1997 Springfield Capitals Roster
Team Record: 42-37
Finished 3rd in the FL's West Division
Manager: Mal Fichman (42-37)
Location: Springfield, Illinois
Ballpark: Robin Roberts Stadium at Lanphier Park
Attendance: 44,219, Avg. 1,164 in 38 home dates
The Springfield Capitals of the Frontier League ended the 1997 season with a record of 42 wins and 37 losses, finishing third in the league's West Division.
The Capitals conceded 398 runs, the lowest total in the circuit. Springfield plated 488 runs. Joe Ronca paced the squad with 17 home runs and recorded 72 runs batted in, while leading hitters with significant playing time with a .341 average. Josh Neese and Sean House topped the team with 8 wins each, and Matt Duff earned a 2.73 ERA, leading pitchers with enough qualifying appearances.
Matt Duff played in Major League Baseball during his career, the only member of the Springfield Capitals to do so.
Mal Fichman served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Abell | L | L | July 19, 1975 | 6'4" | 215 | Long Beach, CA US |
| Mike Brown | R | R | July 31, 1975 | 6'0" | 190 | |
| A. J. Buckholz | R | R | October 12, 1972 | 5'11" | 200 | Milwaukie, OR US |
| Darren Bush | L | R | January 18, 1974 | 6'0" | 200 | Columbus, OH US |
| Frank Cicero | R | R | November 25, 1974 | 6'0" | 200 | Whittier, CA US |
| Paul Cruz | L | L | August 28, 1974 | 5'10" | 195 | Gary, IN US |
| Greg Denly | R | R | November 10, 1975 | 6'4" | 195 | Valdosta, GA US |
| Matt Duff | R | R | October 6, 1974 | 6'1" | 192 | Clarksdale, MS US |
| Travis Flowers | R | R | April 30, 1974 | 5'10" | 180 | Flagstaff, AZ US |
| Ed Gillis | R | R | February 28, 1974 | 5'10" | 185 | |
| James Harris | R | R | December 29, 1970 | 6'0" | 210 | Queens, NY US |
| J. R. Hoffman | L | L | May 23, 1973 | 6'0" | 170 | Bastrop, LA US |
| Sean House | R | R | June 19, 1973 | 6'0" | 190 | Sherman, TX US |
| Eric Johnson | R | R | November 16, 1979 | 6'0" | 190 | Vidalia, GA US |
| Kevin Johnson | L | R | November 28, 1972 | 6'0" | 205 | Kingsport, TN US |
| Matt Johnson | ||||||
| Scott Kaczmar | L | L | April 3, 1972 | 5'10" | 190 | |
| Matt Lake | R | R | ||||
| Ryan McDonald | L | R | September 9, 1975 | 5'10" | 195 | Irvine, CA US |
| Paul McSparin | R | R | April 16, 1974 | 6'2" | 210 | El Dorado, IL US |
| Baker Moore | R | R | February 10, 1974 | 5'10" | 175 | Jackson, TN US |
| Quinn Murphy | L | R | September 28, 1975 | 6'1" | 195 | Moline, IL US |
| Josh Neese | S | R | April 22, 1971 | 6'0" | 185 | Albuquerque, NM US |
| Josh Ophus | R | R | July 25, 1974 | 6'4" | 220 | Plentywood, MT US |
| Tony Pavlovich | R | R | August 23, 1974 | 5'10" | 191 | Kansas City, MO US |
| Tony Ramos | R | R | April 5, 1974 | 5'9" | 165 | Caguas, PR |
| Curtis Reed | S | R | ||||
| Joe Ronca | R | R | July 3, 1971 | 6'2" | 200 | Biloxi, MS US |
| Thad Rowland | L | L | November 25, 1970 | 6'0" | 180 | Charleston, SC US |
| Chris Seiler | R | R | January 9, 1974 | 0'4" | 195 | Edison, NJ US |
| Brian Smith | ||||||
| Matt Smith | R | R | October 17, 1975 | 6'4" | 195 | Lincoln, IL US |
| Jeff Snyder | R | R | September 15, 1973 | 6'3" | 185 | Chattanooga, TN US |
| Sammy Taylor | S | R | April 8, 1972 | 6'1" | 188 | Oakland, CA US |
| Nate Thomas | L | L | January 16, 1974 | 6'1" | 190 | Virginia Beach, VA US |
| Rob Viera | R | R | April 19, 1973 | 6'2" | 215 | Fairhaven, MA US |
| Rod Walker | R | R | February 8, 1976 | 6'1" | 180 | Chicago, IL 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.
