1978 Denver Bears Roster
Team Record: 64-71
Finished 2nd in the AA's West Division
Manager: Doc Edwards (64-71)
Affiliation: Montreal Expos
Location: Denver, Colorado
Ballpark: Mile High Stadium
Attendance: 261,647, Avg. 3,876
The Denver Bears of the American Association ended the 1978 season with a record of 64 wins and 71 losses, finishing second in the league's West Division.
The Bears plated 817 runs, tops in the circuit. Denver conceded 808 runs, most in the league. Mike Hart paced the squad with 19 home runs, while Bob Pate and Pete Mackanin walloped 15 or more also. Pete Mackanin drove in 112 runs. Mike Hart topped hitters with significant playing time with a .320 average. Joe Keener led the squad with 11 wins and a team-best 4.3 ERA, leading qualifying pitchers.
Players from the 1978 Denver Bears who spent time in the Majors during their careers included Bryn Smith, Bobby Ramos, Joe Keener, Gerry Pirtle, Jerry White, Don DeMola, Frank Ortenzio, Bob Pate, Bob Reece, Jim Cox, Norm Angelini, Fred Holdsworth, Bill Atkinson, Mike Hart, Scott Sanderson, Pat Scanlon, Larry Landreth, Randy Miller, Pete Mackanin, Timothy Jones, Dan Schatzeder, Ossie Blanco, Steve Ratzer, Tony Bernazard, Jerry Fry and Rick Renick.
Doc Edwards served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norm Angelini | L | L | September 24, 1947 | 5'11" | 175 | San Francisco, CA US |
| Bill Atkinson | L | R | October 4, 1954 | 5'7" | 165 | Chatham, ON CA |
| Tony Bernazard | S | R | August 24, 1956 | 5'9" | 150 | Caguas, PR |
| Ossie Blanco | R | R | September 8, 1945 | 6'0" | 185 | Caracas, Distrito Federal VE |
| Leonel Carrion | R | R | February 15, 1952 | 5'11" | 175 | Maracaibo, Zulia VE |
| Jim Cox | R | R | May 28, 1950 | 5'11" | 175 | Bloomington, IL US |
| Ed Creech | R | R | October 30, 1951 | 6'1" | 180 | Columbia, SC US |
| Don DeMola | R | R | July 5, 1952 | 6'2" | 185 | Glen Cove, NY US |
| Jerry Fry | R | R | February 29, 1956 | 6'0" | 185 | Salinas, CA US |
| Jeff Gingrich | R | R | August 19, 1953 | 6'0" | 185 | , CA US |
| Dave Gronlund | R | R | August 3, 1954 | 6'2" | 190 | , MN US |
| Mike Hart | S | R | December 20, 1951 | 6'3" | 185 | Kalamazoo, MI US |
| Fred Holdsworth | R | R | May 29, 1952 | 6'1" | 190 | Detroit, MI US |
| Timothy Jones | S | R | January 24, 1954 | 6'5" | 220 | Sacramento, CA US |
| Joe Keener | R | R | April 21, 1953 | 6'4" | 200 | San Pedro, CA US |
| Larry Landreth | R | R | March 11, 1955 | 6'1" | 175 | Stratford, ON CA |
| Pete Mackanin | R | R | August 1, 1951 | 6'2" | 190 | Chicago, IL US |
| Randy Miller | R | R | March 18, 1953 | 6'1" | 180 | Oxnard, CA US |
| Frank Ortenzio | R | R | February 24, 1951 | 6'2" | 215 | Fresno, CA US |
| Bob Pate | R | R | December 3, 1953 | 6'3" | 200 | Los Angeles, CA US |
| Craig Perkins | R | R | June 23, 1949 | 6'1" | 195 | Los Angeles, CA US |
| Gerry Pirtle | R | R | December 3, 1947 | 6'1" | 185 | Tulsa, OK US |
| Bobby Ramos | R | R | November 5, 1955 | 5'11" | 190 | Calabazar de Sagua, CU |
| Steve Ratzer | R | R | September 9, 1953 | 6'1" | 192 | Paterson, NJ US |
| Bob Reece | R | R | January 5, 1951 | 6'1" | 190 | Sacramento, CA US |
| Rick Renick | R | R | March 16, 1944 | 6'0" | 188 | London, OH US |
| Kenneth Rushing | R | L | September 28, 1953 | 6'2" | 193 | Hayward, CA US |
| Scott Sanderson | R | R | July 22, 1956 | 6'5" | 195 | Dearborn, MI US |
| Pat Scanlon | L | R | September 23, 1952 | 6'0" | 180 | Minneapolis, MN US |
| Dan Schatzeder | L | L | December 1, 1954 | 6'0" | 185 | Elmhurst, IL US |
| Bryn Smith | R | R | August 11, 1955 | 6'2" | 200 | Marietta, GA US |
| Jerry White | S | R | August 23, 1952 | 5'10" | 164 | Shirley, MA US |
| Rick Williams | L | L | November 21, 1956 | 6'1" | 192 | Fort Worth, TX 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.
