Darren Dilks

Darren Joseph Dilks

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 3", Weight 210 lb.
• School Chaffey College, Oklahoma State University

• Born June 30, 1960 in Ontario, CA USA

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Pitcher Darren Dilks was selected by the Montreal Expos in the first round of the 1981 amateur draft, coming out of Oklahoma State University. It was his third time being drafted, having earlier been selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the January 1979 amateur draft and by the Toronto Blue Jays in the secondary phase of that same year's June draft.

He started his pro career straight at AA with the Memphis Chicks, which was a normal procedure for the Expos for college players drafted in the first rounds of the draft; they had done the same with Tim Wallach, Terry Francona and Charlie Lea in previous years. His first season was so-so, as he went 1-7, 4.08, but he did better in 1982, going 9-9, 4.89 for the same team. Those were not eye-popping numbers, but they were good enough to have him be named the team's Minor League pitcher of the year. From then on until 1984, he was seemingly always on the verge of being called up to make his debut with the big league team, especially as the major league nine was struggling to find a dependable lefty starter, but the call never came as he was never quite sharp enough to be given his chance. In 1983, he went 4-6, 6.27 with the AAA Wichita Aeros, pitching in a ballpark that was hell on all moundsmen. In 1984, the Expos switched AAA affiliates and he got to pitch in friendlier in confines with the Indianapolis Indians, but the results were still poor, with a record of 1-4, 6.08. By then, he had been passed on the depth charts by various others, most notably Joe Hesketh, Rick Grapenthin, Greg Bargar and John Dopson and no longer figured in the team's plans. He was released, ending his playing career.