#BIFF POCOROBA OBITUARY UPGRADE#

It’s curious how certain athletes can become intertwined with your life, taking on an outsized role that defies all logic and reason. “As he retired, he took on being a full-time Papa and chauffeur to his 15 grandchildren,” the obituary said. The funeral home notice said his “number one passion was for his family.” And what a family it was. My wife and I actually went on a quest to find him a few years ago - only to discover, sadly, that he had retired from the specialty sausage shop he ran for more than two decades in suburban Atlanta. Pocoroba, for reasons I will explain shortly, always held a special place in our home. All rights reserved.The former Atlanta Braves catcher died last weekend at age 66, a loss I couldn’t let pass with a mere mention of his modest baseball achievements and a decade-long career spent mostly with some truly awful teams. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information / Your California Privacy Rights are applicable to you. ^ Back to Top ^ © 2023 ESPN Internet Ventures. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A private memorial service is scheduled for Friday. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Jody Karin Raymond, four children and 15 grandchildren.

After starring at Canoga Park High School, he was picked by the Braves in the 17th round of the 1971 amateur draft. 'We share our deepest condolences to his family and friends.''īiff Benedict Pocoroba was born in Burbank, California on July 25, 1953. 'We are saddened to hear of the passing of former Braves catcher Biff Pocoroba,'' the team said in a statement. He retired at age 29 and began a second career running a specialty meat business in suburban Atlanta. Pocoroba was released by the Braves after playing just four games early in the 1984 season. Pocoroba made the only postseason appearance of his career in Game 2, grounding out as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning of a 4-3 loss. Louis Cardinals in the NL Championship Series. The Braves were swept in three straight games by the St. 275 with two homers and 22 RBIs for Atlanta, which opened the season with a record 13 straight wins and went on to capture its first division title since 1969. In 1982, after being plagued by shoulder problems, Pocoroba had been relegated to a backup and pinch-hitter role. In addition to handling the pitching staff, Pocoroba was successful at nabbing runners on the basepaths - catching 34% of attempted base stealers in both 1976 (16-of-47) and 1977 (52-of-155) and 23% in 1978 (25-of-107).įormer teammate Dale Murphy remembered Pocoroba's defensive prowess on Twitter. He was picked as a reserve for the All-Star Game the following year, getting into the game in the final inning of the NL's 7-3 victory, catching teammate Phil Niekro for the final out. 290 with eight homers and 44 RBIs in 113 games. His best season came in 1977, when he batted. Pocoroba joined the Braves in 1975 and played all 10 of his major league seasons with the team, hitting 21 home runs with 172 RBIs and a.

#BIFF POCOROBA OBITUARY UPGRADE#

You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserįormer Braves catcher Biff Pocoroba dies at 66įormer Atlanta Braves catcher Biff Pocoroba, an All-Star selection in 1978, has died at the age of 66, the team announced Wednesday.

Biff pocoroba obituary