Biff Pocoroba facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Biff Pocoroba |
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| Catcher | |||
| Born: July 25, 1953 Burbank, California, U.S. |
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| Died: May 24, 2020 (aged 66) Gwinnett County, Georgia, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 25, 1975, for the Atlanta Braves | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| July 25, 1984, for the Atlanta Braves | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .257 | ||
| Home runs | 21 | ||
| Runs batted in | 172 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Biff Benedict Pocoroba (born July 25, 1953 – died May 24, 2020) was an American baseball player. He was mainly a catcher, which is the player who squats behind home plate. Biff played his entire ten-year career in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves from 1975 to 1984. Even though he was mostly a catcher, he also played at third base sometimes.
Biff was chosen by the Atlanta Braves in the 1971 draft. He played for their smaller "minor league" teams before joining the main team in 1975. He became the team's backup catcher and was even picked to be an All-Star in 1978. Later, shoulder injuries made it harder for him to play. After his baseball career, he started a business selling sausages near Atlanta.
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Early Life
Biff Pocoroba was born in Burbank, California, on July 25, 1953. He was one of seven children in his family. He went to Canoga Park High School. There, he became the starting catcher for his school's baseball team in 1969. Biff was also chosen as an "All-City" player, meaning he was one of the best players in the city.
After graduating from high school in 1971, Biff was drafted by the Atlanta Braves. He was picked in the 17th round of the MLB draft that year.
Professional Baseball Career
Starting in the Minor Leagues
Biff Pocoroba began his journey in professional baseball with the Wytheville Braves. This was a minor league team. In 1972, he played briefly for the Richmond Braves before spending most of the year with the Greenwood Braves. There, he hit for a .259 batting average with seven home runs and 29 runs batted in (RBIs) in 42 games.
This good performance earned him a promotion to the Class-AA Savannah Braves in 1973. He played 193 games for that team from 1973 to 1974. In his second season with Savannah, he improved his batting average from .234 to .311. During his time in the minor leagues, Biff was known for his good defense and his ability to get on base. In 1975, during spring training, he impressed everyone by throwing out 11 straight players who tried to steal bases.
Playing for the Atlanta Braves (1975–1984)
Biff Pocoroba made his Major League Baseball debut on April 25, 1975. He was 21 years old. He came into a game against the San Diego Padres as a defensive replacement. Even though the Braves didn't always win many games during his time, fans liked him.
His best season was in 1977. That year, he played 113 games, which was the most in his career. He had a .290 batting average, hit eight home runs, and had 44 RBIs. He was also named the National League Player of the Week in May 1977. During that week, he batted .555 with two home runs and seven RBIs. He even hit a special pinch-hit, walk-off grand slam against the Montreal Expos.
In 1978, Biff was chosen to be a reserve player for the National League All-Star team. This is a special game where the best players from different teams play against each other. He played in the ninth inning of the game. That year, he finished with a .242 batting average, six home runs, and 34 RBIs in 92 games.
Later, injuries to his shoulder started to affect Biff. From 1979 to 1983, he played fewer games, averaging about 53 per season. He became more of a backup player and a pinch hitter. In 1981, he even played more games at third base (21) than as a catcher (9).
In 1982, the Braves made it to the postseason for the first time in Biff's career. They won their division, the National League West. However, they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Championship Series. Biff played his final major league game on April 20, 1984, when he was 30 years old. He was then released by the Braves. Biff was known as a good contact hitter. He finished his career with more walks (182) than strikeouts (109). He was also good at catching players trying to steal bases, stopping 34% of them in 1976 and 1977. He is the last MLB player to be named "Biff" as of the 2020 season.
After Baseball
After he stopped playing baseball, Biff Pocoroba started a special meat business called Sausage World. He ran it with his brothers, Joe and Steve. The business was located in Lilburn, Georgia, near Atlanta. He worked there for almost 30 years. Biff remembered that his grandfather used to make the family sausage when he was young. Some of the special sausages made by the company came from these "old family recipes."
Personal Life
Biff Pocoroba was married to Jody Karin Raymond for 37 years. They had four children: Jenna, Keisa, Victor, and Angela.
Biff Pocoroba died on May 24, 2020, at the age of 66.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise
