1978 Iowa Oaks Roster
Team Record: 66-70
Finished 4th in the AA's East Division
Manager: Joe Sparks (66-70)
Affiliation: Chicago White Sox
Location: Des Moines, Iowa
Ballpark: Sec Taylor Stadium I
Attendance: 121,510, Avg. 1,787
The Iowa Oaks of the American Association ended the 1978 season with a record of 66 wins and 70 losses, finishing fourth in the league's East Division.
The Oaks scored 630 runs and gave up 629 runs. Jim Breazeale and Rusty Torres led Iowa with 16 home runs apiece. Rusty Torres drove in 55 runs. Mike Squires paced hitters with significant playing time by connecting at a .312 clip. Jack Kucek topped the team with 9 wins and a team-best 2.46 ERA, best among qualifying pitchers.
Members of the 1978 Iowa Oaks who played in Major League Baseball during their careers were Eddie Bane, Junior Moore, Ken Kravec, Bruce Dal Canton, Lee Richard, Mike Proly, Kevin Bell, Bob Oliver, Steve Trout, Lloyd Allen, Mike Eden, Steve Luebber, Rusty Torres, Art James, Rich Wortham, Reggie Sanders, Ross Baumgarten, Jack Kucek, Steve Bowling, Thad Bosley, Mike Squires, Henry Cruz, Rich Hinton, John Verhoeven, Jim Breazeale, Randy Scarbery, Houston Jiménez, John Flannery, Larry Johnson, Mike Colbern and Mike Pazik.
Joe Sparks served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lloyd Allen | R | R | May 8, 1950 | 6'1" | 185 | Merced, CA US |
| Eddie Bane | R | L | March 22, 1952 | 5'9" | 160 | Chicago, IL US |
| Ross Baumgarten | L | L | May 27, 1955 | 6'1" | 180 | Highland Park, IL US |
| Kevin Bell | R | R | July 13, 1955 | 6'0" | 195 | Los Angeles, CA US |
| Thad Bosley | L | L | September 17, 1956 | 6'3" | 175 | Oceanside, CA US |
| Steve Bowling | R | R | June 26, 1952 | 6'0" | 185 | Tulsa, OK US |
| Jim Breazeale | L | R | October 3, 1949 | 6'2" | 210 | Houston, TX US |
| Stan Butkus | R | R | May 6, 1951 | 6'3" | 210 | Elgin, IL US |
| Mike Colbern | R | R | April 19, 1955 | 6'3" | 205 | Santa Monica, CA US |
| Henry Cruz | L | L | February 27, 1952 | 6'0" | 175 | Christiansted, St. Croix VI |
| Bruce Dal Canton | R | R | June 15, 1941 | 6'2" | 205 | California, PA US |
| Mike Eden | S | R | May 22, 1949 | 5'10" | 170 | Fort Clayton, Canal Zone PA |
| John Flannery | R | R | January 25, 1957 | 6'3" | 173 | Long Beach, CA US |
| Fred Frazier | R | R | May 11, 1951 | 5'9" | 155 | |
| A. J. Hill | R | R | November 12, 1958 | 5'11" | 175 | |
| Quency Hill | L | L | September 17, 1953 | 6'0" | 170 | Dallas, TX US |
| Rich Hinton | L | L | May 22, 1947 | 6'2" | 185 | Tucson, AZ US |
| Art James | L | L | August 2, 1952 | 6'0" | 170 | Detroit, MI US |
| Houston Jiménez | R | R | October 30, 1957 | 5'8" | 144 | Mexico, Distrito Federal MX |
| Larry Johnson | R | R | August 17, 1950 | 6'0" | 185 | Cleveland, OH US |
| Ken Kravec | L | L | July 29, 1951 | 6'2" | 185 | Cleveland, OH US |
| Jack Kucek | R | R | June 8, 1953 | 6'2" | 200 | Warren, OH US |
| Steve Luebber | R | R | July 9, 1949 | 6'3" | 185 | Clinton, MO US |
| Mitch Lukevics | R | R | December 3, 1953 | 6'2" | 195 | |
| Junior Moore | R | R | January 25, 1953 | 5'11" | 185 | Waskom, TX US |
| Bob Oliver | R | R | February 8, 1943 | 6'3" | 205 | Shreveport, LA US |
| Mike Pazik | L | L | January 26, 1950 | 6'2" | 195 | Lynn, MA US |
| Mike Proly | R | R | December 15, 1950 | 6'0" | 185 | Jamaica, NY US |
| Lee Richard | R | R | September 18, 1948 | 5'11" | 165 | Lafayette, LA US |
| Scott Richartz | R | R | February 13, 1956 | 6'0" | 178 | |
| Reggie Sanders | R | R | September 9, 1949 | 6'2" | 205 | Birmingham, AL US |
| Randy Scarbery | S | R | June 22, 1952 | 6'1" | 185 | Fresno, CA US |
| Cleo Smith | R | R | October 11, 1953 | 6'0" | 190 | Marvell, AR US |
| Mike Squires | L | L | March 5, 1952 | 5'11" | 185 | Kalamazoo, MI US |
| Rusty Torres | S | R | September 30, 1948 | 5'10" | 175 | Aguadilla, PR |
| Steve Trout | L | L | July 30, 1957 | 6'4" | 195 | Detroit, MI US |
| Phil Trucks | R | R | August 6, 1956 | 6'0" | 165 | |
| John Verhoeven | R | R | July 3, 1952 | 6'5" | 200 | Long Beach, CA US |
| Rich Wortham | R | L | October 22, 1953 | 6'0" | 185 | Odessa, 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.
