1959 Omaha Cardinals Roster
Team Record: 83-78
Finished 1st in the AA's West Division
Manager: Joe Schultz (83-78)
Affiliation: St. Louis Cardinals
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Ballpark: Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium
Attendance: 116,088, Avg. 1,442
Playoffs - Minneapolis Millers 4 games, Omaha Cardinals 2
The Omaha Cardinals of the American Association ended the 1959 season with a record of 83 wins and 78 losses, finishing first in the league's West Division.
The Cardinals scored 655 runs and allowed 652 runs. Ben Mateosky paced Omaha with 18 home runs and drove in 88 runs. Ellis Burton led all regular hitters by hitting .292. Frank Barnes topped the team with 15 wins, while Jim Donohue recorded a 2.39 ERA, tops among hurlers with significant time on the mound.
Members of the 1959 Omaha Cardinals who played in Major League Baseball during their careers were Nick Testa, Chick King, Phil Clark, Jack Urban, Jim Donohue, Frank Barnes, Lee Gregory, Ray Sadecki, Tom Cheney, Bruce Barmes, Mel Nelson, Ellis Burton, Chris Cannizzaro, Bob Darnell, Bob Sadowski, Jimmie Schaffer, Bob Gibson, Bob Duliba, Dean Stone, Bob Thurman, Bill Smith and Bob Blaylock.
Joe Schultz served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Alomar | R | R | December 11, 1933 | 5'11" | 172 | Santurce, PR |
| Bruce Barmes | L | R | October 23, 1929 | 5'8" | 165 | Vincennes, IN US |
| Frank Barnes | R | R | August 26, 1926 | 6'0" | 170 | Longwood, MS US |
| Asdrubal Baro | R | R | November 21, 1926 | 5'10" | 172 | Mayari, Holguin CU |
| Dave Benedict | L | L | March 1, 1930 | 6'3" | 200 | |
| Billy Bethel | R | R | April 29, 1930 | 6'3" | 187 | Corpus Christi, TX US |
| Bob Blaylock | R | R | June 28, 1935 | 6'1" | 185 | Chattanooga, TN US |
| Bob Boyer | R | R | August 6, 1935 | 6'0" | 170 | |
| Don Branson | S | R | April 5, 1939 | 6'1" | 178 | |
| Ellis Burton | S | R | August 12, 1936 | 5'11" | 160 | Los Angeles, CA US |
| Chris Cannizzaro | R | R | May 3, 1938 | 6'0" | 190 | Oakland, CA US |
| Tom Cheney | R | R | October 14, 1934 | 5'11" | 170 | Morgan, GA US |
| Phil Clark | R | R | October 3, 1932 | 6'3" | 210 | Albany, GA US |
| Bob Darnell | R | R | November 6, 1930 | 5'10" | 175 | Wewoka, OK US |
| Jim Donohue | R | R | October 31, 1937 | 6'4" | 190 | St. Louis, MO US |
| Bob Duliba | R | R | January 9, 1935 | 5'10" | 180 | Glen Lyon, PA US |
| Bob Gibson | R | R | November 9, 1935 | 6'1" | 189 | Omaha, NE US |
| Al Grandcolas | R | R | December 14, 1932 | 6'2" | 175 | Belleville, IL US |
| Lee Gregory | L | L | June 2, 1938 | 6'1" | 180 | Bakersfield, CA US |
| James Hemric | L | R | September 27, 1935 | 5'11" | 175 | |
| Chick King | R | R | November 10, 1930 | 6'2" | 190 | Paris, TN US |
| Fred Koenig | R | R | April 27, 1921 | 6'3" | 200 | St. Louis, MO US |
| Ben Mateosky | R | R | March 21, 1933 | 6'2" | 202 | Uniontown, PA US |
| Walt Matthews | L | L | October 19, 1934 | 6'2" | 200 | Ashdown, AR US |
| Mel Nelson | R | L | May 30, 1936 | 6'0" | 185 | San Diego, CA US |
| Joe Patterson | S | R | April 24, 1935 | 5'10" | 175 | |
| Ron Plaza | L | R | August 24, 1934 | 5'11" | 175 | |
| George Risley | R | R | February 28, 1932 | 6'1" | 190 | Fairfield, CT US |
| Ray Sadecki | L | L | December 26, 1940 | 5'11" | 180 | Kansas City, KS US |
| Bob Sadowski | L | R | January 15, 1937 | 6'0" | 175 | St. Louis, MO US |
| Jimmie Schaffer | R | R | April 5, 1936 | 5'9" | 170 | Limeport, PA US |
| Bill Smith | L | L | June 8, 1934 | 6'0" | 190 | Washington, DC US |
| Dean Stone | L | L | September 1, 1930 | 6'4" | 205 | Moline, IL US |
| Nick Testa | R | R | June 29, 1928 | 5'8" | 180 | New York, NY US |
| Ted Thiem | L | R | October 2, 1935 | 5'11" | 175 | Oakdale, NE US |
| Bob Thurman | L | L | May 14, 1917 | 6'1" | 205 | Kellyville, OK US |
| Jack Urban | R | R | December 5, 1928 | 5'8" | 155 | Omaha, NE 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.
