Darrell Porter, baseball player, 188 home runs, 1971-1987

Darrell Porter

Born: 1/17/1952 in Joplin, MO, USA

Died: 8/5/2002 in Sugar Creek, MO, USA

MLB Debut: 1971-09-02 | Final Game: 1987-10-04

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 193 lbs

Full name: Darrell Ray Porter

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Biography

Darrell Porter was a prominent Major League Baseball player whose career spanned from 1971 to 1987. Born in 1952, Porter was known for his versatility as a position player, primarily excelling as a catcher and first baseman. Over the course of 1,782 games, he accumulated 1,369 hits, 188 home runs, and 826 RBIs, finishing his career with a batting average of .247. His ability to contribute offensively, combined with his defensive skills behind the plate, made him a valuable asset to his teams throughout his career. Porter was recognized for his outstanding performances in high-pressure situations, earning accolades such as the NLCS MVP and the World Series MVP during his time in the league. A four-time All-Star, he left a significant mark in the game, particularly during the late 1970s and early 1980s when he played a crucial role in the success of teams like the Kansas City Royals and the St. Louis Cardinals. His legacy is remembered not only for his individual achievements but also for his contributions to the teams he played for, solidifying his place in baseball history.

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
1782 5539 765 1369 237 48 188 826 39 905 1025 0.247 0.354 0.409 0.763 10347.5

Career AVG .247 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .354 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — +9.2% above league average.

Career SLG .409 vs. league average .383 across their career seasons — +6.8% above league average.

Career OPS 0.763 vs. league average 0.707 across their career seasons — +7.9% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1971 ATL AL 22 70 4 15 2 0 2 9 2 9 20 0.214 .249 (-14%) .316 (-5%) .365 (-10%) .682 (-8%) -81.5
1972 ATL AL 18 56 2 7 1 0 1 2 0 5 21 0.125 .243 (-49%) .310 (-32%) .353 (-45%) .664 (-39%) -327.7
1973 ATL AL 117 350 50 89 19 2 16 67 5 57 85 0.254 .256 (-1%) .325 (+12%) .378 (+21%) .703 (+17%) 1208.7
1974 ATL AL 131 432 59 104 15 4 12 56 8 50 88 0.241 .256 (-6%) .324 (avg) .369 (+2%) .693 (+1%) 172.3
1975 ATL AL 130 409 66 95 12 5 18 60 2 89 77 0.232 .257 (-10%) .327 (+13%) .374 (+12%) .701 (+12%) 1249.4
1976 ATL AL 119 389 43 81 14 1 5 32 2 51 61 0.208 .255 (-18%) .320 (-7%) .360 (-20%) .681 (-14%) -927.0
1977 KCR AL 130 425 61 117 21 3 16 60 1 53 70 0.275 .264 (+4%) .329 (+7%) .401 (+13%) .730 (+10%) 878.0
1978 KCR AL 150 520 77 138 27 6 18 78 0 75 75 0.265 .257 (+3%) .323 (+11%) .378 (+17%) .702 (+14%) 1567.8
1979 KCR AL 157 533 101 155 23 10 20 112 3 121 65 0.291 .265 (+10%) .329 (+28%) .397 (+22%) .727 (+24%) 3217.6
1980 KCR AL 118 418 51 104 14 2 7 51 1 69 50 0.249 .264 (-6%) .326 (+8%) .387 (-12%) .714 (-3%) 26.6
1981 STL NL 61 174 22 39 10 2 6 31 1 39 32 0.224 .255 (-12%) .320 (+14%) .368 (+11%) .688 (+12%) 461.2
1982 STL NL 120 373 46 86 18 5 12 48 1 66 66 0.231 .261 (-12%) .324 (+7%) .388 (+3%) .712 (+5%) 502.9
1983 STL NL 145 443 57 116 24 3 15 66 1 68 94 0.262 .260 (avg) .324 (+12%) .389 (+11%) .714 (+11%) 1167.1
1984 STL NL 127 422 56 98 16 3 11 68 5 60 79 0.232 .259 (-11%) .322 (+2%) .384 (-6%) .707 (-2%) -48.1
1985 STL NL 84 240 30 53 12 2 10 36 6 41 48 0.221 .257 (-14%) .323 (+3%) .390 (+6%) .714 (+5%) 254.7
1986 TEX AL 68 155 21 41 6 0 12 29 1 22 51 0.265 .257 (+3%) .325 (+10%) .395 (+36%) .720 (+24%) 691.3
1987 TEX AL 85 130 19 31 3 0 7 21 0 30 43 0.238 .262 (-9%) .331 (+17%) .415 (+2%) .746 (+8%) 334.4

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
37 120 12 32 7 0 1 9 22 19 0.267

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1985 NLCS SLN 5 15 1 4 1 0 0 0 5 4 0.267
1985 WS SLN 5 15 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 5 0.133
1982 NLCS SLN 3 9 3 5 3 0 0 1 5 2 0.556
1982 WS SLN 7 28 1 8 2 0 1 5 1 4 0.286
1980 ALCS KCA 3 10 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.100
1980 WS KCA 5 14 1 2 0 0 0 0 3 4 0.143
1978 ALCS KCA 4 14 1 5 1 0 0 3 2 0 0.357
1977 ALCS KCA 5 15 3 5 0 0 0 0 3 0 0.333

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 5 0 11 1 0 2
C 1506 1430 6756 754 134 104

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1971 ML4 C 22 21 108 18 3 2
1972 ML4 C 18 17 113 8 3 3
1973 ML4 C 90 83 373 47 10 9
1974 ML4 C 117 114 484 60 12 8
1975 ML4 C 124 121 532 82 13 10
1976 ML4 C 111 105 491 52 14 7
1977 KCA C 125 121 663 61 13 4
1978 KCA C 145 141 608 62 8 10
1979 KCA C 141 141 628 68 13 15
1980 KCA C 81 79 322 37 8 6
1981 SLN C 52 51 206 31 5 2
1982 SLN C 111 108 469 64 9 8
1983 SLN C 133 121 578 70 7 8
1984 SLN C 122 115 620 58 11 6
1985 SLN C 82 68 386 26 4 4
1986 TEX C 25 23 165 9 1 2
1987 TEX 1B 5 0 11 1 0 2
1987 TEX C 7 1 10 1 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Catcher 1506
First Base 5
Designated Hitter 142

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1982 NLCS MVP
1982 World Series MVP
1979 TSN All-Star C

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
1986 TEX AL $162,500
1985 SLN NL $740,000
Total Career Earnings $902,500

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1979 Most Valuable Player AL 9th 52.0 392 0
1978 Most Valuable Player AL 10th 48.0 392 0
1973 Rookie of the Year AL 3rd 2.0 24 2