1976 Denver Bears Roster
Team Record: 86-50
Finished 1st in the AA's West Division
Manager: Vern Rapp (86-50)
Affiliation: Montreal Expos
Location: Denver, Colorado
Ballpark: Mile High Stadium
Attendance: 202,444, Avg. 2,977
Playoffs - Denver Bears 4 games, Omaha Royals 2
The Denver Bears of the American Association ended the 1976 season with a record of 86 wins and 50 losses, finishing first in the league's West Division.
The Bears paced the circuit with 748 runs, spearheaded by 149 home runs. Denver allowed 602 runs. Roger Freed walloped 42 home runs for the team, while Andre Dawson and Pat Scanlon swatted 15 or more as well. Roger Freed drove in 102 runs. Warren Cromartie topped all regular hitters with a .337 average. Joe Keener led the team with 14 wins and a team-best 3.38 ERA, leading qualifying pitchers.
Players from the 1976 Denver Bears who spent time in the Majors during their careers included Chip Lang, Wayne Granger, Jim Lyttle, Dan Warthen, Andre Dawson, Ellis Valentine, Stan Papi, Dennis Blair, Joe Kerrigan, Rodney Scott, Gary Roenicke, Terry Enyart, Roger Freed, Steve Dunning, Larry Johnson, Bob Reece, Don DeMola, Joe Keener, Chuck Taylor, Jim Cox, Warren Cromartie, Bob Strampe, Larry Landreth, Tony Scott, Pat Scanlon and Bill Atkinson.
Vern Rapp served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donald Albin | R | R | April 4, 1949 | 6'1" | 180 | Utica, NY US |
| Bill Atkinson | L | R | October 4, 1954 | 5'7" | 165 | Chatham, ON CA |
| Dennis Blair | R | R | June 5, 1954 | 6'5" | 182 | Middletown, OH US |
| Jim Cox | R | R | May 28, 1950 | 5'11" | 175 | Bloomington, IL US |
| Warren Cromartie | L | L | September 29, 1953 | 6'0" | 190 | Miami Beach, FL US |
| Andre Dawson | R | R | July 10, 1954 | 6'3" | 180 | Miami, FL US |
| Don DeMola | R | R | July 5, 1952 | 6'2" | 185 | Glen Cove, NY US |
| David Drumright | R | R | October 21, 1954 | 6'2" | 185 | |
| Steve Dunning | R | R | May 15, 1949 | 6'2" | 205 | Denver, CO US |
| Terry Enyart | R | L | October 10, 1950 | 6'2" | 190 | Ironton, OH US |
| Roger Freed | R | R | June 2, 1946 | 6'0" | 190 | Los Angeles, CA US |
| Bobby Goodman | R | R | January 8, 1954 | 6'2" | 195 | West Plains, MO US |
| Wayne Granger | R | R | March 15, 1944 | 6'2" | 165 | Springfield, MA US |
| Dave Gronlund | R | R | August 3, 1954 | 6'2" | 190 | , MN US |
| Larry Johnson | R | R | August 17, 1950 | 6'0" | 185 | Cleveland, OH US |
| Joe Keener | R | R | April 21, 1953 | 6'4" | 200 | San Pedro, CA US |
| Joe Kerrigan | R | R | January 30, 1954 | 6'5" | 205 | Philadelphia, PA US |
| Rudy Kinard | R | R | October 27, 1949 | 6'0" | 170 | |
| Bill Kirkpatrick | R | R | April 13, 1947 | 6'1" | 188 | |
| Larry Landreth | R | R | March 11, 1955 | 6'1" | 175 | Stratford, ON CA |
| Chip Lang | R | R | August 21, 1952 | 6'4" | 205 | Pittsburgh, PA US |
| Jim Lyttle | L | R | May 20, 1946 | 6'0" | 180 | Hamilton, OH US |
| Juan Navarrete | L | R | September 22, 1953 | 6'1" | 160 | Gomez Palacio, Durango MX |
| Stan Papi | R | R | February 4, 1951 | 6'0" | 170 | Fresno, CA US |
| Vern Rapp | R | R | May 11, 1928 | 6'0" | 195 | St. Louis, MO US |
| Bob Reece | R | R | January 5, 1951 | 6'1" | 190 | Sacramento, CA US |
| Gary Roenicke | R | R | December 5, 1954 | 6'3" | 205 | Covina, CA US |
| Pat Scanlon | L | R | September 23, 1952 | 6'0" | 180 | Minneapolis, MN US |
| Rodney Scott | S | R | October 16, 1953 | 6'0" | 160 | Indianapolis, IN US |
| Tony Scott | S | R | September 18, 1951 | 6'0" | 164 | Cincinnati, OH US |
| Bob Strampe | S | R | June 13, 1950 | 6'1" | 185 | Janesville, WI US |
| Chuck Taylor | R | R | April 18, 1942 | 6'2" | 195 | Shelbyville, TN US |
| Ellis Valentine | R | R | July 30, 1954 | 6'4" | 205 | Helena, AR US |
| Dan Warthen | S | L | December 1, 1952 | 6'0" | 200 | Omaha, NE 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.
