He appeared upbeat and enthusiastic and, above all, happy to be back in Philadelphia.
"All I've spoken about Philadelphia for many years is, I feel like it's my home, and it feels like it's my family," he said.
Daulton spoke shortly after 6:00 p.m., before the Phillies faced the Atlanta Braves.
Daulton, and number of other former Phillies, are in town for the team's Alumni Weekend.
The 51-year-old decided to use the opportunity to publicly thank friends and fans for their support after he was diagnosed with a Glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer. .
A Glioblastoma is the most common and most aggressive malignant brain tumor. They typically spread quickly with tentacle-like projections.
On July 1st, neurosurgeon Dr. Kevin Judy at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital performed surgery on Daulton, and said the surgery to remove two tumors was successful. It was a delicate procedure, as one of the tumors was in the language area of the brain.
At Friday's media appearance, Daulton explained that he first noticed symptoms of the tumor when he was having trouble finding words to express himself. He said the problem continues, but is improving.
"Right now I have a little bit of a problem during the day every now and then where I can't understand . . . I mean, I know what's going on, but I have a problem with talking," Daulton said. "I'll get better with it."
Dr. Judy said that even if the tumors are completely removed, there can still be malignant cells left behind.
Daulton has been receiving post-operative treatment in Florida. Standard protocol for Glioblastoma is surgery followed by oral chemotherapy along with radiation.
However, there is no cure.
Even with treatment, the average survival time is 15 months.
Daulton said he is set to begin chemotherapy next week, but that that was the farthest thing from his mind Friday.
Now that the surgery is complete, Daulton said, "I feel like it's over." He said he is looking forward to a great weekend in Philadelphia.
"Thank you for everybody here in Philadelphia," he said. "And the fans . . . it's just phenomenal."
A 3-time All Star, Daulton played 14½ of his 15 seasons with the Phillies and was a key part of the NL championship team in 1993. He finished his career with the 1997 World Series champion Florida Marlins.
