Darren Christopher O'Day (born October 22, 1982) is an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the 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 ...

who is a free agent. He has played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

, Texas Rangers,

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

and

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

. O'Day played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...

for the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

. Undrafted out of college, O'Day signed as a free agent with the Angels in 2006. He made his MLB debut in 2008, and was an All-Star in 2015. O'Day is one of the few Major League pitchers to throw

submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

pitches.

Early life and amateur career

O'Day was born in

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...

. He attended

Bishop Kenny High School Bishop Kenny High School (commonly referred to as Bishop Kenny or BKHS) is a private, college-preparatory, coeducational Catholic high school in Jacksonville, Florida. It is located in and administered by the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. August ...

in Jacksonville, and played high school baseball for the Bishop Kenny Crusaders. O'Day accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the

Gainesville, Florida Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida, Alachua County, Florida, and the largest city in North Central Florida, with a population of 141,085 in 2020. It is the principal city of the Gainesville metropolitan area, Florida, Gaine ...

, where he played for coach Pat McMahon's

Florida Gators baseball The Florida Gators baseball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of baseball. Florida competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (S ...

team from 2003 to 2006.''2009 Florida Gators Baseball Media Guide''
History
, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 88, 90, 95, 98, 101, 104 (2009). Retrieved November 2, 2011. He earned

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities of ...

(SEC) Academic Honor Roll recognition for four consecutive years, and was an

Academic All-American The Academic All-America program is a student-athlete recognition program. The program selects an honorary sports team composed of the most outstanding student-athletes of a specific season for positions in various sports—who in turn are giv ...

as a senior. During the Gators' run in the

2005 College World Series The 2005 NCAA Division I baseball tournament was held from May 30 through June 26, . Sixty-four NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a regular season, and for some, a conference tournament, to play in t ...

, O'Day made four relief appearances and earned a save. O'Day graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in agricultural and life sciences in 2006.

Professional career

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Undrafted out of college, O'Day signed as a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

with the

in 2006. He made his major league debut with the Angels in . In 30 games, he was 0–1 with a 4.57 ERA in innings.

New York Mets

The

selected O'Day in the Rule 5 Draft on December 11, 2008. He made the Mets' roster out of

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...

. He was widely quoted in the media on the death of his former teammate

Nick Adenhart Nicholas James Adenhart (August 24, 1986 – April 9, 2009) was an American right-handed baseball starting pitcher who played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In just four career games, Ad ...

. He was designated for assignment by the Mets two weeks into the season in order to make room on the roster for

Nelson Figueroa Nelson Figueroa (born May 18, 1974) is an American former professional baseball pitcher and current pitching coach in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Philadelphi ...

Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers claimed him on April 22, 2009 and he made his debut the same day in extra innings against the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

, just minutes after getting to the bullpen from the airport. His arrival was so quick that he had to wear the jersey of

Kason Gabbard Kason Ronald Gabbard (born April 8, 1982) is a former American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox and the Texas Rangers. High school Gabbard played high school baseball at Royal Palm B ...

in his first appearance. He was an effective reliever for the Rangers, posting an ERA of 1.94 in 64 games. He struck out 54 in innings. The following season he appeared in a career high 72 games, posting an ERA of 2.03 with a 6–2 record. Limited to sixteen appearances due to a pair of injuries, O'Day was 0–1 with a 5.40 earned run average (ERA) in

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...

. He was first sidelined from April 27 to July 1 because of a partial

acetabular labrum The acetabular labrum (glenoidal labrum of the hip joint or cotyloid ligament in older texts) is a ring of cartilage that surrounds the acetabulum of the hip. The anterior portion is most vulnerable when the labrum tears. It provides an articulat ...

tear in his left hip. Right shoulder

inflammation Inflammation (from la, wikt:en:inflammatio#Latin, inflammatio) is part of the complex biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or Irritation, irritants, and is a protective response involving im ...

sent him back to the

disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...

for the second time from August 25 to September 12. He also pitched in eighteen minor league games with the

Frisco RoughRiders The Frisco RoughRiders (often shortened to 'Riders) are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers. They are located in Frisco, Texas, and are nam ...

and

Round Rock Express The Round Rock Express are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. They are located in Round Rock, Texas, and play their home games at the Dell Diamond. The team is named ...

, going a combined 1–0 with a 2.53 ERA. He was not activated to the Rangers' roster for any round of that year's postseason.Lyle Spencer,
Orioles claim O'Day off waivers from Rangers
" MLB.com (November 2, 2011). Retrieved November 2, 2011. During this period, when he arrived at the mound, Texas Rangers' fans began a traditional chant of his last name.

Baltimore Orioles

2012

The

claimed O'Day off waivers on November 2, 2011. He was scheduled to make $1.35 million in the 2012 season. Following the struggles of

Pedro Strop Pedro Ángel Strop (born June 13, 1985) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, and Chicago Cubs. Career ...

, O'Day settled into the role of the 8th inning setup pitcher later in the 2012 season, often leaving the game in a manageable state for closer Jim Johnson. O'Day posted a 7–1 record with a 2.28 ERA by the end of the 2012 season.

2013

In 2013, O'Day continued his success as an Oriole, going 5–3 as their 8th inning setup man, while posting a 2.18 ERA in 68 games. He collected two saves and pitched 62.0 innings, while striking out 59 batters and holding opponents to a .210 batting average.

2014

Former Orioles reliever and fellow submarine pitcher

Todd Frohwirth Todd Gerard Frohwirth (September 28, 1962 – March 26, 2017) was an American professional baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He played for all or part of nine seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Ori ...

worked with O'Day during spring training in 2014 to improve his change-up. O'Day had a career year in 2014, as he pitched 68 innings in 68 games and collected a 5–2 record with four saves. He posted a 1.70 ERA along with a 0.89 WHIP. He also struck out 73 batters and held opponents to a career-best .174 batting average. He set career-bests in innings pitched, saves, ERA, WHIP, strikeouts, and opponent batting average. Despite his most successful season, O'Day struggled greatly in the postseason, as he posted an 0–2 record and a 13.50 ERA in four games. Particularly in the

2014 American League Championship Series The 2014 American League Championship Series was a best-of-seven playoff pitting the Baltimore Orioles against the Kansas City Royals for the American League pennant and the right to play in the 2014 World Series. The Royals won the series four ...

, O'Day went 0–2 in three games and posted a 16.20 ERA.

2015

In 2015, O'Day was selected to appear in the

All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or div ...

. He finished his career year with a 1.52 ERA in 68 appearances, which totaled to 65 innings. He compiled a 6–2 record and set a career-high with six saves. He also set a career-high with 82 strikeouts.

2016

On December 14, 2015, the Orioles re-signed O'Day to a 4-year, $31 million contract. Battling injuries throughout the duration of the season, O'Day had his worst year as an Oriole. He appeared in only 34 games, throwing 31 innings while pitching to a 3.77 ERA, his highest as a member of the Orioles. He compiled a 3–1 record and struck out 38 batters. O'Day also appeared in the

Wild Card Game The Wild Card Series (formerly known as Wild Card Game from 2012 to 2019 and in 2021) are games that serve as the opening round of the Major League Baseball (MLB) Major League Baseball postseason, postseason. A single wild card game was first ...

for the Orioles, tossing 1 innings while striking out one batter in a 5–2 loss.

2017

O'Day rebounded from the previous season, registering a healthy season in which he appeared in 64 games. He also had an ERA of 3.43 in innings.

2018

O'Day appeared in 20 games for the O's before undergoing season ending surgery on his left hamstring.

Atlanta Braves

On July 31, 2018, O'Day, along with

Kevin Gausman Kevin John Gausman (born January 6, 1991), nicknamed "Gaus", is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, ...

, were traded to the

in exchange for Brett Cumberland, Jean Carlos Encarnacion, Evan Phillips, Bruce Zimmermann, and international signing money. O'Day opened the 2019 season on the

injured list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...

with a right forearm injury, which followed a single spring training appearance. He was activated to the major league roster on September 5. In 2019 he was 0–0 with a 1.69 ERA in 5.1 innings over 8 games. On November 8, 2019 he re–signed with the Braves on a one-year, $2.5 million contract, with a club option for a second year. After finishing the season 4–0 with a 1.10 ERA and 22 strikeouts over 16.1 innings (19 relief appearances total), the Braves declined their $3.5 million club option on his contract for the following season, opting to pay his $500,000

buyout In finance, a buyout is an investment transaction by which the ownership equity of a company, or a majority share of the stock of the company is acquired. The acquiror thereby "buys out" the present equity holders of the target company. A buyout ...

, and he became a free agent.

New York Yankees

O'Day signed a one-year, $1.75MM contract with the

on February 10, 2021. On May 1, O'Day was placed on the injured list with a right rotator cuff strain, and was activated on June 29 after a near two-month stay on the IL. On July 7, O'Day was placed on the injured list with a “significant” left

hamstring strain Straining of the hamstring, also known as a pulled hamstring, is defined as an excessive stretch or tear of muscle fibers and related tissues. Hamstring injuries are common in athletes participating in many sports. Track and field athletes are p ...

On July 18, Yankees manager

Aaron Boone Aaron John Boone (born March 9, 1973) is an American baseball manager and former infielder who is the manager of the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for 13 seasons from 1997 through 2009. As a player, ...

stated that O'Day would likely miss the remainder of the season. On July 20, it was announced O’Day would undergo left hamstring surgery, ending his 2021 season. In 12 appearances with the Yankees, O'Day recorded a 3.38 ERA with 11 strikeouts. He became a free agent after the season.

Atlanta Braves (second stint)

On November 29, 2021, O'Day signed a minor league contract to return to the

. On April 3, 2022, O’Day was selected to the Opening Day roster. In July, O'Day strained his left calf muscle and was placed on the injured list. While rehabilitating the injury in the minor leagues, O'Day sprained his right big toe and was transferred to the 60-day IL in September.

Personal life

O'Day's original

family name In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

was Odachowski. His paternal grandmother, who had raised his father Ralph and two uncles on her own after his grandfather died in a car accident, shortened it to Odach (the "ch" is silent in

Polish phonology The phonological system of the Polish language is similar in many ways to those of other Slavic languages, although there are some characteristic features found in only a few other languages of the family, such as contrasting postalveolar and ...

) to make it easier to pronounce for her colleagues at

Montgomery Ward Montgomery Ward is the name of two successive U.S. retail corporations. The original Montgomery Ward & Co. was a world-pioneering mail-order business and later also a leading department store chain that operated between 1872 and 2001. The curren ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. Ralph and one of his brothers legally changed their last names to O'Day in her honor after they were married. O'Day has "D. Odachowski" stitched on the side of his game glove to honor his family history. "Odachowski" was featured on the back of his jersey worn during MLB's Players Weekend on August 25–27, 2017. O'Day is married to

Elizabeth Prann Elizabeth Prann is an anchor/reporter for HLN formerly of the Fox News Channel, based in the Fox News Washington, D.C. bureau. Prann previously worked from July 2008 to January 2010 as a reporter, fill-in anchor and producer for the Panama City a ...

, a University of Florida alumna and an anchor/reporter for HLN. Their first child, a daughter named Claire, was born in December 2014. In 2017, O'Day was honored as the 2017 Major League Baseball recipient of the

Bob Feller Act of Valor Award The Bob Feller Act of Valor Award, created in 2013, is a set of awards originally presented annually to a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, a current Major League Baseball player, and a United States Navy Chief Petty Officer. In 2015 ...

for his work with the

United States Military The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

. His parents are Ralph Leon and Michal (nee Shoemaker) O'Day, and he has an older brother, Kyle Matthew O'Day. He is a descendant of

Louis DuBois (Huguenot) Louis Du Bois (21 October 1626 – 1696) was a Huguenot colonist in New Netherland who, with two of his sons and nine other refugees, founded the town of New Paltz, New York. These Protestant refugees fled Catholic persecution in France, emigratin ...

, an early settler of

Ulster County, New York Ulster County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. It is situated along the Hudson River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 181,851. The county seat is Kingston. The county is named after the Irish province of Ulster. History ...

and

New Paltz, New York New Paltz () is an incorporated U.S. town in Ulster County, New York. The population was 14,003 at the 2010 U.S. Census. The town is located in the southeastern part of the county and is south of Kingston. New Paltz contains a village, also wit ...

, as well as the

Hasbrouck family The Hasbrouck family was an early immigrant family to Ulster County, New York, and helped found New Paltz, New York. The Hasbrouck family were French Huguenots who fled persecution in France by moving to Germany, and then the United States. ...

. Through these relations, his 11th cousin is

Zack Short Zachary Ryan Short (born May 29, 1995) is an American professional baseball infielder for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Detroit Tigers, New York Mets, and Boston Red Sox. Amateur caree ...

of the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

organization.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Oday, Darren 1982 births Living people American League All-Stars American people of Polish descent Arkansas Travelers players Atlanta Braves players Baltimore Orioles players Baseball players from Jacksonville, Florida Bishop Kenny High School alumni Bowie Baysox players Cedar Rapids Kernels players Florida Gators baseball players Frederick Keys players Frisco RoughRiders players Gulf Coast Braves players Los Angeles Angels players Major League Baseball pitchers New York Mets players New York Yankees players Orem Owlz players Rancho Cucamonga Quakes players Round Rock Express players Salt Lake Bees players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders players Surprise Rafters players Texas Rangers players Gwinnett Stripers players Florida Fire Frogs players