Mark Lemke | |||
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Second baseman | |||
Born: Utica, New York |
August 13, 1965 |||
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MLB debut | |||
September 17, 1988, for the Atlanta Braves | |||
Last MLB appearance | |||
May 25, 1998, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
MLB statistics | |||
Batting average | .246 | ||
Home runs | 32 | ||
Runs batted in | 270 | ||
Teams | |||
Career highlights and awards | |||
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Mark Alan Lemke (born August 13, 1965 in Utica, New York) is a former Major League Baseball player. Nicknamed "The Lemmer" and "Little Mr. October," he was a popular second baseman for the Atlanta Braves from 1988 to 1997.
Lemke grew up in Utica, New York. He attended the now closed Sacred Heart Elementary Catholic school in West Utica. Lemke is also a graduate of Notre Dame High School in Utica, NY.
Lemke was drafted in the 27th round of the 1983 amateur draft by the Atlanta Braves. Lemke decided against attending Purdue University and spent the next four years in the Braves' minor league system, spending time with these teams : Gulf Coast League Braves, Anderson Braves, Sumter Braves, Durham Bulls, Greenville Braves and Richmond Braves. He made his major league debut on September 17, 1988 when the Braves called him up from AAA when the roster expanded to 40 players. In 1988, Lemke won the Hank Aaron Award as the top offensive player in the Braves' minor league system. Lemke split time between the minor and major leagues until 1990.
In his 11-year career, Lemke played in 62 post season games and appeared in four World Series (1991, 1992, 1995, 1996). He won a World Series with the Braves in 1995, and he led all Braves players with a .417 batting average in the 1991 World Series. He also was the last out in the 1996 World Series, when the New York Yankees won their first World Series in 18 years. Lemke is also known to many fans as one of the best utility infielders to ever wear Rec-Specs in Major League Baseball History.