1979 Shelby Pirates Roster
Team Record: 56-78
Finished 6th in the WCL
Manager: Tom Zimmer (56-78)
Affiliation: Pittsburgh Pirates
Location: Shelby, North Carolina
Ballpark: Veterans Stadium
Attendance: 15,570, Avg. 232
The Shelby Pirates of the Western Carolinas League ended the 1979 season with a record of 56 wins and 78 losses, finishing sixth in the WCL.
The Pirates scored 564 runs, worst in the league, and yielded 675 runs. Eddie Vargas walloped 31 home runs for Shelby, while Patrick Rubino swatted 15 or more also. Eddie Vargas drove in 78 runs and topped all regular batters by hitting .282. Thomas Siebert led the team with 7 wins, and Michael Brown recorded a 5.29 ERA, tops among regular hurlers.
Players from the 1979 Shelby Pirates who spent time in Major League Baseball during their careers included Jeff Zaske, Doug Frobel, Chip Lang and Eddie Vargas.
Tom Zimmer served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raul Andino | R | R | 6'0" | 170 | ||
| Berquis Baez | R | R | 6'1" | 175 | ||
| Angel Barez | R | R | September 15, 1960 | 6'1" | 190 | |
| Robert Brauer | R | R | 5'10" | 175 | ||
| Michael Brown | R | 6'0" | 187 | |||
| Crucito Carvajal | R | 6'0" | 160 | |||
| Gary Cicatiello | L | L | 6'0" | 187 | ||
| Donald Cline | R | R | 6'5" | 220 | ||
| Jessie Daniels | L | R | 5'11" | 170 | ||
| Lance Dodd | R | R | 6'5" | 216 | ||
| Charles Faulconer | R | R | 6'2" | 185 | ||
| Steven Fleming | R | R | 6'2" | 180 | ||
| Doug Frobel | L | R | June 6, 1959 | 6'4" | 196 | Ottawa, ON CA |
| Brad Garnett | L | L | 6'4" | 210 | ||
| Fernando Guerra | L | 6'3" | 190 | |||
| Wesley Hair | L | R | 6'0" | 183 | ||
| John Huey | R | R | July 12, 1960 | 6'5" | 170 | |
| Luis Jimenez | R | R | 6'0" | 177 | ||
| Dennis Kirby | R | 5'10" | 175 | |||
| Chip Lang | R | R | August 21, 1952 | 6'4" | 205 | Pittsburgh, PA US |
| Ignacio Martinez | R | 6'0" | 185 | |||
| Tony Merulla | L | R | September 16, 1959 | 6'0" | 195 | |
| Thomas Olszak | R | R | 6'1" | 185 | ||
| Sergio Peralta | R | R | 6'0" | 162 | ||
| Michael Pill | R | R | 6'2" | 185 | ||
| James Poff | R | R | 6'0" | 165 | ||
| Arthur Ray | R | 6'0" | 180 | |||
| Mark Riemer | R | R | 5'11" | |||
| Carlos Rios | R | R | June 13, 1960 | 6'1" | 168 | Santurce, PR |
| Angel Rodriguez | R | R | 6'0" | 165 | ||
| Jose Rodriguez | R | R | February 25, 1959 | 6'2" | 170 | |
| Patrick Rubino | R | R | 6'0" | 190 | ||
| Terrell Salazar | R | R | 6'1" | 190 | ||
| Thomas Siebert | R | 6'3" | 202 | |||
| Johnny Taylor | R | L | July 19, 1958 | 5'11" | 195 | Decherd, TN US |
| Eddie Vargas | R | R | February 23, 1959 | 6'4" | 205 | Guanica, PR |
| William Waag | R | R | 6'1" | 183 | ||
| Walter Wojton | R | 6'1" | 185 | |||
| Jeff Zaske | R | R | October 6, 1960 | 6'5" | 180 | Seattle, WA US |
| Tom Zimmer | R | R | June 30, 1952 | 5'8" | 170 |
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.
