1981 Richmond Braves Roster
Team Record: 83-56
Finished 2nd in the IL
Manager: Eddie Haas (83-56)
Affiliation: Atlanta Braves
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Ballpark: Parker Field
Attendance: 218,208, Avg. 3,140
Playoffs - Richmond Braves 3 games, Tidewater Tides 2
Finals - Columbus Clippers 2 games, Richmond Braves 1 - Series called when rains struck.
The Richmond Braves of the International League ended the 1981 season with a record of 83 wins and 56 losses, finishing second in the IL.
The Braves topped the league with just 546 runs allowed. Richmond scored 604 runs. Jerry Keller led the team with 22 home runs Randy Johnson and Larry Whisenton each drove in 72 runs. Brett Butler paced all regular batters by hitting .335. Ken Dayley and Larry McWilliams paced the squad with 13 wins each, while Steve Bedrosian registered a 2.69 earned run average, tops among pitchers with enough qualifying appearances.
Members of the 1981 Richmond Braves who played in Major League Baseball during their careers were Rick Matula, Brett Butler, Ken Smith, Terry Harper, Larry McWilliams, Paul Runge, Butch Edge, Bob Porter, Matt Sinatro, Tony Brizzolara, Chico Ruiz, Carlos Diaz, Dan O'Brien, Ken Dayley, Steve Hammond, Larry Whisenton, Steve Bedrosian, José Álvarez, Randy Johnson, Joe Cowley, Jim Acker and Bob Walk.
Eddie Haas served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Acker | R | R | September 24, 1958 | 6'2" | 210 | Freer, TX US |
| José Álvarez | R | R | April 12, 1956 | 5'10" | 170 | Tampa, FL US |
| Steve Bedrosian | R | R | December 6, 1957 | 6'3" | 200 | Methuen, MA US |
| Tony Brizzolara | R | R | January 14, 1957 | 6'5" | 215 | Santa Monica, CA US |
| Brett Butler | L | L | June 15, 1957 | 5'10" | 160 | Los Angeles, CA US |
| Joe Cowley | R | R | August 15, 1958 | 6'5" | 210 | Lexington, KY US |
| Steve Curry | R | R | December 10, 1956 | 5'10" | 165 | Milwaukee, WI US |
| Ken Dayley | L | L | February 25, 1959 | 6'0" | 171 | Jerome, ID US |
| Carlos Diaz | R | L | January 7, 1958 | 6'0" | 161 | Kaneohe, HI US |
| Butch Edge | R | R | July 18, 1956 | 6'3" | 203 | Houston, TX US |
| Steve Hammond | L | R | May 9, 1957 | 6'2" | 190 | Atlanta, GA US |
| Terry Harper | R | R | August 19, 1955 | 6'4" | 195 | Douglasville, GA US |
| Randy Johnson | R | R | June 10, 1956 | 6'1" | 190 | Escondido, CA US |
| Jerry Keller | R | R | February 9, 1955 | 6'4" | 210 | Royal Oak, MI US |
| Craig Landis | R | R | December 29, 1958 | 6'2" | 197 | Richmond, CA US |
| Rick Matula | R | R | November 22, 1953 | 6'0" | 190 | Wharton, TX US |
| Larry McWilliams | L | L | February 10, 1954 | 6'5" | 180 | Wichita, KS US |
| Mike Miller | S | R | June 30, 1957 | 6'0" | 170 | Louisville, KY US |
| Dan O'Brien | R | R | April 22, 1954 | 6'4" | 215 | St. Petersburg, FL US |
| Bob Porter | L | L | July 22, 1959 | 5'10" | 180 | Yuma, AZ US |
| Chico Ruiz | R | R | November 1, 1951 | 5'11" | 170 | Santurce, PR |
| Paul Runge | R | R | May 21, 1958 | 6'0" | 165 | Kingston, NY US |
| Harry Saferight | L | R | March 4, 1949 | 5'11" | 195 | Richmond, VA US |
| Matt Sinatro | R | R | March 22, 1960 | 5'9" | 174 | Hartford, CT US |
| Ken Smith | L | R | February 12, 1958 | 6'1" | 195 | Youngstown, OH US |
| Tommy Thompson | L | R | October 18, 1957 | 6'0" | 180 | Oklahoma City, OK US |
| Bob Walk | R | R | November 26, 1956 | 6'3" | 185 | Van Nuys, CA US |
| Larry Whisenton | L | L | July 3, 1956 | 6'1" | 190 | St. Louis, MO 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.
