Darren Daulton, the catcher of the beloved 1993 Philadelphia Phillies team that won the National League pennant, died on August 6 at age 55 after a three-year battle with brain cancer. He was married to his third wife, Amanda Dick Daulton. The two were together for several year before they finally married in 2013 after he was diagnosed with brain cancer.
Daulton was born in Arkansas City, Kansas and was drafted by the Phillies in 1980. He made his MLB debut in 1983, but didn’t play again in the majors until 1985. He made the NL All-Star team in 1992, 1993 and 1995. In 1992, he had an NL-best 109 RBIs and was a big part of the Phillies team that reached the World Series in 1993. Although the team lost to the Toronto Blue Jays, the 1993 club remains a beloved team in Philadelphia.
In the middle of his final season, Daulton was traded to the Florida Marlins, who went on to win the 1997 World Series. After finally getting a ring, Daulton retired.
Here’s a look at his third wife, Amanda Dick Daulton.
1. Daulton & Amanda Started Dating in 2006
Daulton and Amanda dated for over seven years before they tied the knot in 2013. A 2010 Philadelphia Magazine profile of Daulton noted that by that point, Amanda and Daulton were already together for four years. They lived in Clearwater, Florida, where Daulton died on August 6.
In 2010, Daulton was better known for his wild off-field antics since retiring from baseball. He struggled with alcohol abuse and was arrested for DUI several times. In 2003, he was arrested for DUI in Tampa after refusing to take a breathalyzer test and was charged with driving with a suspended license.
In 2003, he was also arrested on battery charges and was accused of abusing his second wife, Nicole. In 2004, he wouldn’t follow a legal agreement in their divorce and served two and a half years in jail and two and a half months in rehab.
“I never lost my optimism,” he told Philadelphia Magazine in 2010. “I knew I’d be back with my kids. Things were going to get better.”
2. The Couple Married in 2013, 6 Months After He Was Diagnosed With Brain Cancer
In July 2013, Daulton was diagnosed with brain cancer and had surgery for Glioblastoma. Six months later, Daulton and Amanda married in a private ceremony in Florida.
A friend told NBC10 that Daulton felt that Amanda had been with him through the best and worst times, so he wanted to finally marry her. Former teammates Tommy Greene, John Kruk and Pat Burrell attended the wedding.
Daulton spent the rest of his life leading the Darren Daulton Foundation, which he founded to help those with brain cancer and brain tumors.
3. Amanda Is a Former Professional Golfer
Amanda is a former professional golfer. In college, she played for the Florida Gators. She is a native of Clearwater, Florida.
Amanda does have a Facebook page, but she hasn’t made any public posts on it since her wedding.
Amanda is 35 years old. Her father, Richard Dick, died in April 2017.
4. Amanda Is Daulton’s Third Wife, After Marriages to Lynne Austin & Nicole Garcia
Amdanda is Daulton’s third wife. He was previously married to Lynne Austin, a former Playboy Playmate, from 1989 to 1995, and Nicole Garcia from 1995 to 2004.
Austin appeared in the July 1986 issue of Playboy Magazine after she appeared in a print advertisement for Hooters. She was dubbed the “Original Hooters” girl and considered a “Tampa Bay icon.” By 1994, the two were living separately and divorced in 1995.
“It’s unfortunate, but these things happen,” Austin told the Reading Eagle.
Daulton’s relationship with his second wife, Nicole, who is the mother of three of his four children, was rocky in the end. As Philadelphia Magazine reported in 2010, Daulton was arrested in 2003 on battery charges. He was accused of abusing Nicole. He did jail time after not following one of the legal agreements in their divorce.
“I’ve been thrown in jail five or six times,” Daulton told Sports Illustrated in 2006. “Nicole thinks I’m crazy. She blames everything on drugs and drinking. But I don’t take drugs and I’m not a drunk. Nicole just doesn’t understand metaphysics.”
5. Daulton Is Survived by 4 Children From His Previous Marriages
GettyDarren Daulton in 2016.
Daulton and Amanda didn’t have any children together. However, Daulton is survived by his four children from his previous marriages, Summer Daulton, Savannah Daulton, Zachary Daulton, and Darren Daulton II. Zachary is theo nly child he had with Austin.
“Sometimes I look back at my life, and I see all the baseball I played, the All-Star games, the World Series, how I helped some guys in the clubhouse, how great my kids are, some of the nice things I’ve done for people along the way, and I think maybe I’m doing okay, maybe things aren’t so bad, just maybe I’m not so crazy after all,” Daulton told Philadelphia Magazine in 2010.
