1953 in baseball

The following are the baseball events of the year 1953 throughout the world.

Overview of the events of 1953 in baseball
Years in baseball
  • ← 1950
  • 1951
  • 1952
  • 1953
  • 1954
  • 1955
  • 1956 →
1953 in sports
  • Air sports
  • American football
  • Aquatic sports
  • Association football
  • Athletics
  • Badminton
  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Canadian football
  • Chess
  • Climbing
  • Combat sports
    • Sumo
  • Cricket
  • Cycling
  • Dance sports
  • Darts
  • Equestrianism
  • Esports
  • Field hockey
  • Flying disc
  • Golf
  • Gymnastics
  • Handball
  • Ice hockey
  • Ice sports
  • Korfball
  • Lumberjack sports
  • Mind sports
  • Modern pentathlon
  • Motorsport
  • Orienteering
  • Paralympic sports
  • Precision sports
    • Shooting
  • Racquetball
  • Roller sports
  • Sailing
  • Skiing
  • Speedway
  • Rugby league‎
  • Rugby union
  • Snooker
    • 1952–53
    • 1953–54
  • Strength sports
    • Weightlifting
  • Squash
  • Table tennis
  • Tennis
  • Triathlon
  • Volleyball

Champions

Major League Baseball

Other champions

Winter Leagues

Awards and honors

Statistical leaders

  American League National League
Type Name Stat Name Stat
AVG Mickey Vernon WSH .337 Carl Furillo BKN .344
HR Al Rosen CLE 43 Eddie Mathews MIL 49
RBI Al Rosen CLE 145 Roy Campanella BKN 143
Wins Bob Porterfield WSH 22 Robin Roberts PHP &
Warren Spahn MIL		 23
ERA Ed Lopat NYY 2.42 Warren Spahn MIL 2.10
Ks Billy Pierce CHW 186 Robin Roberts PHP 198

Major league baseball final standings

American League final standings

American League
Club Wins Losses Win %   GB
New York Yankees 99 52 .656 –
Cleveland Indians 92 62 .597 8.5
Chicago White Sox 89 65 .578 11.5
Boston Red Sox 84 69 .549 16
Washington Senators 76 76 .500 23.5
Detroit Tigers 60 94 .390 40.5
Philadelphia Athletics 59 95 .383 41.5
St. Louis Browns 54 100 .351 46.5

National League final standings

National League
Club Wins Losses Win %   GB
Brooklyn Dodgers 105 49 .682 –
Milwaukee Braves 92 62 .597 13
Philadelphia Phillies 83 71 .539 22
St. Louis Cardinals 83 71 .539 22
New York Giants 70 84 .455 35
Cincinnati Redlegs 68 86 .442 37
Chicago Cubs 65 89 .422 40
Pittsburgh Pirates 50 104 .325 55

Events

January

February

March

  • March 13 – Boston Braves owner, Lou Perini, announced he was moving the team to Milwaukee, where the Braves had their top farm club, in time for the 1953 season.
  • March 28 – Jim Thorpe, famed American Indian athlete considered by many as the greatest athlete in recorded history, died in Lomita, California at the age of 64. A native of Prague, Oklahoma, Thorpe played six seasons of Major League Baseball between 1913 and 1919, mostly for the New York Giants, in addition to his Olympic gold medals in the 1912 pentathlon and decathlon competition, while playing and coaching for a long time in the National Football League.[1]

April

May

June

July

August

  • August 5 - Don Larsen of the St. Louis Browns pitches a complete game, a 5-0 loss to the Boston Red Sox. However, he goes 3 for 3 at the plate, in the process establishing a consecutive hits record for pitchers with seven.
  • August 30 – In game one of a doubleheader, Jim Pendleton hit three home runs, as the Milwaukee Braves beat the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field, 19–4, while tying a major league record for the most home runs in a single game with eight, held by the New York Yankees since 1939. Besides, Pendleton became only the second rookie in history to hit three home runs in one game, joining his teammate Eddie Mathews, who hit it just a year earlier.[4] In the second of the twin bill, the Braves hit four more long balls and crushed again Pittsburgh, 11–5. Moreover, the 12 homers in a doubleheader shattered the previous mark of nine. This time, Mathews belted four dingers for the day, which gave him a National League-leading 43. Matthews would finish the season with 47 home runs, 30 of them on the road, setting also a major league record.[5] Previously, only the New York Yankees had ever hit more home runs in consecutive games, or in a doubleheader. The Yankees hit eight home runs in a 23–2 victory in the first game of a doubleheader, and five homers in a 10–0 win in the second game, played on June 28, 1939 against the Philadelphia Athletics at Shibe Park.[6]

September

October

  • October 5 – The New York Yankees defeat the Brooklyn Dodgers, 4–3, in Game 6 of the World Series, to win their record-setting fifth consecutive World Championship and sixteenth overall, four games to two. Billy Martin was the star of the Series with a record-setting 12 hits, including the game-winning single in the bottom of the 9th of Game 6 to clinch the title.
  • October 7 – Bill Veeck, facing dwindling attendance and revenue, is forced to sell the St. Louis Browns to a Baltimore-based group led by attorney Clarence Miles and brewer Jerry Hoffberger. The Browns would move to Baltimore and be known as the Baltimore Orioles starting in the 1954 season.
  • October 28- After a dispute with Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley, Dodgers announcer Red Barber resigns from his position and takes a job doing radio broadcast for the rival New York Yankees. Barber was upset that he could not get a higher fee from Gillette, who sponsored the T.V. broadcast of the 1953 World Series, and that O'Malley refused to support him.

November

  • November 9 – Reaffirming its earlier position, the United States Supreme Court rules, 7–2, that baseball is a sport and not a business and therefore not subject to antitrust laws. The ruling is made in a case involving New York Yankees minor league player George Toolson, who refused to move from Triple-A to Double-A.
  • November 10 – The New York Giants end their tour of Japan. It is reported that each Giants player received just $331 of the $3,000 they were promised.
  • November 24 – The Brooklyn Dodgers sign Walter Alston to a one-year pact as their manager for 1954. Alston will manage the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers over the next 23 seasons, winning 2,040 games and four World Championships.

December

Movies

Births

January

February

March

April

  • April   1 – Larry Murray
  • April   2 – Héctor Cruz
  • April   5 – Kim Allen
  • April 14 – Mark Bomback
  • April 16 – Don Reynolds
  • April 16 – Bruce Taylor
  • April 21 – Joe Keener
  • April 26 – Arturo DeFreites

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Deaths

January

February

March

April

  • April   3 – Larry Benton, 55, pitcher who played for the Boston Braves, New York Giants and Cincinnati Reds over parts of thirteen seasons from 1923 to 1935, leading the National League with 25 wins and 28 complete games in 1928, and twice in W-L record from 1927 to 1928.
  • April   5 – Tex Erwin, 67, catcher who played with the Detroit Tigers in 1907, and for the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Superbas, Robins and Dodgers clubs in a span of five seasons from 1910 to 1914.
  • April   5 – Connie Walsh, 70, pitcher who appeared in one game for the Pittsburgh Pirates in its 1907 season.
  • April   5 – Herb Gorman, 28, first baseman who made a pinch-hit appearance for the 1952 St. Louis Cardinals; suffered a fatal heart attack while playing in a Pacific Coast League game.
  • April 11 – Kid Nichols, Hall of Fame pitcher who posted 361 victories for the seventh most wins in Major League Baseball history, died in Kansas City, Missouri at the age of 79. Born in Madison, Wisconsin, Nichols anchored the pitching staff of the Boston Beaneaters between 1890 and 1901, guiding Boston to five National League championships in his first nine seasons with the club. He surpassed the 30-victory plateau seven times from 1891 to 1894 and 1896–1898, as his career record shows that he hurled 20 or more wins in ten consecutive seasons from 1891 to 1994 and in 1904.[17] In addition, he remains as the youngest pitcher to reach the illustrious 300-win milestone, getting there months before his 31st birthday. His most productive season came in 1892, when he had a 35–16 record and won two games in the league's Championship Series as the Beaneaters defeated Cy Young and the Cleveland Spiders.[18] Nichols remained with Boston through 1901, when the team let him go in an effort to save money.[19] After a two-year lapse, he returned to the majors as manager and pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1904 to 1905 and ended his career with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1905.[17] Overall, Nichols posted a 2.96 ERA, led the National league in wins for three straight years from 1896 to 1898, pitched more than 300 innings in every season but three and more than 400 five times while pitching 532 complete games and 48 shutouts in 562 starts,[17] and was never removed from a game for a relief hurler.[20] Besides, his record of seven seasons with 30 or more victories is a mark that is likely to stand forever, since the implementation of five-man rotations, pitch count and inning limits in modern baseball.[19]
  • April 14 – Roy Patterson, 77, Chicago White Sox pitcher best remembered for throwing the first pitch and recording the first win in the first official American League game on April 24, 1901, defeating the Cleveland Blues at Chicago's South Side Park, 8–2, while collecting an 81-72 career record and 2.75 ERA for Chicago in seven seasons from 1901 to 1907, including AL pennants in 1901 and 1906, though he did not pitch for the 1906 World Series champion White Sox team.[21]
  • April 16 – Sam Gray, 55, pitcher in 379 games for the Philadelphia Athletics and St. Louis Browns over ten seasons from 1924 to 1933; won 20 games for 1928 Browns, then lost 24 for them three years later; led American League in shutouts in 1929.
  • April 18 – Harry Niles, 72, outfielder and second baseman who played from 1906 through 1910 for the St. Louis Browns, New York Highlanders, Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Naps.
  • April 18 – Cotton Tierney, 59, second baseman and third baseman who played from 1920 to 1925 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Braves and Brooklyn Dodgers, being honored by his great-great-nephew Jeff Euston, who created in 2005 a website named Cot's Baseball Contracts,[22] which track all salaries of MLB players, contracts, bonuses, service time and franchise values.
  • April 26 – Don Brennan, 49, pitcher who played for the New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds and New York Giants in a span of five seasons from 1933 to 1937.
  • April 29 – Gene McAuliffe, 81, backup catcher for the 1904 Boston Beaneaters

May

  • May   2 – Fred Miller, 66, pitcher who made six appearances for the 1910 Brooklyn Superbas.
  • May   3 – Kewpie Pennington, 56, pitcher for the 1917 St. Louis Browns.
  • May   3 – Pete Scott, 55, backup outfielder who played from 1926 through 1928 for the Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates.
  • May   6 – Jim Jones, 76, outfielder who played for the Louisville Colonels and New York Giants in part of three seasons spanning 1897–1901.
  • May 11 – Ed Hug, 68, backup catcher who played for the Brooklyn Superbas in its 1903 season.
  • May 12 – Ed Summers, 68, pitcher for the Detroit Tigers over five seasons from 1908 to 1912, who posted a 24–12 record and 1.64 ERA in 301 innings of work in his rookie season, including two complete game victories over the Philadelphia Athletics in a doubleheader, finishing with a two-hit, 1–0 shutout in ten innings in the second game, becoming the only pitcher in major league history to throw two complete game victories and more than eighteen innings in both games of a doubleheader, a record that remain intact.[23]
  • May 13 – Jim Field, 90, 19th-century first baseman who played most of his career with five American Association clubs during four seasons between 1883 and 1890, but also played in the National League for the 1898 Washington Senators.
  • May 16 – Jim Wallace, 71, backup outfielder for the 1905 Pittsburgh Pirates.
  • May 19 – Sam Leever, 81, pitcher who spent his 13-year career with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1898 to 1910, compiling a 194–100 record for a .660 W–L percentage, the ninth highest in MLB baseball history, leading the National League with a 2.06 ERA and seven shutouts in 1903 and in W-L% three times, while amassing 20 or more wins in four seasons.[24]
  • May 25 – Ray Grimes, 69, first baseman for the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies in a span of six seasons from 1921 to 1926, who posted a .329/.413/.480 line in 433 games and established a Major League season record with at least one run batted in over 17 consecutive games in 1922, a mark which still stands.[25]
  • May 27 – Jesse Burkett, Hall of Fame left fielder and three-time batting champion, died in Worcester, Massachusetts,[26] at the age of 84. Born on December 4, 1868, in Wheeling, West Virginia,[26] Burkett made his professional baseball debut in 1888 as a pitcher, winning 27 games for a minor league team in Pennsylvania.[27] The next year, he posted a 39–6 record for a team in his native Worcester[27] before surfacing in the National League in 1890 with the New York Giants, where he was turned into an outfielder.[26] Afterwards, he joined the Cleveland Spiders from 1891 to 1898. In 1899, Burkette was assigned to the St. Louis Perfectos/Cardinals. He won three National League batting titles from 1895 to 1901, surpassing the .400 mark twice,[28] hitting for the Spiders .405 and .410 in 1895 and 1896, respectively. In 1901, Burkett captured his third batting title with a .376 mark for the Cardinals, before finishing his 16-year career in the American League. Burkett jumped to the St. Louis Browns in 1902, playing for them three years before ending his career with the 1905 Boston Americans, who later became the Red Sox. Overall, Burkett compiled a lifetime batting average of .338 on the strength of 2,850 hits in 2,607 games, including a .415 on-base percentage, 320 doubles and 1,720 runs scored, while sharing with Rogers Hornsby and Ty Cobb the record of hitting .400 or better the most times.[28] He also earned a 1916 World Series ring as a coach for his former Giants team.[27]

June

July

August

September

October

  • October   5 – Rags Faircloth, 61, pitcher who made two appearances for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1919.
  • October 17 – Jim Delahanty, 74, one of five Delahanty brothers to play in the majors, a fine defensive second baseman who had a 13-year career with eight teams spanning 1901–1915, while batting a solid .283/.357/.373/.730 line and 1,159 hits in 1,186 career games.

November

December

  • December   7 – Slats Jordan, 75, utility man for the 1901–02 Baltimore Orioles.
  • December 10 – Harry Armbruster, 71, backup outfielder for the Philadelphia Athletics in its 1906 season.
  • December 13 – Klondike Douglass, 81, 19th century first baseman and catcher who played in the National League for the St. Louis Browns and Philadelphia Phillies in a span of nine seasons from 1896 to 1904.
  • December 15 – Ed Barrow, 85, Hall of Fame executive and notable judge of talent, who discovered Honus Wagner 1896 and later converted Babe Ruth from pitcher to outfielder, also signing contracts with Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Lefty Gomez, Tony Lazzeri and Red Ruffing; as business/general manager and club president, oversaw the New York Yankees' dynasty that captured 14 American League pennants and 10 World Series championships from 1921 to 1945, including five Series sweeps; earlier, served as field manager of 1903–1904 Detroit Tigers and 1918–1920 Boston Red Sox, leading 1918 Bosox to world championship[35]
  • December 17 – Walt Devoy, 68, multi-sport athlete who played right field for the 1903 St. Louis Browns, playing also in the St. Louis Soccer League, where he later was an executive for the Ben Millers
  • December 17 – Walt Devoy, 68, multi-sport athlete who played right field for the 1903 St. Louis Browns, playing also in the St. Louis Soccer League, where he later was an executive for the Ben Millers FC.
  • December 17 – Lou McEvoy, 51, who made 34 pitching appearances for the New York Yankees from 1931-32.
  • December 24 – Pinch Thomas, 65, backup catcher whose nickname reflects his pinch-hitting abilities, as he posted a batting average of .419 (13-for-31) for the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians from 1912 to 1921, while earning four World Series titles with Boston (1912; 1915–16) and Cleveland (1920).[36]
  • December 25 – Patsy Donovan, 88, Irish-American right fielder and manager who played for several teams over 17 years spanning 1890–1907, while managing five teams in 11 seasons from 1897 to 1911, collecting a .301 batting career average of .301 with 2,253 hits and 518 stolen bases, and a managerial record of 684–879 (.438).[37]

Sources

  1. ^ Jim Thorpe Is Dead On West Coast at 64. Article published at The New York Times on March 29, 1953. Retrieved on February 25, 2018.
  2. ^ Lamb, Chris (April 7, 2021). "From 'Redlegs' to 'Red Scare' to 'Twilight Zone:' The Strange Trip of the Cincinnati Reds' Nickname". usatoday.com. USA Today. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  3. ^ Ball, Bat and Bishop: the Origin of Ball Games. Henderson. by Robert W. (2001). University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-25-206992-5.
  4. ^ Milwaukee Braves Heroes and Heartbreak. Povletich, William (2009). Wisconsin Historical Society Press. ISBN 978-0-87-020423-4
  5. ^ August 30, 1953: Milwaukee Braves set National League home run record. Article and box scores published by SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on February 24, 2018.
  6. ^ New York Yankees 10, Philadelphia Athletics 0 (2). Game Played on Wednesday, June 28, 1939 (D) at Shibe Park. Retrosheet box score. Retrieved on February 24, 2018.
  7. ^ Doc Moskiman. Article written by Bill Nowlin. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on June 18, 2019.
  8. ^ Ben Taylor. Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Retrieved on June 18, 2019.
  9. ^ Ben Taylor. National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Retrieved on June 18, 2019.
  10. ^ Clyde Milan. Article written by Tom Simon. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on June 19, 2019.
  11. ^ a b Pitchers Stealing Home. Article written by Leonard Gettelson.SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on June 19, 2019.
  12. ^ A thorough account of pitchers who have started both games of a doubleheader in the major leagues. Article written by J.G. Preston. Retrieved on June 19, 2019.
  13. ^ May 2, 1917: Fred Toney and Reds prevail 1–0 in double no-hitter against Cubs' Hippo Vaughn. Article written by Mike Lynch. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on June 19, 2019.
  14. ^ Fred Toney statistics and history. Retrosheet. Retrieved on June 19, 2019.
  15. ^ a b c d Jim Thorpe Biography. Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved on June 19, 2019.
  16. ^ Jim Thorpe (1887–1953). IMDb. Retrieved on June 19, 2019.
  17. ^ a b c Kid Nichols Statistics and History. Baseball Reference. Retrieved on February 24, 2018.
  18. ^ 1892 Championship Series Boston Beaneaters over Cleveland Spiders (5–0–1). Baseball Reference. Retrieved on February 24, 2018.
  19. ^ a b Kid Nichols Biography. Baseball Hall of Fame Official Website. Retrieved on February 24, 2018.
  20. ^ Kid Nichols Obituary. The New York Times, Sunday, April 12th, 1953. Retrieved from The Deadball Era on February 24, 2018.
  21. ^ Roy Patterson. Article written by Terry Bohn. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on June 21, 2019.
  22. ^ Cot's Baseball Contracts. Baseball Prospectus. Retrieved on June 24, 2019.
  23. ^ A thorough account of pitchers who have started both games of a doubleheader in the major leagues. Article by J.G. Preston. PrestonJG website. Retrieved on June 25, 2019.
  24. ^ Sam Leever. Article written by Mark Armour. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on June 25, 2019.
  25. ^ Ray Grimes. Article written by Bill Nowlin. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on June 25, 2019.
  26. ^ a b c Jesse Burkette batting and fielding statistics. Retrosheet. Retrieved on June 20, 2019.
  27. ^ a b c Jesse Burkett. Article written by David Jones. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on February 25, 2018.
  28. ^ a b Year by Year Leaders for Batting Average / Batting Champions. Baseball Almanac. Retrieved on February 25, 2018.
  29. ^ Arnold Rothstein and Baseball's 1919 Black Sox Scandal Archived 2007-05-16 at the Wayback Machine. Article written by David Pietrusza. Retrieved on June 25, 2019.
  30. ^ Jim Tabor. Article written by Maurice Bouchard. Retrieved on June 25, 2019.
  31. ^ Jack Pfiester. Article written by Stuart Schimler. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on June 26, 2019.
  32. ^ Buck Herzog. Article written by Gabriel Schechter. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on June 26, 2019.
  33. ^ Tom Dougherty. Batting and pitching statistics. Baseball Reference Retrieved on June 13, 2019.
  34. ^ Billy Maharg. Article written by Bill Lamb. SABR BiographyProject. Retrieved on June 26, 2019.
  35. ^ Ed Barrow. Article written by Daniel R. Levitt. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on June 27, 2019.
  36. ^ Pinch Thomas. Article written by Joanne Hulbert. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on June 27, 2019.
  37. ^ Patsy Donovan. Article written by David Jones. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on June 27, 2019.

External links

  • iconBaseball portal
  • Baseball Reference – 1953 MLB season summary
  • Baseball Reference – MLB Players born in 1953
  • Baseball Reference – MLB Players died in 1953
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