By time Michael Darr was a senior at Corona High School in 1994, he was already known as one of the top athletes in all of Riverside County. In that same year the Detroit Tigers drafted him in the second round. He would later be traded to the San Diego Padres during his minor league seasons. Darr was immediatley viewed as the Padres' rising star when he had an outstanding season with the Class A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. Twice during his minor league career, Darr was named the Padres' Minor League Player of the Year.