YOUR 1966 BRAVES: #9 George Kopacz

#9 George Kopacz
First Base

What came before: A formidable looking left-handed hitter, Kopacz was signed out of metro Chicago by the Braves in 1960.
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Twice in his first four pro seasons he hit over .320 with more than 85 RBIs. But Kopacz didn't deliver the power his 6-1, 190 frame seemed to promise, and he did not crack the majors until he got a token look in 1966.

That 1966 season: After hitting .280 with 12 homers in two minor league levels, he was a September callup but used exclusively as a pinch-hitter. Kopacz was 0-9 with a walk and a run scored.

What came after: The lefty hitter remained a bullet in the Braves' gun until July of 1969, when he was finally traded to the Pirates. The Bucs gave him another taste of the majors in 1970, but he was only 3-for-17 with no homers or RBIs. In turned out that 1970 was his only true big minor league offensive season, as he hit 29 homers with 115 RBIs and was named MVP of the International League, and the Pirates hung on to him until 1973, when he spent his final professional season with the Yankees.
His son, Derek, had several productive years playing for Sioux City in the Northern League, a league where he played seven total seasons. In 2013, Derek was named head coach of an Elite Baseball team in Chicago with his father as his assistant coach.