February 15, 2002 - Mike Darr, 25, San Diego Padres OF:
PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) -- Mike Darr's locker was left untouched Saturday, one day after the San Diego Padres outfielder was killed in a car crash.
"His spirit is still here," said reliever Tom Davey, one of Darr's closest friends on the team. "You can still think of Mike. And when you do, he puts a smile on your face. To look over at his locker right now and know he's not going to walk through this door ... it's crazy."
Darr's death cast a pall over the Padres' camp Saturday, as the usual declarations of optimism and excitement about the coming season gave way to grief.
Darr, 25, was killed Friday when the SUV he was driving rolled over on a highway about five miles from the team's training complex.
"Right now, everybody's thoughts are of Mike," Padres manager Bruce Bochy said. "That's what we're talking about. We'll all go to the funeral and show our respects. At some point, we will get prepared for the season. This has stunned us all."
Darr's friend, Duane Johnson, also was killed. Neither was wearing a seat belt, authorities said, and the accident appeared to be alcohol-related.
Minor league pitcher Ben Howard, who was wearing a seat belt in the back seat, survived with minor injuries.
Padres officials chartered a plane to fly the team and staff back to Southern California for Darr's funeral, which will be held Wednesday in his hometown of Corona.
"It's been a struggle, because the whole team isn't here," pitcher Trevor Hoffman said. "People are still coming into camp, and they haven't had the chance to digest it yet. It's kind of coming in waves, and I think it's going to carry on. The whole team going back to Corona will help. A life goes on attitude, I think, will help."
Wednesday, March 13
Authorities: Darr was legally drunk in fatal crash
PHOENIX (AP) -- San Diego Padres outfielder Mike Darr was legally drunk when he died in a rollover accident hours before the start of spring training last month, authorities said Wednesday.
Darr and Duane Johnson were killed Feb. 15 when the SUV the 25-year-old player was driving crashed near the Padres' spring training complex in Peoria, Ariz.
Darr's blood-alcohol level was 0.11 percent, said Officer Frank Valenzuela, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Public Safety. The state's legal limit is 0.08.
"Alcohol played a role in this crash, because of his blood level, but as to what degree, we probably will never know," Valenzuela said. "It could have been fatigue, it could have been inattention."
Investigators also determined that Darr was driving at 65 mph, the legal speed limit where the crash occurred, Valenzuela said.
"We certainly assumed that there may have been alcohol involved, when you hear about an accident that occurred at 2 a.m.," Padres general manager Kevin Towers said.
"That still doesn't change our feeling toward Mike Darr. I have very fond memories of him both as a person and as a player. This is a strong reminder to buckle up and don't drink and drive. It's a bad combination."
Valenzuela said the SUV drifted into a sand median, before Darr overcorrected, rolled back across three lanes of the freeway and crashed through a fence, coming to rest on a frontage road.
Darr and Johnson weren't wearing seat belts and were ejected. The two were longtime friends dating to their childhood, and Darr lived with the Johnson family at one time in Reno.
Minor league pitcher Ben Howard, who was in the back seat, was wearing his seat belt and walked away with just scratches.
Valenzuela said Howard told investigators that all three men drank two beers each earlier in the night at a Peoria restaurant. He said Howard provided no other details about what might have caused the accident.
"With alcohol being involved, that makes it hurt that much worse," manager Bruce Bochy said. "He was a great kid. This doesn't mean we think any different of Mike Darr."
Darr joined the Padres in 1999 and lived in Corona, Calif. He was San Diego's opening-day center fielder in 2001, his first full big league season, and started 69 games.
Last year, Darr made 24 starts in center field and 45 in right, where Tony Gwynn hardly played because of leg injuries. Darr moved into the starting lineup after Ruben Rivera was released in spring training but eventually gave way to Mark Kotsay, who was obtained from Florida just before opening day.
Darr was the second player in the Padres organization to be killed in a car crash in less than a year.
On July 29, minor league pitcher Gerik Baxter was killed near Indio, Calif., when a rear tire on his pickup blew out, causing the truck to swerve into another car and roll several times.
Oakland Athletics draft pick Mark Hilde, a passenger in the truck, also died.
Darr is survived by his wife, Natalie, and two sons, Mike Jr. and Matthew.
