PHILLY SPORTS CORNER

* Former Phillies great Darren "Dutch" Daulton died Sunday night after a 4-year battle with brain cancer. He was 55.

All of the tributes are in the papers today. All of Daulton's stats and achievements, his faults and tough times, and, ultimately, his brave fight with a terminal disease.

This is more about my memories of Dutch.

During the summer of 1993, I was working at Phoenixville Manor nursing home. Of course, the Phillies were the talk of that summer, an underdog squad that went wire-to-wire in National League East.

Daulton was the favorite with most women. I remember one of our nurses, Karen Buckwalter, especially loved Dutch, swooning that he could "parking his shoes under my bed anytime." To me, Daulton was the rock on that 93' team. He was the stable, solid clean-up hitter and the leader both on the field and in the clubhouse. He was reliable and steady, and could often be counted on for the crucial hit or RBI when needed.

Others were wildly erratic- Mitch Williams, John Kruk, Lenny Dykstra- but Daulton was the consistent, steady player.

I never met Dutch but came close. Last summer I happened to be at the ballpark when Dutch was in town. He was being interviewed before the game in the WIP radio booth at Citizens bank Park. Me  andmy nephew heard he was going to be on, and we waited outside the radio booth on the concourse for Daulton to appear.

Suddenly he emerged from the nearby elevator, big, tanned, still imposing. before we could approach him, Daulton was whisked into the booth for the interview. He never saw us. I think if he had seen us, he would've at least gave a wave or nod.

1993 was a special year, not only for Phillies baseball but for me personally. I had just started working at the Manor, the beginning of my career in social work.

Watching the Phils that summer was fun. The playoff run, beating dreaded Atlanta in the NL Championship Series, then fighting the Blue Jays in a brutally-fought,  World series was both classic and heartbreaking.

You wanted the summer to go on forever. You knew, after Joe Carter blasted Toronto to the world championship, you knew tat Phillies team was never going to be the same again.

Daulton was the key to that team and that summer. For that, I'll always be grateful for the joy he brought me that summer and beyond.

In place of Pete Rose, the Phillies should pay tribute to Daulton this weekend. Perfect timing. The organization needs to fill the empty space with a more positive influence. The alumni will be in town anyway. Make it a celebration of Dutch's career and life. Show a video tribute, maybe give away a poster or something of remembrance, and make it an even better weekend then honoring Rose could've ever been.

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36, 000 fans showed up at Eagles practice Sunday morning at the Linc. It was a beautiful day. Fans are thirsting for football, after a disappointing baseball season in Philadelphia. Expectations and hopes are high and that was evident yesterday.

Carson Wentz was sharp. He's becoming a rock star in the city, the crowds swarming him. Being a quarterback- a winning quarterback in Philly- would be the ultimate of sports' heroes.

The Birds first pre-season game is Thursday at Green Bay. The starters will most likely only play a series or two. Eyes will be especially focused on the defensive backs, receivers and running backs. Winning doesn't matter- not getting hurt does.

Fans are already talking Eagles' football. After Thursday's match-up with the Packers, Philly will be all-Eagles, all the time for then ext six months.

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If manager Pete Mackanin returns in 2018, ( and that's a big "if"), his coaches may be on the hot seat.

Take for instance third base coach Juan Samuel. He has been questioned in the past about dubious decisions to send- or not to send- base runners home. It came up again yesterday vs. Colorado when Samuel send home a slow Cameron Rupp form second base on a sharply hit single to left field in the 8th inning.

It's good to be aggressive. It's another thing to be stupid, and Rupp was thrown out by a good 35-feet at home plate.

Samuel is reportedly good with the Latin players. But if Carlos Ruiz retires at the end of the year, why not hire him as third base coach and link to the Latin players?

This team still doesn't play "small ball" very well- bunts, hit-and-run play, etc... Mickey Morandini, the current 1st base coach, is also an infield coach with Larry Bowa. I would keep Bowa around, if only for his fiery- attitude and his experience.  The rest of the coaches can go, including hitting coach Matt Stairs and pitching coach Bob McClure.