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Catchers
Darren Daulton
C, LHB
Daulton was the heart of Phillies in 1993, but looking back at his career it's remarkable he was still with the team. He was just a 25th-round draft pick, and first made the club in 1983, but was just a terrible hitter. In 1989, he finally became the starter. I remember thinking that year, I wish the Phillies would play Steve Lake instead. Steve Lake! Who hit .237 with 18 home runs in 11 seasons! That's how bad Daulton was, at the time. Well, in 1990, Daulton finally had a decent year, hitting .268 with 12 home runs, then he sucked again in 1991, hitting .196. Finally, in 1992 he turned into the best offensive catcher in the league at age 30, putting Steve Lake to shame, hitting .270 with 27 home runs and 109 RBI, and he essentially duplicated this performance in 1993. He didn't last much longer in real life, suffering from injuries the next two seasons, and he retired after a solid 1997 season, finishing his career with an unexpected World Series title with the Marlins.
Todd Pratt
C, RHB
Pratt had a reputation as a good hitter but terrible catcher. He came up in 1992 and served as the team's backup for a few seasons, then late in his career returned for five more seasons in the same role.
In the minors, Mike Lieberthal is hanging out waiting for a shot also. Lieberthal was the third overall pick in the 1990 draft and would go on to have a very good career with the Phillies, but was blocked by Daulton in his first few years.
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