Rubuta ci gaba ga wannan sakin layi - Marquis Grissom na Atlanta Braves da slugger David Justice sun kasance wani ɓangare na jerin Braves wanda, ya shiga cikin kakar 1997, shine MLB mafi yawan biya. An sayar da Grissom ($ 4.8 miliyan albashin shekara-shekara) da Justice ($ 6 miliyan) ga Indiyawa don musayar Lofton ($ 4.75 miliyan) da Alan Embree ($ 206,000). "Wannan musayar ce mai girman gaske ga manyan kamfanoni biyu masu kyau. Muna magana ne game da 'yan wasan da suka dace", in ji Hart. Ga Lofton, wanda aka ɗauka a matsayin "babban mahimmancin farkawar Indiyawa a shekarun 1990", ya kasance komawar National League. "Hadin zai kasance a baya na tuna na dogon lokaci, amma shi ne baseball. Yana faruwa da kusan kowa. Ina [a Atlanta] don yin wasa kowace rana. Dukkanin Braves ne daga yanzu, "in ji Lofton. A ranar 19 ga Afrilu, Braves sun kasance 13<unk>3 kuma Lofton ya buga (.453 batting average) ya sami tagomashi tare da sabbin abokan aikinsa na Braves. "Idan ya ci gaba da buga.400 zai dace daidai", in ji Chipper Jones. A wannan kakar, Lofton na.333 batting talakawan da 27 sata bases kasance tawagar highs (da sata-base total ya zuwa wannan batu a aiki low). An kama shi yana sata sau 20, MLB mafi girma. Atlanta ta lashe rukunin NL na Gabas tare da mafi kyawun rikodin MLB 101 <unk> 61. Braves sun kori Houston Astros a cikin 1997 National League Division Series (NLDS), wasanni uku zuwa babu. A cikin 1997 National League Championship Series
(NLCS), Braves sun rasa zuwa Florida Marlins, wasanni huɗu zuwa biyu (Marlins daga baya sun ci Cleveland Indians a Wasannin Duniya). Ga NLCS, Lofton ya buga.185 kuma yana ɗaya daga cikin 'yan wasan Braves uku waɗanda suka yi rikodin bugun jini bakwai a cikin jerin. Ga Lofton, wanda ya cancanci zama 'yanci a ƙarshen kakar wasa, shi ne kakar wasa ta kawai tare da Braves.