Darrell Porter
Positions: Catcher
Bats: Left Throws: Right
Height: 6′ Weight: 193
Born: Thursday, January 17, 1952 in Joplin, MO USA
Died: August 5, 2002 in Sugar Creek, MO USA
Buried: Longview Cemetery, Kansas City, MO
Draft: Drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 1st round (4th) of the 1970 MLB June Amateur Draft from Southeast HS (Oklahoma City, OK).
High School: Southeast HS (Oklahoma City, OK)
Debut: September 2, 1971 (10,770th in MLB history)
vs. KCR 3 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game: October 4, 1987
vs. SEA 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB
Full Name: Darrell Ray Porter
View Player Page on Baseball Reference
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Nine Players Who Debuted in 1971
Chris Speier
Chris Chambliss
Ron Cey
George Hendrick
Dave Kingman
Jon Matlack
Doyle Alexander
Cecil Cooper
Darrell Porter
Notable Events and Chronology for Darrell Porter Career
Intro
Signed out of high school as the #4 overall pick of the Brewers in the 1970 amateur draft, husky Darrell Porter developed into one of the grittiest catchers in baseball. Originally thought of as a can’t-miss hitter, Porter became a solid big league catcher and a valuable member of five division-winning teams. After failing to live up to expectations in Milwaukee, Porter was dealt to the Royals, where he blossomed. Later, he overcame alcoholism to become the heart-and-soul of the Cardinals, earning honors in both the 1982 NLCS and World Series.
Quotes About
“I know one thing: without Darrell Porter, we sure wouldn’t have won our second and third straight championships in the West Division.” — Royals manager Whitey Herzog
Quotes From
“It got the point that I hated the game and didn’t want to play it. I didn’t want to go to the ballpark. It wasn’t fun anymore.” — Porter on his struggles to live up to expectations in Milwaukee.
Best Season
1979, Porter enjoyed one of the best seasons ever turned in by a catcher in the American League. Hitting .291 with a league-leading 121 walks. He hit 20 homers and matched Mickey Cochrane as the second catcher to amass over 100 runs, RBI, and walks in a single season.
Overcoming abuse
Porter told the Associated Press that during the winter of 1979–1980, he became paranoid, and he was convinced that baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn—who was known to be tough on drug use—knew about his drug abuse. Porter said he believed that Kuhn was trying to sneak into his house and planned to ban him from baseball for life. Porter found himself sitting up at night in the dark watching out the front window, waiting for Kuhn to approach while clutching billiard balls and a shotgun.
During spring training in 1980, former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Don Newcombe paid a visit to the Kansas City clubhouse. He asked the players ten questions, the point of which being if a player answered three or more of the questions with an affirmation, the player might have a problem with drugs or alcohol. Porter affirmed all ten questions and checked himself into a rehabilitation center, admitting he had abused alcohol, cocaine, Quaaludes, and marijuana.
Transition
After the 1973 season, the Chicago Cubs offered the Brewers $1 million in cash for Porter. Owner Bud Selig declined. “There isn’t enough money around to get Darrell,” Selig said. Following Porter’s disappointing 1976 season, Selig traded the catcher to Kansas City in a five-player deal that netted him Jom Wohlford, Jamie Quirk, and Bob McClure. In 1981 he rejoined former Royals manager Whitey Herzog in St. Louis and publicly stated that he was a recovered alcoholic. Although not as productive offensively with the Cardinals as with the Royals, Porter dominated postseason play in 1982. He hit .556 in the LCS as the Cardinals swept the Braves, and his key hits and perfect defense were central to the Cardinals’ World Series victory over the Brewers.
