Darrell Porter

Darrell Porter is almost exclusively remembered for his post-season performance in 1982 with the Cardinals. That year, the bespectacled catcher was named MVP of both the National League championship series and the World Series. He was particularly spectacular in the championship series, batting .556 with 5 walks (for a .714 OBP) and three doubles, as the Cards swept the Braves in three games.

During his career, Porter got a lot of attention because he publicly stated that he was a recovered alcoholic and talked about his faith in God. The focus should have been on his play in the field.

Drafted fourth overall by the Brewers in 1970, Porter had great career. He was a superb defensive catcher and an underrated hitter because of his low batting average. He batted .247 in 17 seasons in the Majors… but his career OBP stands at .354 because he walked a lot. And he had good power for a catcher, averaging 17 homers by 162 games. He had an amazing season with the Royals in 1979, hitting .291 with 20 homers, 121 walks and 112 RBI. His OBP for the year was .421 and he slugged .484. In The New Bill James Historical Abstract, Bill James rates him as the 18th best catcher of all time.