1961 Topeka Reds Roster
Team Record: 79-50
Finished 1st in the IIIL
Manager: Dave Bristol (79-50)
Affiliation: Cincinnati Reds
Location: Topeka, Kansas
Ballpark: Community Park
Attendance: 56,384, Avg. 874
The Topeka Reds of the Illinois-Iowa-Indiana League ended the 1961 season with a record of 79 wins and 50 losses, finishing first in the IIIL.
The Reds scored 753 runs, best in the league. Topeka conceded 678 runs. Tommy Harper and Art Shamsky led the squad with 15 home runs apiece. Miles McWilliams accounted for 102 RBI. Tommy Harper paced all regular batters with a .324 average. Michael Mattiace and Ted Davidson topped the squad with 13 wins each, while Ted Davidson recorded a 3.31 ERA, best among qualifying pitchers.
Ted Davidson, Tommy Helms, Mel Queen, John Flavin, Vic Davalillo, Art Shamsky and Tommy Harper were all players from the 1961 Topeka Reds who played in the Majors during their careers.
Dave Bristol served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey Alex | R | R | December 19, 1940 | 6'4" | 210 | Yorktown, TX US |
| Ollie Brantley | R | R | September 16, 1931 | 6'3" | 178 | Lexa, AR US |
| Dave Bristol | R | R | June 23, 1933 | 5'11" | 175 | Bristol, GA US |
| Vic Davalillo | L | L | July 30, 1939 | 5'7" | 150 | Churuguara, Falcon VE |
| Ted Davidson | R | L | October 4, 1939 | 6'0" | 192 | Las Vegas, NV US |
| Ivan Davis | R | R | 5'9" | 180 | ||
| Gerald Dawson | S | R | January 6, 1938 | 6'3" | 185 | |
| Martin Dihigo | R | R | September 17, 1942 | 6'2" | 185 | |
| Larry Dovel | R | R | September 25, 1939 | 6'3" | 195 | |
| John Flavin | L | L | May 7, 1942 | 6'2" | 208 | Albany, CA US |
| Tommy Harper | R | R | October 14, 1940 | 5'9" | 165 | Oak Grove, LA US |
| Tommy Helms | R | R | May 5, 1941 | 5'10" | 165 | Charlotte, NC US |
| Richard Hopkins | L | L | 6'0" | 175 | ||
| Stan Jones | R | R | January 10, 1940 | 6'0" | 180 | |
| Alva Kinney | R | R | 6'0" | 180 | ||
| Ted Maley | L | R | March 7, 1939 | 6'0" | 200 | |
| Henry Maly | R | R | 6'2" | 195 | ||
| Michael Mattiace | S | R | August 13, 1939 | 6'1" | 185 | New York, NY US |
| Miles McWilliams | L | R | November 12, 1940 | 6'4" | 200 | Anguilla, MS US |
| Evan Paoletti | L | L | 5'11" | 175 | ||
| Mel Queen | L | R | March 26, 1942 | 6'1" | 189 | Johnson City, NY US |
| Larry Rancourt | L | R | October 20, 1936 | 6'0" | 185 | |
| Billy Reeves | L | R | June 29, 1938 | 6'2" | 180 | Gladewater, TX US |
| Art Shamsky | L | L | October 14, 1941 | 6'1" | 168 | St. Louis, MO US |
| Adolfo Suarez | R | R | 5'10" | 180 | ||
| Sam Thompson | L | L | July 7, 1937 | 6'1" | 174 | Columbia, SC US |
| Mario Zambrano | R | R | March 4, 1938 | 5'11" | 170 | Central Union, CU |
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.
