One of the most unique careers in Jacksonville sports history came to a close this week when Bishop Kenny High product Darren O’Day decided to call it quits after 15 seasons pitching for six different Major League Baseball teams.
His story was the greatest rags-to-riches tale among any local MLB player. O’Day went from a baseball afterthought, initially rejected as a walk-on at Florida, to undrafted, to a big-league career as a submarine-style pitcher that lasted longer than any other Jacksonville native.
“It’s absolutely bonkers,” O’Day said in a phone interview from his Atlanta home.