1997 New Orleans Zephyrs Roster
Team Record: 74-70
Finished 2nd in the AA's West Division
Manager: Steve Swisher (0-0), Matt Galante (0-0)
Affiliation: Houston Astros
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Ballpark: Zephyr Field
Attendance: 507,164, Avg. 7,143 in 71 home dates
Playoffs - Iowa Cubs 3 games, New Orleans Zephyrs 0
The New Orleans Zephyrs of the American Association ended the 1997 season with a record of 74 wins and 70 losses, finishing second in the league's West Division.
The Zephyrs allowed 560 runs, least in the league. New Orleans tallied 639 runs. J. R. Phillips paced the team with 21 home runs Richard Hidalgo accounted for 78 RBI. J. R. Phillips topped batters with significant playing time by connecting at a .290 clip. John Halama led the squad with 13 wins and a team-best 2.58 ERA, leading pitchers with enough qualifying appearances.
Members of the 1997 New Orleans Zephyrs who played in Major League Baseball during their careers were Trever Miller, Donne Wall, John Halama, Mark Small, John Hudek, Mike Gardiner, Daryle Ward, Blas Minor, Mitch Meluskey, Ray Montgomery, Luis Rivera, Tommy Greene, J. R. Phillips, Derek Bell, Bronswell Patrick, Oscar Henriquez, Carlos Guillen, Scott Elarton, Bobby Abreu, Kevin Flora, Kevin Maas, Richard Hidalgo, Oscar Robles, Randy Knorr, Todd Haney, Mike Magnante, Ken Ramos, Josias Manzanillo, Russ Johnson, Melvin Mora, Ricky Gutierrez, Manuel Barrios, Shane Reynolds, Sid Fernandez, Tony Mounce, Sean Berry, Jose Cabrera, Chuck Carr, Alvin Morman and C. J. Nitkowski.
Steve Swisher and Matt Galante served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobby Abreu | L | R | March 11, 1974 | 6'0" | 220 | Maracay, Aragua VE |
| Manuel Barrios | R | R | September 21, 1974 | 6'0" | 170 | Cabecera, PA |
| Derek Bell | R | R | December 11, 1968 | 6'2" | 200 | Tampa, FL US |
| Sean Berry | R | R | March 22, 1966 | 5'11" | 200 | Santa Monica, CA US |
| Kary Bridges | L | R | October 27, 1972 | 5'10" | 170 | Columbus, MS US |
| Jose Cabrera | R | R | March 24, 1972 | 6'0" | 205 | La Delgada, Santiago DO |
| Chuck Carr | S | R | August 10, 1967 | 5'10" | 155 | San Bernardino, CA US |
| Eric Christopherson | R | R | April 25, 1969 | 6'1" | 190 | Long Beach, CA US |
| Dennis Colon | L | L | August 4, 1973 | 5'10" | 185 | Manati, PR |
| Scott Elarton | R | R | February 23, 1976 | 6'7" | 240 | Lamar, CO US |
| Sid Fernandez | L | L | October 12, 1962 | 6'1" | 220 | Honolulu, HI US |
| Kevin Flora | R | R | June 10, 1969 | 6'0" | 180 | Fontana, CA US |
| Mike Gardiner | S | R | October 19, 1965 | 6'0" | 185 | Sarnia, ON CA |
| Brian Grebeck | R | R | August 31, 1967 | 5'7" | 160 | Johnstown, PA US |
| Tommy Greene | R | R | April 6, 1967 | 6'5" | 225 | Lumberton, NC US |
| Carlos Guillen | S | R | September 30, 1975 | 6'1" | 215 | Maracay, Aragua VE |
| Jim Gutierrez | R | R | November 28, 1970 | 6'2" | 175 | Mount Vernon, WA US |
| Ricky Gutierrez | R | R | May 23, 1970 | 6'1" | 175 | Miami, FL US |
| John Halama | L | L | February 22, 1972 | 6'5" | 215 | Brooklyn, NY US |
| Todd Haney | R | R | July 30, 1965 | 5'9" | 165 | Galveston, TX US |
| Oscar Henriquez | R | R | January 28, 1974 | 6'6" | 220 | La Guaira, Vargas VE |
| Richard Hidalgo | R | R | June 28, 1975 | 6'3" | 220 | Caracas, Distrito Federal VE |
| John Hudek | S | R | August 8, 1966 | 6'1" | 200 | Tampa, FL US |
| Russ Johnson | R | R | February 22, 1973 | 5'10" | 185 | Baton Rouge, LA US |
| Randy Knorr | R | R | November 12, 1968 | 6'2" | 205 | San Gabriel, CA US |
| Kevin Maas | L | L | January 20, 1965 | 6'3" | 195 | Castro Valley, CA US |
| Mike Magnante | L | L | June 17, 1965 | 6'1" | 180 | Glendale, CA US |
| Josias Manzanillo | R | R | October 16, 1967 | 6'0" | 190 | San Pedro de Macoris, San Pedro de Macoris DO |
| Buck McNabb | L | R | January 17, 1973 | 6'0" | 180 | Fort Walton Beach, FL US |
| Mitch Meluskey | S | R | September 18, 1973 | 6'0" | 185 | Yakima, WA US |
| Trever Miller | R | L | May 29, 1973 | 6'3" | 200 | Louisville, KY US |
| Mark Mimbs | L | L | February 13, 1969 | 6'2" | 190 | Macon, GA US |
| Blas Minor | R | R | March 20, 1966 | 6'3" | 195 | Merced, CA US |
| Doug Mlicki | R | R | April 12, 1971 | 6'3" | 175 | Cleveland, OH US |
| Ray Montgomery | R | R | August 8, 1969 | 6'3" | 195 | Bronxville, NY US |
| Melvin Mora | R | R | February 2, 1972 | 5'11" | 200 | Agua Negra, Yaracuy VE |
| Alvin Morman | L | L | January 6, 1969 | 6'3" | 210 | Rockingham, NC US |
| Tony Mounce | L | L | February 8, 1975 | 6'2" | 170 | Sacramento, CA US |
| C. J. Nitkowski | L | L | March 9, 1973 | 6'2" | 185 | Suffern, NY US |
| Bronswell Patrick | R | R | September 16, 1970 | 6'1" | 220 | Greenville, NC US |
| J. R. Phillips | L | L | April 29, 1970 | 6'2" | 205 | West Covina, CA US |
| Alan Probst | R | R | October 24, 1970 | 6'4" | 215 | Lock Haven, PA US |
| Ken Ramos | L | L | June 6, 1967 | 6'1" | 185 | Sidney, NE US |
| Shane Reynolds | R | R | March 26, 1968 | 6'3" | 210 | Bastrop, LA US |
| Luis Rivera | R | R | January 3, 1964 | 5'9" | 165 | Cidra, PR |
| Oscar Robles | L | R | April 9, 1976 | 5'10" | 190 | Tijuana, Baja California MX |
| Jamie Saylor | L | R | September 11, 1974 | 5'11" | 180 | Cincinnati, OH US |
| Mark Small | R | R | November 12, 1967 | 6'3" | 205 | Portland, OR US |
| Donne Wall | R | R | July 11, 1967 | 6'1" | 180 | Potosi, MO US |
| Daryle Ward | L | L | June 27, 1975 | 6'2" | 240 | Lynwood, 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.
