1979 Columbus Astros Roster
Team Record: 84-59
Finished 1st in the SL's East Division
Manager: Jimmy Johnson (84-59)
Affiliation: Houston Astros
Location: Columbus, Georgia
Ballpark: Golden Park I & II
Attendance: 108,780, Avg. 1,521
Playoffs - Columbus Astros 2 games, Charlotte O's 0
Finals - Nashville Sounds 3 games, Columbus Astros 1
The Columbus Astros of the Southern League ended the 1979 season with a record of 84 wins and 59 losses, finishing first in the league's East Division.
The Astros led the circuit with just 547 runs allowed. Columbus scored 702 runs. Alan Knicely walloped 33 home runs for the team, while Danny Heep swatted 15 or more, too. Danny Heep drove in 84 runs and topped batters with significant playing time by hitting .327. Del Leatherwood paced the team with 15 wins, and Billy Smith recorded a 2.64 ERA, best among regular hurlers.
Members of the 1979 Columbus Astros who played in Major League Baseball during their careers were Jim Pankovits, Bert Roberge, Ron Meridith, Billy Smith, Joe Pittman, Gary Rajsich, Reggie Baldwin, Pete Ladd, Brent Strom, Alan Knicely, Danny Heep, Tom Wiedenbauer and Scott Loucks.
Jimmy Johnson served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ricardo Aponte | R | R | April 3, 1956 | 6'1" | 175 | El Seibo, DO |
| Reggie Baldwin | R | R | August 19, 1954 | 6'1" | 195 | River Rouge, MI US |
| Rod Boxberger | R | R | August 22, 1957 | 6'1" | 170 | Santa Ana, CA US |
| Alberto Cajide | R | R | March 10, 1956 | 6'3" | 205 | La Habana, La Habana CU |
| Greg Cypret | R | R | August 21, 1956 | 6'2" | 180 | St. Louis, MO US |
| Greg Dahl | R | R | November 1, 1956 | 6'0" | 195 | |
| George Gross | R | R | May 15, 1956 | 6'3" | 180 | Summit, NJ US |
| Arvis Harper | S | R | May 24, 1956 | 5'8" | 180 | Little Rock, AR US |
| Danny Heep | L | L | July 3, 1957 | 5'11" | 185 | San Antonio, TX US |
| Phil Klimas | R | R | May 20, 1956 | 5'11" | 175 | Chicago, IL US |
| Alan Knicely | R | R | May 19, 1955 | 6'0" | 190 | Harrisonburg, VA US |
| Pete Ladd | R | R | July 17, 1956 | 6'3" | 228 | Portland, ME US |
| Del Leatherwood | R | L | March 30, 1955 | 6'1" | 185 | Houston, TX US |
| Stan Leland | R | R | May 17, 1959 | 6'4" | 190 | Wabash, IN US |
| Scott Loucks | R | R | November 11, 1956 | 6'0" | 178 | Anchorage, AK US |
| Jim MacDonald | R | R | February 6, 1959 | 6'1" | 185 | St. Johnsbury, VT US |
| Ron Meridith | L | L | November 26, 1956 | 6'0" | 175 | San Pedro, CA US |
| Dennis Miscik | L | L | April 27, 1954 | 6'1" | 185 | Calumet, PA US |
| Frederick Morris | L | L | September 8, 1955 | 5'11" | 180 | Salem, NJ US |
| Jim Pankovits | R | R | August 6, 1955 | 5'10" | 170 | Pennington Gap, VA US |
| Joe Pittman | R | R | January 1, 1953 | 6'1" | 180 | Houston, TX US |
| Steven Quealey | R | October 27, 1956 | 5'11" | 170 | ||
| Gary Rajsich | L | L | October 28, 1954 | 6'2" | 210 | Youngstown, OH US |
| Bert Roberge | R | R | October 3, 1954 | 6'4" | 190 | Lewiston, ME US |
| Simon Rosario | R | R | May 18, 1957 | 6'1" | 159 | Paraje Clavellina, DO |
| Billy Smith | R | R | September 13, 1954 | 6'7" | 200 | La Marque, TX US |
| Jeff Smith | L | R | November 20, 1955 | 6'0" | 170 | Wilmington, NC US |
| Douglas Stokke | R | R | March 22, 1956 | 6'0" | 188 | Milwaukee, WI US |
| Brent Strom | R | L | October 14, 1948 | 6'3" | 189 | San Diego, CA US |
| Thad Troedson | R | R | July 9, 1956 | 6'3" | 208 | San Jose, CA US |
| Reggie Waller | R | R | April 6, 1955 | 6'3" | 195 | |
| Tom Wiedenbauer | R | R | November 5, 1958 | 6'1" | 180 | Menomonee, WI 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.
