Mark Lemke
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Mark Alan Lemke (born August 13, 1965) is a former Major League Baseball player. Nicknamed "The Lemmer", he was a popular second baseman for the Atlanta Braves from 1988 to 1997.
A native of Utica, New York, 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 minor league system before making his debut in September 1988 when the Braves called him up from AAA Richmond when the roster expanded to 40 players. Lemke would split time between the minor and major leagues until 1990.
Not known for his bat, Lemke was an excellent defensive 2nd baseman and was a key component to the winning formula of the Atlanta Braves in the 1990s, a team that often relied on pitching and defense. He did become one of the stars with his hitting during the 1991 World Series when the Braves faced the Minnesota Twins. Lemke tied Billy Johnson's 1947 record for triples in a World Series. The bat that Lemke hit his third triple with was sent to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York for display.
Leaving the Braves after the 1997 season, Lemke suffered an injury while playing for the Boston Red Sox and retired after the 1998 season.
Mark Lemke is remembered fondly by Braves fans for his solid defensive performances at second base for teams that won four National League titles and one World Series championship.
Currently, Lemke hosts the Braves pregame listener call-in show on the Braves radio network with co-host Chip Caray and the postgame show on 96 Rock FM and 640 AM in Atlanta with co-host Stu Klitenic.
He is credited as the accidental namesake of the popular Homestar Runner cartoon, when a friend of creators Mike and Matt Chapman unfamiliar with baseball terminology incorrectly referred to Lemke as the "home star runner" for the Braves.
[edit] External links
- Baseball-Reference.com - career statistics and analysis
