Darin Erstad

After becoming the first overall selection in the 1995 amateur draft, Darin Erstad accumulated many personal accolades during his 14-year major-league baseball career (1996-2009). He was selected to two All-Star Games; he also won three Gold Glove Awards – two as an outfielder and one as a first baseman – and a Silver Slugger Award. But beyond his on-field accomplishments, Erstad was well regarded as a teammate and as a leader in the clubhouse, always willing to put the team’s success over personal achievements.

Darin Charles Erstad was born on June 4, 1974, in Jamestown, North Dakota. As of 2025, only 20 major-leaguers have been born in North Dakota; Erstad was not only the first from Jamestown but also has the highest career wins above replacement (WAR) of any big-leaguer born in the state.

The “Peace Garden State” is not typically thought of as a wellspring of athletes, but it provided Erstad a solid base. Speaking at the annual joint service clubs meeting in Minot, North Dakota, in 2019, he said, “I do want to talk about North Dakota being the foundation of who I am and what I’ve become and what I’m still working on becoming. The one thing I have to tell anybody about North Dakota is it’s about the people.”1

Erstad was the second of three children born to Chuck, an insurance claims manager, and Dorothy (née Sandness2), a church education director. He grew up with an older sister, Heidi3, and a younger brother, Bryan – who also played baseball and was selected in the 42nd round of the 1999 amateur draft, though he ultimately did not sign.4

When Darin was young, his parents encouraged him to have fun and try all the sports he could, while advising him to give his best effort in whatever he set out to do.5 They didn’t nudge him in any particular direction – they supported whatever path he wanted to take.6

Erstad clearly took those words to heart. Growing up he was a multi-sport athlete: football, baseball, ice hockey, basketball, track and field and soccer.7 He didn’t just play multiple sports – he excelled at them.

• On the gridiron, Erstad made the 1991 Class A All-State team as a placekicker and was a 1991 All-Eastern Dakota Conference Selection.
• On the rink, he made the 1991 and 1992 All-State hockey team and was a nominee for North Dakota’s Mr. Hockey Award in 1992.8 His slap shot was likened to “a rifle shot” by his high school principal, Larry Ukestad.9
• He was also the 110- and 300-meter North Dakota state champion in track and field.
• All in all, he was the 1992 North Dakota State High School Male Athlete of the Year.

Even so, Erstad was not highly recruited coming out of high school – at least not for baseball. He received more scholarship offers to play both football and hockey, with just two for baseball, from Nebraska and Creighton.10 He wasn’t recruited until his senior year. Still, despite the lack of collegiate interest, he was drafted in the 13th round by the New York Mets in 1992. However, Erstad did not sign with the Mets, feeling that he wasn’t ready to make the leap to professional baseball. He had never faced any competition outside of North Dakota and wanted to further develop his skills at the collegiate level.11

Erstad chose Nebraska, and the college years were great to him. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder was the punter for the Cornhuskers’ national championship football team in 1994, averaging 42.6 yards per kick.12 During his junior baseball season, he hit .410 with 19 home runs and 79 RBIs, earned First Team All-American honors, shared honors as Big Eight Conference Player of the Year, and was a finalist for the 1995 Golden Spikes Award.13

His collegiate performance led to much more attention from big-league scouts. Ahead of the 1995 draft, Erstad was at the top of the board for the California Angels, who had the #1 pick that year. “He was far and away the best player available,” said Angels general manager Bill Bavasi.14 Bob Fontaine Jr., director of scouting and player personnel, added, “We were pretty certain early on he was one of the names we would consider. As we scouted him through this season, we confirmed that he would probably be the one.”

The Angels made it official that June and signed him in late July; the contract included a $1.575 million signing bonus.15 Erstad played 29 games in Rookie League and Class A, collecting 51 hits in 131 at-bats and registering a 1.028 on-base plus slugging (OPS). He also displayed the adjustments needed to become an everyday major-leaguer. In Erstad’s first plate appearance with the Single-A Lake Elsinore (California) Storm, as pitching coach Howie Gershberg recalled, “this pitcher got him looking with a great slider that painted the black. I told Darin, ‘They all know you can hit the fastball. They’re going to see if you can hit a breaking pitch.’ The next time up, the pitcher threw the exact same pitch and Darin lined it for a single.”16

Erstad began the 1996 season with the Triple-A Vancouver Canadians. When the Angels’ starting center fielder, Jim Edmonds, got injured, they called up Erstad.17 He made his debut on June 14, batting leadoff and starting in center. After struggling in his first two games, he got his first major-league hit in his third appearance: a fifth-inning single to short right field.

Through 30 games, Erstad’s OPS was just under .800, but then he slumped. As of early August, he had recorded just five hits in his previous 42 at-bats; he was also part of a four-man outfield rotation because Edmonds had returned to the lineup.18 To get more playing time, he was sent back down to Triple-A; he was recalled in early September. He finished his rookie season with a .284 batting average and .708 OPS, including five doubles, a triple, and four home runs. Despite getting into just 57 games for California, Erstad finished sixth in AL Rookie of the Year voting.

Following the season, the Angels sought to address their outfield situation. Edmonds, Tim Salmon, and Garret Anderson were already slotted for the three starting roles, yet the first overall pick from 1995, Erstad, had shown much promise. Aiming to give each player consistent at-bats, the Angels traded starting first baseman J.T. Snow to San Francisco, paving the way for Erstad to take over the position – even though he’d played just three games there in the minors.19

Erstad appeared in 139 games, starting 120 at first base. He showed his multiple tools, hitting 16 homers and stealing 23 bases – and displaying an uncompromising, all-out playing style. In June, he unnerved manager Terry Collins after running headfirst into Kansas City Royals catcher Mike MacFarlane trying to score in the first inning. After the collision, Erstad had trouble walking off the field and had no feeling in the fingers on his left hand. Yet he stayed in the game, recording three hits — including a ninth-inning home run — and four RBIs.20

After establishing himself in 1997, Erstad came into his own in 1998. He started the year with a 15-game hitting streak, which included seven multi-hit games. He made his first All-Star Game after a stellar first half in which he hit .313 with 18 home runs and a .913 OPS, while splitting time between first base and the outfield. He cooled in the second half, though, finishing the season with 19 home runs and a .296 batting average. Opponents adjusted to his strengths, pitching him down and in, which had proven to be a weakness for the left-handed batter.

Another factor, possibly more consequential, was a hamstring injury. Offseason tests showed thigh muscles similar to an NFL lineman’s – but hamstrings with strength levels similar to those of a high school athlete. Thus, Erstad re-evaluated his training, calling the tests eye-opening and saying that he would seek to even out the imbalance. His playing style was also a question in relation to his injuries, but to Erstad this was non-negotiable. “If I can’t play how I want to play, if my body can’t handle it, I should do something else,” he said. “If I don’t play as hard as I can, I would be disrespecting the game and cheating myself, and I can’t do that.”21

After a subpar 1999 season, Erstad came back with a vengeance in 2000. He earned his second selection to the All-Star Game and won both a Silver Slugger and a Gold Glove after returning to the outfield full-time. He played in 157 games and posted career highs in most offensive categories. Erstad was truly outstanding at bat that year. He flirted with a .400 batting average midway through July, had 77 games with two hits or more, and finished at .355, behind only Nomar Garciaparra. He also recorded 100 RBIs while hitting primarily leadoff, and led the league in plate appearances, at-bats, and hits. In the latter category, he set the single-season franchise record with 240, threatening but ultimately falling 17 hits short of the major-league record then held by George Sisler.22

Erstad’s WAR of 8.3 for the season was easily the best of his career and ranked second in the AL in 2000. Still, he finished just eighth in the MVP voting, even though he had a higher WAR than the eventual award winner, Jason Giambi. In typical fashion, though, at season’s end Erstad put the focus back on the team. He noted, “if I hit .250 and we made the playoffs, I’d be a happy player. I’d crash through walls to get to the playoffs. Winning is where I find joy in this game.”23 Despite Erstad’s best efforts, the Angels did not make the playoffs in 2000. The team had a good offense, setting team records in hits and home runs for a season,24 but finished 82-80, only good enough for third place in the AL West.

In 2001, Erstad again followed an All-Star year with a subpar one. Injuries again played a role in his regression. During a game in Toronto that April, he suffered back pain severe enough to take himself out of a 6-3 loss. “When I got to the park I couldn’t even stand up,” he said. “They popped my back into place. It’s just a matter of it staying there.”25 Early in the season, he re-aggravated a mild strain of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee that he sustained during training in the offseason.26

Heading into the 2002 season, Erstad’s future seemed to be in limbo. He was unsure of what his full-time position would be – there was discussion of moving him back to first base to reduce injury risk. He was also eligible to become a free agent after the 2002 season and was uncertain whether he would receive a long-term extension. Further, there was the possibility that he might need surgery in the offseason to repair his damaged knee.27

He nearly got his answer regarding his future with the Angels relatively early that offseason. In December 2001, the Chicago White Sox agreed to trade outfielder Chris Singleton, pitcher Jon Garland, and two prospects for Erstad. However, rather than trying to rebuild, general manager Bill Stoneman was directed to try to win now; the Angels backed out of the deal. Erstad admitted that contract extension talks with the front office weren’t serious heading into the season, but he indicated that it did not change his mentality or focus on the game. “I’m thinking about winning the World Series,” he said. “I’m not sitting here thinking that this is my last spring [here] or that I’m getting traded or about contracts. I’m more concerned with getting back and playing good baseball instead of worrying about multiyear contracts. If I don’t play well, it’s not going to matter. I’ll have to pay somebody to let me play.”28

Though 2002 was only marginally better for Erstad on offense than 2001, he still played elite defense in center field, winning his second Gold Glove. His defensive WAR of 4.2 that year is tied for the 12th-highest single-season mark for any position, according to Baseball Reference. Like most left-handed throwing outfielders, Erstad wasn’t particularly known for having a strong arm – though he did record 50 outfield assists throughout the course of his career – but rather his exceptional ability to get to the baseball. Just as he had in the 2000 season, when he won his first Gold Glove, Erstad led the league in Range Factor and Total Zone Runs for his position in 2002.

His relentless playing style also resulted in several highlight reel plays throughout his time in the outfield. Early in the 2000 season, for example, Erstad made a backhanded diving catch in left-center field on April 9 to take a hit away from Nomar Garciaparra. On April 16, he robbed Paul Konerko of extra bases with a diving catch in the outfield, and later in the month crashed into a wall in foul territory, reaching into the stands to make an out on a play. Regarding this string of plays, Erstad joked, “I worked really hard this winter on trying to turn routine catches into highlight-reel catches so I can get on TV more. But seriously, just playing, laying it on the line, doing whatever it takes.”29

During the 2002 season, he also got his answer regarding his long-term future with the club, as he signed a four-year, $32 million contract extension. Angels manager Mike Scioscia was pleased, saying, “[Stoneman] has certainly made an effort to step up and keep the core of this club together. Darin’s a huge part of that. He’s the type of guy who’s going to do anything to help the team win, and that’s what our club feeds off of.”30

Indeed, the Angels won a franchise-record 99 games and the AL’s wild card playoff spot, marking the team’s first postseason appearance since 1986. Erstad was also a big contributor in October. He had an OPS of .947 in the AL Division Series and .864 in the AL Championship Series (ALCS), helping to send the franchise to its first World Series.

Through the first five games against the NL champion San Francisco Giants, the Angels went largely as Erstad did. He was 5-for-11 in the two games the Angels won and 2-for-13 across the three losses. Trailing 5-0 in Game Six, and eight outs away from losing the World Series, the Angels got back in the game on Scott Spiezio’s three-run homer. With the deficit down to two runs, Erstad faced reliever Tim Worrell to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning. On a 1-1 count, Worrell’s offspeed pitch stayed over the middle of the plate and Erstad deposited it into the right field bleachers. The Angels scored two more runs in the inning and completed their 6-5 comeback victory as Troy Percival earned the save.

In Game Seven, the Angels took a 4-1 lead into the ninth inning. With two on and two outs, Kenny Lofton hit a fly ball to the center fielder, Erstad, to make the final out of the 2002 World Series. Though it was a routine play, Erstad noted the gravity of the situation, saying, “I wanted that ball so bad. I said to myself that this would be the hardest catch I ever made in my life. I said, use two hands, just like my dad taught me.”31 At the start of the season, Erstad had indicated that he was more concerned with winning a World Series ring than worrying about long-term contracts. At season’s end, he had both.

After another injury-plagued season in 2003, Erstad faced transition again in 2004. The Angels signed two outfielders in the offseason, Vladimir Guerrero and José Guillén, and Erstad was moved to first base to accommodate them. As usual, he prioritized the team. In February, he said of the transition, “When I first moved there (to first base), I tried so many different throwing motions to see what works. Now, I know how to do it. I don’t have to try to find that again. I just have to get comfortable there. That’s what spring is about, to get ready for the season.”32

Early in the 2004 season, however, Erstad re-aggravated the hamstring injury that had limited him to 67 games the prior year.33 Though he was placed on the 15-day DL, he wound up missing about five weeks; he didn’t return to the lineup until mid-June. He proceeded to play well, hitting .306 from June 15 through the end of the season, helping the club to a 92-70 record and first place in the AL West. Underscoring his standing as “heart of the team,” the team was 76-49 in games in which Erstad played and 16-21 without him.

Further, despite shuttling back to first base and missing a chunk of the season, Erstad won the Gold Glove, making him the first player to win the award at multiple positions.34 While Erstad earned his Gold Gloves in the outfield because of his athleticism and ability to track down baseballs, he showcased a different set of skills to become an elite defender at first base – namely, quick decision-making and soft hands. Back in 1999, when Erstad was still a part-time infielder, Angels third base coach Larry Bowa – a former Gold Glove winner at short – recognized his defensive potential at first base. “He can adjust to bad throws, he has great instincts and hand-eye coordination,” Bowa observed. “He knows how to position himself, knows who bunts. He’s very cerebral. As an infielder you have to love it. Just get the ball close to him, and he’ll come up with it.”35

Erstad was able to play in more than 150 games in 2005 for the first time since 2002. The Angels made the postseason again that year. This time they won the ALDS, but did not advance to the World Series. Erstad started at first base in each of the team’s 10 playoff games.

However, he appeared in just 40 games in 2006, a career low. Erstad also failed to hit a single home run and batted just .221 with a .605 OPS. The culprit was another injury, this time to his right ankle, that landed him on the disabled list in both May36 and June.37 He ended up missing two and a half months during his second trip to the DL, remaining there until September. Ultimately, Erstad had surgery before the season ended to repair a torn ligament and to shave down a bone spur in the injured ankle.38

The 2006 ailments came at an inopportune time – Erstad’s contract with the Angels expired at season’s end. Granted free agency, he parted ways with the club and signed a one-year contract that included a club option for the 2008 season with the White Sox. An excited Erstad said, “This is a new opportunity and challenge for me. I’ve heard this is a great group of guys, and this is a team with a good chance to win it all.”39 Though he said all the right things, he was missed in Southern California. Angels bench coach Ron Roenicke noted, “Even when he wasn’t healthy, he was still valuable because of his presence. He doesn’t say much, but everyone watches him and sees how he plays and acts. I guess you could find someone to replace that part of the team but I doubt it.”40

The injury bug bit Erstad again in 2007. As in the prior season, his time on the disabled list was caused by an ankle injury, originally sustained on a swing in late May. When he returned to the field on June 22, his ankle was put to the test immediately. In the top of the first inning against the Chicago Cubs, Erstad dove for a ball in center field, making the out but reinjuring his ankle on the play.41 He had to be taken out of the game and didn’t return to action until the final day of July. Erstad’s production was mild while on the field, so the White Sox, coming off a disappointing fourth place finish, declined his club option for 2008, making him a free agent for the second straight offseason.42

Erstad signed a one-year contract with the Houston Astros ahead of the 2008 season for $1 million plus incentives.43 He appeared in 140 games; provided a steady veteran presence in the lineup; and played his customary solid outfield defense, replacing a subpar defender in Carlos Lee. who was out with injury.44 The Astros extended his contract for another year.45

However, Erstad registered just 150 plate appearances across the 107 games he played in 2009, primarily being used as a pinch-hitter. He batted under .200, with an OPS under .600 and a negative WAR, all firsts in his career. During the season he also suffered another hamstring injury that sidelined him from early July to early August, outside of a few plate appearances when the injury was re-aggravated.46

That was Erstad’s last season in the majors. In 2010, he told the Jamestown Sun that he had retired from baseball, stating, “I had my time. I always said, ‘When I’m done, I’m done. … I’m good.”47

Good aptly describes his career. Erstad accumulated 1,697 regular-season hits, including 124 homers, as well as his three Gold Gloves, two All-Star appearances, and a World Series ring. He also elevated his game in the postseason: in 29 games, Erstad batted .339 with an OPS of .860, both marks well above his major-league career averages. Also, as of this writing, Erstad ranks in the top 10 all-time for the Angels in WAR, defensive WAR, games played, at-bats, plate appearances, runs scored, hits, total bases, singles, doubles, triples, RBIs, walks, and stolen bases. Further, among the 30 number one overall draft picks that were position players between 1965 and 2009, Erstad’s 32.3 career WAR is tied for 10th. And, though he fell far short of induction, he appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2015.48

One wonders what Erstad could have accomplished had he been able to stay on the field more often. He was a consistent contributor early in his career, recording at least 590 plate appearances from 1997-2002, but eclipsed that mark in only one other season. Though Erstad repeatedly indicated that he was unwilling to compromise how he played the game, giving maximum effort at all times may have contributed to his lengthy injury history.

Erstad’s team-first approach never changed either. While rehabbing an injury in the minors, he was asked what accomplishment, personal or otherwise, stood out the most in his mind. Without hesitation, he said, “there’s no question, a team championship is the ultimate. Anytime you are part of a team championship, you get to look into each other’s eyes and see you accomplished something together through the course of the season is very special. Those are the things I’m going to remember. It’s not individual accolades that you have, that stuff means nothing to me.”49

Erstad returned to his alma mater as hitting coach in 2010. “I was asked to come back and help get the culture back in place for Nebraska baseball, and when the University of Nebraska asks for something, I’m going to more than likely do it,” Erstad said.50 He was the head coach of the Cornhuskers from 2011 through 2019, accumulating a record of 267-193-1. He also succeeded at restoring the program’s culture. Kyle Perry, a freshman pitcher for Nebraska in 2019, said, “he’s been a second father to me, he’s a father figure for all of us and we love him so much, we appreciate him so much.”51

Erstad stepped down after the 2019 season, noting that he wanted to spend more time with his own nuclear family: his wife, Jessica (Bettiger) and their three children: Jordan Elizabeth, Zack, and Adam. Jessica, Erstad’s second wife, is no stranger to sacrifices inherent with a life in athletics. (His first marriage, to Sarah Jane Schauer in 2000, was short-lived, lasting less than two years.52) Like Darin, Jessica attended the University of Nebraska. There she earned her degree in journalism while working in the athletic department’s marketing office, followed by jobs with the US Olympic Training Center, the New Orleans Saints, and University of Houston before moving to California where she focused on philanthropic efforts.53

Though Erstad loved coaching, Jessica noted how hard it was for him to miss these experiences with his kids. “The thing I miss most about Darin coaching is obviously getting to meet all the players and their parents and building relationships. But with that said, having Darin home now is super nice because he is able to see games,” she said. Erstad also seemed content adjusting to home life. “In the big leagues, it was what do I need to do to stay here, and for coaching, what do I need to do to get these kids to be better. Now, it’s not about me,” Erstad said. “It’s about what do our kids need and what is best for them.”54

Bringing his athletic career back to his own familial origins, Erstad was inducted into the North Dakota Sports Hall of Fame in 2012. “This is the ultimate honor,” he said. “This is my roots. This is where it all started. It’s just an absolute honor to even be considered for this. It’s very humbling.”55 Many words could describe Erstad’s personal and playing career — uncompromising, unselfish, and pragmatic, to name a few — but perhaps none are more fitting than humble.

Last revised: November 18, 2025

Acknowledgments

This biography was reviewed by Rory Costello and David Bilmes and checked for accuracy by SABR’s fact-checking team.

Sources

In addition to sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted baseball-reference.com and retrosheet.org.

Photo Credits

Darin Erstad, Trading Card Database.

Notes

1 Jill Schramm, “Opportunity called for baseball’s Darin Erstad,” Minot (North Dakota) Daily News, September 25, 2019. https://www.minotdailynews.com/news/local-news/2019/09/opportunity-called-for-baseballs-darin-erstad/ (last accessed November 10, 2025).

2 “Erstad’s Grandpa Is His Biggest Fan,” InForum (Fargo, North Dakota), October 25, 2002. https://www.inforum.com/sports/erstads-grandpa-is-his-biggest-fan (last accessed November 10, 2025).

3 Schramm, “Opportunity called for baseball’s Darin Erstad.”

4 Max O’Neill, “Bryan Erstad enjoying low-key baseball experience,” Jamestown (North Dakota) Sun, June 22, 2024. https://www.jamestownsun.com/sports/bryan-erstad-enjoying-low-key-baseball-experience (last accessed November 10, 2025).

5 Schramm,  “Opportunity called for baseball’s Darin Erstad.”

6 Paul Koch, “Anatomy of an Era: Darin Erstad, Part 1,” Husker Max, December 1, 2018. https://www.huskermax.com/anatomy-of-an-era-darin-erstad-part-1/ (last accessed November 10, 2025).

7 Jacob Miller, “Former Nebraska baseball coach, Darin Erstad, staying local in Lincoln and enjoying family time,” Nebraska News Service, December 26, 2021. https://www.nebraskanewsservice.net/unlimitedsports/former-nebraska-baseball-coach-darin-erstad-staying-local-in-lincoln-and-enjoying-family-time/article_912c8544-8818-5dd7-8943-8e3085d1a23c.html (last accessed November 10, 2025).

8 “NDHSAA Member School Alumni: Darin Erstad, former multi-sport standout at Jamestown HS,” NDHSAA, October 10, 2023. https://ndhsaa.com/news/1696/ndhsaa-alumni-darin-erstad (last accessed November 10, 2025).

9 Chris Foster, “Small Town Boy Is Making It Big: Angels: No. 1 draft pick Erstad, from North Dakota, shakes up Lake Elsinore.” Los Angeles Times, August 15, 1995.   https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-08-15-sp-35161-story.html (last accessed November 10, 2025).

10 Elliott Teaford, “Angels Take Outfielder in Out-of-the-Way Place: Baseball draft: No. 1 pick Darin Erstad, from North Dakota, became a prospect by starring at Nebraska.” Los Angeles Times, June 2, 1995. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-06-02-sp-8731-story.html (last accessed November 10, 2025).

11 Foster, “Small Town Boy Is Making It Big.”

12 Paul Koch, “Anatomy of an Era: Darin Erstad, Part 1,” Husker Max, December 1, 2018. https://www.huskermax.com/anatomy-of-an-era-darin-erstad-part-1/ (last accessed November 11, 2025). Erstad hadn’t originally planned to play football at Nebraska. He joined some of his baseball teammates in football workouts for conditioning, and by chance, the football team happened to need a punter. The message spread to the football team that Erstad was a strong kicker, and although his baseball scholarship created some logistical hurdles, he eventually switched his scholarship to football and became a two-sport athlete with the Cornhuskers.

13 “NDHSAA Member School Alumni: Darin Erstad.“

14 Foster, “Small Town Boy Is Making It Big.”

15 Mike DiGiovanna, “Erstad Signs Contract, Gets $1.575 Million Bonus,” Los Angeles Times, July 27, 1995. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-07-27-sp-28544-story.html (last accessed November 10, 2025).

16 Foster, “Small Town Boy Is Making It Big.”

17 John Weyler, “Erstad Gives Angels Plenty to Consider,” Los Angeles Times, June 19, 1996. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-06-19-sp-16457-story.html (last accessed November 10, 2025).

18 Mike DiGiovanna, “Baseball Daily Report: Erstad Could Go Down to Triple-A,” Los Angeles Times, August 2, 1996. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-08-02-sp-30462-story.html (last accessed November 10, 2025).

19 Mike DiGiovanna, “Angels Trade J.T. Snow to Giants,” Los Angeles Times, November 28, 1996. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-11-28-sp-4143-story.html (last accessed November 10, 2025).

20 Mike DiGiovanna, “Angels’ Erstad Hits Back,” Los Angeles Times, June 10, 1997. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-06-10-sp-1973-story.html (last accessed November 10, 2025).

21 Mike DiGiovanna, “Angels Need Him Down the Stretch,” Los Angeles Times, March 24, 1999 https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-mar-24-sp-20550-story.html (last accessed November 10, 2025).

22 Mark Saxon, “Angels Moment No. 15: Darin Erstad’s 2000 Season,” ESPN.com, July 29, 2011. https://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles/angels/post/_/id/3232/angels-moment-no-15-darin-erstads-2000-season (last accessed November 10, 2025).

23 Chris Foster, “Erstad Is a Big Hit With Fans on Final Day,” Los Angeles Times, October 2, 2000. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-oct-02-sp-30188-story.html (last accessed November 10, 2025).

24 Foster, “Erstad Is a Big Hit With Fans on Final Day.”

25 Mike DiGiovanna, “Erstad’s Back Injury Goes Back Quite a While,” Los Angeles Times, April 28, 2001 https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-apr-28-sp-56724-story.html (last accessed November 10, 2025).

26 Mike DiGiovanna, “Erstad’s Knee Injury Is Finally Revealed,” Los Angeles Times, May 1, 2001. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-may-01-sp-57984-story.html (last accessed November 10, 2025).

27 Bill Shaikin, “Angels’ Erstad on Need-to-Know Basis,” Los Angeles Times, October 1, 2001. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-oct-01-sp-51982-story.html (last accessed November 10, 2025).

28 Bill Shaikin, “Erstad Has Short Memory,” Los Angeles Times, February 23, 2002. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-feb-23-sp-angelnotes23-story.html (last accessed November 10, 2025).

29 Mike DiGiovanna, “Erstad’s Defense Surprises,” Los Angeles Times, April 19, 2000. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-apr-29-sp-24727-story.html (last accessed November 10, 2025).

30 “Erstad, Angels agree to extension,” ESPN.com, August 3, 2002. https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/2002/0803/1413688.html (last accessed November 10, 2025).

31 Bill Shaikin, “Fantasyland!” Los Angeles Times, October 28, 2002. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-oct-28-sp-series28-story.html (last accessed November 10, 2025).

32 Mike DiGiovanna, “Erstad Is Expected to Dive Into Duties” Los Angeles Times, February 22, 2004.  https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-feb-22-sp-angels22-story.html (last accessed November 10, 2025).

33 “Angels’ Erstad out at least a month,” CBC Sports, May 12, 2004. https://www.cbc.ca/sports/baseball/angels-erstad-out-at-least-a-month-1.500043 (last accessed November 10, 2025).

34 “Darin Erstad Debuts On BBWAA Hall Of Fame Ballot,” National Baseball Hall Of Fame,  https://baseballhall.org/hof/2015-bbwaa-ballot/erstad-darin (last accessed March 14, 2025)

35 Mike DiGiovanna, “Erstad Is a Big Surprise on Defense,” Los Angeles Times, September 28, 1999. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-sep-28-sp-15082-story.html (last accessed November 10, 2025).

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