• Darin’s Cape Cod League MVP wasn’t the only honor he received in the summer of 1993. He was also voted Employee of the Month at the Bradlees in Falmouth.
• Darin was the first college outfielder taken first overall in the draft since Rick Monday in 1965. The last outfielder before Erstad chosen #1 was Ken Griffey Jr. in 1987.
• Darin finished his three-year career at Nebraska with a .356 batting average. In 176 collegiate games, he collected 46 doubles, eight triples, 41 homers, and 182 RBIs.
• Darin reached 200-hit plateau after just 132 games in 2000, putting him in exclusive company. The last two players in either league to meet that mark that quickly were Joe Medwick (131 games with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1935 ) and Al Simmons (125 games with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1925).
• Darin reached base on five catcher's interference calls in 2001 and again in 2005. Only four other major leaguers have done that before.
• Darin earned a Gold Glove in 2004 for his play at first base. He became the first player in baseball history win the award in the infield and outfield.
• Darin put together a 21-game hitting streak for the Angels in 2005. It was the fifth-longest streak in team history.
• Darin collected his 1,500th hit during the 2006 season.
• Darin is not the only famous graduate of tiny Jamestown High School. Rick Hieb, a former space shuttle astronaut, is also a Jamestown alumnus. In addition, first baseman Travis Hafner of the Cleveland Indians and fullback Jim Kleinsasser of the Minnesota Vikings grew up within a 40-mile radius of Darin's hometown.
• Darin has never forgotten the community that helped make him a big leaguer. After inking his first contract in 1995, he donated $25,000 to Jamestown and the Special Olympics. Three years later, when he signed a new deal with the Angels, he gave $200,000 for the development of Little League fields in North Dakota and Southern California.
• Darin named his dog “Hank” after Hank Greenberg.

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