Darren Daulton
Encyclopedia
Darren Arthur Daulton nicknamed Dutch, is a former catcher
in Major League Baseball
best remembered for his years with the Philadelphia Phillies
. He has been called the "Greatest Clubhouse Leader the Phillies ever had." He earned a World Series ring with the Florida Marlins in 1997.
. He was an all-star with the AA
Reading Phillies
in .
On September 25, 1983, Daulton made his major league debut for the Phillies. Between 1983 and Daulton played sparingly, due much to the presence of all-star catchers Ozzie Virgil
and Lance Parrish
. Daulton became the Phillies' full time catcher in .
Daulton caught Terry Mulholland
's no-hitter
on August 15, .
in runs batted in
with 109. Daulton also finished in the top 10 in on base percentage
, slugging percentage, OPS
, home run
s, walks
, runs created
, and extra base hit
s. Daulton's impressive season earned him his first all-star appearance, the National League Silver Slugger
award, and sixth place in National League MVP
voting.
Daulton was one of the catalysts of the NL pennant winning Phillies. Although the Phillies lost the World Series
, Daulton was again named an all-star, drove in more than 100 runs for the second consecutive season, and finished seventh in National League MVP voting. Daulton once again finished in the top 10 in on base percentage, runs batted in, walks, and extra base hits. Daulton also finished in the top 10 in times on base
and intentional walks
.
and slugging percentage (.549) were career highs at the time of his injury.
By , injuries had clearly taken a toll on Daulton's playing ability, and although he was named to his third all-star team
, he played in only 98 games, and finished the year with just 9 home runs.
Daulton missed nearly the entire season due to injury, playing in just 5 games all year.
. By this time, Daulton's knee injuries had forced him to change positions. After playing half of the season in Philadelphia as a right fielder
, the Marlins used Daulton as a first baseman
and pinch hitter
. Daulton put up respectable numbers in his final season, hitting .263 with 14 home runs, 63 RBI and 68 runs scored in just 395 at bats. After the Marlins won the 1997 World Series
, Daulton announced his retirement.
Daulton was ranked as the 25th greatest catcher of all-time by Bill James
in the 2001 edition of his Historical Baseball Abstract.
On August 6, 2010 Daulton was inducted into the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame
.
in Pinellas County, Florida
in 1988, and his driver's license
was suspended for a year after he refused to take a Breathalyzer
test. His license was also suspended in the late '90s due to unpaid speeding tickets; he received at least five during that time period, including one for traveling over 100 miles-per-hour in a 65 zone. At approximately 1AM on May 7, 1991, Daulton was riding in the red Mercedes-Benz
SL500 driven by teammate Lenny Dykstra
. Traveling at high speed, they crashed into a tree in Radnor Township, PA after attending a bachelor party
for teammate John Kruk
. Dykstra suffered broken ribs, collarbone, and a broken facial bone while Daulton injured his eye and had a broken facial bone. According to Radnor Township police, Dykstra's blood alcohol content
was 0.179 at the time of the crash. While under his license suspension, he was involved in a single-vehicle accident on January 3, 2001, causing $20,000 worth of damage to his BMW
sedan. He again refused to be tested, and was charged with DUI, driving with a suspended license, and failing to appear in court. Daulton claims the accident was the result of getting run off the road as a consequence of a business deal with ties to the FBI and the White House.
Exactly two years later, he was arrested again for driving with a suspended license and DUI, after again refusing to be tested for alcohol.
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
best remembered for his years with the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. He has been called the "Greatest Clubhouse Leader the Phillies ever had." He earned a World Series ring with the Florida Marlins in 1997.
Professional career
Daulton was drafted by the Phillies in the 25th round of the MLB draft1980 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1980 Major League Baseball draft.- Compensation Picks :*William Erickson, was drafted in the second round by the San Francisco Giants, 31st pick overall. *Jeff Horne was drafted in the second round by the Pittsburgh Pirates,...
. He was an all-star with the AA
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
Reading Phillies
Reading Phillies
The Reading Phillies are a minor league baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League. Since the 1967 season, they have been the AA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies....
in .
On September 25, 1983, Daulton made his major league debut for the Phillies. Between 1983 and Daulton played sparingly, due much to the presence of all-star catchers Ozzie Virgil
Ozzie Virgil, Jr.
Osvaldo José Virgil, Jr. is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played with the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, and Toronto Blue Jays from 1980 to 1990. He was elected to the National League All-Star team twice in 1985 and 1987...
and Lance Parrish
Lance Parrish
Lance Michael Parrish, aka "Big Wheel", is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Detroit Tigers , Philadelphia Phillies , California Angels , Seattle Mariners , Cleveland Indians , Pittsburgh Pirates , and the Toronto Blue Jays...
. Daulton became the Phillies' full time catcher in .
Daulton caught Terry Mulholland
Terry Mulholland
Terence John Mulholland is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He threw left-handed and batted right-handed.-Early and personal life:...
's no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
on August 15, .
1992–1993 seasons
Daulton's finest season came in . That season, Daulton led the National LeagueNational League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
in runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
with 109. Daulton also finished in the top 10 in on base percentage
On base percentage
In baseball statistics, on-base percentage is a measure of how often a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error, fielder's choice, dropped/uncaught third strike, fielder's obstruction, or catcher's interference In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) (sometimes...
, slugging percentage, OPS
On-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player to both get on base and to hit for power, two important hitting skills, are represented. An OPS of .900 or higher in Major League...
, home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
, runs created
Runs created
Runs created is a baseball statistic invented by Bill James to estimate the number of runs a hitter contributes to his team.-Purpose:James explains in his book, The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, why he believes runs created is an essential thing to measure:With regard to an offensive...
, and extra base hit
Extra base hit
In baseball, an extra base hit , also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire another base runner...
s. Daulton's impressive season earned him his first all-star appearance, the National League Silver Slugger
Silver Slugger
The Silver Slugger Award is awarded annually to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball...
award, and sixth place in National League MVP
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
The Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award is an annual Major League Baseball award, given to one outstanding player in the American League and one in the National League. Since 1931, it has been awarded by the Baseball Writers Association of America...
voting.
Daulton was one of the catalysts of the NL pennant winning Phillies. Although the Phillies lost the World Series
1993 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 16, 1993 at SkyDome in Toronto, OntarioThe Series' first game sent two staff aces—Curt Schilling for Philadelphia and Juan Guzman for Toronto—against one another. The result was less than a pitcher's duel, however, as both teams scored early and often.The deciding plays...
, Daulton was again named an all-star, drove in more than 100 runs for the second consecutive season, and finished seventh in National League MVP voting. Daulton once again finished in the top 10 in on base percentage, runs batted in, walks, and extra base hits. Daulton also finished in the top 10 in times on base
Times on base
In baseball statistics, the term times on base, also abbreviated as TOB, is the cumulative total number of times a batter has been awarded for reaching base as a result of hits, walks and hit by pitches. This stat does not include times reaching first by way of error, dropped 3rd strike, fielders...
and intentional walks
Intentional base on balls
In baseball, an intentional base on balls, usually referred to as an intentional walk and denoted in baseball scorekeeping by IBB, is a walk issued to a batter by a pitcher with the intent of removing the batter's opportunity to swing at the pitched ball...
.
Injury problems
Unfortunately, knee injuries caught up with Daulton. In , Daulton was on pace for his best season yet when he went down for the season. Through 67 games, Daulton was hitting .300 with 15 home runs and 56 RBI. Both his batting averageBatting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
and slugging percentage (.549) were career highs at the time of his injury.
By , injuries had clearly taken a toll on Daulton's playing ability, and although he was named to his third all-star team
1995 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1995 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 66th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 11, 1995 at The Ballpark in Arlington in Arlington, Texas, the...
, he played in only 98 games, and finished the year with just 9 home runs.
Daulton missed nearly the entire season due to injury, playing in just 5 games all year.
Trade to the Florida Marlins
In , after 17 years with the organization, the Phillies traded Daulton to the Florida MarlinsFlorida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
. By this time, Daulton's knee injuries had forced him to change positions. After playing half of the season in Philadelphia as a right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
, the Marlins used Daulton as a first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
and pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
. Daulton put up respectable numbers in his final season, hitting .263 with 14 home runs, 63 RBI and 68 runs scored in just 395 at bats. After the Marlins won the 1997 World Series
1997 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 18, 1997 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, FloridaThe first World Series game in the state of Florida, Game 1 featured a youngster and a veteran facing each other on the mound...
, Daulton announced his retirement.
Career statistics
In 14 seasons, Daulton hit .245 with 137 home runs, 588 RBI and 511 runs scored in 1161 games.Daulton was ranked as the 25th greatest catcher of all-time by Bill James
Bill James
George William “Bill” James is a baseball writer, historian, and statistician whose work has been widely influential. Since 1977, James has written more than two dozen books devoted to baseball history and statistics...
in the 2001 edition of his Historical Baseball Abstract.
On August 6, 2010 Daulton was inducted into the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame
Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame
The Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame is a collection of plaques, mounted on a brick wall in the Ashburn Alley section of Citizens Bank Park, the ballpark of the Philadelphia Phillies...
.
97.5 The Fanatic
Since 2010, during the Philadelphia Phillies season, Daulton hosts a radio show "Talking Baseball with Dutch" from 6 pm to 7 pm on 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia.Vehicle-related charges
Daulton has been arrested several times on vehicle-related charges. He was arrested for DUIDriving under the influence
Driving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...
in Pinellas County, Florida
Pinellas County, Florida
Pinellas County is a county located in the state of Florida. Its county seat is Clearwater, Florida, and its largest city is St. Petersburg. This county is contained entirely within the telephone area code 727, except for some sections of Oldsmar, which have the area code 813...
in 1988, and his driver's license
Driver's license
A driver's license/licence , or driving licence is an official document which states that a person may operate a motorized vehicle, such as a motorcycle, car, truck or a bus, on a public roadway. Most U.S...
was suspended for a year after he refused to take a Breathalyzer
Breathalyzer
A breathalyzer or breathalyser is a device for estimating blood alcohol content from a breath sample...
test. His license was also suspended in the late '90s due to unpaid speeding tickets; he received at least five during that time period, including one for traveling over 100 miles-per-hour in a 65 zone. At approximately 1AM on May 7, 1991, Daulton was riding in the red Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
SL500 driven by teammate Lenny Dykstra
Lenny Dykstra
Leonard Kyle "Lenny" Dykstra , nicknamed "Nails" and "Dude", is a former Major League Baseball center fielder. Dykstra played for the New York Mets during the late 1980s before playing for the Philadelphia Phillies during the early 1990s....
. Traveling at high speed, they crashed into a tree in Radnor Township, PA after attending a bachelor party
Bachelor party
A bachelor party , also known as a stag party, stag night or stag do , a bull's party , or a buck's party or buck's night , is a party held for a man shortly before he enters marriage, to celebrate his "last night of freedom" or merely to spend...
for teammate John Kruk
John Kruk
John Martin Kruk is a former Major League Baseball player and current baseball analyst for ESPN.-Early life and career:...
. Dykstra suffered broken ribs, collarbone, and a broken facial bone while Daulton injured his eye and had a broken facial bone. According to Radnor Township police, Dykstra's blood alcohol content
Blood alcohol content
Blood alcohol content , also called blood alcohol concentration, blood ethanol concentration, or blood alcohol level is most commonly used as a metric of alcohol intoxication for legal or medical purposes....
was 0.179 at the time of the crash. While under his license suspension, he was involved in a single-vehicle accident on January 3, 2001, causing $20,000 worth of damage to his BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
sedan. He again refused to be tested, and was charged with DUI, driving with a suspended license, and failing to appear in court. Daulton claims the accident was the result of getting run off the road as a consequence of a business deal with ties to the FBI and the White House.
Exactly two years later, he was arrested again for driving with a suspended license and DUI, after again refusing to be tested for alcohol.
Domestic violence charges
Daulton was also arrested on domestic violence charges, accused of abusing his second wife Nicole, who subsequently filed for divorce. In 2004, he spent two months in jail in contempt of court after refusing to abide by the terms of a legal agreement related to the divorce.Personal beliefs
Daulton has authored a book on occultism and numerology, titled "If They Only Knew," published in 2007. In the book he discusses numerous aspects of occultism, referencing experts in the field, and his personal experiences.See also
- List of NL Silver Slugger Winners at Catcher
- List of Major League Baseball RBI champions