Top Blue Jays Player #34: Darrin
Fletcher
Position: Catcher
Seasons With the
Jays: 5 (1998-2002)
Stats: Games Played 540 Batting Average .276
Base Hits 490 Runs
Scored 172
Home Runs 61 RBIs 268
Doubles
94 Triples 2
Stolen Bases 1 Walks 99
Darrin Fletcher is one of the
select few Major League ballplayers who spent time with both the Blue Jays and
the Montreal Expos (the only Canadian teams ever to grace big league ball
parks.) Before becoming a full-time player with Montreal, Fletcher played a few
games for both the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies.
His first year with Toronto,
1998, Fletcher batted .283 with nine homers and 52 RBIs. He was also a steady
defensive player behind the plate. His fielding percentage that first year with
the Jays was .991, which was actually the lowest single-season percentage he
had in his entire career. The following season, his fielding improved to .997
as he only made two errors in 682 chances in 113 games. His offense also
improved as he hit .291, smacked 18 home runs and added 80 RBIs.
But his best year offensively
with the Blue Jays (in terms of home runs and batting average) was 2000 when he
hit 20 dingers and batted .320, although his RBI total shrunk to 58. However,
after this season, his number began to decline.
In 2001, his average plummeted
to .226 and his home run totals dropped to eleven. After only 45 games in 2002,
Fletcher decided to call it a career and retired. Since leaving the game as a
player, he has occasionally spent time with Rogers Sportsnet doing colour
commentary for Blue Jays’ games.
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