Darren Daulton, a standout catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies who helped lead the team to the 1993 World Series, died on Sunday after a battle with cancer.
He was 55 years old.
The beloved ball player was diagnosed with cancer in June of 2013.
At the time, Daulton was found to have two brain tumors.
After surgery to remove them, he was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a highly malignant form of brain cancer, the following month.
Daulton underwent radiation, speech therapy and other treatment before announcing he was cancer-free in February 2015.
The slugger was a vital player and leader on the 1993 Phillies team that surprised baseball followers by winning the National League pennant and then losing to the Toronto Blue Jays in six games in a classic World Series.
He once said of that memorable squad:
“We played hard and did everything hard. It was fun, and that was what made us special.”
They lost the World Series on Joe Carter’s iconic walk-off home run.
“Darren was a true leader of men,” Phillies chairman emeritus Bill Giles said in a statement.
He added:
“The Phillies would not have gone to the 1993 World Series without his leadership. In addition to being an outstanding clubhouse leader, he was also a fighter.
“He battled through five knee operations to become an All-Star. I really enjoyed watching him for 14 years in uniform. Darren was a super human being.
“His teammates loved him. I loved him like he was one of my own. In fact, he called me ‘Uncle Bill."”
Daulton was a three-time All-Star who won the Silver Slugger Award in 1992.
He led the National League with 109 RBIs that same season.
The standout back-stop then followed the impressive performance with 105 RBIs in 1993, becoming one of only nine catchers in league history to drive in 100 or more runs in back-to-back seasons.
Said Phillies chairman David Montgomery in a statement of his own:
“All of us at the Phillies are saddened to hear of Darren’s passing.
“From the day that we drafted him until today, he constantly earned our respect and admiration as both a player and person.
“Darren was the face of our franchise in the early 1990s. Jim Fregosi asked so much of him as catcher, clean-up hitter and team leader. He responded to all three challenges.
“One of my toughest decisions as team president was to approve his trade to the Marlins in July of 1997. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Amanda, his parents, his brother and his four children.
“Dutch was truly ‘one of a kind,’ and we will dearly miss him.”
Daulton eventually won a World Series with the Florida Marlins in 1997.
He is survived by his parents, Carol and Dave; one brother, Dave Jr.; his wife, Amanda; and his four children, Zachary (27), Summer (17), Savannah (16) and Darren Jr. (15).
May Darren Daulton rest in peace.