1979 Buffalo Bisons Roster
Team Record: 72-67
Finished 4th in the EL
Manager: Steve Demeter (72-67)
Affiliation: Pittsburgh Pirates
Location: Buffalo, New York
Ballpark: War Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 133,148, Avg. 1,916
The Buffalo Bisons of the Eastern League ended the 1979 season with a record of 72 wins and 67 losses, finishing fourth in the EL.
The Bisons scored 790 runs, best in the league. Buffalo conceded 777 runs, most in the circuit. Rick Lancellotti walloped 41 home runs for the team, while Charles Valley, Tony Peña and Luis Salazar each swatted 15 or more, too. Rick Lancellotti accounted for 107 RBI. Luis Salazar led all qualifying hitters on the roster by hitting .323. James Smith topped the team with 9 wins, and Dave Dravecky recorded a 4.26 ERA, best among regular hurlers.
Members of the 1979 Buffalo Bisons who played in Major League Baseball during their careers were Jesus de la Rosa, Tom McMillan, Fred Breining, Matt Alexander, Bob Long, Santo Alcalá, Rick Lancellotti, Stew Cliburn, Luis Salazar, Dave Dravecky, Alberto Lois and Tony Peña.
Steve Demeter served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santo Alcalá | R | R | December 23, 1952 | 6'5" | 195 | San Pedro de Macoris, San Pedro de Macoris DO |
| Matt Alexander | S | R | January 30, 1947 | 5'11" | 168 | Shreveport, LA US |
| Juan Arias | R | R | November 25, 1957 | 5'10" | 155 | Navarelle, DO |
| Michael Barnes | L | R | 5'11" | 190 | ||
| Fred Breining | R | R | November 15, 1955 | 6'4" | 185 | San Francisco, CA US |
| Gary Cicatiello | L | L | 6'0" | 187 | ||
| Stew Cliburn | R | R | December 19, 1956 | 6'0" | 195 | Jackson, MS US |
| Eugenio Cotes | R | R | December 15, 1955 | 5'11" | 170 | Batey Guerrero, DO |
| Philip Cyburt | L | L | 6'2" | 180 | ||
| Jesus de la Rosa | R | R | August 5, 1953 | 6'1" | 153 | Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional DO |
| Paul Djakonow | R | R | August 6, 1951 | 5'11" | 185 | Philadelphia, PA US |
| Dave Dravecky | R | L | February 14, 1956 | 6'1" | 195 | Youngstown, OH US |
| Jeff Ellison | S | R | July 19, 1954 | 5'11" | 175 | |
| Ricky Evans | R | R | June 2, 1956 | 6'4" | 215 | Lakewood, CA US |
| Joe Galante | R | R | August 26, 1953 | 6'0" | 175 | |
| Marc Gelinas | R | R | 6'7" | 205 | ||
| Alan Griffin | R | R | February 15, 1952 | 6'2" | 170 | Santa Monica, CA US |
| James Johnston | L | R | 5'9" | 160 | ||
| Rick Lancellotti | L | L | July 5, 1956 | 6'3" | 195 | Providence, RI US |
| Alberto Lois | R | R | May 6, 1956 | 5'9" | 175 | Hato Mayor del Rey, Hato Mayor DO |
| Bob Long | R | R | November 11, 1954 | 6'3" | 178 | Jasper, TN US |
| John Macauley | S | R | 5'11" | 164 | ||
| Ignacio Martinez | R | 6'0" | 185 | |||
| Jerry McDonald | L | R | 5'11" | 172 | ||
| Tom McMillan | R | R | September 13, 1951 | 5'9" | 165 | Richmond, VA US |
| Tony Peña | R | R | June 4, 1957 | 6'0" | 175 | Monte Cristi, Monte Cristi DO |
| Robert Rock | R | R | 5'11" | 175 | ||
| Luis Salazar | R | R | May 19, 1956 | 5'9" | 180 | Barcelona, Anzoategui VE |
| James Smith | R | R | 6'6" | 210 | ||
| Alfredo Torres | R | R | March 29, 1958 | 5'11" | 180 | Maracay, Aragua VE |
| Charles Valley | S | L | September 28, 1955 | 6'0" | 175 | |
| Dick Walterhouse | L | R | 6'0" | 180 | ||
| Robert Weismiller | R | R | 6'2" | 185 | ||
| Ben Wiltbank | R | R | March 13, 1956 | 6'1" | 190 | Lewes, DE US |
| Ernest Young | S | R | October 17, 1954 | 5'10" | 175 |
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.
