“You’ve got to be able to throw the ball if you’re a catcher,” Niekro said ruefully. There was an aborted attempt to convert him into a third baseman, but it didn’t pan out. With his arm shot, Pocoroba spent his last few seasons as a backup catcher and pinch-hitting specialist. Pocoroba was released by the Braves early in the 1984 season, finished off at age 30 by a shoulder injury that cut short what could’ve been a more productive career. They hadn’t seen each other in at least 30 years. He wasn’t the greatest catcher of all time, but he was a good catcher. “He was a warrior, I’m telling you, he was a fighter. “All I know is when he came to the ballpark, whether it was a home or road game, he had his game face on every day,” Niekro said Wednesday evening when reached at his home. The last of those outs was delivered by his teammate and future Hall of Famer, the knuckleballer Phil Niekro. He entered the Midsummer Classic at what was then known as San Diego Stadium in the top of the ninth inning, crouching behind the plate for the final three outs of the NL’s 7-3 victory.
#BIFF POCOROBA PSA AUTOGRAPH FULL#
They’re almost like members of the family.īiff Pocoroba was not a great player by any means, though he was good enough to stick with the Braves for nearly a full decade - good enough, even, to earn a spot in the 1978 All-Star Game. It’s curious how certain athletes can become intertwined with your life, taking on an outsized role that defies all logic and reason. With shoulder problems he became our go-to LH bat off the bench.“As he retired, he took on being a full-time Papa and chauffeur to his 15 grandchildren,” the obituary said. “Poco once threw out 11 straight base-stealers in spring training. “Very sad to hear that the Braves family lost another key member of our early 80s team,” Murphy wrote in a tweet. Pocoroba’s former Braves teammate Dale Murphy also shared his feelings on Twitter after the news broke. He signed a couple balls for me as well.” “Oh no!! Not Poco! RIP,” Whitney wrote in a tweet. After news began to break of the passing, Daniel Whitney - better known as Larry the Cable Guy - replied to one of Pocoroba’s teammates to express his condolences of Pocoroba’s passing. While Pocoroba built a name for himself on the field and with Braves fans, people outside of the sport had fond memories of him, too. Atlanta would finish second in the division the next two seasons but would never make it back to the playoffs before Pocoroba’s career was over at the age of 29, a decision he had to make because of shoulder issues, according to a CBS story on his death.Īfter his baseball career was over, Pocoroba took a much different turn in his life and began running a specialty meat business in suburban Atlanta, according to ESPN. From 1975-1984, the Braves made the playoffs just once, winning the division but were swept in the NLCS. In Pocoroba’s time with the Braves, the franchise did not see tons of success overall. He also reached his career-high in runs batted in that season at 44. Pocoroba hit a career-high eight home runs in 1977, the year he played the most games (113) of his career. Pocoroba also minimized the strikeouts in his career, striking out just 109 times, while walking 182 time in his career. In his baseball career, Pocoroba appeared in 596 games, hitting an average of. We share our deepest condolences to his family and friends. “Biff spent his entire 10-year major league career with the Braves (1975-1984), was an All-Star in 1978 and a member of the 1982 division-winning club. “We are saddened to hear of the passing of former Braves catcher Biff Pocoroba,” the Braves’ statement read. A private memorial service is scheduled for Friday, according to ESPN.ĭrafted by the Braves in the 17 th round of the 1971 amateur draft, Pocoroba was with the organization from 1975-1984 and he never played for another franchise. Pocoroba, born on July 25, 1953, is survived by his wife of 37 years, Jody Karin Raymond, four children and 15 grandchildren. No cause of death was announced in the release or included in reports. Former Atlanta Braves All-Star infielder Biff Pocoroba died at the age of 66, the organization announced in a statement on Wednesday.
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