Even though he didn't have much power and was vulnerable to strikeouts, Bako's left-handed swing and solid defensive play behind the plate made him a useful backup catcher. He spent time with four major-league teams during his first three major-league seasons, but stuck with the Braves in the second half of the 2000 season as Greg Maddux's personal catcher after Eddie Perez was sidelined with a torn rotator cuff.
Bako spent the 2001 season backing up Javy Lopez and continuing to backstop for Maddux. The year was marked by a sinking batting average (.212) but did include his first stolen base in two years on July 22, 2001 against the Montreal Expos.
(JGR)
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»October 12, 2001: Atlanta defeats Houston, 6-2, to sweep their Divisional Series and move into the NLCS for the 9th time in 10 seasons. Paul Bako, Julio Franco, and Chipper Jones hit home runs to back the solid pitching of starter John Burkett. The game is the Astros 14th loss in their last 16 postseason games.
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