1978 Billings Mustangs Roster
Team Record: 50-18
Finished 1st in the PL
Manager: James Hoff (50-18)
Affiliation: Cincinnati Reds
Location: Billings, Montana
Ballpark: Cobb Field
Attendance: 58,750, Avg. 1,728
Playoffs - Billings Mustangs 2 games, Idaho Falls Angels 0
The Billings Mustangs of the Pioneer League ended the 1978 season with a record of 50 wins and 18 losses, finishing first in the PL.
The Mustangs conceded 317 runs, the lowest total in the circuit. Billings plated 507 runs. Gary Redus paced the team with 17 home runs Skeeter Barnes accounted for 76 RBI. Gary Redus led all regular batters by connecting at a .462 clip. Alex Neely topped the squad with 8 wins, while Les Straker recorded a 2.35 ERA, leading pitchers with enough qualifying appearances.
Players from the 1978 Billings Mustangs who spent time in the Majors during their careers included Skeeter Barnes, Gary Redus, Nick Esasky, Ben Hayes, Tom Lawless and Les Straker.
James Hoff served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skeeter Barnes | R | R | March 7, 1957 | 5'11" | 175 | Cincinnati, OH US |
| Charlie Engel | R | R | September 26, 1955 | 6'2" | 190 | |
| Nick Esasky | R | R | February 24, 1960 | 6'3" | 200 | Hialeah, FL US |
| Roger Glynn | L | L | 6'5" | 235 | ||
| Wayne Guinn | R | R | August 4, 1959 | 6'3" | 185 | |
| Ben Hayes | R | R | August 4, 1957 | 6'1" | 180 | Niagara Falls, NY US |
| Cary Hornaman | R | R | February 25, 1957 | 6'0" | 175 | |
| Lee Hover | R | R | October 31, 1955 | 5'8" | 155 | |
| Byron Jackson | R | R | October 31, 1959 | 6'3" | 190 | |
| Larry Jackson | R | R | September 5, 1959 | 6'7" | 198 | |
| Tom Lawless | R | R | December 19, 1956 | 5'11" | 170 | Erie, PA US |
| John LoCascio | L | L | February 22, 1960 | 6'0" | 175 | |
| Wilson Mateo | R | R | 5'11" | 150 | ||
| Chuck McKinney | R | R | July 3, 1960 | 6'0" | 185 | |
| Greg McKinney | L | R | May 2, 1959 | 6'2" | 175 | |
| Jeff Mihlbachler | R | R | June 30, 1959 | 6'2" | 165 | |
| Alex Neely | R | R | January 15, 1957 | 6'6" | 230 | Riverton, WY US |
| Charley Noble | L | L | January 12, 1959 | 6'0" | 170 | |
| Gary Redus | R | R | November 1, 1956 | 6'1" | 180 | Tanner, AL US |
| Dan Sarrett | R | R | June 7, 1958 | 6'0" | 185 | |
| Steve Skaggs | R | R | August 1, 1957 | 6'5" | 210 | |
| Les Straker | R | R | October 10, 1959 | 6'1" | 193 | Ciudad Bolivar, Bolivar VE |
| Chris Stropolo | L | L | November 29, 1959 | 5'10" | 170 | |
| Mike Sullivan | R | R | May 16, 1960 | 6'1" | 185 | |
| Jim Taylor | R | R | December 21, 1959 | 5'11" | 185 | |
| Eski Viltz | S | R | March 6, 1960 | 5'10" | 150 | |
| Chris Wells | R | R | April 12, 1959 | 6'1" | 170 |
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.
