MLB Notebook: Former Phillies catcher Darren Daulton dies
Darren Daulton, the All-Star catcher who was the leader of the Philadelphia Phillies’ N.L. championship team in 1993, has died. He was 55.
Daulton had battled brain cancer since 2013. He had two tumors removed during brain surgery on July 1, 2013, but nine days later was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer that also took the lives of his former teammate Tug McGraw and former coach John Vukovich.
Daulton played 14 1/2 of his 15 major league seasons with Philadelphia and finished his career with the 1997 World Series champion Florida Marlins, batting .389 (7 for 18) with two doubles and one homer in a seven-game series against Cleveland.
The left-handed hitting Daulton batted .245 with 137 homers and 588 RBIs in 1,161 games. He went to three All-Star games and led the N.L. with 109 RBIs in 1992.
The long-haired Daulton was beloved by Phillies fans and respected by teammates. He policed a wild clubhouse in ‘93 that included Lenny Dykstra, John Kruk, Dave Hollins, Pete Incaviglia, Mitch Williams and Curt Schilling.
Yankees bench Sanchez
Gary Sanchez’s defensive issues came to a head, when the slugging catcher found himself benched for the Yankees’ series finale against the Indians.
Austin Romine, a superior defender, caught Luis Severino while Sanchez caught more heat for his penchant for passed balls.
“The start (of Romine) isn’t the message,” Girardi said before the game regarding his embattled receiver. “The message came from us verbally that your defense needs to improve, you need to get better at it, you need to work at it. We expressed how important it is.”
Sanchez’s 12 passed balls leads the majors. And his shortcomings at blocking pitches reached a breaking point as the Yankees lost four straight games before Saturday’s 2-1 win at Progressive Field, a game that Romine caught while Sanchez (0 for 3) served as designated hitter.
Clearing the bases
Former All-Star closer Glen Perkins says he believes he is finally getting close to joining the Minnesota Twins after more than 13 months of rehab following shoulder surgery. Perkins will join Double-A Chattanooga in Birmingham, Alabama, on Thursday for three planned outings. If all goes well, Perkins says “there is no reason” he shouldn’t be able to join the Twins. … Jason Kipnis is back at the top of Cleveland’s lineup. The second baseman was activated from the disabled list after being sidelined since before the All-Star break with a strained right hamstring. Kipnis got hurt while running the bases on July 8 against Detroit. He’s batting .232 with eight homers and 26 RBIs in 66 games. … The New York Yankees placed slumping slugger Matt Holliday on the disabled list with a lower back issue. The move with the designated hitter was expected after Holliday tweaked his back while swinging on Friday night. Holliday is batting just .136 (11 of 81) with one homer and four RBIs since July 14. Before Saturday, he had just four hits in his past 23 at-bats. … The Kansas City Royals put All-Star catcher Salvador Perez on the 10-day disabled list with a strain on the right side of his chest. Perez was injured on a swing in the sixth inning Friday. The five-time All-Star is hitting .278 with 21 home runs and 65 RBIs. Manager Ned Yost says the worst-case scenario is Perez being sidelined for four weeks with the right intercostal strain, but he is hopeful it will be in the 10-to-14 days range. Drew Butera, who entered Sunday hitting .250 with two home runs and nine RBIs in 92 at-bats, will do the majority of the catching in Perez’s absence. … Former Seattle outfielder Stefen Romero has agreed to a three-year contract through 2020 with the Orix Buffaloes of Japan’s Pacific League. The deal calls for a $2.5 million annual salary.