1996 Yakima Bears Roster
Team Record: 40-36
Finished 1st in the NWL's North Division
Manager: Joe Vavra (40-36)
Affiliation: Los Angeles Dodgers
Location: Yakima, Washington
Ballpark: Yakima County Stadium
Attendance: 82,313, Avg. 2,225 in 37 home dates
Playoffs - Yakima Bears 2 games, Eugene Emeralds 0
The Yakima Bears of the Northwest League ended the 1996 season with a record of 40 wins and 36 losses, finishing first in the league's North Division.
The Bears plated 337 runs, worst in the circuit, and surrendered 333 runs. Brian Sankey paced Yakima with 11 home runs and drove in 52 runs. Matt Meyer led hitters with significant playing time with a .302 average. Jeff Kubenka and Blake Mayo topped the team with 5 wins each, while Blake Mayo recorded a 1.21 ERA, leading pitchers with enough qualifying appearances.
Players from the 1996 Yakima Bears who spent time in the Majors during their careers included Jeff Kubenka, Ted Lilly, Peter Bergeron, Damian Rolls, Wayne Franklin and Darren Hall.
Joe Vavra served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peter Bergeron | L | R | November 9, 1977 | 6'2" | 185 | Greenfield, MA US |
| Eric Brown | R | R | February 28, 1977 | 6'1" | 205 | Lafayette, LA US |
| Kevin Culmo | R | R | November 13, 1974 | 6'2" | 190 | |
| Casey Deskins | R | L | April 5, 1972 | 6'3" | 205 | Olympia, WA US |
| Eric Flores | R | R | July 7, 1976 | 6'3" | 190 | Oxnard, CA US |
| Wayne Franklin | L | L | March 9, 1974 | 6'2" | 195 | Wilmington, DE US |
| Josh Glassey | L | R | May 6, 1977 | 6'1" | 190 | San Diego, CA US |
| Darren Hall | R | R | July 14, 1964 | 6'3" | 205 | Marysville, OH US |
| Neal Hannah | R | R | April 1, 1975 | 6'2" | 206 | Carrollton, GA US |
| Willie King | L | R | May 31, 1978 | 6'1" | 210 | Brooklyn, NY US |
| Matthew Kramer | R | R | April 4, 1976 | 6'1" | 200 | Panorama City, CA US |
| Jeff Kubenka | R | L | August 24, 1974 | 6'2" | 191 | Weimar, TX US |
| Ted Lilly | L | L | January 4, 1976 | 6'0" | 195 | Lomita, CA US |
| Eric Lovinger | R | R | January 2, 1973 | 6'3" | 205 | |
| Mickey Maestas | R | R | August 24, 1975 | 6'3" | 195 | Garden City, KS US |
| Jaime Malave | R | R | March 22, 1975 | 6'0" | 210 | Santurce, PR |
| Monte Marshall | S | R | December 6, 1973 | 5'7" | 155 | Meridian, MD US |
| Blake Mayo | R | R | December 18, 1972 | 6'2" | 210 | Gadsden, AL US |
| Bobby Meyer | R | R | September 17, 1974 | 5'11" | 170 | |
| Matt Meyer | L | R | March 28, 1974 | 6'2" | 205 | Yakima, WA US |
| Dean Mitchell | R | R | March 19, 1974 | 5'11" | 175 | Bryan, TX US |
| Scott Morrison | R | R | September 24, 1972 | 6'0" | 180 | Akron, OH US |
| Tony Mota | S | R | October 31, 1977 | 6'1" | 170 | Glendale, CA US |
| Kimani Newton | R | R | June 16, 1979 | 6'1" | 195 | Christiansted, St. Croix VI |
| Jay O'Shaughnessy | R | R | August 14, 1974 | 6'3" | 220 | Waltham, MA US |
| Brian Paluk | R | R | October 5, 1975 | 6'6" | 225 | Dearborn, MI US |
| Damian Rolls | R | R | September 15, 1977 | 6'2" | 205 | Manhattan, KS US |
| Rich Saitta | R | R | July 28, 1975 | 5'10" | 170 | Brooklyn, NY US |
| Brian Sankey | L | L | June 12, 1974 | 6'1" | 195 | Quincy, MA US |
| Ben Simon | R | R | November 12, 1974 | 6'1" | 180 | Elyria, OH US |
| Randy Stearns | L | R | October 22, 1974 | 6'0" | 190 | Prairie Farms, WI US |
| C. D. Stover | R | R | December 8, 1975 | 6'5" | 225 | Napa, CA US |
| Craig Taczy | L | L | April 15, 1977 | 6'7" | 215 | Oak Lawn, IL US |
| Steve Wilson | R | R | June 12, 1974 | 5'11" | 200 | Marietta, GA 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.
