1978 Syracuse Chiefs Roster
Team Record: 50-90
Finished 8th in the IL
Manager: Vern Benson (50-90)
Affiliation: Toronto Blue Jays
Location: Syracuse, New York
Ballpark: MacArthur Stadium
Attendance: 160,519, Avg. 2,293
The Syracuse Chiefs of the International League ended the 1978 season with a record of 50 wins and 90 losses, finishing eighth in the IL.
The Chiefs plated 548 runs, worst in the circuit, and allowed 702 runs. Gary Woods paced Syracuse with 13 home runs Butch Alberts drove in 71 runs and topped all regular batters by hitting .299. Steve Grilli paced the team with 9 wins, while Tom Buskey recorded a 2.95 ERA, leading hurlers with significant time on the mound.
Mike Stanton, Ernie Whitt, Dave Wallace, Tom Buskey, Héctor Torres, Mike Darr, Ken Pape, Steve Bowling, Jeff Byrd, Steve Grilli, Gary Woods, Tommy Sandt, Luis Meléndez, Garth Iorg, Danny Ainge, Pat Kelly, Greg Wells, Sheldon Mallory, Ken Reynolds, Phil Huffman, Mike Pazik, Jack Baker, Víctor Cruz, Butch Edge, Butch Alberts, Al Woods, Sam Ewing and Luis Quintana were all players from the 1978 Syracuse Chiefs who played in the Majors during their careers.
Vern Benson served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danny Ainge | R | R | March 17, 1959 | 6'4" | 175 | Eugene, OR US |
| Butch Alberts | R | R | May 4, 1950 | 6'2" | 205 | Williamsport, PA US |
| Jack Baker | R | R | May 4, 1950 | 6'5" | 225 | Birmingham, AL US |
| Steve Bowling | R | R | June 26, 1952 | 6'0" | 185 | Tulsa, OK US |
| Tom Buskey | R | R | February 20, 1947 | 6'3" | 200 | Harrisburg, PA US |
| Jeff Byrd | R | R | November 11, 1956 | 6'3" | 195 | La Mesa, CA US |
| Víctor Cruz | R | R | December 24, 1957 | 5'9" | 174 | Rancho Viejo, La Vega DO |
| Mike Darr | R | R | March 23, 1956 | 6'4" | 190 | Pomona, CA US |
| Andrew Dyes | R | R | December 2, 1953 | 6'2" | 212 | Richmond, CA US |
| Butch Edge | R | R | July 18, 1956 | 6'3" | 203 | Houston, TX US |
| Sam Ewing | L | L | April 9, 1949 | 6'3" | 200 | Lewisburg, TN US |
| Chuck Fore | L | R | September 9, 1955 | 6'3" | 198 | Flomaton, AL US |
| Jeffrey Geach | R | R | November 6, 1950 | 5'11" | 160 | Clendale, CA US |
| Steve Grilli | R | R | May 2, 1949 | 6'2" | 170 | Brooklyn, NY US |
| Phil Huffman | R | R | June 20, 1958 | 6'2" | 180 | Freeport, TX US |
| Garth Iorg | R | R | October 12, 1954 | 5'11" | 170 | Arcata, CA US |
| Pat Kelly | R | R | August 27, 1955 | 6'3" | 210 | Santa Maria, CA US |
| Sheldon Mallory | L | L | July 16, 1953 | 6'2" | 175 | Argo, IL US |
| Luis Meléndez | R | R | August 11, 1949 | 6'0" | 165 | Aibonito, PR |
| Ken Pape | R | R | October 1, 1951 | 5'11" | 195 | San Antonio, TX US |
| Mike Pazik | L | L | January 26, 1950 | 6'2" | 195 | Lynn, MA US |
| Luis Quintana | L | L | December 25, 1951 | 6'2" | 175 | Vega Baja, PR |
| Ken Reynolds | L | L | January 4, 1947 | 6'0" | 180 | Trevose, PA US |
| Ed Ricks | R | R | January 5, 1951 | 6'4" | 190 | |
| Tommy Sandt | R | R | December 22, 1950 | 5'11" | 175 | Brooklyn, NY US |
| Mike Stanton | S | R | September 25, 1952 | 6'2" | 205 | St. Louis, MO US |
| Héctor Torres | R | R | September 16, 1945 | 6'0" | 175 | Monterrey, Nuevo Leon MX |
| Dave Wallace | R | R | September 7, 1947 | 5'10" | 185 | Waterbury, CT US |
| Greg Wells | R | R | April 25, 1954 | 6'5" | 218 | McIntosh, AL US |
| Ernie Whitt | L | R | June 13, 1952 | 6'2" | 200 | Detroit, MI US |
| Randy Wiens | R | R | 6'4" | 190 | ||
| Al Woods | L | L | August 8, 1953 | 6'3" | 190 | Oakland, CA US |
| Gary Woods | R | R | July 20, 1953 | 6'2" | 185 | Santa Barbara, CA 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.
