Insignificant Athlete in Focus: Mark Lemke

"The Lemur" is no stranger to Braves fans of the 1990's, and it is no coincidence that the dimunutive second baseman's tenure with the team directly intersected with its golden renaissance. Lemke was a fundamental thread in the tapestry of a Braves team that crafted 14 consecutive pennant-winning seasons from 1991-2004.

The Braves selected Lemke in the 27th round of the 1983 draft, and the Utica, NY native elected to sign with the team rather than accept an athletic scholarship to Purdue University. The Lemur's well-noted grittiness is much the byproduct of his origins. Having driven through Utica countless summers on my way to vacation in upstate New York, I have seen the whitewashed utensil factory that dominates the rural landscape. Utica was built on the manufacturing industry and its people are the blue collar salt of the earth, not unlike their favorite son.

Lemke was never known for his bat (his highest full season batting average was .255), but he clawed his way into the big league lineup after four years on the farm with his iron-clad defensive play. Many considered him one of the era's top defensive second basemen, although he never won a gold glove. Lemke endeared himself into the hearts of the Braves faithful with his uncanny knack for producing in the clutch. His '91 and '92 World Series performances elevated him from platooner to lineup mainstay and his personality contributed greatly to the character of those early '90s teams, who, like him, refused to allow a discrepancy in talent limit their success.

The city of Atlanta came alive in those years and the fever pitch came to a head in 1995 when Lemke and the Braves won a World Series title. Sadly, after the '97 season, Lemke was released by the team he had been a part of his entire career. The Boston Red Sox soon signed the Lemur as a free agent and made him their everyday second baseman, but his '98 season was tragically cut short by a hard Chad Kreuter slide that resulted in a concussion and effectively ended Lemke's career.

Dark times followed for Lemur fans, but out of nowhere, rumors began to creep across Lemke nation that their hero had resurfaced in the minor leagues, although not in a capacity they had anticipated. Lemke spent two dream seasons as a player-coach for the New Jersey Jackals, not manning his traditional post of second base, but toeing the rubber as a knuckleball pitcher. Lemke experienced reasonable success in his first full season throwing the knuckler, but was cut in 2000 when control of the ol' floater evaded him, at one point remarkably chucking an independent league record 9 consecutive wild pitches.

While Lemke will never make a Hall of Fame ballot, he is forever enshrined in the imaginations of those Atlantans lucky enough to experience the Braves' enchanting worst-to-first run. Lemke actually holds a little-known record much more impressive than his 9 consecutive wild pitch mark. In fact, the bat he used in the 1991 Fall Classic resides in the Hall to commemorate the record three triples he hit in the series. The Lemur also was no stranger to the facial hair phenomenon that gripped the Major Leagues from the late '70s to the mid '90s. He nimbly manuevered from the baby-faced, clean shaven look to the grimy, 5 o'clock shadow-ballplayer look to the full-fledged playoff beard with a seamless deftness that left young prepubescant boys (like myself at the time) in awe. Presently, the Lemur hosts the Braves pre- and postgame radio shows, fittingly staying close to the organization and sport he made so proud.