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Darula Eases Into Retirement

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Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 30, 2009

GREENWICH, Conn. - After playing professionally for 13 seasons, Bobby Darula can tell baseball stories all day.

Many of his minor-league experiences he'll never forget. Like how in his first at-bat as a paid ball player with the Ogden Raptors of the Pioneer League, Darula hit a pinch-hit three-run homer that won the game. Then there was that unforgettable spring training Darula spent with the Cincinnati Reds, swinging in the shadows of sluggers Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Larkin and Adam Dunn.

Darula still has the scorecard that his father, the late Robert Darula Sr., kept after his son replaced future Hall-of-Famer Griffey in the Reds' lineup one spring training game in March of 2004.

"Those guys were all super cool but the one that stood out was Griffey," Darula said. "Everyone would stop and watch him hit BP. When you go into the game for a guy like that, it's humbling."

Darula, a former Greenwich High School standout, was humbled by the game he loves for the final time last July when the Bridgeport Bluefish gave him his release during the Independent League's All-Star break. Darula retired quietly, stepping away from not only his job, but his passion.

Eight months later, Darula has no regrets - not even with spring in the air and baseball on the way.

"I got everything out of the talent I was given," Darula said. "When I was released, it was really a blessing in disguise. I had come back from all the injuries, but after doing it for so long and giving it everything I had, I had nothing left in the tank. It was time to start the next chapter of my life."

So after more than a decade of long bus rides and living out of a duffel bag, Darula is enjoying home cooked meals and life with his wife, Tatiana, whom he married in 2007.

"When people ask about what the minor leagues are like, I always tell them the movie 'Bull Durham' is very close to the real thing," Darula said. "Looking back now, I can really appreciate it. But it's definitely good to be home."

The 34-year-old Darula is now a teacher at Old Greenwich Elementary School, and instead of playing baseball, he instructs it three to four times a week at the Bobby Valentine Sports Academy in Stamford.

"I learned a lot every step of the way and I enjoy passing on what I know," Darula said. "I'm still learning myself and that's why I like watching baseball on TV, watching guys like Derek Jeter. I'm a huge fan of the Mets and Yankees."

The 5-foot-10 Darula made a mark at every level on the diamond.

At Greenwich High, he was a two-time all-FCIAC selection and was named all-state in 1992 as a senior. At Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla., Darula received Division II all-America honors in 1995 and was named all-conference four times.

Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1996, Darula also leaves a lasting legacy as a professional.

A catcher his first three seasons, Darula eventually switched to the outfield. Yet regardless of what position he played, Darula proved that he could hit.

Darula, a three-time minor league All-Star and two-time team MVP, had the highest batting average (.335) in the entire Brewers organization in 2000, led the Southern League in batting in 2002 with a .325 clip and finished his career with a .310 average and .399 on-base percentage. And he did it with class too, never causing a stir, always hard at work.

"Bobby was a true professional and a pleasure to coach," recalled Phillip Wellman, Darula's manager with the Double-A Chattanooga Outlooks and later his hitting coach in the Atlanta Braves organization in 2006. "I got a chance to meet his parents and you could tell he had a solid upbringing. Bobby is they kind of guy who will be successful in whatever he does. Probably the best compliment I could pay him is that he'll have no trouble looking in the mirror. He got the most out of his God-given ability."

Darula spent time with four organizations, reaching Class AAA each year from 2002-05.

After batting .358 for the Bluefish of the Independent League in 2006, Darula was signed by the Braves and placed on their Class-AA Mississippi roster. He quickly earned a spot in the Braves' lineup, but Darula's dream of making it to the big-time was dashed when he injured his right elbow while making a throw from right field.

Darula, it turns out, needed Tommy John surgery. Rehab took nearly 10 months and his career was never the same.

"I had a couple of injuries at the wrong time," Darula said. "It's tough because it's such a logjam in the minors. I set out to do well and be a professional."

Even without the ligament replacement surgery, life would have been different for Darula, whose father passed away in February of 2007. Robert Sr. wasn't just Bobby's dad - he was also his coach, mentor and friend.

"It kind of took the wind out of my sails," Darula said. "My dad always took the time to come see me and he was treated like one of the guys by my teammates. I learned so much from him."

Darula spent his final two seasons in baseball with the Bluefish, hitting .265 in 2007 and .227 in 2008.

A major reason he returned to the game was longtime friend Josh Whitlock, who helped Darula during his rehab.

"It was a devastating injury," Darula said. "But Josh was a great workout partner and helped me get through my rehab everyday."

Two months before being released, Darula was inducted into the Eckerd College Hall of Fame. In a way, the ceremony was one last curtain call for one of the sport's deserving longtime performers.

"My family came down so it was a nice evening," Darula said. "I never expected anything like that, but I'll always remember it."

More important than all the accolades and accomplishments Darula garnered over the years, however, are the places and people that he encountered.

"I really enjoyed being down south in Tennessee and Alabama, and when I was in Wisconsin," Darula said. "The people were very friendly, they made me feel at home."

There was no shortage of colorful characters either. Wellman, by the way, is the same Mississippi Braves manager who became a YouTube sensation two years ago when he went into a tirade following his ejection from a Southern League game at Chattanooga. Wellman threw his hat, piled dirt on home plate and yanked up a base and threw it in the outfield. The highlight of the rant was when Wellman crawled on his stomach like a soldier behind the mound, grabbed the rosin bag and hurled it like a grenade toward the home plate umpire.

"He's one of my favorites," Darula said.

Darula is eternally grateful for the support he received from family and friends. He also wanted to acknowledge town coaches Larry Jones and Paul Stevens, who were involved with his development on the Junior and Senior Babe Ruth levels.

"There were so many people that contributed along the way," he said. "My dad started a scrapbook going way back, it's a nice keepsake to have at the end of my career."

A career that looking back, Darula wouldn't trade for anything.

"I'm glad that I went through everything I did," Darula said. "It's molded me into the person that I am. Hopefully I'll always be a part of the game in some way."

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