1961 Little Rock Travelers Roster
Team Record: 80-73
Finished 3rd in the SA
Manager: Fred Hatfield (80-73)
Affiliation: Baltimore Orioles
Location: Little Rock, Arkansas
Ballpark: Ray Winder Field
Attendance: 136,316, Avg. 1,782
The Little Rock Travelers of the Southern Association ended the 1961 season with a record of 80 wins and 73 losses, finishing third in the SA.
The Travelers scored 711 runs and yielded 715 runs. Dave Nicholson led Little Rock with 20 home runs Bob Thorpe drove in 77 runs and topped all qualifying hitters on the roster with a .295 average. Don Bradey and Chuck Daniel paced the squad with 12 wins each, while Jim Lehew earned a 2.58 ERA, best among pitchers with enough qualifying appearances.
Members of the 1961 Little Rock Travelers who played in Major League Baseball during their careers were Roger McCardell, Dave Nicholson, Tex Nelson, Bo Belinsky, Bob Thorpe, Jim Fridley, Pete Ward, Jim Lehew, Chuck Daniel, John Papa, Don Bradey, Bob Saverine and Fred Hatfield.
Fred Hatfield served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bo Belinsky | L | L | December 7, 1936 | 6'2" | 191 | New York, NY US |
| Don Bradey | R | R | October 4, 1934 | 5'9" | 180 | Charlotte, NC US |
| Jim Carver | R | R | August 15, 1940 | 6'0" | 200 | Waynesville, NC US |
| Chuck Daniel | R | R | September 17, 1933 | 6'2" | 195 | Bluffton, AR US |
| Bill Davidson | R | R | August 4, 1937 | 6'1" | 170 | Camden, NJ US |
| Jim Fridley | R | R | September 6, 1924 | 6'2" | 205 | Phillippi, WV US |
| Melvin Geho | R | R | September 4, 1935 | 6'1" | 185 | |
| Pat Gillick | L | L | August 22, 1937 | 6'1" | 185 | Chico, CA US |
| Lavern Grace | L | R | September 12, 1932 | 5'11" | 174 | Gorham, IL US |
| Fred Hatfield | L | R | March 18, 1925 | 6'1" | 171 | Lanett, AL US |
| Charlie Johnson | R | R | 6'0" | 185 | ||
| David Justus | R | R | 5'10" | 170 | ||
| Roger Kudron | S | R | September 14, 1938 | 6'4" | 190 | Detroit, MI US |
| Jim Lehew | R | R | August 19, 1937 | 6'0" | 185 | Baltimore, MD US |
| Roger McCardell | R | R | August 29, 1932 | 6'0" | 200 | Gorsuch Mills, MD US |
| Tex Nelson | L | L | August 7, 1936 | 6'3" | 205 | Dallas, TX US |
| Dave Nicholson | R | R | August 29, 1939 | 6'2" | 215 | St. Louis, MO US |
| John Papa | R | R | December 5, 1940 | 5'11" | 190 | Bridgeport, CT US |
| Charles Ready | R | R | January 31, 1931 | 6'0" | 175 | |
| William Reynolds | L | L | 5'9" | 180 | ||
| Ed Richardson | L | R | May 24, 1933 | 5'9" | 165 | |
| Cal Ripken | R | R | December 17, 1935 | 5'11" | 175 | Aberdeen, MD US |
| Don Saner | L | L | September 27, 1933 | 6'0" | 190 | |
| Bob Saverine | S | R | June 2, 1941 | 5'10" | 160 | Norwalk, CT US |
| Chuck Staniland | R | R | July 29, 1935 | 6'5" | 210 | Providence, RI US |
| George Stepanovich | R | L | June 28, 1937 | 6'4" | 223 | East Chicago, IN US |
| Bob Thorpe | R | R | November 19, 1926 | 6'1" | 190 | Caryville, FL US |
| Arne Thorsland | R | R | 6'4" | 220 | ||
| Robert Walz | L | R | May 24, 1931 | 6'1" | 190 | Jackson, MI US |
| Pete Ward | L | R | July 26, 1937 | 6'1" | 185 | Montreal, QC CA |
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.
