1997 Phoenix Firebirds Roster
Team Record: 88-55
Finished 1st in the PCL's South Division
Manager: Ron Wotus (88-55)
Affiliation: San Francisco Giants
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Ballpark: Scottsdale Stadium
Attendance: 209,698, Avg. 3,039 in 69 home dates
Playoffs - Phoenix Firebirds 3 games, Colorado Springs Sky Sox 0
Finals - Edmonton Trappers 3 games, Phoenix Firebirds 1
The Phoenix Firebirds of the Pacific Coast League ended the 1997 season with a record of 88 wins and 55 losses, finishing first in the league's South Division.
The Firebirds plated 816 runs and allowed 721 runs. Dave McCarty paced Phoenix with 22 home runs, while Jeff Ball walloped 15 or more as well. Jeff Ball recorded 103 runs batted in. Jacob Cruz led hitters with significant playing time by connecting at a .361 clip. Dan Carlson topped the squad with 13 wins, and Doug Creek recorded a 4.95 ERA, tops among regular hurlers.
Members of the 1997 Phoenix Firebirds who played in Major League Baseball during their careers were William VanLandingham, Steve Soderstrom, Ricky Pickett, Eddie Zosky, Joe Roa, Marvin Benard, Cory Bailey, Dante Powell, Jay Canizaro, Keith Foulke, Russ Ortiz, Dan Carlson, Pat Rapp, Damon Berryhill, Osvaldo Fernández, Wilson Delgado, Dax Jones, Keith Williams, John Johnstone, Rich Aurilia, Doug Mirabelli, Desi Wilson, Lee Hancock, Dave McCarty, Rich Rowland, Jacob Cruz, Kevin Roberson, Jeff Ball, Darryl Hamilton, René Arocha, Ramón Martínez and Doug Creek.
Ron Wotus served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| René Arocha | R | R | February 24, 1964 | 6'0" | 180 | La Habana, La Habana CU |
| Rich Aurilia | R | R | September 2, 1971 | 6'0" | 170 | Brooklyn, NY US |
| Cory Bailey | R | R | January 24, 1971 | 6'0" | 195 | Herrin, IL US |
| Jeff Ball | R | R | April 17, 1969 | 5'10" | 185 | Merced, CA US |
| Marvin Benard | L | L | January 20, 1971 | 5'10" | 180 | Bluefields, Atlantico Sur NI |
| Damon Berryhill | S | R | December 3, 1963 | 6'0" | 205 | South Laguna, CA US |
| Bobby Bonds | R | R | March 7, 1970 | 6'4" | 180 | Palo Alto, CA US |
| Jay Canizaro | R | R | July 4, 1973 | 5'9" | 170 | Beaumont, TX US |
| Dan Carlson | R | R | January 26, 1970 | 6'1" | 185 | Portland, OR US |
| Edwin Corps | R | R | November 3, 1972 | 5'11" | 190 | Humacao, PR |
| Doug Creek | L | L | March 1, 1969 | 5'10" | 205 | Winchester, VA US |
| Jacob Cruz | L | L | January 28, 1973 | 6'0" | 175 | Oxnard, CA US |
| Wilson Delgado | S | R | July 15, 1972 | 5'11" | 145 | San Cristobal, San Cristobal DO |
| Osvaldo Fernández | R | R | November 4, 1966 | 6'2" | 190 | Holguin, Holguin CU |
| Tim Florez | R | R | July 23, 1969 | 5'10" | 170 | Salt Lake City, UT US |
| Keith Foulke | R | R | October 19, 1972 | 6'0" | 195 | Ellsworth Air Force Base, SD US |
| Chad Frontera | R | R | November 22, 1972 | 6'2" | 200 | Brooklyn, NY US |
| Darryl Hamilton | L | R | December 3, 1964 | 6'1" | 180 | Baton Rouge, LA US |
| Lee Hancock | L | L | June 27, 1967 | 6'4" | 215 | North Hollywood, CA US |
| Chad Hartvigson | L | L | December 15, 1970 | 6'1" | 170 | Seattle, WA US |
| John Johnstone | R | R | November 25, 1968 | 6'3" | 195 | Liverpool, NY US |
| Dax Jones | R | R | August 4, 1970 | 6'0" | 180 | Pittsburgh, PA US |
| Darryl Kennedy | R | R | January 23, 1969 | 5'10" | 170 | Haines City, FL US |
| Ramón Martínez | R | R | October 10, 1972 | 6'1" | 170 | Philadelphia, PA US |
| Craig Mayes | L | R | May 8, 1970 | 5'10" | 195 | Royal Oak, MI US |
| Dave McCarty | R | L | November 23, 1969 | 6'5" | 210 | Houston, TX US |
| Doug Mirabelli | R | R | October 18, 1970 | 6'1" | 205 | Kingman, AZ US |
| Russ Ortiz | R | R | June 5, 1974 | 6'1" | 200 | Van Nuys, CA US |
| Mark Peterson | L | L | November 27, 1970 | 5'11" | 195 | Bellevue, WA US |
| Randy Phillips | R | R | March 18, 1971 | 6'3" | 210 | Little Rock, AR US |
| Ricky Pickett | L | L | January 19, 1970 | 6'1" | 220 | Fort Worth, TX US |
| Dante Powell | R | R | August 25, 1973 | 6'2" | 185 | Long Beach, CA US |
| Shawn Purdy | R | R | July 30, 1968 | 6'0" | 205 | St. Petersburg, FL US |
| Pat Rapp | R | R | July 13, 1967 | 6'3" | 195 | Jennings, LA US |
| Joe Roa | R | R | October 11, 1971 | 6'1" | 195 | Southfield, MI US |
| Kevin Roberson | S | R | January 29, 1968 | 6'4" | 210 | Decatur, IL US |
| Rich Rowland | R | R | February 25, 1964 | 6'1" | 210 | Cloverdale, CA US |
| Steve Soderstrom | R | R | April 3, 1972 | 6'3" | 215 | Turlock, CA US |
| Andy Taulbee | R | R | October 5, 1972 | 6'4" | 210 | Atlanta, GA US |
| Chris Unrat | L | R | March 28, 1971 | 6'1" | 205 | Montreal, QC CA |
| Doug Vanderweele | R | R | March 18, 1970 | 6'2" | 205 | Biloxi, MS US |
| William VanLandingham | R | R | July 16, 1970 | 6'2" | 210 | Columbia, TN US |
| Mike Villano | R | R | August 10, 1971 | 6'0" | 190 | Bay City, MI US |
| Keith Williams | R | R | April 21, 1972 | 6'0" | 190 | Bedford, PA US |
| Desi Wilson | L | L | May 9, 1969 | 6'7" | 230 | Glen Cove, NY US |
| Ken Woods | R | R | August 2, 1970 | 5'10" | 170 | Los Angeles, CA US |
| Eddie Zosky | R | R | February 10, 1968 | 6'0" | 175 | Whittier, 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.
