1978 Jacksonville Suns Roster
Team Record: 73-69
Finished 2nd in the SL's East Division
Manager: Gordon MacKenzie (73-69)
Affiliation: Kansas City Royals
Location: Jacksonville, Florida
Ballpark: Sam M. Wolfson Park
Attendance: 86,834, Avg. 1,223
The Jacksonville Suns of the Southern League ended the 1978 season with a record of 73 wins and 69 losses, finishing second in the league's East Division.
The Suns plated 577 runs and allowed 500 runs. Larry Foster paced Jacksonville with 17 home runs, while Ken Phelps and Paul Djakonow walloped 15 or more as well. Paul Djakonow drove in 73 runs. Kevin Gillen led hitters with significant playing time by connecting at a .257 clip. Rich Dubee topped the squad with 12 wins, and Ken Cvejdlik recorded a 2.44 ERA, leading hurlers with significant time on the mound.
Members of the 1978 Jacksonville Suns who played in Major League Baseball during their careers were Germán Barranca, Tim Ireland, George Enright, Craig Eaton, Kelly Heath, Ken Phelps, Jeff Cornell, Dan Quisenberry, Jim Sadowski, Gary Christenson and Bill Laskey.
Gordon MacKenzie served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gerald Ako | R | R | June 4, 1955 | 5'8" | 165 | |
| Germán Barranca | L | R | October 19, 1956 | 6'0" | 160 | Veracruz, Veracruz MX |
| Mitch Bobinger | R | L | August 24, 1954 | 6'3" | 190 | , US |
| Gary Christenson | L | L | May 5, 1953 | 6'5" | 200 | Mineola, NY US |
| Jeff Cornell | S | R | February 10, 1957 | 5'11" | 170 | Kansas City, MO US |
| Mark Cunningham | R | R | 5'11" | 175 | ||
| Ken Cvejdlik | R | R | January 16, 1957 | 6'3" | 195 | Omaha, NE US |
| Mark Daly | R | L | September 11, 1954 | 6'1" | 197 | West Palm Beach, FL US |
| Art DeFilippis | L | L | March 7, 1952 | 6'0" | 180 | Stamford, CT US |
| Paul Djakonow | R | R | August 6, 1951 | 5'11" | 185 | Philadelphia, PA US |
| Rich Dubee | S | R | October 19, 1957 | 6'2" | 200 | Brockton, MA US |
| Craig Eaton | R | R | September 7, 1954 | 5'11" | 175 | Cincinnati, OH US |
| George Enright | R | R | May 9, 1954 | 5'11" | 175 | New Britain, CT US |
| Jim Eschen | S | R | May 25, 1950 | 5'11" | 170 | Port Jefferson, NY US |
| Larry Foster | R | R | February 23, 1951 | 5'11" | 190 | |
| Kevin Gillen | L | L | March 20, 1957 | 6'1" | 188 | |
| Robert Glass | S | R | February 1, 1954 | 5'10" | 180 | |
| Ben Grzybek | L | R | January 7, 1958 | 6'5" | 205 | |
| John Haley | R | R | 6'1" | 179 | ||
| Kelly Heath | R | R | September 4, 1957 | 5'7" | 155 | Plattsburg, NY US |
| Tim Ireland | S | R | March 14, 1953 | 6'0" | 180 | Oakland, CA US |
| Sammie Jones | R | R | February 13, 1954 | 5'9" | 160 | |
| Bill Laskey | R | R | December 20, 1957 | 6'5" | 190 | Toledo, OH US |
| Mike Morley | R | L | January 18, 1959 | 5'11" | 175 | |
| Douglas Nelson | L | L | July 29, 1954 | 6'3" | 195 | Charleston, WV US |
| Mike Ondina | L | R | May 27, 1954 | 6'2" | 190 | |
| Ken Phelps | L | L | August 6, 1954 | 6'1" | 209 | Seattle, WA US |
| Dan Quisenberry | R | R | February 7, 1953 | 6'2" | 170 | Santa Monica, CA US |
| Mickey Reichenbach | L | R | 6'5" | 205 | ||
| Jim Sadowski | R | R | August 7, 1951 | 6'3" | 195 | Pittsburgh, PA US |
| Hal Thomasson | R | R | November 13, 1953 | 6'2" | 190 | DeWitt, AR US |
| William Yarbrough | R | R | September 5, 1956 | 6'0" | 185 |
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.
