1961 Denver Bears Roster
Team Record: 75-73
Finished 3rd in the AA
Manager: Charlie Metro (75-73)
Affiliation: Detroit Tigers
Location: Denver, Colorado
Ballpark: Mile High Stadium
Attendance: 142,746, Avg. 1,929
Playoffs - Louisville Colonels 4 games, Denver Bears 2
The Denver Bears of the American Association ended the 1961 season with a record of 75 wins and 73 losses, finishing third in the AA.
The Bears paced the league with 822 runs, spearheaded by 129 home runs. Denver surrendered 703 runs. Jimmie McDaniel walloped 30 home runs for the team, while Jay Porter swatted 15 or more, too. Jimmie McDaniel accounted for 114 RBI. Don Wert topped all regular batters with a .328 average. Gordon Seyfried led the team with 14 wins, and Ron Nischwitz recorded a 3.56 ERA, best among hurlers with significant time on the mound.
Members of the 1961 Denver Bears who played in Major League Baseball during their careers were Bob Dustal, Don Wert, Frank Kostro, Harry Chiti, Dick Egan, Manny Montejo, Jay Porter, Jerry Casale, Purnal Goldy, Ossie Álvarez, Sandy Amorós, Dick McAuliffe, Bob Bruce, Gordon Seyfried, Larry Foster, George Alusik, Jackie Moore, Jim Baumer, Fred Gladding, Joe Grzenda, Ron Nischwitz and Doug Gallagher.
Charlie Metro served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Alusik | R | R | February 11, 1935 | 6'3" | 175 | Ashley, PA US |
| Ossie Álvarez | R | R | October 19, 1933 | 5'10" | 165 | Bolondron, CU |
| Sandy Amorós | L | L | January 30, 1930 | 5'7" | 170 | La Habana, La Habana CU |
| Jim Baumer | R | R | January 29, 1931 | 6'2" | 185 | Tulsa, OK US |
| Bob Bruce | R | R | May 16, 1933 | 6'3" | 200 | Detroit, MI US |
| Wyman Carey | L | L | November 9, 1936 | 5'11" | 160 | Chicago, IL US |
| Jerry Casale | R | R | September 27, 1933 | 6'2" | 200 | Brooklyn, NY US |
| Harry Chiti | R | R | November 16, 1932 | 6'2" | 221 | Kincaid, IL US |
| Jay Cooke | L | L | May 6, 1937 | 6'1" | 195 | |
| Ed Donnelly | L | L | August 5, 1930 | 6'1" | 180 | Philadelphia, PA US |
| Bob Dustal | R | R | September 28, 1935 | 6'0" | 172 | Sayreville, NJ US |
| Dick Egan | L | L | March 24, 1937 | 6'4" | 193 | Berkeley, CA US |
| Larry Foster | L | R | December 24, 1937 | 6'0" | 185 | Lansing, MI US |
| Doug Gallagher | R | L | February 21, 1940 | 6'3" | 195 | Fremont, OH US |
| Fred Gladding | L | R | June 28, 1936 | 6'1" | 220 | Flat Rock, MI US |
| Purnal Goldy | R | R | November 28, 1937 | 6'5" | 200 | Camden, NJ US |
| Joe Grzenda | R | L | June 8, 1937 | 6'2" | 180 | Scranton, PA US |
| Jim Hughes | R | R | October 21, 1934 | 6'3" | 185 | |
| Frank Kostro | R | R | August 4, 1937 | 6'2" | 190 | Windber, PA US |
| Dick McAuliffe | L | R | November 29, 1939 | 5'11" | 176 | Hartford, CT US |
| Jimmie McDaniel | R | R | December 14, 1932 | 6'2" | 181 | Marshall, MO US |
| Manny Montejo | R | R | October 16, 1935 | 5'11" | 150 | Caibarien, CU |
| Jackie Moore | R | R | February 19, 1939 | 6'0" | 180 | Jay, FL US |
| Ron Nischwitz | S | L | July 1, 1937 | 6'3" | 205 | Dayton, OH US |
| Alfred Paschal | R | R | October 30, 1934 | 6'0" | 165 | |
| Al Pehanick | R | R | August 27, 1935 | 6'5" | 195 | Scranton, PA US |
| Jay Porter | R | R | January 17, 1933 | 6'2" | 180 | Shawnee, OK US |
| Jesse Queen | R | R | June 7, 1937 | 5'9" | 170 | Cuthbert, GA US |
| Gordon Seyfried | R | R | July 4, 1937 | 6'0" | 185 | Long Beach, CA US |
| Don Wert | R | R | July 29, 1938 | 5'10" | 162 | Strasburg, PA 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.
