1965 Gastonia Pirates Roster
Team Record: 70-54
Finished 3rd in the WCL
Manager: Clyde Sukeforth (0-0), Don Osborn (0-0), Clyde Sukeforth (0-0)
Affiliation: Pittsburgh Pirates
Location: Gastonia, North Carolina
Ballpark: Sims Legion Park
Attendance: 45,879, Avg. 740
The Gastonia Pirates of the Western Carolinas League ended the 1965 season with a record of 70 wins and 54 losses, finishing third in the WCL.
The Pirates scored 570 runs and conceded 497 runs. Bob Robertson walloped 32 home runs for Gastonia and drove in 98 runs. Al Oliver topped hitters with significant playing time by hitting .309. Harold Clem led the squad with 10 wins, while Richard Mergler registered a 2.36 earned run average, best among regular hurlers.
Players from the 1965 Gastonia Pirates who spent time in Major League Baseball during their careers included John Lamb, Bob Robertson, Al Oliver and Roy Foster.
Clyde Sukeforth, Don Osborn and Clyde Sukeforth served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vic Antonetty | L | L | February 21, 1946 | 6'1" | 170 | |
| Harry Billie | R | R | December 8, 1942 | 5'11" | 180 | |
| Jerry Branch | L | R | January 24, 1947 | 5'11" | 170 | |
| Frank Brent | R | R | 6'4" | 195 | ||
| Conard Brown | L | R | August 12, 1942 | 6'1" | 189 | |
| Roger Brown | S | L | May 5, 1946 | 6'2" | 178 | |
| Harold Clem | R | R | March 12, 1946 | 6'3" | 160 | Shawnee, OK US |
| Murray Cook | R | R | December 6, 1940 | 6'1" | 175 | Sackville, NB CA |
| Pablo Cruz | R | R | March 21, 1947 | 5'11" | 158 | Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional DO |
| Phillip Cunningham | R | R | December 10, 1941 | 6'4" | 201 | Chillicothe, OH US |
| Lyn Fitzer | R | R | January 11, 1946 | 6'1" | 193 | Columbus, OH US |
| Roy Foster | R | R | July 29, 1945 | 6'0" | 185 | Bixby, OK US |
| Richard Ginste | L | L | 6'0" | 170 | ||
| Wayne Golden | R | R | September 20, 1944 | 5'11" | 178 | |
| Wilbert Hammond | R | R | February 5, 1945 | 6'0" | 195 | Opelousas, LA US |
| Philip Knuckles | R | R | December 11, 1945 | 6'2" | 200 | |
| Joseph Knutson | R | R | 6'4" | 205 | ||
| John Lamb | R | R | July 20, 1946 | 6'3" | 180 | Sharon, CT US |
| Harry Land | R | R | August 11, 1943 | 5'11" | 170 | |
| Joseph Little | R | R | 5'10" | 165 | ||
| Gregory Marotz | R | R | 5'10" | 170 | ||
| Donald McKinley | R | R | August 23, 1946 | 6'2" | 201 | |
| Richard Mergler | R | R | November 16, 1945 | 6'2" | 200 | |
| Ross Mersinger | R | R | June 19, 1943 | 6'2" | 220 | |
| Ed Napoleon | R | R | September 13, 1937 | 5'9" | 170 | Baltimore, MD US |
| Robert Nauman | R | R | June 22, 1944 | 5'11" | 180 | |
| Thomas O'Connor | R | R | 5'10" | 180 | ||
| Al Oliver | L | L | October 14, 1946 | 6'0" | 195 | Portsmouth, OH US |
| Leslie Pennington | R | R | 6'2" | 185 | ||
| Leroy Porterfield | R | R | January 3, 1945 | 6'2" | 190 | |
| Daniel Predovic | R | R | 6'0" | 175 | ||
| William Queen | R | R | 6'0" | 165 | ||
| Bob Robertson | R | R | October 2, 1946 | 6'1" | 195 | Frostburg, MD US |
| Ernest Swan | L | L | 6'1" | 175 | ||
| Stan Thomas | R | R | August 12, 1945 | 5'10" | 175 | |
| John Tisone | R | L | 6'2" | 180 | ||
| Glenn Wise | R | R | 6'0" | 170 |
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.
