1959 Denver Bears Roster
Team Record: 76-86
Finished 3rd in the AA's West Division
Manager: Stan Hack (76-86)
Location: Denver, Colorado
Ballpark: Mile High Stadium
Attendance: 161,127, Avg. 1,989
The Denver Bears of the American Association ended the 1959 season with a record of 76 wins and 86 losses, finishing third in the league's West Division.
The Bears led the league with 771 runs, powered by 110 home runs. Denver allowed 860 runs, most in the circuit. Jimmie McDaniel paced the squad with 24 home runs, while Gordie Windhorn, Henry Mitchell and Bobby Malkmus each walloped 15 or more as well. Henry Mitchell accounted for 85 RBI and topped hitters with significant playing time with a .323 average. John Gabler and Ed Donnelly paced the team with 14 wins each, and John Gabler recorded a 3.39 ERA, best among qualifying pitchers.
Howie Judson, Harry Perkowski, Bill Bell, John Gabler, Virgil Jester, Manny Montejo, Bob Oldis, Bob Thorpe, Mel Held, Gordie Windhorn, Rance Pless, Jack Lamabe, Ed Winceniak, Bobby Malkmus, Johnny Schaive, Stan Pitula, Tony Bartirome and Ed Mayer were all players from the 1959 Denver Bears who played in the Majors during their careers.
Stan Hack served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Bartirome | L | L | May 9, 1932 | 5'10" | 155 | Pittsburgh, PA US |
| Bill Bell | R | R | October 24, 1933 | 6'3" | 200 | Goldsboro, NC US |
| Bill Causion | L | L | August 30, 1930 | 5'11" | 185 | Baltimore, MD US |
| Harvey Cohen | R | R | March 5, 1934 | 6'3" | 210 | |
| Bill Davidson | R | R | August 4, 1937 | 6'1" | 170 | Camden, NJ US |
| Ed Donnelly | L | L | August 5, 1930 | 6'1" | 180 | Philadelphia, PA US |
| John Gabler | S | R | October 2, 1930 | 6'2" | 165 | Kansas City, MO US |
| Arnie Hallgren | R | R | April 12, 1933 | 6'1" | 190 | Windfield, AB CA |
| Gene Hassell | L | R | June 15, 1928 | 5'8" | 155 | Rivermines, MO US |
| Mel Held | R | R | April 12, 1929 | 6'1" | 178 | Edon, OH US |
| John Jaciuk | L | L | May 24, 1931 | 6'3" | 185 | Wyandotte, MI US |
| Virgil Jester | R | R | July 23, 1927 | 5'11" | 188 | Denver, CO US |
| Howie Judson | R | R | February 16, 1925 | 6'1" | 195 | Hebron, IL US |
| Jack Lamabe | R | R | October 3, 1936 | 6'1" | 198 | Farmingdale, NY US |
| Bobby Malkmus | R | R | July 4, 1931 | 5'9" | 175 | Newark, NJ US |
| Ed Mayer | L | L | November 30, 1931 | 6'2" | 185 | San Francisco, CA US |
| Jimmie McDaniel | R | R | December 14, 1932 | 6'2" | 181 | Marshall, MO US |
| Pete Mesa | R | R | August 29, 1929 | 6'1" | 190 | Santa Monica, CA US |
| Henry Mitchell | R | R | December 17, 1936 | 5'11" | 169 | Panama, Panama PA |
| Manny Montejo | R | R | October 16, 1935 | 5'11" | 150 | Caibarien, CU |
| Kenneth Moursund | R | R | 6'2" | 190 | ||
| Bob Oldis | R | R | January 5, 1928 | 6'1" | 185 | Preston, IA US |
| Angel Oliva | R | R | February 6, 1937 | 6'0" | 185 | San Jose de las Lajas, Mayabeque CU |
| Harry Perkowski | L | L | September 6, 1922 | 6'2" | 196 | Dante, VA US |
| Stan Pitula | R | R | March 23, 1931 | 5'10" | 170 | Hackensack, NJ US |
| Rance Pless | R | R | December 6, 1925 | 6'0" | 195 | Greeneville, TN US |
| Vern Rapp | R | R | May 11, 1928 | 6'0" | 195 | St. Louis, MO US |
| Johnny Schaive | R | R | February 25, 1934 | 5'8" | 175 | Springfield, IL US |
| Robert Sedlak | R | R | October 9, 1934 | 6'2" | 190 | |
| John Stadnicki | R | R | 5'11" | 180 | ||
| Bob Thorpe | R | R | November 19, 1926 | 6'1" | 190 | Caryville, FL US |
| Robert Walz | L | R | May 24, 1931 | 6'1" | 190 | Jackson, MI US |
| Ed Winceniak | R | R | April 16, 1929 | 5'9" | 165 | Chicago, IL US |
| Gordie Windhorn | R | R | December 19, 1933 | 6'1" | 185 | Watseka, IL 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.
