According to ESPN on Wednesday, former Atlanta Braves catcher Biff Pocoroba of Burbank, California, passed away at the age of 66. The cause of death has not yet been reported.
Pocoroba is best known as the player who former Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner once tried to trade to the San Diego Padres for their mascot, the San Diego Chicken. Turner actually offered $100,000 to Ted Giannoulas, who dressed as the chicken, but Giannoulas remarkably declined because he wanted to stay loyal to the Padres according to Kirk Kenney of the San Diego Tribune.
Pocoroba played 10 seasons with the Atlanta Braves from 1975 to 1984. In 596 games, he batted .257 with 21 home runs and 172 runs batted in. During 1674 plate appearances, Pocoroba had 1457 at bats, scored 132 runs, collected 374 hits, 71 doubles, two triples, six stolen bases, 182 walks, 512 total bases, 16 sacrifice bunts, and 13 sacrifice flies. He also had an on base percentage of .339 and a slugging percentage of .351.
Pocoroba’s all-star season came in 1978, when he batted .242 with six home runs and 34 runs batted in. He was one of three Braves selected to the All-Star Game that year, and was an all-star even though he did not have much power as a hitter. Pocoroba was joined by pitcher Phil Niekro of Blaine, Ohio, and outfielder Jeff Burroughs of Long Beach, California. The fact that the Braves had three representatives on the National League roster for the 1978 Major League Baseball All-Star Game might have come as a surprise to some because the Braves had the second worst record in the National League in 1978 at 69 wins and 93 losses. Only the New York Mets at 66 wins and 96 losses were worse than the Braves.
However, Pocoroba’s best Major League Baseball season was 1977. That year he batted .290 with eight home runs and 44 runs batted in. In addition to having career highs in home runs and RBI’s, Pocoroba had a career-high in runs (46), hits (93), doubles (24), stolen bases (three), walks (57), slugging percentage (.445) and total bases (143).
