1979 Omaha Royals Roster
Team Record: 65-71
Finished 2nd in the AA's West Division
Manager: Gordon MacKenzie (65-71)
Affiliation: Kansas City Royals
Location: Omaha, Nebraska
Ballpark: Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium
Attendance: 157,277, Avg. 2,313
The Omaha Royals of the American Association ended the 1979 season with a record of 65 wins and 71 losses, finishing second in the league's West Division.
The Royals scored 565 runs and allowed 621 runs. Ken Phelps paced Omaha with 20 home runs, while Jim Nettles walloped 15 or more, too. Jim Nettles drove in 86 runs. Ken Phelps led all regular hitters with a .265 average. Craig Eaton topped the squad with 12 wins and a team-best 3.33 ERA, tops among qualifying pitchers.
Members of the 1979 Omaha Royals who played in Major League Baseball during their careers were Germán Barranca, Tim Ireland, Craig Eaton, Randy McGilberry, George Enright, Gary Christenson, Bob Detherage, Mark Ballinger, Dan Quisenberry, Jerry Cram, Jim Gaudet, Todd Cruz, Ken Phelps, Renie Martin, Dave Cripe, Jim Nettles, Joe Zdeb, Bill Paschall, Luis Delgado and Clint Hurdle.
Gordon MacKenzie served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Ballinger | R | R | January 31, 1949 | 6'6" | 205 | Glendale, CA US |
| Germán Barranca | L | R | October 19, 1956 | 6'0" | 160 | Veracruz, Veracruz MX |
| Gary Christenson | L | L | May 5, 1953 | 6'5" | 200 | Mineola, NY 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 |
| Todd Cruz | R | R | November 23, 1955 | 6'0" | 175 | Highland Park, MI US |
| Ken Cvejdlik | R | R | January 16, 1957 | 6'3" | 195 | Omaha, NE US |
| Mark Daly | R | L | September 11, 1954 | 6'1" | 197 | West Palm Beach, FL US |
| Luis Delgado | S | L | February 2, 1954 | 5'11" | 170 | Hatillo, PR |
| Bob Detherage | R | R | September 20, 1954 | 6'0" | 180 | Springfield, MO US |
| Craig Eaton | R | R | September 7, 1954 | 5'11" | 175 | Cincinnati, OH US |
| George Enright | R | R | May 9, 1954 | 5'11" | 175 | New Britain, CT US |
| Jim Gaudet | R | R | June 3, 1955 | 6'0" | 185 | New Orleans, LA US |
| Kevin Gillen | L | L | March 20, 1957 | 6'1" | 188 | |
| Steve Hamrick | R | L | April 17, 1952 | 6'1" | 195 | |
| Clint Hurdle | L | R | July 30, 1957 | 6'3" | 195 | Big Rapids, MI US |
| Tim Ireland | S | R | March 14, 1953 | 6'0" | 180 | Oakland, CA US |
| Rudy Kinard | R | R | October 27, 1949 | 6'0" | 170 | |
| Renie Martin | R | R | August 30, 1955 | 6'4" | 190 | Dover, DE US |
| Randy McGilberry | S | R | October 29, 1953 | 6'1" | 195 | Mobile, AL US |
| Mike Morley | R | L | January 18, 1959 | 5'11" | 175 | |
| Jim Nettles | L | L | March 2, 1947 | 6'0" | 186 | San Diego, CA US |
| Darrell Parker | R | R | November 3, 1955 | 6'2" | 188 | San Francisco, CA US |
| Bill Paschall | R | R | April 22, 1954 | 6'0" | 175 | Norfolk, VA US |
| Ken Phelps | L | L | August 6, 1954 | 6'1" | 209 | Seattle, WA US |
| Dan Quisenberry | R | R | February 7, 1953 | 6'2" | 170 | Santa Monica, CA US |
| 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.
