1946 Louisville Colonels Roster
Team Record: 92-61
Finished 1st in the AA
Manager: Nemo Leibold (0-0), Fred Walters (0-0)
Affiliation: Boston Red Sox
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Ballpark: Parkway Field
Attendance: 355,241, Avg. 4,644
Playoffs - Louisville Colonels 4 games, St. Paul Saints 1
Finals - Louisville Colonels 4 games, Indianapolis Indians 0
The Louisville Colonels of the American Association ended the 1946 season with a record of 92 wins and 61 losses, finishing first in the AA.
The Colonels topped the league with just 596 runs allowed. Louisville scored 732 runs. Strick Shofner accounted for 84 RBI. Chick Genovese and Strick Shofner led hitters with significant playing time by connecting at a .305 clip. Al Widmar paced the squad with 12 wins and a team-best 2.43 ERA, best among regular hurlers.
Players from the 1946 Louisville Colonels who spent time in the Majors during their careers included Joe Ostrowski, George Diehl, Andy Gilbert, Harry Kimberlin, Jim Wilson, Strick Shofner, Otto Denning, Fred Walters, Ty LaForest, Bill Butland, Don Thompson, Don Lang, Randy Heflin, Danny Doyle, Sam Mele, Jack Albright, Jack Aragón, Johnny Welaj, Mel Deutsch, Al Brancato, Jim Gleeson, Al Widmar, Otey Clark, Fritz Dorish and Al Flair.
Nemo Leibold and Fred Walters served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Albright | R | R | June 30, 1921 | 5'9" | 175 | St. Petersburg, FL US |
| Jack Aragón | R | R | November 20, 1915 | 5'10" | 176 | La Habana, La Habana CU |
| Vic Austin | R | July 26, 1919 | 5'10" | 160 | ||
| George Bennington | R | February 1, 1919 | 6'1" | 180 | ||
| Al Brancato | R | R | May 29, 1919 | 5'9" | 188 | Philadelphia, PA US |
| Bill Butland | R | L | March 22, 1918 | 6'5" | 185 | Terre Haute, IN US |
| Richard Callahan | R | R | 5'11" | 180 | ||
| Otey Clark | R | R | May 22, 1915 | 6'1" | 190 | Boscobel, WI US |
| Otto Denning | R | R | December 28, 1912 | 6'0" | 180 | Hays, KS US |
| Mel Deutsch | R | R | July 26, 1915 | 6'4" | 215 | Caldwell, TX US |
| George Diehl | R | R | February 25, 1918 | 6'2" | 196 | Emmaus, PA US |
| Fritz Dorish | R | R | July 13, 1921 | 5'11" | 204 | Swoyersville, PA US |
| Danny Doyle | S | R | January 24, 1917 | 6'1" | 195 | McLoud, OK US |
| Al Flair | L | L | July 24, 1916 | 6'4" | 195 | New Orleans, LA US |
| Chick Genovese | L | R | November 23, 1914 | 5'9" | 170 | Staten Island, NY US |
| Fred Gerken | S | April 20, 1921 | 6'0" | 185 | ||
| Andy Gilbert | R | R | July 18, 1914 | 6'0" | 203 | Bradenville, PA US |
| Jim Gleeson | S | R | March 5, 1912 | 6'1" | 191 | Kansas City, MO US |
| Randy Heflin | L | R | September 11, 1918 | 6'0" | 185 | Fredericksburg, VA US |
| Herschel Held | R | R | April 16, 1923 | 5'10" | 185 | McLoud, OK US |
| Harry Kimberlin | R | R | March 13, 1909 | 6'3" | 175 | Sullivan, MO US |
| Chuck Koney | R | October 8, 1925 | 5'9" | 160 | ||
| Ty LaForest | R | R | April 18, 1917 | 5'9" | 165 | Edmundston, NB CA |
| Don Lang | R | R | March 15, 1915 | 6'0" | 175 | Selma, CA US |
| Joe Langworthy | L | April 2, 1921 | 5'9" | 165 | , RI US | |
| Elwood Lawson | L | L | July 15, 1920 | 5'10" | 155 | |
| Pete Lewis | R | R | June 4, 1921 | 5'11" | 170 | Camden, AR US |
| Al Mazur | R | April 13, 1916 | 5'10" | 170 | Detroit, MI US | |
| Sam Mele | R | R | January 21, 1922 | 6'1" | 183 | Astoria, NY US |
| Joe Ostrowski | L | L | November 15, 1916 | 6'0" | 180 | West Wyoming, PA US |
| Ray Patton | R | R | 6'3" | 200 | ||
| Emery Rudd | L | R | April 17, 1918 | 6'2" | 180 | |
| Strick Shofner | L | R | July 23, 1919 | 5'10" | 187 | Crawford, TX US |
| Dwight Simonds | R | R | January 11, 1920 | 6'0" | 160 | |
| Bob Sperry | L | December 9, 1925 | 6'2" | 175 | New Haven, CT US | |
| Don Thompson | L | L | December 28, 1923 | 6'0" | 185 | Swepsonville, NC US |
| George Toolson | L | R | September 30, 1922 | 6'1" | 205 | Burley, ID US |
| Fred Walters | R | R | September 4, 1912 | 6'1" | 210 | Laurel, MS US |
| Johnny Welaj | R | R | May 27, 1914 | 6'0" | 164 | Moss Creek, PA US |
| Al Widmar | R | R | March 20, 1925 | 6'3" | 185 | Cleveland, OH US |
| Jim Wilson | R | R | February 20, 1922 | 6'1" | 200 | San Diego, CA 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.
