Phillies Franchise Heroes Gather For Darren Daulton Golf Outing
Legends of the Philadelphia Phillies came together to celebrate a franchise icon on Monday morning. The Darren Daulton Foundation held its annual golf outing at Huntingdon Valley Country Club.
Ambassadors and celebrities from all different eras of Phillies baseball honored the legacy of Darren Daulton by doing their part to support families affected by brain cancer.
The Darren Daulton Foundation
Brett Datto, the foundation’s president, spoke about their mission and outreach.
“When Darren was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2013, he thought it was important to give back to so many people who had supported him throughout his playing career. So we started the Darren Daulton Foundation. We do a lot of events throughout the year. Our biggest is our flagship event today, which our annual golf outing at Huntingdon Valley Country Club. 225 golfers… a lot of ambassadors and celebrities coming out to support the cause. All the money raised goes to help families affected by brain cancer.” -Brett Datto
He spoke about the prominence of the event to give back “what Darren’s spirit and livelihood and leadership was all about” within the organization and for the community in the Philadelphia area.
The 1993 Phillies
Daulton established a reputation as the clubhouse leader for a cast of colorful personalities that famously gelled to win a National League pennant in 1993.
His former teammate John Kruk told the story of how one of the most memorable seasons in Philadelphia sports history unfolded.
“I think because we didn’t have any superstars, we had to play the game the right way if we were going to win… That team took shape when our pitching came around because we knew we could score. We just had no way to keep the other team from scoring… We knew (if) we could pitch and (if) our bullpen and our bullpen was great, we had a chance. No one gave us that chance, but we didn’t give a crap what they thought.” -John Kruk
According to Larry Bowa, Daulton’s impact on the 1993 season went far beyond the diamond.
“If you take a look at his batting average and everything, they weren’t off the charts, but he was a true leader. That ‘93 team that went to the World Series, without him, we don’t even come close. I think he touched a lot of lives before he passed away, and I think this turnout definitely shows you how important he was to the community.” -Larry Bowa
Frank Coppenbarger, the former traveling secretary who spent 30 years in the organization, spoke about how Dutch’s place on the 1993 Phillies affected the entire clubhouse.
“Well, he was a semi-sane one. Some of them weren’t very sane, but he was good. He sort of ran things, and he could deal with the crazies and the regular guys too, and me… He was real good all the way around in the clubhouse and just kind of made sure everything was going right.”-Frank Copperbarger
Phillies Alumni
The turnout included plenty of Daulton’s former teammates. Kevin Stocker, Jim Eisenreich, Milt Thompson, and John Kruk were among the members of the 1993 Phillies who spoke to 97.5 The Fanatic about Daulton’s legacy and the impact of Phillies alumni.
Jim Eisenreich on Darren Daulton & the 1993 Phillies
Milt Thompson on the way the 1993 Phillies came together
Cole Hamels spoke about the legacy of the Phillies as an organization. Daulton’s willingness to take Hamels under his wing when the top pitching prospect made his way through the minors left a lasting impact.
“It’s a lot bigger than just playing the game of baseball. You have to represent yourself the right way in the community. It’s on the field and off the field, and you learn that with players that have been there before you.” -Cole Hamels
Hamels lauded the organization’s alumni and his hopes for “falling in line to that position for the next generation of guys” after his retirement from baseball.
