1979 Syracuse Chiefs Roster
Team Record: 77-63
Finished 2nd in the IL
Manager: Vern Benson (77-63)
Affiliation: Toronto Blue Jays
Location: Syracuse, New York
Ballpark: MacArthur Stadium
Attendance: 176,539, Avg. 2,522
Playoffs - Syracuse Chiefs 3 games, Richmond Braves 2
Finals - Columbus Clippers 4 games, Syracuse Chiefs 3
The Syracuse Chiefs of the International League ended the 1979 season with a record of 77 wins and 63 losses, finishing second in the IL.
The Chiefs scored 581 runs and gave up 539 runs. Greg Wells led Syracuse with 13 home runs Doug Ault recorded 71 runs batted in. Garth Iorg paced batters with significant playing time by hitting .281. Mark Wiley topped the squad with 12 wins, while Jackson Todd recorded a 3.34 ERA, best among hurlers with significant time on the mound.
Luis Rosado, Dave Baker, Ted Wilborn, Steve Grilli, Garth Iorg, Dave McKay, Pat Kelly, Danny Ainge, Mark Wiley, Willie Upshaw, Domingo Ramos, Jerry Garvin, Doug Ault, Mike Willis, Luis Leal, Geno Petralli, Andre Robertson, Steve Luebber, Ernie Whitt, Tom Buskey, Ken Reynolds, Jackson Todd, Greg Wells, Dave Stieb, Butch Edge, Mark Lemongello, Joe Cannon, Butch Alberts and Mike Sember were all players from the 1979 Syracuse Chiefs who played in the Major Leagues 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 |
| Doug Ault | R | L | March 9, 1950 | 6'3" | 200 | Beaumont, TX US |
| Dave Baker | L | R | November 25, 1956 | 6'0" | 185 | Lacona, IA US |
| Randy Benson | S | L | December 15, 1950 | 6'4" | 167 | |
| Tom Buskey | R | R | February 20, 1947 | 6'3" | 200 | Harrisburg, PA US |
| Joe Cannon | L | R | July 13, 1953 | 6'3" | 193 | Camp LeJeune, NC US |
| Butch Edge | R | R | July 18, 1956 | 6'3" | 203 | Houston, TX US |
| Chuck Fore | L | R | September 9, 1955 | 6'3" | 198 | Flomaton, AL US |
| Jerry Garvin | L | L | October 21, 1955 | 6'3" | 195 | Oakland, CA US |
| Steve Grilli | R | R | May 2, 1949 | 6'2" | 170 | Brooklyn, NY 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 |
| Luis Leal | R | R | March 21, 1957 | 6'3" | 205 | Barquisimeto, Lara VE |
| Mark Lemongello | R | R | July 21, 1955 | 6'1" | 180 | Jersey City, NJ US |
| Steve Luebber | R | R | July 9, 1949 | 6'3" | 185 | Clinton, MO US |
| Dave May | R | R | October 16, 1951 | 6'0" | 176 | Covington, KY US |
| Dave McKay | S | R | March 14, 1950 | 6'1" | 195 | Vancouver, BC CA |
| Geno Petralli | L | R | September 25, 1959 | 6'2" | 185 | Sacramento, CA US |
| Don Pisker | L | L | December 29, 1953 | 6'2" | 180 | |
| Domingo Ramos | R | R | March 29, 1958 | 5'10" | 154 | Santiago, Santiago DO |
| Ken Reynolds | L | L | January 4, 1947 | 6'0" | 180 | Trevose, PA US |
| Andre Robertson | R | R | October 2, 1957 | 5'10" | 155 | Orange, TX US |
| Jay Robertson | R | R | September 17, 1957 | 6'5" | 215 | Sacramento, CA US |
| Luis Rosado | R | R | December 6, 1955 | 6'0" | 180 | Santurce, PR |
| Mike Sember | R | R | February 24, 1953 | 6'0" | 185 | Hammond, IN US |
| Dave Stieb | R | R | July 22, 1957 | 6'0" | 185 | Santa Ana, CA US |
| Jackson Todd | R | R | November 20, 1951 | 6'2" | 180 | Tulsa, OK US |
| Willie Upshaw | L | L | April 27, 1957 | 6'0" | 185 | Blanco, TX 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 |
| Ted Wilborn | S | R | December 16, 1958 | 6'0" | 165 | Waco, TX US |
| Mark Wiley | R | R | February 28, 1948 | 6'1" | 200 | National City, CA US |
| Mike Willis | L | L | December 26, 1950 | 6'2" | 205 | Oklahoma City, OK 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.
