During his 14 year career as a Major League Baseball catcher, first with the Philadelphia Phillies and then with the Florida Marlins, Darren became know for the baseball skill, tenacity and strong leadership he demonstrated on the field and in the clubhouse.  Always a fan favorite, he was often cited as one of the game's best at his position.

Born on January 3, 1962 in Arkansas City, Kansas, Darren Arthur Daulton - Dutch to friends - began playing baseball at a young age.  During his high school years, it was evident to all who saw him play that he possessed a talent that would give him the opportunity to play at the professional level.

He was drafted in the 25th round of the 1980 MLB draft by the Phillies.  His next three years in the minor leagues included a stint with the AA Reading Phillies, where he was a 1983 All-Star.  Darren's major league debut came on September 25, 1983 with the Phillies, in Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.  He was the Phillies' back-up catcher, playing behind all-stars Ozzie Virgil and Lance Parrish, until 1989 when he took over the behind-the-plate spot for 126 games.

His growing value to the team was becoming evident in the 1990 season when he played in a career high 143 games and hit .268 with 12 home runs.  A May, 1991 serious car accident with fellow Phillie Lenny Dykstra shortened that season.  Darren cemented his place in Phillies history and earned his well-deserved spot in the hearts of Phillies fans with his outstanding performances in the 1992 and 1993 seasons.

In 1992, Darren led the National League in RBI with 109, stole 11 bases and hit 27 home runs.  According to baseball-reference.com, at that time he was only the fourth catcher in National League history to lead the league in RBI, joining great players Gary Carter, Johnny Bench and Roy Campanella.  At the end of the 2006 season that record had not been repeated by any other player.  He took sixth place in the National League MVP voting and earned a place in the All-Star Game, the first of two straight trips.  He also won the National League Silver Slugger Award, given to the best hitter at each position in both the National League and the American League.

The 1993 season was one that Phillies fans won't soon forget.  Darren was viewed as one of the key members of this NL Pennant winning team, taking a leadership position in the clubhouse.  One commentator at baseballlibrary.com calls him "the inspirational leader" of the team; another says he was one of three players, along with John Kruk and Lenny Dykstra to "symbolize the gritty, hustling blue-collar character of the club."  He and his teammates fought valiantly against the Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series but lost the championship to the American League team in six games.

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