Darrell Porter

World Series MVP (1982)
Baseball Digest Rookie A.L. Catcher (1973) [see AWARDS]
All-Star 1974, 1978-80 [see ALL-STARS]
Full Name: Darrell Ray Porter
Bats: Left Throws: Right
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 193 lbs.
Born: Jan 17, 1952 in Joplin, MO
Major League Debut: Sep 02, 1971
Died: August 5, 2002 in Kansas City, MO


CAREER BATTING STATISTICS
 BATTING
YEAR TEAM LG AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K OBP SLG
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
 Mil
Mil
Mil
Mil
Mil
Mil
KC
KC
KC
KC
StL
StL
StL
StL
StL
Tex
Tex
 AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
NL
NL
NL
NL
NL
AL
AL
 .214
.125
.254
.241
.232
.208
.275
.265
.291
.249
.224
.231
.262
.232
.221
.265
.238
 22
18
117
131
130
119
130
150
157
118
61
120
145
127
84
68
85
 70
56
350
432
409
389
425
520
533
418
174
373
443
422
240
155
130
 4
2
50
59
66
43
61
77
101
51
22
46
57
56
30
21
19
 15
7
89
104
95
81
117
138
155
104
39
86
116
98
53
41
31
 2
1
19
15
12
14
21
27
23
14
10
18
24
16
12
6
3
 0
0
2
4
5
1
3
6
10
2
2
5
3
3
2
0
0
 2
1
16
12
18
5
16
18
20
7
6
12
15
11
10
12
7
 9
2
67
56
60
32
60
78
112
51
31
48
66
68
36
29
21
 9
5
57
50
89
51
53
75
121
69
39
66
68
60
41
22
30
 20
21
85
88
77
61
70
75
65
50
32
66
94
79
48
51
43
 .300
.210
.363
.326
.371
.298
.353
.358
.421
.354
.364
.347
.363
.331
.335
.360
.387
 .329
.196
.457
.377
.418
.288
.452
.444
.484
.342
.408
.402
.431
.363
.413
.535
.423
Totals AVG
.247		 G
1782		 AB
5539		 R
765		 H
1369		 2B
237		 3B
48		 HR
188		 RBI
826		 BB
905		 K
1025		 OBP
.354		 SLG
.409

 BATTINGBASERUNNINGMISC
YEAR TEAM LG HBP GDP TB IBB SH SF SB CS SB% AB/HR AB/K
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
 Mil
Mil
Mil
Mil
Mil
Mil
KC
KC
KC
KC
StL
StL
StL
StL
StL
Tex
Tex
 AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
NL
NL
NL
NL
NL
AL
AL
 0
1
4
5
5
1
1
2
8
2
1
2
4
5
1
1
2
 0
1
6
6
8
4
6
13
11
10
3
8
8
10
3
3
2
 23
11
160
163
171
112
192
231
258
143
71
150
191
153
99
83
55
 0
0
6
7
10
3
6
14
8
5
7
6
12
12
6
0
4
 0
1
3
2
1
3
1
1
4
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
 1
0
2
1
7
5
6
4
13
6
3
3
3
6
2
0
1
 2
0
5
8
2
2
1
0
3
1
1
1
1
5
6
1
0
 2
0
2
7
5
0
0
5
4
1
2
1
3
3
1
1
0
 .500
-.---
.714
.533
.286
1.000
1.000
.000
.429
.500
.333
.500
.250
.625
.857
.500
-.---
 35.0
56.0
21.9
36.0
22.7
77.8
26.6
28.9
26.7
59.7
29.0
31.1
29.5
38.4
24.0
12.9
18.6
 3.5
2.7
4.1
4.9
5.3
6.4
6.1
6.9
8.2
8.4
5.4
5.7
4.7
5.3
5.0
3.0
3.0
Totals HBP
45		 GDP
102		 TB
2266		 IBB
106		 SH
18		 SF
63		 SB
39		 CS
37		 SB%
.513		 AB/HR
29.5		 AB/K
5.4


CAREER FIELDING STATISTICS
YEAR TEAM LG POS G Ch PO A E DP FPCT
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1987
 Mil
Mil
Mil
Mil
Mil
Mil
KC
KC
KC
KC
StL
StL
StL
StL
StL
Tex
Tex
Tex
 AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
NL
NL
NL
NL
NL
AL
AL
AL
 C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
1B
C
 22
18
90
117
124
111
125
145
141
81
52
111
133
122
82
25
5
7
 129
124
429
556
627
557
737
678
709
367
242
542
655
689
416
175
12
11
 108
113
372
484
532
491
663
608
628
322
206
469
578
620
386
165
11
10
 18
8
47
60
82
52
61
62
68
37
31
64
70
58
26
9
1
1
 3
3
10
12
13
14
13
8
13
8
5
9
7
11
4
1
0
0
 2
3
9
8
10
7
4
10
15
6
2
8
8
6
4
2
2
0
 0.977
0.976
0.977
0.978
0.979
0.975
0.982
0.988
0.982
0.978
0.979
0.983
0.989
0.984
0.990
0.994
1.000
1.000
Totals G
1511		 Ch
7655		 PO
6766		 A
755		 E
134		 DP
106		 FPCT
0.982


LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES BATTING STATISTICS
 BATTING
YEAR TEAM LG AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K OBP SLG
1977
1978
1980
1982
1985
 KC
KC
KC
StL
StL
 AL
AL
AL
NL
NL
 .333
.357
.100
.556
.267
 5
4
3
3
5
 15
14
10
9
15
 3
1
2
3
1
 5
5
1
5
4
 0
1
0
3
1
 0
0
0
0
0
 0
0
0
0
0
 0
3
0
1
0
 3
2
1
5
5
 0
0
0
2
4
 .444
.412
.182
.714
.450
 .333
.429
.100
.889
.333
Totals AVG
.317		 G
20		 AB
63		 R
10		 H
20		 2B
5		 3B
0		 HR
0		 RBI
4		 BB
16		 K
6		 OBP
.450		 SLG
.397

 BATTINGBASERUNNINGMISC
YEAR TEAM LG HBP GDP TB IBB SH SF SB CS SB% AB/HR AB/K
1977
1978
1980
1982
1985
 KC
KC
KC
StL
StL
 AL
AL
AL
NL
NL
 0
0
0
0
0
 0
0
0
0
0
 5
6
1
8
5
 0
0
0
0
1
 0
0
0
0
0
 0
1
0
0
0
 0
0
0
0
0
 0
0
0
0
0
 -.---
-.---
-.---
-.---
-.---
 --.-
--.-
--.-
--.-
--.-
 --.-
--.-
--.-
4.5
3.8
Totals HBP
0		 GDP
0		 TB
25		 IBB
1		 SH
0		 SF
1		 SB
0		 CS
0		 SB%
-.---		 AB/HR
--.-		 AB/K
10.5

WORLD SERIES BATTING STATISTICS
 BATTING
YEAR TEAM LG AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K OBP SLG
1980
1982
1985
 KC
StL
StL
 AL
NL
NL
 .143
.286
.133
 5
7
5
 14
28
15
 1
1
0
 2
8
2
 0
2
0
 0
0
0
 0
1
0
 0
5
0
 3
1
2
 4
4
5
 .294
.310
.235
 .143
.464
.133
Totals AVG
.211		 G
17		 AB
57		 R
2		 H
12		 2B
2		 3B
0		 HR
1		 RBI
5		 BB
6		 K
13		 OBP
.286		 SLG
.298

 BATTINGBASERUNNINGMISC
YEAR TEAM LG HBP GDP TB IBB SH SF SB CS SB% AB/HR AB/K
1980
1982
1985
 KC
StL
StL
 AL
NL
NL
 0
0
0
 0
0
0
 2
13
2
 0
0
1
 0
0
0
 0
0
0
 0
0
0
 0
0
0
 -.---
-.---
-.---
 --.-
28.0
--.-
 3.5
7.0
3.0
Totals HBP
0		 GDP
0		 TB
17		 IBB
1		 SH
0		 SF
0		 SB
0		 CS
0		 SB%
-.---		 AB/HR
57.0		 AB/K
4.4

POSTSEASON BATTING TOTALS
 BATTING
YEAR TEAM AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K OBP SLG
1977
1978
1980
1982
1985
 KC
KC
KC
StL
StL
 .333
.357
.125
.351
.200
 5
4
8
10
10
 15
14
24
37
30
 3
1
3
4
1
 5
5
3
13
6
 0
1
0
5
1
 0
0
0
0
0
 0
0
0
1
0
 0
3
0
6
0
 3
2
4
6
7
 0
0
4
6
9
 .444
.412
.250
.442
.351
 .333
.429
.125
.568
.233
Totals AVG
.267		 G
37		 AB
120		 R
12		 H
32		 2B
7		 3B
0		 HR
1		 RBI
9		 BB
22		 K
19		 OBP
.378		 SLG
.350

 BATTINGBASERUNNINGMISC
YEAR TEAM HBP GDP TB IBB SH SF SB CS SB% AB/HR AB/K
1977
1978
1980
1982
1985
 KC
KC
KC
StL
StL
 0
0
0
0
0
 0
0
0
0
0
 5
6
3
21
7
 0
0
0
0
2
 0
0
0
0
0
 0
1
0
0
0
 0
0
0
0
0
 0
0
0
0
0
 -.---
-.---
-.---
-.---
-.---
 --.-
--.-
--.-
37.0
--.-
 --.-
--.-
6.0
6.2
3.3
Totals HBP
0		 GDP
0		 TB
42		 IBB
2		 SH
0		 SF
1		 SB
0		 CS
0		 SB%
-.---		 AB/HR
120.0		 AB/K
6.3


LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES FIELDING
YEAR TEAM POS G Ch PO A E DP FPCT
1977
1978
1980
1982
1985
 KC
KC
KC
StL
StL
 C
C
C
C
C
 5
4
3
3
5
 18
22
18
18
27
 18
21
17
15
25
 0
1
1
3
2
 0
0
0
0
0
 0
1
0
1
0
 1.000
1.000
1.000
1.000
1.000
Totals G
20		 Ch
103		 PO
96		 A
7		 E
0		 DP
2		 FPCT
1.000

WORLD SERIES FIELDING
YEAR TEAM POS G Ch PO A E DP FPCT
1980
1982
1985
 KC
StL
StL
 C
C
C
 4
7
5
 15
35
40
 13
33
36
 2
2
4
 0
0
0
 0
1
1
 1.000
1.000
1.000
Totals G
16		 Ch
90		 PO
82		 A
8		 E
0		 DP
2		 FPCT
1.000

POSTSEASON FIELDING TOTALS
YEAR TEAM G Ch PO A E DP FPCT
1977
1978
1980
1982
1985
 KC
KC
KC
StL
StL
 5
4
7
10
10
 18
22
33
53
67
 18
21
30
48
61
 0
1
3
5
6
 0
0
0
0
0
 0
1
0
2
1
 1.000
1.000
1.000
1.000
1.000
Totals G
36		 Ch
193		 PO
178		 A
15		 E
0		 DP
4		 FPCT
1.000


TEAM ABBREVIATION KEY
YEARS
1971-1976
1977-1980
1981-1985
1986-1987		 TM
Mil
KC
StL
Tex		 LG
AL
AL
NL
AL		 TEAM NAME
Milwaukee Brewers
Kansas City Royals
St. Louis Cardinals
Texas Rangers		 LEAGUE NAME
American League
American League
National League
American League


Porter was a top defensive catcher with a strong arm and was regarded a good handler of pitchers. He hit as many as 20 home runs, and his low batting averages were usually balanced by his bases on balls.

Porter took over regular catching duties at Milwaukee in his first full season, 1973, and hit 16 homers. He was traded to Kansas City in 1977, and replaced the popular Buck Martinez. Two years later, he had a career year, 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.

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 and Darrell was named World Series MVP..