Ku dhameystir weedha soo socota: Atlanta Braves' Marquis Grissom iyo slugger David Justice waxay qeyb ka ahaayeen liiska Braves ee, ku sii jeeday xilli ciyaareedkii 1997, waxay ahayd MLB mushaharka ugu badan. Grissom ($ 4.8 milyan oo mushahar sanadle ah) iyo Justice ($ 6 milyan) ayaa loo beddelay Hindida si loogu beddelo Lofton ($ 4.75 milyan) iyo Alan Embree ($ 206,000). Tani waa ganacsi baaxad wayn oo laba shirkadood oo aad iyo aad u wanaagsan. Waxaan ka hadleynaa ciyaartoy nooca xayeysiinta ah", ayuu yiri Hart. Lofton, oo loo arko "midka ugu muhiimsan ee soo nooleynta 1990s ee Hindida", waxay ahayd ku soo noqoshada Horyaalka Qaranka. Ganacsigu wakhti dheer ayuu maskaxdayda ku jiri doonaa, laakiin waa baseball. Ku dhawaad qof kasta wey ku dhacdaa. Waxaan joogaa [Atlanta] si aan maalin walba u ciyaaro. "Hadda wixii ka dambeeya waa Braves", ayuu yiri Lofton. Bishii Abriil 19, Braves waxay ahaayeen 13<unk>3 iyo Lofton oo garaacaya (.453 celceliska garaacista) ayaa ku guuleystay raalli ahaanshaha asxaabtiisa cusub ee Braves. "Haddii uu sii wado in uu garaacayo.400 si fiican ayuu u dheeli doonaa", ayuu yiri Chipper Jones. Xilli ciyaareedkii, celcelis ahaan.333 ee Lofton iyo 27 saldhig oo la xaday waxay ahaayeen kooxda ugu sarreysa (wadarta guud ee saldhigyada la xaday waxay ahayd xilligaas xirfad hoose). Waxaa la qabtay isagoo xaday 20 jeer, taasina waa tii ugu badnayd ee MLB. Atlanta waxay ku guuleysatay horyaalka NL East oo leh rikoodhkii ugu fiicnaa MLB 101<unk>61. The Braves waxay ku guuleysteen Houston Astros 1997 National League Division Series (NLDS), saddex ciyaarood oo aan lahayn. Waxaa ku
1997 National League Championship Series (NLCS), Braves waxay ka badiyeen Florida Marlins, afar ciyaarood laba (Marlins ayaa markii dambe ka adkaatay Cleveland Indians ee Taxanaha Adduunka). Horyaalka NLCS, Lofton wuxuu dhaliyay.185 wuxuuna ka mid ahaa seddexda Braves 'hitters oo diiwaan galiyay toddobo strikeouts taxanaha. Lofton, oo xaq u lahaa inuu noqdo wakiil xor ah dhamaadka xilli ciyaareedkan, waxay ahayd xilli ciyaareedkiisii kaliya ee uu la qaatay Braves.