1979 Tampa Tarpons Roster
Team Record: 74-60
Finished 2nd in the FSL's North Division
Manager: Mike Compton (74-60)
Affiliation: Cincinnati Reds
Location: Tampa, Florida
Ballpark: Al Lopez Field
Attendance: 93,303, Avg. 1,393
The Tampa Tarpons of the Florida State League ended the 1979 season with a record of 74 wins and 60 losses, finishing second in the league's North Division.
The Tarpons scored 455 runs, worst in the league, and surrendered 414 runs. Nick Esasky paced Tampa with 10 home runs and drove in 66 runs. Paul Herring led all regular hitters with a .291 average. Scott Dye and Bill Scherrer topped the squad with 12 wins each, while Bill Scherrer recorded a 1.81 ERA, tops among regularly-used pitchers.
Players from the 1979 Tampa Tarpons who spent time in the Majors during their careers included Bill Scherrer, Steve Christmas, Tom Foley, Paul Gibson, Tom Lawless and Nick Esasky.
Mike Compton served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russ Aldrich | L | R | October 14, 1956 | 6'0" | 190 | |
| Oscar Brito | R | R | October 28, 1959 | 6'2" | 155 | Salcedo, Hermanas Mirabal DO |
| Larry Buckle | R | R | March 25, 1956 | 6'3" | 180 | |
| Steve Christmas | L | R | December 9, 1957 | 6'0" | 190 | Orlando, FL US |
| Scott Dye | R | R | January 9, 1957 | 6'1" | 200 | Biloxi, MS US |
| Nick Esasky | R | R | February 24, 1960 | 6'3" | 200 | Hialeah, FL US |
| Tom Foley | L | R | September 9, 1959 | 6'1" | 175 | Fort Benning, GA US |
| Paul Gibson | R | L | January 4, 1960 | 6'0" | 165 | Southampton, NY US |
| Paul Herring | R | R | March 4, 1957 | 6'0" | 175 | |
| Pat Ingraham | R | R | October 25, 1955 | 6'3" | 170 | |
| Rich Jendra | R | R | July 31, 1956 | 5'11" | 170 | |
| Bill Kuchar | L | L | February 11, 1959 | 6'3" | 190 | |
| Tom Lawless | R | R | December 19, 1956 | 5'11" | 170 | Erie, PA US |
| Rick Lombardo | L | L | February 19, 1956 | 5'11" | 170 | |
| Greg Meyer | R | L | November 4, 1957 | 6'0" | 180 | |
| Mark Moore | S | L | July 26, 1956 | 6'1" | 190 | Indianapolis, IN US |
| Jose Mota | S | R | December 10, 1956 | 6'2" | 160 | Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional DO |
| Alex Neely | R | R | January 15, 1957 | 6'6" | 230 | Riverton, WY US |
| Doug Neuenschwander | R | R | February 2, 1955 | 5'11" | 180 | |
| Carlos Pimentel | R | R | November 10, 1959 | 6'3" | 180 | |
| Dan Sarrett | R | R | June 7, 1958 | 6'0" | 185 | |
| Bill Scherrer | L | L | January 20, 1958 | 6'4" | 170 | Tonawanda, NY US |
| Steve Skaggs | R | R | August 1, 1957 | 6'5" | 210 | |
| Ron Stryker | R | R | January 29, 1959 | 6'2" | 184 | |
| Jim Taylor | R | R | December 21, 1959 | 5'11" | 185 | |
| Randy Town | R | R | November 25, 1956 | 6'0" | 175 | |
| Eski Viltz | S | R | March 6, 1960 | 5'10" | 150 | |
| Tony Walker | R | R | June 27, 1959 | 5'9" | 155 |
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.
