1969 Syracuse Chiefs Roster
Team Record: 75-65
Finished 3rd in the IL
Manager: Frank Verdi (75-65)
Affiliation: New York Yankees
Location: Syracuse, New York
Ballpark: MacArthur Stadium
Attendance: 124,663, Avg. 1,781
Playoffs - Syracuse Chiefs 3 games, Louisville Colonels 2
Finals - Syracuse Chiefs 4 games, Columbus Jets 1
The Syracuse Chiefs of the International League ended the 1969 season with a record of 75 wins and 65 losses, finishing third in the IL.
The Chiefs paced the circuit with 698 runs. Syracuse surrendered 623 runs. Dave McDonald powered the team with 24 home runs, while Frank Tepedino walloped 15 or more also. Dave McDonald drove in 82 runs and topped all regular batters by hitting .281. Ron Klimkowski led the squad with 15 wins and a team-best 2.18 earned run average, leading pitchers with enough qualifying appearances.
Members of the 1969 Syracuse Chiefs who played in Major League Baseball during their careers were Mickey Scott, Thurman Munson, Gordy Lund, Thad Tillotson, José Vidal, Marv Staehle, John Ellis, Charlie Sands, Lee Elia, Ross Moschitto, Rich Beck, Frank Tepedino, Pete Magrini, Ron Klimkowski, Danny Breeden, John Cumberland, Frank Baker, Steve Demeter, Gary Jones, Jim Kennedy, Ossie Blanco, Al Closter, Rob Gardner, Dave McDonald, Hal Reniff, Jim Deidel, Jim Lyttle, Bobby Locke, Steve Kline, Tony Solaita, Bobby Mitchell, John Orsino and Tom Shopay.
Frank Verdi served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Baker | L | R | October 29, 1946 | 6'2" | 178 | Meridian, MS US |
| George Bechtold | R | R | September 30, 1942 | 6'1" | 200 | Lancaster, PA US |
| Rich Beck | S | R | January 21, 1940 | 6'3" | 190 | Pasco, WA US |
| Ossie Blanco | R | R | September 8, 1945 | 6'0" | 185 | Caracas, Distrito Federal VE |
| Danny Breeden | R | R | June 27, 1942 | 5'11" | 185 | Albany, GA US |
| Al Closter | L | L | June 15, 1943 | 6'2" | 190 | Creighton, NE US |
| John Cumberland | R | L | May 10, 1947 | 6'0" | 185 | Westbrook, ME US |
| Jim Deidel | R | R | June 6, 1949 | 6'2" | 195 | Denver, CO US |
| Steve Demeter | R | R | January 27, 1935 | 5'9" | 185 | Homer City, PA US |
| Lee Elia | R | R | July 16, 1937 | 5'11" | 175 | Philadelphia, PA US |
| John Ellis | R | R | August 21, 1948 | 6'2" | 225 | New London, CT US |
| Edward Fiskland | R | R | October 27, 1945 | 6'2" | 190 | Austin, TX US |
| Matt Galante | R | R | March 22, 1944 | 5'6" | 157 | Brooklyn, NY US |
| Rob Gardner | R | L | December 19, 1944 | 6'1" | 176 | Binghamton, NY US |
| Lou Howell | S | R | October 7, 1943 | 5'11" | 180 | Louisville, KY US |
| Gary Jones | L | L | June 12, 1945 | 6'0" | 191 | Huntington Park, CA US |
| Jim Kennedy | L | R | November 1, 1946 | 5'9" | 160 | Tulsa, OK US |
| Ron Klimkowski | R | R | March 1, 1944 | 6'2" | 190 | Jersey City, NJ US |
| Steve Kline | R | R | October 6, 1947 | 6'3" | 200 | Wenatchee, WA US |
| Bobby Locke | R | R | March 3, 1934 | 5'11" | 185 | Rowes Run, PA US |
| Gordy Lund | R | R | February 23, 1941 | 5'11" | 170 | Iron Mountain, MI US |
| Jim Lyttle | L | R | May 20, 1946 | 6'0" | 180 | Hamilton, OH US |
| Pete Magrini | R | R | June 8, 1942 | 6'0" | 195 | San Francisco, CA US |
| Dave McDonald | L | R | May 20, 1943 | 6'3" | 215 | New Albany, IN US |
| Bobby Mitchell | R | R | October 22, 1943 | 6'3" | 185 | Norristown, PA US |
| Ross Moschitto | R | R | February 15, 1945 | 6'2" | 175 | Fresno, CA US |
| Thurman Munson | R | R | June 7, 1947 | 5'11" | 190 | Akron, OH US |
| John Orsino | R | R | April 22, 1938 | 6'3" | 215 | Teaneck, NJ US |
| Hal Reniff | R | R | July 2, 1938 | 6'0" | 215 | Warren, OH US |
| Charlie Sands | L | R | December 17, 1947 | 6'2" | 200 | Newport News, VA US |
| Mickey Scott | L | L | July 25, 1947 | 6'1" | 155 | Weimar, DE |
| Tom Shopay | L | R | February 21, 1945 | 5'9" | 160 | Bristol, CT US |
| Tony Solaita | L | L | January 15, 1947 | 6'0" | 210 | Nuuuli, AS |
| Marv Staehle | L | R | March 13, 1942 | 5'10" | 165 | Oak Park, IL US |
| Frank Tepedino | L | L | November 23, 1947 | 5'11" | 185 | Brooklyn, NY US |
| Thad Tillotson | R | R | December 20, 1940 | 6'2" | 195 | Merced, CA US |
| José Vidal | R | R | April 3, 1940 | 6'0" | 190 | Batey Lechuga, El Seibo DO |
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.
