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Javy Lopez
Born: 1970

C 1992- Braves

Javy Lopez's Teammates

  • All-Star in 1997-98

GamesAverageHRRBI
Career 790.290143467
League DS 12.26826
League CS 22.329412
World Series 12.18414

Stats through the 2000 season


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» Lopez trying to catch up from boston.com (8/11/06)
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For the first four years of his career, Lopez was one of the finest all-around catchers in the game, using his rocket arm to bust base-stealers, scooping balls from the dirt (he led major-league catchers with a .995 fielding percentage in 1998) and becoming the second Braves catcher to hit double-digit home runs in six consecutive seasons since Joe Torre (1963-68). But the grind of catching every day wore on Lopez, and assorted injuries culminated in a partial tear of his right ACL in 1999, ending his season after just 65 games.

Still showing the effects of the injury, Lopez's fielding skills declined as he became more reluctant to block balls in the dirt and only managed to cut down 21% of hostile base-stealers in 2000. His plate production followed a similar downward spiral in 2001, as his average plummeted to .267 (down 20 points from the previous season) as he tallied just 17 homers. (EPW)


Contribute your recollections of Javy Lopez by clicking here.
FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
» October 11, 1995: The Braves take their 2nd straight extra-inning win over the Reds, defeating Cincinnati, 6-2, in 10 innings. Javy Lopez’s 3-run HR ices the victory.

» October 22, 1995: The Braves win again, 4-3, this time on the strength of a 2-run homer by C Javy Lopez. Tom Glavine is the winning pitcher.

» May 10, 1996: For his second straight start, Braves' P John Smoltz is backed by 18 hits and he coasts to his 7th straight win, 11–0 over the Phils. Javy Lopez leads the Braves with four hits. Smoltz beat the Phils, 11–9, on May 5th, when the Braves also collected 18 hits.

» October 2, 1996: The Braves edge the Dodgers, 2-1 in 10 innings, in the opener of their National League Division Series. Javy Lopez's home run is the deciding hit, as John Smoltz goes nine innings for the win.

» October 14, 1996: The Braves batter the Cardinals, 14-0, in Game five of the NLCS. John Smoltz gets the win, with Fred McGriff and Javy Lopez contributing homers. Atlanta sets a playoff record with 22 hits in the game.

» October 17, 1996: The Braves complete their comeback, winning their 3rd in a row, 15-0, to defeat the Cardinals and win the National League pennant. Homers by Fred McGriff, Javy Lopez, and Andruw Jones support the shutout pitching of Tom Glavine.

» June 13, 1998: Atlanta's Javy Lopez and Andruw Jones become the 19th teammates in history to hit back–to–back home runs twice in the same game. The Braves defeat the Expos, 9–7.

» October 1, 1998: Atlanta's Javy Lopez hits a one–out home run in the bottom of the 9th to tie the Braves' game with Chicago at 1–1. Chipper Jones' base hit wins the game in the 10th, 2–1, as the Braves win their 2nd in a row.

» July 26, 1999: Braves C Javy Lopez is put on the DL after injuring his right knee. He will miss the remainder of the season.

» June 27, 2000: The Atlanta Braves back off from their decision to bar from their chartered flights four team announcers who had raised questions about the catcher's box at Turner Field. After TBS discussed the width of the catcher's box in a game against the Brewers three days ago, Skip Caray, Pete Van Wieren, Joe Simpson and Don Sutton were kicked off a flight to Montreal and had to take a commercial flight. TBS aired a video showing the catcher's box was four to five inches smaller than it was the previous night, when Milwaukee management complained about where Braves catcher Javy Lopez was setting up. Opposing teams have long said that Atlanta pitchers are given the benefit of an extra-wide strike zone, particularly on the outside corners. Catchers who set up wide of the plate can increase the chances of an outside pitch being called a strike. The video was shown after a rare balk call against Fernando Lunar, the Braves catcher. Home-plate umpire John Shulock ruled that Lunar set up with his right foot outside the 43-inch-wide box. The balk led to Milwaukee's first run and a heated argument between Shulock and Braves manager Bobby Cox, who was ejected. Atlanta lost the game 2-1.

» September 24, 2001: The Marlins score a 2nd inning run on Javy Lopez's throwing error, and Brad Penny and two relievers hold on to beat the Braves, 1–0. The Braves drop into a tie for 1st place in the NL East with the idle Phillies.

» October 17, 2001: Braves P Tom Glavine stops Arizona, 8-1, to even Atlanta's series with the Diamondbacks at one game apiece. Marcus Giles, Javy Lopez, and B.J. Surhoff all homer for the Braves.

» October 2, 2002: The Giants shock the Braves by pounding Tom Glavine for six runs in five innings on their way to an 8–5 win in the 1st game of their division series. Gary Sheffield and Javy Lopez homer in the 8th to make the game close, but Robb Nen comes in to save the game for starter Russ Ortiz.

» October 3, 2002: The Braves defeat the Giants, 7–3, to even their series at one game apiece. Kevin Millwood hurls six strong innings for the victory while Javy Lopez and Vinny Castilla support his pitching with home runs. Rich Aurilia, Barry Bonds, and JD Snow all homer in a losing cause for SF.