1961 Birmingham Barons Roster
Team Record: 89-63
Finished 2nd in the SA
Manager: Frank Skaff (89-63)
Affiliation: Detroit Tigers
Location: Birmingham, Alabama
Ballpark: Rickwood Field
Attendance: 112,217, Avg. 1,477
The Birmingham Barons of the Southern Association ended the 1961 season with a record of 89 wins and 63 losses, finishing second in the SA.
The Barons led the league with 854 runs. Birmingham allowed 660 runs. Leo Smith paced the team with 18 home runs Stan Palys drove in 114 runs and topped hitters with significant playing time by connecting at a .333 clip. Howie Koplitz notched 23 wins on the mound for the squad, while Alan Koch and Doug Gallagher as well added 15 or more victories as well Howie Koplitz recorded a 2.11 ERA, tops among regular hurlers.
Players from the 1961 Birmingham Barons who spent time in the Majors during their careers included Dick Egan, Doug Gallagher, Purnal Goldy, Bill Graham, Joe Grzenda, Bob Humphreys, Don Kaiser, Alan Koch, Howie Koplitz, Andy Kosco, Em Lindbeck, Mickey Micelotta, Stan Palys, Herb Plews, Johnnie Seale and John Sullivan.
Frank Skaff served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gene Bacque | R | R | August 12, 1937 | 6'3" | 195 | |
| Fran Boniar | R | R | October 23, 1932 | 6'1" | 195 | |
| Dave Brown | R | R | July 29, 1938 | 6'0" | 185 | |
| Billy Dashner | L | L | February 26, 1934 | 5'11" | 195 | |
| Pat Duke | R | R | May 14, 1936 | 6'0" | 175 | |
| Dick Egan | L | L | March 24, 1937 | 6'4" | 193 | Berkeley, CA US |
| Doug Gallagher | R | L | February 21, 1940 | 6'3" | 195 | Fremont, OH US |
| Purnal Goldy | R | R | November 28, 1937 | 6'5" | 200 | Camden, NJ US |
| Bill Graham | R | R | January 21, 1937 | 6'3" | 217 | Flemingsburg, KY US |
| Joe Grzenda | R | L | June 8, 1937 | 6'2" | 180 | Scranton, PA US |
| Bob Humphreys | R | R | August 18, 1935 | 5'11" | 165 | Covington, VA US |
| Frank Jaciuk | R | R | May 17, 1940 | 6'0" | 180 | |
| Don Kaiser | R | R | February 3, 1935 | 6'5" | 195 | Byng, OK US |
| Phillip Kliewer | R | L | 6'3" | 170 | ||
| Alan Koch | R | R | March 25, 1938 | 6'4" | 195 | Decatur, AL US |
| Howie Koplitz | R | R | May 4, 1938 | 5'10" | 190 | Oshkosh, WI US |
| Andy Kosco | R | R | October 5, 1941 | 6'3" | 205 | Youngstown, OH US |
| Em Lindbeck | L | R | August 27, 1934 | 6'0" | 185 | Kewanee, IL US |
| Jerry Lock | R | R | 6'1" | 185 | ||
| Don Lumley | L | L | December 30, 1936 | 5'11" | 185 | Sacramento, CA US |
| Norm Manning | R | R | November 13, 1937 | 5'11" | 165 | |
| George McCue | L | L | July 4, 1932 | 5'10" | 160 | |
| Mickey Micelotta | R | R | October 20, 1928 | 5'11" | 185 | Corona, NY US |
| Kenneth Moursund | R | R | 6'2" | 190 | ||
| Stan Palys | R | R | May 1, 1930 | 6'2" | 190 | Blakely, PA US |
| Herb Plews | L | R | June 14, 1928 | 5'11" | 160 | Helena, MT US |
| Legrant Scott | R | R | August 27, 1938 | 5'9" | 165 | |
| Johnnie Seale | L | L | November 14, 1938 | 5'10" | 155 | Edgewater, CO US |
| Dick Smallwood | S | L | 5'11" | 175 | ||
| Leo Smith | L | R | May 5, 1938 | 6'2" | 210 | Mobile, AL US |
| John Sullivan | L | R | January 3, 1941 | 6'0" | 195 | Somerville, NJ US |
Average attendance is based upon the number of actual home dates where known (most leagues from 1992 and later). Where the number of home dates is not known, the average is calculated using half the team's total games.
