1961 Louisville Colonels Roster
Team Record: 80-70
Finished 2nd in the AA
Manager: Ben Geraghty (80-70)
Affiliation: Milwaukee Braves
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Ballpark: Cardinal Stadium
Attendance: 119,808, Avg. 1,597
Playoffs - Louisville Colonels 4 games, Denver Bears 2
Finals - Louisville Colonels 4 games, Houston Buffs 2
The Louisville Colonels of the American Association ended the 1961 season with a record of 80 wins and 70 losses, finishing second in the AA.
The Colonels led the circuit with just 667 runs allowed. Louisville scored 752 runs. Ron Jackson paced the squad with 25 home runs, and Amado Samuel walloped 15 or more, too. Mike Krsnich drove in 92 runs. Howie Bedell topped all regular batters by connecting at a .327 clip. Hank Fischer paced the squad with 11 wins, while Bob Botz earned a 2.11 ERA, best among hurlers with significant time on the mound.
Players from the 1961 Louisville Colonels who spent time in the Majors during their careers included Tony Cloninger, Hank Fischer, Jack Littrell, Bob Smith, Merritt Ranew, Mike Krsnich, Mack Jones, Ken MacKenzie, Larry Maxie, Amado Samuel, Bob Hartman, Howie Bedell, Len Gabrielson, Joe Torre, Neil Chrisley, Cecil Butler, Denny Lemaster, Bob Hendley, Moe Drabowsky, Chi-Chi Olivo, Bob Botz, Bob Uecker, Rick Herrscher, Connie Grob, Lee Tate and Ron Jackson.
Ben Geraghty served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howie Bedell | L | R | September 29, 1935 | 6'1" | 185 | Clearfield, PA US |
| Bob Botz | R | R | April 28, 1935 | 5'11" | 170 | Milwaukee, WI US |
| Winston Brown | R | R | September 17, 1932 | 5'10" | 165 | Almirante, Bocas del Toro PA |
| Cecil Butler | R | R | October 23, 1937 | 6'4" | 195 | Dallas, GA US |
| Neil Chrisley | L | R | December 16, 1931 | 6'3" | 187 | Calhoun Falls, SC US |
| Tony Cloninger | R | R | August 13, 1940 | 6'0" | 210 | Lincoln County, NC US |
| Moe Drabowsky | R | R | July 21, 1935 | 6'3" | 190 | Ozanna, PL |
| Mike Fandozzi | R | R | May 15, 1927 | 5'9" | 153 | Athens, NY US |
| Hank Fischer | R | R | January 11, 1940 | 6'0" | 190 | Yonkers, NY US |
| Len Gabrielson | L | R | February 14, 1940 | 6'4" | 210 | Oakland, CA US |
| Al Grandcolas | R | R | December 14, 1932 | 6'2" | 175 | Belleville, IL US |
| Connie Grob | L | R | November 9, 1932 | 6'0" | 180 | Cross Plains, WI US |
| Bob Hartman | R | L | August 28, 1937 | 5'11" | 185 | Kenosha, WI US |
| Bob Hendley | R | L | April 30, 1939 | 6'2" | 190 | Macon, GA US |
| Rick Herrscher | R | R | November 3, 1936 | 6'2" | 187 | St. Louis, MO US |
| Ron Jackson | R | R | October 22, 1933 | 6'7" | 225 | Kalamazoo, MI US |
| Mack Jones | L | R | November 6, 1938 | 6'1" | 180 | Atlanta, GA US |
| Mike Krsnich | R | R | September 24, 1931 | 6'1" | 190 | West Allis, WI US |
| Denny Lemaster | R | L | February 25, 1939 | 6'1" | 182 | Corona, CA US |
| Jack Littrell | R | R | January 22, 1929 | 6'0" | 179 | Louisville, KY US |
| Ken MacKenzie | R | L | March 10, 1934 | 6'0" | 185 | Gore Bay, ON CA |
| Larry Maxie | R | R | October 10, 1940 | 6'4" | 220 | Upland, CA US |
| Chi-Chi Olivo | R | R | March 18, 1926 | 6'2" | 215 | Guayubin, Monte Cristi DO |
| Merritt Ranew | L | R | May 10, 1938 | 5'11" | 170 | Albany, GA US |
| Vic Rehm | S | L | February 16, 1936 | 6'4" | 200 | Carlyle, IL US |
| Amado Samuel | R | R | December 6, 1938 | 6'1" | 170 | San Pedro de Macoris, San Pedro de Macoris DO |
| Bob Smith | R | L | February 1, 1930 | 6'1" | 190 | Woodsville, NH US |
| Lee Tate | R | R | March 18, 1932 | 5'10" | 165 | Black Rock, AR US |
| Joe Torre | R | R | July 18, 1940 | 6'2" | 212 | Brooklyn, NY US |
| Bob Uecker | R | R | January 26, 1934 | 6'1" | 190 | Milwaukee, WI 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.
