1951 Tampa Smokers Roster
Team Record: 90-50
Finished 1st in the FIL
Manager: Ben Chapman (90-50)
Location: Tampa, Florida
Ballpark: Plant Field
Attendance: 92,449, Avg. 1,321
Playoffs - Miami Sun Sox 3 games, Tampa Smokers 1
The Tampa Smokers of the Florida International League ended the 1951 season with a record of 90 wins and 50 losses, finishing first in the FIL.
The Smokers led the league with 760 runs, spearheaded by 48 home runs. Tampa allowed 482 runs. Joel Chapman paced hitters with significant playing time with a .308 average. Dale Matthewson topped the team with 18 wins, while Ray Woodward and Antonio Lorenzo added 15 or more wins, too Arnie Atkins recorded a 1.53 ERA, best among hurlers with significant time on the mound.
Players from the 1951 Tampa Smokers who spent time in the Majors during their careers included Dale Matthewson, Jim Bagby, Carlos Bernier, Earle Brucker, Pat Seerey and Buster Maynard.
Ben Chapman served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hank Anderssohn | R | December 6, 1925 | 5'10" | 160 | ||
| Arnie Atkins | R | R | November 21, 1923 | 5'10" | 185 | Muscatine, IA US |
| Jim Bagby | R | R | September 8, 1916 | 6'2" | 170 | Cleveland, OH US |
| Carlos Bernier | R | R | January 28, 1927 | 5'9" | 180 | Juana Diaz, PR |
| Doc Bowden | R | December 26, 1928 | 5'9" | 165 | ||
| Earle Brucker | L | R | August 25, 1925 | 6'2" | 210 | Los Angeles, CA US |
| Joel Chapman | L | 5'11" | 190 | |||
| Michael Conroy | L | April 7, 1921 | 5'10" | 170 | Quincy, MA US | |
| Carlos DeSouza | R | R | June 6, 1924 | 5'7" | 160 | |
| Robert Falk | R | 6'1" | 185 | |||
| Benny Fernandez | R | June 22, 1921 | 6'1" | 200 | ||
| Antonio Garcia | R | R | April 11, 1924 | 5'7" | 155 | |
| Glenn Garrett | R | R | 6'4" | 190 | ||
| Aguelio Gomez | ||||||
| Michael Hafenecker | R | September 19, 1924 | 6'0" | 180 | ||
| Antonio Lorenzo | L | L | 5'7" | 148 | ||
| Dale Matthewson | R | R | May 15, 1923 | 5'11" | 145 | Catasauqua, PA US |
| Buster Maynard | R | R | March 25, 1913 | 5'11" | 170 | Henderson, NC US |
| Leonard Pecou | R | May 23, 1925 | 5'11" | 160 | ||
| Pat Seerey | R | R | March 17, 1923 | 5'10" | 200 | Wilburton, OK US |
| John Sivinski | R | 5'11" | 215 | |||
| Dick Thompson | R | R | July 26, 1926 | 6'1" | 180 | Russellville, AL US |
| Clifford Thrasher | R | 6'2" | 187 | |||
| Edward Wayne | R | R | October 4, 1921 | 6'1" | 195 | |
| Ray Woodward | R | R | September 2, 1920 | 6'1" | 175 | Laurel, MS 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.
