1997 Fort Myers Miracle Roster
Team Record: 81-58
Finished 3rd in the FSL's West Division
Manager: John Russell (81-58)
Affiliation: Minnesota Twins
Location: Fort Myers, Florida
Ballpark: W.H. Hammond Stadium
Attendance: 88,266, Avg. 1,358 in 65 home dates
The Fort Myers Miracle of the Florida State League ended the 1997 season with a record of 81 wins and 58 losses, finishing third in the league's West Division.
The Miracle scored 635 runs and surrendered 563 runs. Jacque Jones paced Fort Myers with 15 home runs and drove in 82 runs. Chad Allen led hitters with significant playing time by connecting at a .309 clip. Mike Lincoln topped the squad with 13 wins and a team-best 2.28 ERA, tops among regular hurlers.
Members of the 1997 Fort Myers Miracle who played in Major League Baseball during their careers were Mike Lincoln, David Ortiz, A. J. Pierzynski, Roberto Kelly, Jacque Jones, Rob Radlosky, Fred Rath, Chad Allen, J. C. Romero and Jeff Harris.
John Russell served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chad Allen | R | R | February 6, 1975 | 6'1" | 195 | Dallas, TX US |
| Rafael Alvarez | L | L | January 22, 1977 | 6'0" | 220 | Valencia, Carabobo VE |
| Troy Carrasco | S | L | January 27, 1975 | 5'11" | 177 | Tampa, FL US |
| Dan Cey | R | R | November 8, 1975 | 5'11" | 168 | Los Angeles, CA US |
| Walker Chapman | R | R | February 25, 1976 | 6'3" | 201 | Cumberland, MD US |
| Trevor Cobb | L | L | July 13, 1973 | 6'2" | 190 | Everett, WA US |
| Joey Cranford | R | R | February 10, 1975 | 6'0" | 192 | Macon, GA US |
| Darren Fidge | R | R | November 12, 1974 | 6'2" | 210 | Tanunda, South Australia AU |
| Troy Fortin | R | R | February 24, 1975 | 5'11" | 209 | Winnipeg, MB CA |
| Carlos Garcia | R | R | May 21, 1976 | 5'11" | 165 | La Guaira, Vargas VE |
| Charlie Gillian | R | R | May 29, 1974 | 6'2" | 196 | Beckley, WV US |
| Shane Gunderson | R | R | October 16, 1973 | 6'0" | 205 | Faribault, MN US |
| Phil Haigler | R | R | June 13, 1974 | 6'3" | 217 | Pascagoula, MS US |
| Jeff Harris | R | R | July 4, 1974 | 6'1" | 190 | Alameda, CA US |
| T. J. Johnson | L | R | November 23, 1973 | 6'0" | 210 | Coon Rapids, MN US |
| Jacque Jones | L | L | April 25, 1975 | 5'10" | 175 | San Diego, CA US |
| Roberto Kelly | R | R | October 1, 1964 | 6'2" | 180 | Panama, Panama PA |
| Tom LaRosa | R | R | June 28, 1975 | 5'10" | 188 | Granada Hills, CA US |
| Mike Lincoln | R | R | April 10, 1975 | 6'2" | 211 | Carmichael, CA US |
| Alan Mahaffey | L | L | February 2, 1974 | 6'1" | 200 | Altus, OK US |
| Tom Mott | R | R | October 9, 1973 | 6'3" | 217 | San Luis Obispo, CA US |
| Kelcey Mucker | L | R | February 17, 1975 | 6'4" | 250 | Washington, IN US |
| Brad Niedermaier | R | R | February 9, 1973 | 6'2" | 209 | Park Ridge, IL US |
| David Ortiz | L | L | November 18, 1975 | 6'3" | 230 | Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional DO |
| Israel Paez | S | R | December 23, 1976 | 5'10" | 188 | , Carabobo VE |
| A. J. Pierzynski | L | R | December 30, 1976 | 6'3" | 250 | Bridgehampton, NY US |
| Rob Radlosky | R | R | January 7, 1974 | 6'2" | 192 | West Palm Beach, FL US |
| Fred Rath | R | R | January 5, 1973 | 6'3" | 220 | Dallas, TX US |
| Kasey Richardson | L | L | August 27, 1976 | 6'3" | 191 | Washington, DC US |
| J. C. Romero | S | L | June 4, 1976 | 5'11" | 205 | Rio Piedras, PR |
| Chad Roper | R | R | March 29, 1974 | 6'1" | 223 | Anderson, SC US |
| Will Rushing | L | L | November 8, 1972 | 6'3" | 193 | Statesboro, GA US |
| Jeff Smith | L | R | June 17, 1974 | 6'3" | 210 | Akron, OH US |
| Jamie Splittorff | L | R | October 12, 1973 | 6'3" | 185 | Kansas City, MO US |
| Brent Stentz | R | R | July 24, 1975 | 6'5" | 235 | New Port Richey, FL US |
| Hector Trinidad | R | R | September 8, 1973 | 6'2" | 190 | Los Angeles, CA US |
| Lateef Vaughn | R | R | October 1, 1975 | 5'9" | 175 | San Diego, CA 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.
