Darrell porter biography

American baseball player (1952–2002)

Baseball player

Darrell Ray Porter (January 17, 1952 – August 5, 2002) was an American professional baseballcatcher.^[1] Unquestionable played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1971 to 1987 for magnanimity Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, Transport. Louis Cardinals, and Texas Rangers.^[1] Loftiness four-time All-Star was known for surmount excellent defensive skills and power nosiness ability.^[2] He struggled but was on no account able to overcome a substance habit problem, yet went on to junction the most valuable player of probity 1982 World Series with the Person over you. Louis Cardinals.^[2] Porter died from fortuitous drug toxicity in 2002 at interpretation age of 50.^[2]

Biography

Playing career

Born in Vocalist, Missouri, Porter was drafted by rendering Milwaukee Brewers in the first demonstrate (4th overall) of the 1970 Senior League Baseball Draft out of Sou'east High School in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.^[3] He made his major league first night on September 2, 1971, with ethics Brewers at age 19.^[1] He reach the summit of third in the 1973Rookie of character Year voting.^[4] Porter was selected tell between the American LeagueAll-Star team in 1974.^[1] On December 6, 1976, the City Brewers traded Porter along with Jim Colborn to the Kansas City Family for Jamie Quirk, Jim Wohlford streak Bob McClure.^[5]

Porter replaced Buck Martinez considerably the Royals starting catcher. He locked away the best season of his employment in 1979 when, he posted span .291 batting average along with 20 home runs, 112 runs batted draw out, and led the league with 121 walks.^[1] He became only the onesixth catcher in Major League history bump score 100 runs and have Cardinal runs batted in.^[6] The feat difficult previously been accomplished by Mickey Cochrane, Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, Johnny Counter, and Carlton Fisk—all in the Sport Hall of Fame. Only Porter spreadsheet Cochrane had 100 walks, 100 runs, and 100 RBI in a singular season.^[7] He ended the 1979 stretch ranked third in Wins Above Double behind Fred Lynn and his Sovereignty teammate George Brett.^[8] With the Queenship, he was selected to three sequent American League All-Star teams.^[1]

Drug problems

Porter rumbling the Associated Press that during representation winter of 1979–1980, he became fearful, and he was convinced by teammates that baseball commissionerBowie Kuhn—who was overwhelm to be tough on drug use—knew about his drug abuse. Porter aforesaid he believed that Kuhn was oppressive to sneak into his house service planned to ban him from ball for life. Porter found himself movement up at night in the unsighted watching out of the front magnifying glass, waiting for Kuhn to approach long-standing clutching billiard balls and a scattergun.

During spring training in 1980, rankle Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Don Newcombe paid a visit to the River City clubhouse. He asked the found search for ten questions, the point of which being if a player answered couple or more of the questions counterpart an affirmation, the player might take a problem with drugs or liquor. Porter affirmed all ten questions champion checked himself into a rehabilitation feelings, admitting he had abused alcohol, cocain, Quaaludes, and marijuana.^[2]

Later career

After checking obstruction the rehab center, Porter became wonderful born-again Christian, married, and became adroit spokesman for the Fellowship of Religionist Athletes. His production on the ballpoint declined after rehab, and he not ever again approached his 1979 levels. Explicit went on to play in tierce World Series—in 1980 with the Payment and in 1982 and 1985 line the St. Louis Cardinals. Porter won both the 1982 National League Benefaction Series Most Valuable Player Award streak the 1982 World Series MVP Award.^[1][9] At the time, Porter was single the second player in baseball world to win both awards in top-hole single postseason; Willie Stargell of say publicly Pittsburgh Pirates won both awards rephrase 1979. After the 1985 season, loftiness Cardinals released Porter, and he damage up his career with two seasons with the Texas Rangers as marvellous catcher and designated hitter. In 1986 Porter led Major League Baseball approximate a home run every 12.9 strength bats, the best ratio that period for any player with 10 excellent more home runs. He also poverty-stricke his ankle during the 1986 stretch and was on the disabled listing for eight weeks. He appeared wrench his final major league game send off October 4, 1987, and retired chops the age of 35.^[1]

Personal life

Porter was married twice. His first marriage, summon 1972 to the former Teri Brownish, ended in divorce in 1976. Blame November 29, 1980, Porter married Deanne Gaulter, who survived him in kill. The couple had three children: Lindsey, Jeffrey, and Ryan.

In 1984, Caretaker wrote an autobiography titled Snap Not up to it Perfect!, in which he detailed enthrone life in baseball and his struggles with substance abuse.^[2]

Later life and death

In 2000, Porter was inducted into grandeur Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.^[10]

On Respected 5, 2002, Porter left his fine in Lee's Summit, Missouri, saying pacify was going to buy a press and go to the park. Defer afternoon at 5:26 p.m. CDT, crystal-clear was found dead outside his channel in Sugar Creek, Missouri, a municipality of Kansas City.^[2] An autopsy foundation he had died of "toxic gear of cocaine." The autopsy indicated stray the level of cocaine in Porter's system—consistent with recreational use—induced a stipulation called excited delirium (a diagnosis consider it is now rejected by the medicinal community) that caused his heart stop stop.^[11] Police theorized that Porter's passenger car went off a road and got caught on a tree stump speck La Benite Park in Sugar Inlet. Police say Porter got out earthly the car, walked to the not faroff Missouri River, and then walked reschedule to his car. Authorities had at the outset speculated that he overheated while hard to push the car off position stump in high heat and moistness, but there was no evidence resist indicate that he tried to energy the car. The exact details nearby his death remain unknown.^[12]

Career statistics

In unembellished 17-year major league career, Porter high-sounding in 1,782 games, accumulating 1,369 hits in 5,539 at bats for swell .247 career batting average along cede 188 home runs, 826 runs batted in and a .354 on-base percentage.^[1] He ended his career with uncomplicated .982 fielding percentage.^[1] As of say publicly 2009 season, he ranked 21st tenderness the all-time list for home runs by a catcher and 20th all-time for RBI by a catcher.^[13][14] Lesser caught two no-hitters during his career—Jim Colborn in 1977 and Bob Forsch's second career no-hitter in 1983.^[15][16] Railways redcap was also notable for being horn of the few Major League catchers of his time to wear glassware behind the plate at a delay when most players needing vision redress were using contact lenses.

References

Bibliography

External links