1997 Nashville Sounds Roster
Team Record: 74-69
Finished 3rd in the AA's East Division
Manager: Tom Spencer (74-69)
Affiliation: Chicago White Sox
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Ballpark: Herschel Greer Stadium
Attendance: 269,186, Avg. 4,018 in 67 home dates
The Nashville Sounds of the American Association ended the 1997 season with a record of 74 wins and 69 losses, finishing third in the league's East Division.
The Sounds plated 706 runs and conceded 718 runs. Greg Norton paced Nashville with 26 home runs, and Mario Valdez walloped 15 or more, too. Magglio Ordóñez recorded 90 runs batted in and topped all regular hitters by hitting .329. Nelson Cruz led the squad with 11 wins, while Brian Keyser recorded a 2.87 ERA, tops among regular hurlers.
Members of the 1997 Nashville Sounds who played in Major League Baseball during their careers were Tom Fordham, Gene Schall, Scott Leius, Chris Clemons, Allen Battle, Chris Snopek, Al Levine, Todd Rizzo, Craig Wilson, Mike Bertotti, Keith Foulke, Jim Parque, Jeff Darwin, Rick Wrona, Nelson Cruz, Magglio Ordóñez, Greg Norton, Doug Brady, Mike Heathcott, Robin Ventura, Brian Keyser, Matt Karchner, Chuck Smith, Mike Cameron, Larry Thomas, Mario Valdez, Robert Machado, Stacy Jones, Carlos Castillo, Frank Menechino, Jason Bere, Mike Sirotka and Jeff Abbott.
Tom Spencer served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Abbott | R | L | August 17, 1972 | 6'2" | 190 | Atlanta, GA US |
| Allen Battle | R | R | November 29, 1968 | 6'0" | 170 | Grantham, NC US |
| Jason Bere | R | R | May 26, 1971 | 6'3" | 185 | Cambridge, MA US |
| Mike Bertotti | L | L | January 18, 1970 | 6'1" | 185 | Jersey City, NJ US |
| Doug Brady | S | R | November 23, 1969 | 5'11" | 165 | Jacksonville, IL US |
| Mike Cameron | R | R | January 8, 1973 | 6'2" | 210 | La Grange, GA US |
| Carmine Cappuccio | L | R | February 1, 1970 | 6'3" | 200 | Everett, MA US |
| Carlos Castillo | R | R | April 21, 1975 | 6'2" | 240 | Boston, MA US |
| Chris Clemons | R | R | October 31, 1972 | 6'4" | 220 | Baytown, TX US |
| John Cotton | R | R | October 30, 1970 | 6'0" | 190 | Houston, TX US |
| Nelson Cruz | R | R | September 13, 1972 | 6'1" | 175 | Puerto Plata, Puerto Plata DO |
| Jeff Darwin | R | R | July 6, 1969 | 6'3" | 180 | Sherman, TX US |
| Brian Downs | R | R | April 10, 1975 | 6'2" | 210 | Bellflower, CA US |
| Jason Evans | S | R | February 11, 1971 | 5'11" | 185 | Beaufort, SC US |
| Tom Fordham | L | L | February 20, 1974 | 6'2" | 210 | San Diego, CA US |
| Keith Foulke | R | R | October 19, 1972 | 6'0" | 195 | Ellsworth Air Force Base, SD US |
| Derek Hasselhoff | R | R | October 10, 1973 | 6'2" | 185 | Baltimore, MD US |
| Mike Heathcott | R | R | May 16, 1969 | 6'3" | 180 | Chicago, IL US |
| Barry Johnson | R | R | August 21, 1969 | 6'4" | 200 | Wichita, KS US |
| Stacy Jones | R | R | May 26, 1967 | 6'6" | 225 | Gadsden, AL US |
| Matt Karchner | R | R | June 28, 1967 | 6'4" | 245 | Berwick, PA US |
| Brian Keyser | R | R | October 31, 1966 | 6'1" | 180 | Castro Valley, CA US |
| Scott Leius | R | R | September 24, 1965 | 6'3" | 180 | Yonkers, NY US |
| Al Levine | L | R | May 22, 1968 | 6'3" | 180 | Park Ridge, IL US |
| Robert Machado | R | R | June 3, 1973 | 6'1" | 205 | Puerto Cabello, Carabobo VE |
| Frank Menechino | R | R | January 7, 1971 | 5'9" | 175 | Staten Island, NY US |
| Greg Norton | S | R | July 6, 1972 | 6'1" | 190 | San Leandro, CA US |
| Magglio Ordóñez | R | R | January 28, 1974 | 6'0" | 215 | Caracas, Distrito Federal VE |
| Jim Parque | L | L | February 8, 1975 | 5'11" | 165 | Norwalk, CA US |
| Eddie Pearson | S | R | January 31, 1974 | 6'3" | 225 | Mobile, AL US |
| Wil Polidor | S | R | September 23, 1973 | 6'1" | 158 | Caracas, Distrito Federal VE |
| Rich Pratt | L | L | May 7, 1971 | 6'3" | 201 | East Hartford, CT US |
| Todd Rizzo | R | L | May 24, 1971 | 6'3" | 220 | Media, PA US |
| Gene Schall | R | R | June 5, 1970 | 6'3" | 190 | Abington, PA US |
| Mike Sirotka | L | L | May 13, 1971 | 6'1" | 190 | Houston, TX US |
| Chuck Smith | R | R | October 21, 1969 | 6'1" | 185 | Memphis, TN US |
| Chris Snopek | R | R | September 20, 1970 | 6'1" | 180 | Cynthiana, KY US |
| Larry Thomas | R | L | October 25, 1969 | 6'1" | 195 | Miami, FL US |
| Mario Valdez | L | L | November 19, 1974 | 6'1" | 215 | Ciudad Obregon, Sonora MX |
| Robin Ventura | L | R | July 14, 1967 | 6'1" | 185 | Santa Maria, CA US |
| Julio Vinas | R | R | February 14, 1973 | 6'1" | 205 | Miami, FL US |
| Craig Wilson | R | R | September 3, 1970 | 6'0" | 185 | Chicago, IL US |
| Brian Woods | L | R | June 7, 1971 | 6'6" | 212 | Belleville, NJ US |
| Rick Wrona | R | R | December 10, 1963 | 6'1" | 185 | Tulsa, OK 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.
