1965 Birmingham Barons

The 1965 Birmingham Barons played in the second season of the re-formed, integrated Southern League, as the AA affiliates of the Kansas City Athletics. Unable to capitalize on the on-field success of the 1964 season, manager John McNamara and the '65 Barons finished 54-85, 25½ games out of first place and only 28,001 fans came to watch the team that season (2,005 of which were there for opening day). It was the smallest seasonal attendance in the 55-year history of Rickwood Field. Even the World War I-suspended season of 1918 drew 39,202 fans.

As a result, Barons owner Albert Belcher suspended operations, and Rickwood was without professional baseball for the 1966 season. Kansas City A's owner Charlie Finley transferred his Double-A franchise to Mobile. The franchise would return for the 1967 season, but only after Finley had re-christened the team as the Birmingham Athletics.

Roster

• Ted Kubiak
• Wayne Norton
• Rolland Petranovich
• Jim Driscoll
• John Stutz
• Weldon Bowlin
• Tony LaRussa
• Legrant Scott Jr
• Ronald Debus
• Brian Dye
• Santiago Rosario
• Dave Duncan

• Ken Suarez
• William Meyer
• Frank Cipriani
• James Wilson
• Syd O'Brien
• Stan Wojcik
• Jack Newcomer
• Robert Flynn

Pitchers

• Paul Seitz
• Bill Landis
• Bill Edgerton
• Nicky Curtis
• Bob Meyer
• Dick Joyce
• Jim Rittwage
• Bill Lindner
• Marcel Lachemann
• Dan Pfister

References

• Cook, Ben (2005). Good Wood: A Fan's History of Rickwood Field. Birmingham, Alabama: R. Boozer Press. ISBN 0963612832
• 1965 Birmingham Barons information at Birmingham Pro Sports
• Birmingham Barons information at the Baseball Reference Bullpen

External links

• 1965 Birmingham Barons at baseball-reference.com