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.
1997 Atlanta Braves | ||
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National League East Champions | ||
League | National League | |
Division | East | |
Ballpark | Turner Field | |
City | Atlanta | |
Record | 101–61 (.623) | |
Divisional place | 1st | |
Owners | Time Warner | |
General managers | John Schuerholz | |
Managers | Bobby Cox | |
Television | WTBS TBS Superstation (Pete Van Wieren, Skip Caray, Don Sutton, Joe Simpson) SportSouth (Tim Brando, Ernie Johnson, Bob Rathbun) | |
Radio | WSB (AM) (Pete Van Wieren, Skip Caray, Don Sutton, Joe Simpson) | |
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The first game at Turner Field took place on April 4, 1997, with Denny Neagle making the start for the Braves.[4]
NL East | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
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Atlanta Braves | 101 | 61 | 0.623 | — | 50–31 | 51–30 |
Florida Marlins | 92 | 70 | 0.568 | 9 | 52–29 | 40–41 |
New York Mets | 88 | 74 | 0.543 | 13 | 50–31 | 38–43 |
Montreal Expos | 78 | 84 | 0.481 | 23 | 45–36 | 33–48 |
Philadelphia Phillies | 68 | 94 | 0.420 | 33 | 38–43 | 30–51 |
Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] | |||||||||||||||||
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Team | ATL | CHC | CIN | COL | FLA | HOU | LA | MTL | NYM | PHI | PIT | SD | SF | STL | AL | ||
Atlanta | — | 9–2 | 9–2 | 5–6 | 4–8 | 7–4 | 6–5 | 10–2 | 5–7 | 10–2 | 5–6 | 8–3 | 7–4 | 8–3 | 7–5 | ||
Chicago | 2–9 | — | 7–5 | 2–9 | 2–9 | 3–9 | 5–6 | 4–7 | 6–5 | 6–5 | 7–5 | 6–5 | 5–6 | 4–8 | 9–6 | ||
Cincinnati | 2–9 | 5–7 | — | 5–6 | 5–6 | 5–7 | 6–5 | 6–5 | 2–9 | 8–3 | 8–4 | 5–6 | 4–7 | 6–6 | 9–6 | ||
Colorado | 6–5 | 9–2 | 6–5 | — | 7–4 | 5–6 | 5–7 | 7–4 | 6–5 | 4–7 | 4–7 | 4–8 | 4–8 | 7–4 | 9–7 | ||
Florida | 8–4 | 9–2 | 6–5 | 4–7 | — | 7–4 | 7–4 | 7–5 | 4–8 | 6–6 | 7–4 | 5–6 | 5–6 | 5–6 | 12–3 | ||
Houston | 4–7 | 9–3 | 7–5 | 6–5 | 4–7 | — | 7–4 | 8–3 | 7–4 | 4–7 | 6–6 | 6–5 | 3–8 | 9–3 | 4–11 | ||
Los Angeles | 5–6 | 6–5 | 5–6 | 7–5 | 4–7 | 4–7 | — | 7–4 | 6–5 | 10–1 | 9–2 | 5–7 | 6–6 | 5–6 | 9–7 | ||
Montreal | 2–10 | 7–4 | 5–6 | 4–7 | 5–7 | 3–8 | 4–7 | — | 5–7 | 6–6 | 5–6 | 8–3 | 6–5 | 6–5 | 12–3 | ||
New York | 7–5 | 5–6 | 9–2 | 5–6 | 8–4 | 4–7 | 5–6 | 7–5 | — | 7–5 | 7–4 | 5–6 | 3–8 | 9–2 | 7–8 | ||
Philadelphia | 2-10 | 5–6 | 3–8 | 7–4 | 6–6 | 7–4 | 1–10 | 6–6 | 5–7 | — | 5–6 | 7–4 | 3–8 | 6–5 | 5–10 | ||
Pittsburgh | 6–5 | 5–7 | 4–8 | 7–4 | 4–7 | 6–6 | 2–9 | 6–5 | 4–7 | 6–5 | — | 5–6 | 8–3 | 9–3 | 7–8 | ||
San Diego | 3–8 | 5–6 | 6–5 | 8–4 | 6–5 | 5–6 | 7–5 | 3–8 | 6–5 | 4–7 | 6–5 | — | 4–8 | 5–6 | 8–8 | ||
San Francisco | 4–7 | 6–5 | 7–4 | 8–4 | 6–5 | 8–3 | 6–6 | 5–6 | 8–3 | 8–3 | 3–8 | 8–4 | — | 3–8 | 10–6 | ||
St. Louis | 3–8 | 8–4 | 6–6 | 4–7 | 6–5 | 3-9 | 6–5 | 5–6 | 2–9 | 5–6 | 3–9 | 6–5 | 8–3 | — | 8–7 |
1997 Atlanta Braves | |||||||||
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Roster | |||||||||
Pitchers
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Catchers
Infielders
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Outfielders
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Manager Coaches
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Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C | Javy López | 123 | 414 | 122 | .295 | 23 | 68 |
1B | Fred McGriff | 152 | 564 | 156 | .277 | 22 | 97 |
2B | Mark Lemke | 109 | 351 | 86 | .245 | 2 | 26 |
SS | Jeff Blauser | 151 | 519 | 160 | .308 | 17 | 70 |
3B | Chipper Jones | 157 | 597 | 176 | .295 | 21 | 111 |
LF | Ryan Klesko | 143 | 467 | 122 | .261 | 24 | 84 |
CF | Kenny Lofton | 122 | 493 | 164 | .333 | 5 | 48 |
RF | Michael Tucker | 138 | 499 | 141 | .283 | 14 | 56 |
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
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Andruw Jones | 153 | 399 | 92 | .231 | 18 | 70 |
Eddie Pérez | 73 | 191 | 41 | .215 | 6 | 18 |
Tony Graffanino | 104 | 186 | 48 | .258 | 8 | 20 |
Keith Lockhart | 96 | 147 | 41 | .279 | 6 | 32 |
Danny Bautista | 64 | 103 | 25 | .243 | 3 | 9 |
Mike Mordecai | 61 | 81 | 14 | .173 | 0 | 3 |
Rafael Belliard | 72 | 71 | 15 | .211 | 1 | 3 |
Greg Colbrunn | 28 | 54 | 15 | .278 | 2 | 9 |
Tommy Gregg | 13 | 19 | 5 | .263 | 0 | 0 |
Randall Simon | 13 | 14 | 6 | .429 | 0 | 1 |
Tim Spehr | 8 | 14 | 3 | .214 | 1 | 4 |
Greg Myers | 9 | 9 | 1 | .111 | 0 | 1 |
Ed Giovanola | 14 | 8 | 2 | .250 | 0 | 0 |
Note; G = Games pitched, IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
John Smoltz | 35 | 256.0 | 15 | 12 | 3.02 | 241 |
Tom Glavine | 33 | 240.0 | 14 | 7 | 2.96 | 152 |
Denny Neagle | 34 | 233.1 | 20 | 5 | 2.97 | 172 |
Greg Maddux | 33 | 232.2 | 19 | 4 | 2.20 | 177 |
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kevin Millwood | 12 | 51.1 | 5 | 3 | 4.03 | 42 |
Terrell Wade | 12 | 42.0 | 2 | 3 | 5.36 | 35 |
Chris Brock | 7 | 30.2 | 0 | 0 | 5.58 | 16 |
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
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Mark Wohlers | 71 | 5 | 7 | 33 | 3.50 | 92 |
Alan Embree | 66 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2.54 | 45 |
Brad Clontz | 51 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3.75 | 42 |
Mike Bielecki | 50 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 4.08 | 60 |
Mike Cather | 35 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2.39 | 29 |
Paul Byrd | 31 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 5.26 | 37 |
Chad Fox | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3.29 | 28 |
Joe Borowski | 20 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3.75 | 6 |
Kerry Ligtenberg | 15 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3.00 | 19 |
John LeRoy | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 3 |
In 1997, the Braves moved into Turner Field. The ballpark was built across the street from the former home of the Braves, Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, which was demolished in the summer of 1997.
The most popular name choice among Atlanta residents for the new stadium at the time of its construction (according to a poll in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution) was Hank Aaron Stadium. After the ballpark was instead named after Ted Turner, the city of Atlanta renamed the section of Capitol Avenue on which the stadium sits Hank Aaron Drive, giving Turner Field the street number 755, after Aaron's home run total.
After the 1996 Summer Olympics were complete the stadium was officially given as a gift to the Atlanta National League Baseball Club, Inc. (the Atlanta Braves) Ted Turner, then owner of the Braves, agreed to pay a large sum of the cost to build Centennial Olympic Stadium (approximately $170 million of the $209 million bill), if in turn, the stadium was built in a way that it could be converted to a new baseball stadium and that the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG) paid for the conversion.[5] This was considered a good agreement for both the Olympic Committee and the Braves, because there would be no use for a permanent 85,000 seat track and field stadium in Downtown Atlanta (as the 71,000 seat Georgia Dome was completed four years earlier by the state of Georgia) and the Braves had already been exploring opportunities for a new stadium.[6]
Atlanta wins the series, 3-0
Game | Score | Date | Location | Attendance |
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1 | Houston Astros – 1, Atlanta Braves – 2 | September 30 | Turner Field | 46,467[7] |
2 | Houston Astros – 3, Atlanta Braves – 13 | October 1 | Turner Field | 49,200[8] |
3 | Atlanta Braves – 4, Houston Astros – 1 | October 3 | Astrodome | 53,688[9] |
Game | Date | Visitor | Score | Home | Score | Record
(FLA-ATL) |
Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | October 7 | Florida | 5 | Atlanta | 3 | 1-0 | 49,244 |
2 | October 8 | Florida | 1 | Atlanta | 7 | 1-1 | 48,933 |
3 | October 10 | Atlanta | 2 | Florida | 5 | 2-1 | 53,857 |
4 | October 11 | Atlanta | 4 | Florida | 0 | 2-2 | 54,890 |
5 | October 12 | Atlanta | 1 | Florida | 2 | 3-2 | 46,496 |
6 | October 14 | Florida | 7 | Atlanta | 4 | 4-2 | 50,466 |
Florida wins series 4–2 and advance to the World Series |
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Greenville[10]