Darren Daulton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Darren Daulton |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
Daulton in 2012
|
|||
| Catcher | |||
| Born: January 3, 1962 Arkansas City, Kansas, U.S. |
|||
| Died: August 6, 2017 (aged 55) Clearwater, Florida, U.S. |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| September 25, 1983, for the Philadelphia Phillies | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 28, 1997, for the Florida Marlins | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .245 | ||
| Home runs | 137 | ||
| Runs batted in | 588 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
|
|||
Darren Arthur Daulton (January 3, 1962 – August 6, 2017), known as "Dutch", was an American professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies and Florida Marlins. During his time with the Phillies, Daulton was chosen as an All-Star three times. He also won the 1992 Silver Slugger Award. Later, he helped the Marlins win the 1997 World Series.
Contents
Playing Baseball: Darren Daulton's Career
Starting with the Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies picked Darren Daulton in the 1980 baseball draft. He made his first big league appearance for the Phillies on September 25, 1983. For his first few years, Daulton didn't play much. This was because other great catchers were already on the team.
By 1989, Daulton became the Phillies' main catcher. Early in his career, he was known more for his strong defense. His hitting wasn't always great at first. But in 1990, he had a fantastic year. He hit well and brought in 57 runs. This good performance earned him a big contract. He also caught Terry Mulholland's no-hitter game on August 15, 1990.
Becoming an All-Star Player
After a tough year in 1991, Daulton bounced back in a big way in 1992. He led the National League in runs batted in (RBIs) with 109. He was also among the top players in many other hitting stats, like on-base percentage and home runs. Because of his amazing season, Daulton was picked for his first All-Star team. He also won the Silver Slugger Award and finished sixth in the voting for the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP).
Daulton was a key player for the Phillies in 1993. That year, the team won the National League pennant. Even though the Phillies lost the 1993 World Series, Daulton was again an All-Star. He brought in over 100 runs for the second year in a row. He also finished seventh in the NL MVP voting.
Dealing with Injuries
Soon, knee injuries started to affect Daulton's career. In 1994, he was hitting very well when he got injured. In 1995, he was named to his third All-Star team. However, he played in fewer games that year and hit only nine home runs. After August 25, 1995, Daulton never played catcher in a big league game again.
He missed almost all of the 1996 season due to injuries. In 1997, he tried playing in the outfielder and at first baseman to keep his strong bat in the lineup.
Winning the World Series with the Florida Marlins
On July 21, 1997, after 17 years with the Phillies, Daulton was traded. He joined the Florida Marlins. By this time, his knee problems were even worse. He mostly played first baseman or came in as a pinch hitter. He finished the 1997 season with a .263 batting average and 14 home runs.
Daulton played a big part in the 1997 World Series. He hit very well, helping the Marlins beat the Cleveland Indians. After the Marlins won the World Series, Daulton announced he was retiring from baseball.
Career Highlights and Recognition
In his 14 seasons in MLB, Daulton hit for a .245 average. He had 137 home runs and brought in 588 runs. Baseball expert Bill James ranked Daulton as one of the top 25 greatest catchers of all time.
On August 6, 2010, Darren Daulton was honored. He was added to the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame.
Life After Baseball
After his baseball career, Darren Daulton focused on helping others. He started working with local charities. In 2013, he and his wife Amanda created The Darren Daulton Foundation. This foundation helps people who have brain tumors by giving them financial support. The foundation has given out over $250,000 to more than 100 people. It continues to help people today.
Author and Radio Host
Daulton also wrote a book called If They Only Knew, published in 2007. From 2010 to 2016, he hosted a radio show. It was called "Talking Baseball with Dutch" and aired on WPEN in Philadelphia during the Phillies season.
Illness and Passing
On July 1, 2013, Daulton had surgery for two brain tumors. These were related to a type of cancer called glioblastoma. On February 23, 2015, he shared good news: he was cancer-free. However, the cancer returned in early 2017. Darren Daulton passed away from brain cancer on August 6, 2017, at the age of 55.
See also
- List of Silver Slugger Award winners at catcher
- List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders
