in his career, playing right field for the Padres. From May 2 to 23, he was on the disabled list. On June 7, he had four hits and four RBI in a 10–7 victory over the San Francisco Giants. He began getting fewer starts in August and played sparingly in September, losing playing time to Bubba Trammell. Though he had skill defensively, Darr was not a power hitter. He hit only two home runs in 2001, albeit both game-winners. On August 16, his two-run, eighth-inning home run against Rick White of the New York Mets pushed San Diego to the lead in their 6–5 win. Against the Giants in the 10th inning of a tie game on September 22, he hit a pinch-hit walkoff home run against Brian Boehringer, giving San Diego a 4–3 win. The ball did not initially have enough distance to be a home run, but it bounced off of outfielder Calvin Murray's glove to go into the stands. Little did Darr realize that this would be his last hit. Darr appeared in 105 games during the season, compiling a .277 average with 2 home runs and 34 RBI. Personal life Darr had a wife and two sons, Michael Jr. and Matthew. Michael Jr. played right field at Santiago High School, and threw for over 6,000 yards and 51 touchdowns as the school's quarterback. Death On February 15, 2002, Darr was involved in a single-car accident in Peoria, Arizona, during spring training. He was the driver of the vehicle, and his blood alcohol content was at 0.11 percent, over the legal limit of 0.08 percent. Riding in the car with Darr were Ben Howard, a minor league pitcher in the Padres organization, and Duane Johnson, Darr's childhood friend who had been helping Darr move into an apartment. Both Darr and Johnson, who were not wearing safety belts, were killed. Howard, who had his safety belt on, survived with only minor injuries. More than 1,500 attended Darr's funeral, including nearly the entire Padres organization. Darr was buried at the Crestlawn Memorial Park in Riverside, California. During its 2002 season, the Padres wore a black circle patch with Darr's uniform number 26 in white on the right sleeve of their uniform. Darr's manager with San Diego, Bruce Bochy, said "He was not just a good ballplayer. This young man was a person we all thought a lot about. A