1997 Charlotte Knights Roster
Team Record: 76-65
Finished 2nd in the IL's West Division
Manager: Carlos Tosca (76-65)
Affiliation: Florida Marlins
Location: Fort Mill, South Carolina
Ballpark: Knights Castle Stadium
Attendance: 318,102, Avg. 4,748 in 67 home dates
Playoffs - Columbus Clippers 3 games, Charlotte Knights 1
The Charlotte Knights of the International League ended the 1997 season with a record of 76 wins and 65 losses, finishing second in the league's West Division.
The Knights scored 720 runs and surrendered 744 runs. Russ Morman walloped 33 home runs for Charlotte, while Todd Dunwoody, Brian Daubach and Lou Lucca each swatted 15 or more, too. Russ Morman drove in 99 runs and topped all regular batters by connecting at a .319 clip. Reid Cornelius led the squad with 12 wins, and Kirt Ojala recorded a 3.5 ERA, best among pitchers with enough qualifying appearances.
Members of the 1997 Charlotte Knights who played in Major League Baseball during their careers were Vic Darensbourg, Billy McMillon, Dave Berg, Andy Larkin, Antonio Alfonseca, John Wehner, Tony Saunders, Mike Redmond, Luis Castillo, Héctor Mercado, Liván Hernández, Russ Morman, Bob Natal, Ralph Milliard, Gabe González, Kirt Ojala, Alex Delgado, Cliff Floyd, Brian Daubach, Reid Cornelius, Donn Pall, Alex Cole, Bill Hurst, Bryan Ward, Todd Dunwoody, Bryan Harvey, Chris Clapinski, Joe Kmak, Matt Whisenant, Rob Stanifer, Chris Seelbach and Kurt Miller.
Carlos Tosca served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antonio Alfonseca | R | R | April 16, 1972 | 6'5" | 250 | La Romana, La Romana DO |
| Dave Berg | R | R | September 3, 1970 | 5'11" | 185 | Roseville, CA US |
| Luis Castillo | S | R | September 12, 1975 | 5'11" | 145 | San Pedro de Macoris, San Pedro de Macoris DO |
| Tony Castro | R | R | July 9, 1971 | 6'2" | 175 | Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional DO |
| Dan Chergey | R | R | January 29, 1971 | 6'2" | 220 | Summit, NJ US |
| Chris Clapinski | S | R | August 20, 1971 | 6'0" | 175 | Buffalo, NY US |
| Alex Cole | L | L | August 17, 1965 | 6'2" | 170 | Fayetteville, NC US |
| Reid Cornelius | R | R | June 2, 1970 | 6'0" | 200 | Thomasville, AL US |
| Vic Darensbourg | L | L | November 13, 1970 | 5'10" | 165 | Los Angeles, CA US |
| Brian Daubach | L | R | February 11, 1972 | 6'1" | 201 | Belleville, IL US |
| Alex Delgado | R | R | January 11, 1971 | 6'0" | 195 | Palmarejo, Zulia VE |
| Todd Dunwoody | L | L | April 11, 1975 | 6'1" | 190 | Lafayette, IN US |
| Cliff Floyd | L | R | December 5, 1972 | 6'5" | 220 | Chicago, IL US |
| Gabe González | S | L | May 24, 1972 | 6'1" | 160 | Long Beach, CA US |
| Bryan Harvey | R | R | June 2, 1963 | 6'3" | 205 | Soddy-Daisy, TN US |
| Liván Hernández | R | R | February 20, 1975 | 6'2" | 245 | Villa Clara, CU |
| Bill Hurst | R | R | April 28, 1970 | 6'7" | 220 | Miami Beach, FL US |
| Jarod Juelsgaard | R | R | June 27, 1968 | 6'3" | 205 | Harlan, IA US |
| Joe Kmak | R | R | May 3, 1963 | 6'0" | 200 | Napa, CA US |
| Hector Kuilan | R | R | April 3, 1976 | 5'11" | 190 | Hato Rey, PR |
| Andy Larkin | R | R | June 27, 1974 | 6'4" | 175 | Chelan, WA US |
| Lou Lucca | R | R | October 13, 1970 | 6'1" | 180 | San Francisco, CA US |
| Billy McMillon | L | L | November 17, 1971 | 5'11" | 172 | Alamogordo, NM US |
| Reynol Mendoza | R | R | October 27, 1970 | 6'0" | 202 | Eagle Pass, TX US |
| Héctor Mercado | L | L | April 29, 1974 | 6'3" | 205 | Catano, PR |
| Kurt Miller | R | R | August 24, 1972 | 6'5" | 205 | Tucson, AZ US |
| Ralph Milliard | R | R | December 30, 1973 | 5'11" | 170 | Willemstad, CW |
| Russ Morman | R | R | April 28, 1962 | 6'4" | 215 | Independence, MO US |
| Bob Natal | R | R | November 13, 1965 | 5'11" | 190 | Long Beach, CA US |
| Joe Norris | R | R | November 29, 1970 | 6'4" | 215 | Long Pine, CA US |
| Kirt Ojala | L | L | December 24, 1968 | 6'2" | 210 | Kalamazoo, MI US |
| Jose Olmeda | S | R | June 20, 1968 | 5'9" | 155 | Rio Piedras, PR |
| Donn Pall | R | R | January 11, 1962 | 6'2" | 185 | Chicago, IL US |
| Gregg Press | R | R | September 21, 1971 | 6'3" | 200 | Santa Cruz, CA US |
| Mike Redmond | R | R | May 5, 1971 | 6'1" | 185 | Seattle, WA US |
| Maximo Rodriguez | R | R | November 18, 1973 | 6'1" | 185 | Higuey, La Altagracia DO |
| Tony Saunders | L | L | April 29, 1974 | 6'2" | 205 | Baltimore, MD US |
| Chris Seelbach | R | R | December 18, 1972 | 6'4" | 180 | Lufkin, TX US |
| Chris Sheff | R | R | February 4, 1971 | 6'3" | 215 | Laguna Beach, CA US |
| Rob Stanifer | R | R | March 10, 1972 | 6'3" | 205 | Easley, SC US |
| Tony Torres | R | R | June 1, 1970 | 5'9" | 165 | San Pablo, CA US |
| Bryan Ward | L | L | January 28, 1972 | 6'2" | 210 | Bristol, PA US |
| John Wehner | R | R | June 29, 1967 | 6'3" | 205 | Pittsburgh, PA US |
| Matt Whisenant | R | L | June 8, 1971 | 6'3" | 215 | Los Angeles, CA US |
| Pookie Wilson | L | L | October 24, 1970 | 5'10" | 180 | Sylacauga, AL 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.
