young sons who live with their mother in Santa Monica. He remains involved with baseball, working as a Dodgers minor league spring training instructor.
Dreifort was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame
College Baseball Hall of Fame
The National College Baseball Hall of Fame, located in Lubbock, Texas, is a museum operated by the College Baseball Foundation serving as the central point for the study of the history of college baseball in the United States...
in 2009.
See also
- 1992 College Baseball All-America Team1992 College Baseball All-America TeamAn All-American team is an honorary sports team composed of the best amateur players of a specific season for each position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply "All-Americans". Although the honorees generally do not...
- 1993 College Baseball All-America Team1993 College Baseball All-America TeamAn All-American team is an honorary sports team composed of the best amateur players of a specific season for each position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply "All-Americans". Although the honorees generally do not...
- List of baseball players who went directly to the major leagues