Darrin Campbell wanted to catch as pro, saw seven seasons

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Darrin Campbell 1990 Sarasota White Sox card

Darrin Campbell caught a top-rated pitching staff at Michigan in 1988, including a young Jim Abbott, The Chicago Tribune wrote.

Campbell explained the lure of catching for him to The Tribune that May, recalling his fourth-grade teacher brought him a catcher's mitt, hooking him on the position.

"I've always wanted to catch and go into professional baseball," Campbell told The Tribune. "Maybe I'm a ham. I like to be in the spotlight, and a catcher touches the ball on just about every pitch."

Campbell soon did turn pro, with the White Sox. He then saw seven pro seasons. He topped out at AAA, but missed the bigs.

Campbell's career began that year in 1988, signed by the White Sox as an undrafted free agent out of Michigan.

Campbell started with the White Sox at single-A South Bend. He saw four games and went 3 for 13. He then moved to single-A Sarasota for 1989. In 29 total games that season, he hit .225.

He returned to Sarasota for 1990 and also saw brief stints at AA Birmingham and AAA Vancouver. In two games at Vancouver, he went 1 for 7. He hit .231 overall in 98 games.

He played 1991 entirely at Birmingham, then 1992 there with a 25-game look at Vancouver. He hit .210 over 91 total games in 1992.

Campbell moved to the Orioles and AAA Rochester in 1993. He got into 54 games and hit .183. He then ended his career two seasons later with two final appearances with the Indians at AA Canton-Akron.

Darrin Campbell 1990 Sarasota White Sox card


1990 Minor League Tally 
Players/Coaches Featured:3,815
Made the Majors:1,285-33.7%
Never Made Majors:2,530-66.3%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors:526
10+ Seasons in the Minors:321

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