1997 Birmingham Barons Roster
Team Record: 76-62
Finished 2nd in the SL's West Division
Manager: Dave Huppert (76-62)
Affiliation: Chicago White Sox
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Ballpark: Hoover Metropolitan Stadium
Attendance: 302,144, Avg. 4,443 in 68 home dates
The Birmingham Barons of the Southern League ended the 1997 season with a record of 76 wins and 62 losses, finishing second in the league's West Division.
The Barons scored 793 runs and surrendered 744 runs. Luis Raven walloped 30 home runs for Birmingham, while Brian Simmons and Jeff Liefer swatted 15 or more as well. Luis Raven drove in 112 runs and topped all regular hitters by connecting at a .336 clip. Russ Herbert and Scott Eyre led the squad with 13 wins each, and Russ Herbert recorded a 3.64 ERA, best among qualifying pitchers.
Bob Howry, Chuck Smith, John Snyder, Frank Menechino, Jason Bere, David Lundquist, Scott Eyre, Alan Newman, Jeff Liefer, Lorenzo Barceló, Robin Ventura, Mike Heathcott, Clemente Álvarez, Rick Wrona, Josh Paul, Kevin Beirne, Lyle Mouton, Brian Simmons and Scott Coolbaugh were all players from the 1997 Birmingham Barons who played in the Major Leagues during their careers.
Dave Huppert served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clemente Álvarez | R | R | May 18, 1968 | 5'11" | 180 | Guanta, Anzoategui VE |
| Lorenzo Barceló | R | R | August 10, 1977 | 6'4" | 230 | San Pedro de Macoris, San Pedro de Macoris DO |
| Juan Bautista | R | R | June 24, 1975 | 6'0" | 170 | San Pedro de Macoris, San Pedro de Macoris DO |
| Kevin Beirne | L | R | January 1, 1974 | 6'4" | 210 | Houston, TX US |
| Jason Bere | R | R | May 26, 1971 | 6'3" | 185 | Cambridge, MA US |
| Shane Buteaux | R | R | December 28, 1971 | 6'3" | 202 | New Iberia, LA US |
| Scott Christman | L | L | December 3, 1971 | 6'3" | 190 | Miami, AZ US |
| Scott Coolbaugh | R | R | June 13, 1966 | 5'10" | 185 | Binghamton, NY US |
| John Cotton | R | R | October 30, 1970 | 6'0" | 190 | Houston, TX US |
| Jason Evans | S | R | February 11, 1971 | 5'11" | 185 | Beaufort, SC US |
| Scott Eyre | L | L | May 30, 1972 | 6'1" | 160 | Inglewood, CA US |
| Dan Fagley | R | R | December 18, 1974 | 5'10" | 185 | Camden, NJ US |
| John Finn | R | R | October 18, 1967 | 5'8" | 168 | Oakland, CA US |
| Derek Hasselhoff | R | R | October 10, 1973 | 6'2" | 185 | Baltimore, MD US |
| Mike Heathcott | R | R | May 16, 1969 | 6'3" | 180 | Chicago, IL US |
| Russ Herbert | R | R | April 21, 1972 | 6'3" | 195 | Cleveland, OH US |
| Bob Howry | L | R | August 4, 1973 | 6'5" | 215 | Phoenix, AZ US |
| Jeff Liefer | L | R | August 17, 1974 | 6'3" | 195 | Fontana, CA US |
| David Lundquist | R | R | June 4, 1973 | 6'2" | 200 | Beverly, MA US |
| Sandy McKinnon | R | R | September 20, 1972 | 5'8" | 175 | Nicholls, GA US |
| Frank Menechino | R | R | January 7, 1971 | 5'9" | 175 | Staten Island, NY US |
| Brandon Moore | R | R | August 23, 1972 | 5'11" | 175 | Birmingham, AL US |
| Lyle Mouton | R | R | May 13, 1969 | 6'4" | 240 | Lafayette, LA US |
| Alan Newman | L | L | October 2, 1969 | 6'6" | 240 | La Habra, CA US |
| Maximo Nunez | R | R | January 15, 1972 | 6'5" | 165 | Villa Mella, Santo Domingo DO |
| Jason Olsen | R | R | March 16, 1975 | 6'4" | 210 | Fairfield, CA US |
| Josh Paul | R | R | May 19, 1975 | 6'1" | 185 | Evanston, IL US |
| Eddie Pearson | S | R | January 31, 1974 | 6'3" | 225 | Mobile, AL US |
| Wil Polidor | S | R | September 23, 1973 | 6'1" | 158 | Caracas, Distrito Federal VE |
| Luis Raven | R | R | November 19, 1968 | 6'4" | 250 | La Guaira, Vargas VE |
| Warren Sawkiw | S | R | January 19, 1968 | 5'11" | 185 | Toronto, ON CA |
| Brian Simmons | S | R | September 4, 1973 | 6'2" | 185 | Mount Lebanon, PA US |
| Chuck Smith | R | R | October 21, 1969 | 6'1" | 185 | Memphis, TN US |
| John Snyder | R | R | August 16, 1974 | 6'3" | 185 | Southfield, MI US |
| Bob Theodile | R | R | September 16, 1972 | 6'3" | 190 | New Iberia, LA US |
| Juan Thomas | R | R | April 17, 1972 | 6'4" | 265 | Ashland, KY US |
| Ryan Topham | L | L | December 17, 1973 | 6'3" | 200 | Portage, MI US |
| Robin Ventura | L | R | July 14, 1967 | 6'1" | 185 | Santa Maria, CA US |
| Brian Woods | L | R | June 7, 1971 | 6'6" | 212 | Belleville, NJ US |
| Steve Worrell | L | L | November 25, 1969 | 6'2" | 200 | Ridley Park, PA US |
| Rick Wrona | R | R | December 10, 1963 | 6'1" | 185 | Tulsa, OK US |
Average attendance is based upon the number of actual home dates where known (most leagues from 1992 and later). Where the number of home dates is not known, the average is calculated using half the team's total games.
