The 1997 Dodgers
- 1997 Record:
- 88-74, 2nd place in N.L. Western Division
- Postseason:
- None
- Manager:
- Bill Russell
- All-Stars:
- Mike Piazza, C
- Home Attendance:
- 3,319,504
Season Recap:
Led by Manager Bill Russell, the Dodgers were 88-74 finishing 2 games behind the San Francisco Giants in the National League Western Division. The Dodgers honored former Manager Tommy Lasorda by retiring his uniform No. 2 during a pregame ceremony on August 15. Lasorda became the ninth Dodger to have his uniform retired and the second manager (Walter Alston, No. 24). Lasorda, with his 1,599 wins, was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on August 3, becoming the 14th manager to receive that honor. On April 5, Rachel Robinson, widow of Jackie Robinson was at Dodger Stadium to participate in pregame ceremonies honoring the legacy of her husband, the American hero and icon who made his Dodger debut becoming the first Black player in the major leagues on April 15, 1947. At Shea Stadium, NY, the Dodgers were part of honoring Robinson on April 15, the 50th Anniversary of his first game as a Dodger. Four Dodgers flexed their muscles in 1997 topping 30 home runs include catcher Mike Piazza (40), third baseman Todd Zeile (31), first baseman Eric Karros (30) and outfielder Raul Mondesi (30). That marked the second time in Dodger history that a quartet hit 30 or more home runs and the first time since 1977 (Steve Garvey, 33; Reggie Smith, 32; Ron Cey, 30; Dusty Baker, 30). All-Star Piazza had a .362 batting average, which was highest for a catcher in the majors and equaling Bill Dickey of the New York Yankees in 1936. Mondesi became the first Dodger to hit 30 or more home runs and steal 30 or more bases in a season. He had 30 homers and 32 stolen bases. Mondesi won his second Rawlings Gold Glove Award. For the 12th time at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers crossed the 3 million mark for home attendance. Pioneer pitchers Chan Ho Park (South Korea) and Hideo Nomo (Japan) each contributed 14 wins, while Tom Candiotti, Ramon Martinez, and Ismael Valdez had 10 a piece. Closer Todd Worrell had 35 saves to lead the National League’s best bullpen (3.40 ERA), with major contributions from Darren Dreifort, Scott Radinsky, and Antonio Osuna. When Nomo and the Anaheim Angels’ Shigetoshi Hasegawa both pitched on June 18, it marked the first time two Japan-born players were in the same major league game. On August 20, the Dodgers signed Hall of Famer Eddie Murray, who played nine games. With his signing, the Dodgers had a major league record seven Rookie of the Year winners on the roster (Murray, Worrell, Karros, Piazza, Mondesi, Nomo, and Hollandsworth). After making a comeback to play in 105 games with the Dodgers, Dodger centerfielder Brett Butler announced his retirement at the end of the 1997 season. He played 17 major league seasons, including 7 with the Dodgers, and had a .290 career batting average and 558 stolen bases.
Below are the Dodger Front Office department heads and personnel who worked for Peter O’Malley.
- Board of Directors
- Peter O’Malley, Chairman; Roland Seidler, Jr.; Terry O’Malley Seidler
- President:
- Peter O’Malley
- Vice President, Treasurer:
- Roland Seidler, Jr.
- Corporate Secretary:
- Terry O’Malley Seidler
- Executive Vice President:
- Fred Claire
- Executive Vice President:
- Bob Graziano
- Vice President:
- Tommy Lasorda
- Vice President, Campo Las Palmas:
- Ralph Avila
- Vice President, Communications:
- Tommy Hawkins
- Vice President, Marketing:
- Barry Stockhamer
- Vice President, Minor League Operations:
- Charlie Blaney
- Assistant Secretary and General Counsel:
- Sam Fernandez
- Director, Accounting and Finance:
- Bill Foltz
- Director, Advertising and Special Events:
- Paul Kalil
- Director, Broadcasting and Publications:
- Brent Shyer
- Director, Community Affairs:
- Monique Brandon
- Director, Community Relations:
- Don Newcombe
- Director, Human Resources and Administration:
- Irene Tanji
- Director, Management Information Systems:
- Mike Mularky
- Director, Publicity:
- Derrick Hall
- Assistant Director, Publicity:
- Shaun Rachau
- Director, Scouting:
- Terry Reynolds
- Director, Special Projects:
- Bob Wymbs
- Director, Stadium Operations:
- Doug Duennes
- Director, Ticket Operations:
- Debra Kay Duncan
- Assistant to the President:
- Acey Kohrogi
- Managing Director, Dodgertown:
- Craig Callan
- Traveling Secretary:
- Billy DeLury
- Team Doctors:
- Dr. Frank W. Jobe; Dr. Michael F. Mellman