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1997 Atlanta Braves Season
The 1997 Atlanta Braves season marked the franchise's 32nd season in Atlanta and 127th overall. The Braves entered the season as defending National League champions, having lost the 1996 World Series to the Yankees in 6 games. They won their seventh consecutive division title, taking the National League East by 9 games over the second place Florida Marlins. However, the Marlins would later defeat the Braves in the NLCS. 1997 was the first year that the Braves played their home games in Turner Field, a reconstruction of the former Centennial Olympic Stadium, which originally served as the main venue for the 1996 Summer Olympics. Off season * November 20, 1996: John Smoltz was signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Braves. * November 25, 1996: Paul Byrd was traded by the New York Mets with a player to be named later to the Atlanta Braves for Greg McMichael. The New York Mets sent Andy Zwirchitz (minors) (May 25, 1997) to the Atlanta Braves to complete the trade. * December 19, 1996 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
National League East
The National League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. Along with the American League Central, it is one of two divisions to have every member win at least one World Series title. After having internal, informal divisions for scheduling purposes during the pre-expansion era, the division was formally created when the National League (baseball), National League (NL) (along with the American League) added two expansion teams and divided into two divisions, East and West effective for the 1969 season. The National League's geographical alignment was rather peculiar as its partitioning was really more north and south instead of east and west. Two teams in the Eastern Time Zone, the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds, were in the same division as teams on the Pacific coast. This was due to the demands of the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals, who refused to support expansion unless they were promised they would be kept together in the newly created East divis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1996 World Series
The 1996 World Series was the World Series, championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1996 Major League Baseball season, 1996 season. The 92nd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) champion (and 1995 World Series, defending World Series champion) 1996 Atlanta Braves season, Atlanta Braves and the American League (AL) champion 1996 New York Yankees season, New York Yankees. The Yankees defeated the Braves four games to two to capture their first World Series title since 1978 World Series, 1978 and their 23rd overall. The series was played from October 20–26, 1996, and was broadcast on television on Major League Baseball on Fox, Fox. Yankees relief pitcher John Wetteland was named the World Series Most Valuable Player Award, World Series Most Valuable Player for save (baseball), saving all four Yankee wins. The Yankees advanced to the World Series by defeating the Texas Rangers (baseball) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Javy López
Javier "Javy" López Torres (born November 5, 1970) is a Puerto Rican former catcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Atlanta Braves (1992–2003), Baltimore Orioles (2004–2006) and Boston Red Sox (2006). He batted and threw right-handed. He was named Ponce, Puerto Rico's Athlete of the Year from 1984 to 1987. Professional career Atlanta Braves López was signed by the Atlanta Braves in 1987 as an amateur free agent, López made his debut on September 18, 1992, against the Houston Astros. After sharing duties with Charlie O'Brien and Eddie Pérez for four seasons, he established himself as the Braves' regular catcher in 1996. The same season, he led the Braves to win the National League Championship Series, earning the series Most Valuable Player honors. He also made the National League All-Star team from 1997–98. Lopez had his best season in 2003 with a .328 batting average, 43 home runs and 109 RBI in 129 games, including a .378 on-base percentage and a . ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Tucker (baseball)
Michael Anthony Tucker (born June 25, 1971) is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman. Tucker played with the Kansas City Royals (-, -), Atlanta Braves (-), Cincinnati Reds (-), Chicago Cubs (2001), San Francisco Giants (-), Philadelphia Phillies (2005) and New York Mets (). He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Early career He attended the then Longwood College (at the time an NCAA Division II school) from 1989 through 1992. In November 2005, Tucker was among the selection of Longwood's first Hall of Fame class, including basketball player Jerome Kersey and LPGA golfer Tina Barrett. After college, Tucker begin his pro baseball career in the minors in . Tucker spent most of the 1993 season with the Single-A Carolina League Wilmington Blue Rocks. Before making the move up to Double-A and spending time with the Memphis Chicks of the Southern League. In , Tucker played in Triple-A with the Omaha Royals of the American Association before joi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ryan Klesko
Ryan Anthony Klesko (born June 12, 1971) is an American former Major League Baseball first baseman and corner outfielder who played for the Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants. He attended Westminster High School in Westminster, California. Early life Klesko was born on June 12, 1971, in Westminster, California. His father was an oilfields worker whom Klesko lost at a young age. His mother, Lorene, worked at an aerospace parts company in Santa Ana and helped Klesko learn to play baseball. When he was nine, she dug a pitcher's mound for him in his backyard. She enrolled him in pitching school with Ron Lefebvre and put on catcher's gear herself to catch Klesko three times a week. Klesko attended Westminster High School, where even though he hit a lot of home runs, he starred as a pitcher, throwing a ninety-two mile per hour fastball and pitching for the USA Junior Olympic team. He strained a ligament pitching for the junior team at 17, though, and concentr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fred McGriff
Frederick Stanley McGriff (born October 31, 1963) is an American former first baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for six teams from 1986 through 2004. Nicknamed "Crime Dog", a word play on McGruff the Crime Dog, he was one of the most consistently productive power hitters of the 1990s. McGriff posted over 80 runs batted in (RBI) every year from 1988 through 2002, and became the first player since the dead-ball era to lead both leagues in home runs — the American League (AL) in 1989 and the National League (NL) in 1992. A five-time All-Star, he was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1994 contest after his pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the ninth inning tied the score at 7–7, with the NL winning in 10 innings. McGriff finished in the top ten in voting for his league's Most Valuable Player Award every year from 1989 through 1994, during which time he led the major leagues in home runs. After spending the first third of his career with the Toronto Blu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chipper Jones
Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones Jr. (born April 24, 1972) is an American former professional baseball third baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves from 1993 to 2012. The Braves chose Jones with the first overall pick in the 1990 MLB draft. He was also a member of their 1995 World Series championship team that beat the Cleveland Indians. An eight-time All-Star, Jones won the 1999 National League (NL) Most Valuable Player Award and the 1999 and 2000 NL Silver Slugger Award for third basemen. He was the MLB batting champion in 2008 after hitting .364. Jones ended his career in 2012 with a .303 career batting average, 468 home runs, and 1,623 runs batted in (RBIs) and holds the Braves team record for career on-base percentage (.402); Jones ranks third on the Braves career home run list. Jones is the only switch hitter in MLB history with a career batting average above .300 and more than 300 home runs. He ranks second behind Eddie Murray for career ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mark Lemke
Mark Alan Lemke (born August 13, 1965) is an American former Major League Baseball player and current broadcaster. Nicknamed "the Lemmer", he was a popular second baseman for the Atlanta Braves from to . He won the 1995 World Series with the Braves over the Cleveland Indians. Biography Early life Lemke grew up in Whitesboro, New York. He attended the now closed Sacred Heart Elementary Catholic school in West Utica. Lemke is also a graduate of Notre Dame High School in Utica. Minor league Lemke was drafted in the 27th round of the amateur draft by the Atlanta Braves. Lemke decided against attending Purdue University and spent the next four years in the Braves' minor league system, spending time with the Gulf Coast League Braves, Anderson Braves, Sumter Braves, Durham Bulls, Greenville Braves, and Richmond Braves. He made his major league debut on September 17, 1988, when the Braves called him up from AAA when the roster expanded to 40 players. In 1988, Lemke won the H ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kenny Lofton
Kenneth Lofton (born May 31, 1967) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. Lofton was a six-time All-Star (1994–1999), four-time Gold Glove Award winner (1993–1996), and at retirement, was ranked 15th among all-time stolen-base leaders with 622. During his career, he played for the Houston Astros, Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Texas Rangers. Lofton attended the University of Arizona on a basketball scholarship. The Wildcats made it to the Final Four in 1988. He did not join the school's baseball team until his junior year. Lofton made 11 postseason appearances, including World Series appearances in 1995 and 2002 with the Indians and Giants, respectively. From 2001 to 2007, Lofton did not spend more than one consecutive season with a team. For his career, the Indians were the only team he played ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Denny Neagle
Dennis Edward Neagle Jr. (; born September 13, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for six teams over a 13-year career. During the 1990s, he was one of the top pitchers in baseball, but his career, and personal life, deteriorated in the early 2000s. With the New York Yankees, he won the 2000 World Series over the New York Mets. Amateur career Neagle attended Arundel Senior High School in Gambrills, Maryland and played on the baseball team. Neagle attended the University of Minnesota and played on the baseball team. In 1988, he played collegiate summer baseball in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox. Professional career Minnesota Twins Neagle was drafted in the 3rd round of the amateur draft by the Minnesota Twins. He saw some action in the summer of for the Twins, but was not on their postseason roster when the club won the 1991 World Series. Pittsburgh Pirates Neagle was dealt to the Pittsburgh Pirates during spring ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paul Byrd
Paul Gregory Byrd (born December 3, 1970), is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher, who is currently a TV sports broadcaster for Atlanta Braves games on Bally Sports Southeast. While pitching in Major League Baseball (MLB), from to , Byrd was known as being the "nicest guy in baseball". Late in his career, he developed an old-fashioned, early twentieth-century windup in which he swung his arms back and forth to create deception and momentum. Byrd became recognizable and well known for his unique delivery. High school, college and minor leagues Byrd played his high school career at Saint Xavier High School in Louisville, Kentucky. He was originally drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 13th round (332nd overall) of the 1988 Major League Baseball draft, but did not sign and chose to attend college. Byrd attended Louisiana State University where he pitched as part of the Tigers baseball team that won the 1991 College World Series. After the season, he was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. These were the fourth Summer Olympic Games, Summer Olympics to be hosted by the United States, making it the first country to have three different cities host the Summer Olympics. It also marked the 100th anniversary of the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, the inaugural edition of the modern Olympic Games. These were also the first Summer Olympics to be held in a different year than the Winter Olympic Games, Winter Olympics since the same time practice commenced in 1924, as part of a new International Olympic Committee, IOC practice implemented in 1994 to hold the Summer and Winter Games in alternating, even-numbered years. The 1996 Games were the first of the two consecutive Summer Olympics to be held in a predomina ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
