1959 Knoxville Smokies Roster

South Atlantic League (SAL) - Class: A
Team Record: 78-62
Finished 1st in the SAL
Manager: Johnny Pesky (78-62)
Affiliation: Detroit Tigers
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Ballpark: Smithson Stadium
Attendance: 108,633, Avg. 1,552
1959 Knoxville Smokies Statistics

Playoffs - Charleston ChaSox 3 games, Knoxville Smokies 2

The Knoxville Smokies of the South Atlantic League ended the 1959 season with a record of 78 wins and 62 losses, finishing first in the SAL.

The Smokies allowed 550 runs, least in the league. Knoxville tallied 659 runs. Allie Benza paced the team with 14 home runs and drove in 77 runs. Pablo Rivera led batters with significant playing time by connecting at a .292 clip. Jim Proctor topped the squad with 15 wins and a team-best 2.19 ERA, leading pitchers with enough qualifying appearances.

Players from the 1959 Knoxville Smokies who spent time in Major League Baseball during their careers included Howie Koplitz, Dick McAuliffe, Jack Feller, Larry Foster, Bob Dustal, Frank Kostro, Buck Rodgers, Jake Wood, Mickey Lolich, Tex Nelson, Jim Proctor, Ron Nischwitz, Doug Gallagher and Fred Gladding.

Johnny Pesky served as manager.


Click on column headings to sort.

Player Bats Throws Birth Date Height Weight Hometown
Gene BacqueRRAugust 12, 19376'3"195
Richard BeckRRNovember 21, 19356'0"190
Moby BenedictRMarch 29, 19355'8"170Detroit, MI US
Allie BenzaRRJanuary 8, 19336'1"185
Jack BowenRRJuly 29, 19376'0"185
Ted BrzenkRROctober 7, 19376'0"185
Richard DayLLOctober 9, 19376'0"185
Manuel DiazRRDecember 12, 19345'11"180
Bob DustalRRSeptember 28, 19356'0"172Sayreville, NJ US
Jack FellerRRDecember 10, 19365'10"185Adrian, MI US
Blas FernandezR5'10"170
Larry FosterLRDecember 24, 19376'0"185Lansing, MI US
Doug GallagherRLFebruary 21, 19406'3"195Fremont, OH US
Fred GladdingLRJune 28, 19366'1"220Flat Rock, MI US
Arnie HallgrenRRApril 12, 19336'1"190Windfield, AB CA
David JustusRR5'10"170
Phillip KliewerRL6'3"170
Howie KoplitzRRMay 4, 19385'10"190Oshkosh, WI US
Frank KostroRRAugust 4, 19376'2"190Windber, PA US
Jerry KudajeskiLNovember 19, 19346'1"205
Mickey LolichSLSeptember 12, 19406'1"170Portland, OR US
Eugene LuckRR5'11"170
Don LumleyLLDecember 30, 19365'11"185Sacramento, CA US
Dick McAuliffeLRNovember 29, 19395'11"176Hartford, CT US
George McCueLLJuly 4, 19335'10"160
Bob McDanielRRApril 5, 19336'1"190
Tex NelsonLLAugust 7, 19366'3"205Dallas, TX US
Ron NischwitzSLJuly 1, 19376'3"205Dayton, OH US
Jim ProctorRRSeptember 9, 19356'0"165Brandywine, MD US
Jesse QueenRRJune 7, 19375'9"170Cuthbert, GA US
Pablo RiveraRR5'10"165
Buck RodgersSRAugust 16, 19386'2"190Delaware, OH US
J. C. SellsRMarch 30, 19346'1"185
Frankie ShellSRJuly 6, 19335'11"175Sage, AR US
Max SimmonsRR6'1"175
Gerald ThomasRR5'10"180
Jake WoodRRJune 22, 19376'1"163Elizabeth, NJ 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.




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