1976 Omaha Royals Roster
Team Record: 78-58
Finished 1st in the AA's East Division
Manager: Billy Gardner (78-58)
Affiliation: Kansas City Royals
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Ballpark: Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium
Attendance: 120,799, Avg. 1,776
Playoffs - Denver Bears 4 games, Omaha Royals 2
The Omaha Royals of the American Association ended the 1976 season with a record of 78 wins and 58 losses, finishing first in the league's East Division.
The Royals led the circuit with just 557 runs allowed. Omaha scored 631 runs. Gary Martz paced the team with 22 home runs, while Ruppert Jones walloped 15 or more, too. Frank Ortenzio accounted for 81 RBI. Joe Zdeb topped batters with significant playing time with a .298 average. Jerry Cram paced the squad with 11 wins, and Bob McClure recorded a 2.98 ERA, best among pitchers with enough qualifying appearances.
Roger Nelson, Bob McClure, Ruppert Jones, Bill Sudakis, Sheldon Mallory, Gary Martz, Frank Ortenzio, George Throop, Steve Staggs, Joe Zdeb, U. L. Washington, John Wathan, Jerry Cram, Tom Bruno, Mark Ballinger, Bob Johnson, Dave Cripe and Gary Lance were all players from the 1976 Omaha Royals who played in the Majors during their careers.
Billy Gardner served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hal Baird | S | L | August 23, 1949 | 5'11" | 175 | |
| Mark Ballinger | R | R | January 31, 1949 | 6'6" | 205 | Glendale, CA US |
| Tom Bruno | R | R | January 26, 1953 | 6'5" | 210 | Chicago, IL US |
| Jerry Cram | R | R | December 9, 1947 | 6'0" | 180 | Los Angeles, CA US |
| Dave Cripe | R | R | April 7, 1951 | 6'0" | 180 | Ramona, CA US |
| Mike Denevi | R | R | February 19, 1953 | 6'1" | 185 | |
| Ruben Garcia | R | L | August 15, 1951 | 6'0" | ||
| Dave Hasbach | R | R | February 4, 1952 | 6'3" | 205 | |
| Bob Johnson | L | R | April 25, 1943 | 6'4" | 220 | Aurora, IL US |
| Ruppert Jones | L | L | March 12, 1955 | 5'10" | 170 | Dallas, TX US |
| Gary Lance | S | R | September 21, 1948 | 6'3" | 195 | Greenville, SC US |
| Sheldon Mallory | L | L | July 16, 1953 | 6'2" | 175 | Argo, IL US |
| Gary Martz | R | R | January 10, 1951 | 6'4" | 210 | Spokane, WA US |
| Bob McClure | R | L | April 29, 1952 | 5'11" | 170 | Oakland, CA US |
| Lynn McKinney | S | R | November 3, 1950 | 6'3" | 195 | Pasadena, CA US |
| Brian Murphy | R | R | January 11, 1944 | 5'11" | 170 | |
| Roger Nelson | R | R | June 7, 1944 | 6'3" | 200 | Altadena, CA US |
| Lew Olsen | R | R | February 15, 1955 | 6'4" | 220 | Walnut Creek, CA US |
| Frank Ortenzio | R | R | February 24, 1951 | 6'2" | 215 | Fresno, CA US |
| Steve Patchin | R | R | March 26, 1950 | 6'1" | 190 | Joplin, MO US |
| Craig Perkins | R | R | June 23, 1949 | 6'1" | 195 | Los Angeles, CA US |
| Steve Staggs | R | R | May 6, 1951 | 5'9" | 150 | Anchorage, AK US |
| Bill Sudakis | S | R | March 27, 1946 | 6'1" | 190 | Joliet, IL US |
| George Throop | R | R | November 24, 1950 | 6'7" | 205 | Pasadena, CA US |
| U. L. Washington | S | R | October 27, 1953 | 5'11" | 175 | Stringtown, OK US |
| John Wathan | R | R | October 4, 1949 | 6'2" | 205 | Cedar Rapids, IA US |
| Gary Wright | L | L | November 7, 1952 | 6'0" | 175 | |
| Joe Zdeb | R | R | June 27, 1953 | 5'11" | 185 | Compton, IL 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.
