1997 West Michigan Whitecaps Roster
Team Record: 92-39
Finished 1st in the MWL's East Division
Manager: Bruce Fields (92-39)
Affiliation: Detroit Tigers
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Ballpark: Fifth Third Ballpark
Attendance: 536,029, Avg. 8,000 in 67 home dates
Playoffs - Fort Wayne Wizards 2 games, West Michigan Whitecaps 0
The West Michigan Whitecaps of the Midwest League ended the 1997 season with a record of 92 wins and 39 losses, finishing first in the league's East Division.
The Whitecaps yielded 456 runs, fewest in the league. West Michigan plated 698 runs. Jacques Landry and Robert Fick paced the team with 16 home runs apiece., and Brian Dubose walloped 15 or more, too. Robert Fick drove in 90 runs and topped all regular hitters with a .341 average. Dave Borkowski and Clay Bruner led the squad with 15 wins each, while Craig Quintal recorded a 1.96 ERA, leading pitchers with enough qualifying appearances.
Players from the 1997 West Michigan Whitecaps who spent time in the Majors during their careers included Willie Blair, Dave Borkowski, Francisco Cordero, Robert Fick, Pedro Santana and Chris Wakeland.
Bruce Fields served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kurt Airoso | R | R | February 12, 1975 | 6'2" | 190 | Tulare, CA US |
| Chris Bauer | R | R | December 28, 1973 | 6'1" | 180 | Joliet, IL US |
| Willie Blair | R | R | December 18, 1965 | 6'1" | 185 | Paintsville, KY US |
| Dave Borkowski | R | R | February 7, 1977 | 6'1" | 200 | Detroit, MI US |
| Clay Bruner | R | R | October 16, 1976 | 6'3" | 180 | Weatherford, OK US |
| Rene Capellan | R | R | April 24, 1978 | 5'11" | 160 | Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional DO |
| Jesus Cedeno | R | R | June 24, 1976 | 5'11" | 160 | Higuey, La Altagracia DO |
| Francisco Cordero | R | R | May 11, 1975 | 6'3" | 245 | Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional DO |
| Derek Dace | L | L | April 11, 1975 | 6'7" | 200 | Rolla, MO US |
| Dave Darwin | L | L | December 19, 1973 | 6'0" | 185 | Charlotte, NC US |
| Brian Dubose | L | R | May 17, 1971 | 6'3" | 208 | Detroit, MI US |
| Robert Fick | L | R | March 15, 1974 | 6'1" | 189 | Torrance, CA US |
| John Foran | R | R | October 22, 1973 | 6'1" | 185 | Okinawa, JP |
| Apostol Garcia | R | R | August 3, 1976 | 6'0" | 155 | Las Matas de Farfan, San Juan DO |
| Jacques Landry | R | R | August 15, 1973 | 6'3" | 200 | Bryan, TX US |
| Chris Lemonis | L | R | August 21, 1973 | 5'11" | 185 | Brooklyn, NY US |
| Romulo Martinez | R | R | December 5, 1976 | 6'1" | 170 | Santiago, Santiago DO |
| Derek Mitchell | R | R | March 9, 1975 | 6'2" | 170 | Waukegan, IL US |
| Rich Ozarowski | S | R | October 19, 1974 | 5'9" | 175 | Boca Raton, FL US |
| Craig Quintal | R | R | January 21, 1975 | 6'0" | 190 | Metairie, LA US |
| Greg Romo | L | R | May 14, 1975 | 6'2" | 175 | Bakersfield, CA US |
| Pedro Santana | R | R | September 21, 1976 | 5'11" | 160 | San Pedro de Macoris, San Pedro de Macoris DO |
| Chad Schroeder | R | R | September 21, 1973 | 6'1" | 195 | Grand Rapids, MI US |
| Scott Sollmann | L | L | May 2, 1975 | 5'10" | 167 | Cincinnati, OH US |
| Franklin Sosa | R | R | February 27, 1976 | 5'11" | 170 | Los Llanos, San Pedro de Macoris DO |
| Russ Spear | R | R | August 30, 1977 | 6'3" | 190 | Perth, Western Australia AU |
| Chad Stevenson | R | R | February 3, 1976 | 6'4" | 215 | Covina, CA US |
| Chris Wakeland | L | L | June 15, 1974 | 6'0" | 185 | Huntington Beach, CA US |
| Mark Zamarripa | R | R | July 28, 1974 | 6'0" | 175 | Los Angeles, CA US |
| Alexis Zapata | R | R | May 20, 1977 | 6'3" | 190 | Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional DO |
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.
