Marlins also feel loss of Phillies hero Darren Daulton

Darren Daulton died Monday at age 55

Former Philadelphia Phillies and Florida (now Miami) Marlins player Darren Daulton died on Monday of brain cancer. He was just 55 years old.

The 1997 Major League Baseball season was just the fifth in the history of the expansion Marlins franchise. The team had begun play in 1993 along with the Colorado Rockies.

The Rockies fielded winning teams in both 1995 and 1996. But the Fish were taking a bit longer, and were unable to field a winner over their first four seasons

For that fifth year, Marlins owner Wayne Huizenga opened the vault. He signed free agent slugger Bobby Bonilla to play third base, as well as outfielder Moises Alou and starting pitcher Alex Fernandez.

These players were added to a core group already present that included “Mr. Marlin”, Jeff Conine, emerging star outfielder Gary Sheffield, veteran outfielder Devon White, and starting pitchers Al Leiter and Kevin Brown.

Young catcher Charles Johnson, second baseman Luis Castillo, and shortstop Edgar Renteria were also in place. A rookie starting pitcher, 22-year old Cuban Livan Hernandez, would emerge as a reliable arm for the club. The closer was talented 27-year old Robb Nen.

The Marlins brought in a proven winner to manage that 1997 club in Jim Leyland. With all their new blood, the Marlins got out to a blistering 8-1 start. They would eventually level off, but another hot stretch in mid-May pushed the team out to a 27-16 record. Florida spent most of the next two months in second place behind the talented Atlanta Braves.

Darren Daulton Foundation Fighting Brain Cancer

In 1980, the Philadelphia Phillies were driving toward the club's fourth NL East crown in five years.

That thrilling season would ultimately culminate in a third National League pennant, and the then 98-year-old organization's first-ever World Series championship victory.

In June of that summer, the Phillies made an 18-year-old catcher out of Arkansas City High School in Kansas their 25th round selection in the MLB Amateur Draft.

Darren Daulton would sign a contract days later, beginning a nearly two decade career with the organization.

Daulton would make his big league debut with the 1983 "Wheeze Kids" team of aging veterans that would capture yet another NL pennant. By 1985 he was in the major leagues for good, and by 1989 was the Phillies' everyday catcher.

Daulton would suffer a number of knee injuries which would derail his career early on. But he fought through multiple surgeries to emerge as a 3x NL All-Star, a Silver Slugger Award winner, a 2x NL MVP top ten voting finisher, and the captain and leader of the Phillies during the 1990s.

After helping lead the "Macho Row" team to the 1993 NL pennant, Daulton was finally dealt at age 35 to the then Florida Marlins for the end of the 1997 season. There he would help the Fish to the franchise's first-ever World Series title that October.

Darren Daulton Making a Difference

A Philadelphia Phillies icon remains active in the community through his charitable foundation.

In 1993, the Phillies astounded the baseball world with their magical worst-to-first season. 

That squad, nicknamed ‘Macho Row’, had a clear leader in team captain Darren Daulton.

Known affectionately as ‘Dutch’, the left-handed hitting catcher would play in parts of 14 seasons with the Phillies. 

He made his debut during the Phils’ 1983 NL Championship season, and ended his career winning a World Series with the Florida Marlins in 1997. 

In the 2001 edition of his popular Baseball Abstract, respected baseball statistical guru Bill James ranked Daulton as the 25th greatest catcher of all-time.

Since his retirement, Daulton has remained active with the Phillies organization. He was selected to a place of honor on the Phillies Wall of Fame in 2010, and has since been joined by 1993 teammates Curt Schilling and John Kruk in being so honored.

Daulton also began a charitable organization, the Darren Daulton Foundation, which aids those suffering from brain cancer, tumors, and various injuries. 

Daulton himself had surgery in July of 2013 to resection two brain tumors related to glioblastoma.