1953 Major League Baseball season

Sports season
1953 MLB season
LeagueMajor League Baseball
SportBaseball
DurationApril 13 – October 12, 1953
Number of games154
Number of teams16
TV partner(s)ABC, NBC
Regular season
Season MVPAL: Al Rosen (CLE)
NL: Roy Campanella (BKN)
AL championsNew York Yankees
  AL runners-upCleveland Indians
NL championsBrooklyn Dodgers
  NL runners-upMilwaukee Braves
World Series
ChampionsNew York Yankees
  Runners-upBrooklyn Dodgers
Finals MVPBilly Martin (NYY)
MLB seasons

The 1953 Major League Baseball season was contested from April 13 to October 12, 1953. It marked the first relocation of an MLB franchise in fifty years, as the Boston Braves moved their NL franchise to Milwaukee, where they would play their home games at the new County Stadium. This was also the first regular season of the televised Major League Baseball Game of the Week, originally broadcast on ABC.

The New York Yankees won their fifth consecutive World Series championship, an MLB record.

Standings

American League

  • v
  • t
  • e
American League 		W L Pct. GB Home Road
New York Yankees 99 52 0.656 — 50–27 49–25
Cleveland Indians 92 62 0.597 8½ 53–24 39–38
Chicago White Sox 89 65 0.578 11½ 41–36 48–29
Boston Red Sox 84 69 0.549 16 38–38 46–31
Washington Senators 76 76 0.500 23½ 39–36 37–40
Detroit Tigers 60 94 0.390 40½ 30–47 30–47
Philadelphia Athletics 59 95 0.383 41½ 27–50 32–45
St. Louis Browns 54 100 0.351 46½ 23–54 31–46

National League

  • v
  • t
  • e
National League 		W L Pct. GB Home Road
Brooklyn Dodgers 105 49 0.682 — 60–17 45–32
Milwaukee Braves 92 62 0.597 13 45–31 47–31
Philadelphia Phillies 83 71 0.539 22 48–29 35–42
St. Louis Cardinals 83 71 0.539 22 48–30 35–41
New York Giants 70 84 0.455 35 38–39 32–45
Cincinnati Redlegs 68 86 0.442 37 38–39 30–47
Chicago Cubs 65 89 0.422 40 43–34 22–55
Pittsburgh Pirates 50 104 0.325 55 26–51 24–53

Postseason

Bracket

World Series
   
AL New York Yankees 4
NL Brooklyn Dodgers 2

League leaders

American League

Hitting leaders
Stat Player Total
AVG Mickey Vernon (WSH) .337
HR Al Rosen (CLE) 43
RBI Al Rosen (CLE) 145
R Al Rosen (CLE) 115
H Harvey Kuenn (DET) 209
SB Minnie Minoso (CWS) 25
Pitching leaders
Stat Player Total
W Bob Porterfield (WSH) 22
L Harry Byrd (PHA) 20
ERA Eddie Lopat (NYY) 2.42
K Billy Pierce (CWS) 186
IP Bob Lemon (CLE) 286.2
SV Ellis Kinder (BOS) 27

National League

Hitting leaders
Stat Player Total
AVG Carl Furillo (BKN) .344
HR Eddie Mathews (MIL) 47
RBI Roy Campanella (BKN) 142
R Duke Snider (BKN) 132
H Richie Ashburn (PHP) 205
SB Bill Bruton (MIL) 26
Pitching leaders
Stat Player Total
W Robin Roberts (PHP)
Warren Spahn (MIL)		 23
L Murry Dickson (PIT)
Warren Hacker (CHC)		 19
ERA Warren Spahn (MIL) 2.10
K Robin Roberts (PHP) 198
IP Robin Roberts (PHP) 346.2
SV Al Brazle (SLC) 18

Awards and honors

Managers

American League

Team Manager Comments
Boston Red Sox Lou Boudreau
Chicago White Sox Paul Richards Finished 3rd
Cleveland Indians Al López Finished 2nd
Detroit Tigers Fred Hutchinson
New York Yankees Casey Stengel Won 5th straight World Series
Philadelphia Athletics Jimmy Dykes
St. Louis Browns Marty Marion
Washington Senators Bucky Harris

National League

Team Manager Comments
Boston Braves Tommy Holmes and Charlie Grimm
Brooklyn Dodgers Chuck Dressen Won Pennant
Chicago Cubs Phil Cavarretta
Cincinnati Reds Rogers Hornsby and Buster Mills
Milwaukee Braves Charlie Grimm Finished 2nd in inaugural season
New York Giants Leo Durocher
Philadelphia Phillies Steve O'Neill Finished tied for 3rd
Pittsburgh Pirates Fred Haney
St. Louis Cardinals Eddie Stanky Finished tied for 3rd

Home field attendance

Team name Wins %± Home attendance %± Per game
Milwaukee Braves[1] 92 43.8% 1,826,397 549.3% 23,119
New York Yankees[2] 99 4.2% 1,537,811 -5.6% 19,972
Chicago White Sox[3] 89 9.9% 1,191,353 -3.3% 15,274
Brooklyn Dodgers[4] 105 9.4% 1,163,419 6.9% 14,916
Cleveland Indians[5] 92 -1.1% 1,069,176 -26.0% 13,707
Boston Red Sox[6] 84 10.5% 1,026,133 -8.0% 13,502
Detroit Tigers[7] 60 20.0% 884,658 -13.8% 11,198
St. Louis Cardinals[8] 83 -5.7% 880,242 -3.6% 11,285
Philadelphia Phillies[9] 83 -4.6% 853,644 13.0% 10,944
New York Giants[10] 70 -23.9% 811,518 -17.6% 10,539
Chicago Cubs[11] 65 -15.6% 763,658 -25.5% 9,918
Washington Senators[12] 76 -2.6% 595,594 -14.8% 7,941
Pittsburgh Pirates[13] 50 19.0% 572,757 -16.6% 7,438
Cincinnati Reds[14] 68 -1.4% 548,086 -9.3% 7,027
Philadelphia Athletics[15] 59 -25.3% 362,113 -42.3% 4,642
St. Louis Browns[16] 54 -15.6% 297,238 -42.7% 3,860

Television coverage

ABC executive Edgar J. Scherick approached MLB with a Saturday Game of the Week. With fewer outlets than CBS or NBC, ABC needed paid programming (or "anything for bills" as Scherick put it). At first, ABC hesitated at the idea of a nationally televised regular season baseball program, but gave Scherick the green light to sign up teams. Prior to the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, antitrust laws only allowed the networks to make deals with individual teams instead of pooling rights directly from a central league authority. Unfortunately, only three (the Philadelphia Athletics, Cleveland Indians,[17] and Chicago White Sox[18][19] were interested.[20] To make matters worse, Major League Baseball barred the Game of the Week from airing within fifty miles of any big-league city.[21]

The All-Star Game and World Series aired exclusively on NBC.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Atlanta Braves Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  2. ^ "New York Yankees Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  3. ^ "Chicago White Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  4. ^ "Los Angeles Dodgers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  5. ^ "Cleveland Indians Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  6. ^ "Boston Red Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  7. ^ "Detroit Tigers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  8. ^ "St. Louis Cardinals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  9. ^ "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  10. ^ "San Francisco Giants Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  11. ^ "Chicago Cubs Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  12. ^ "Minnesota Twins Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  13. ^ "Pittsburgh Pirates Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  14. ^ "Cincinnati Reds Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  15. ^ "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  16. ^ "Baltimore Orioles Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  17. ^ Ames, Walter (June 13, 1953). "Major League Ball Game on KECA-TV; Topper Series Set as 'Irma' Replacement". Los Angeles Times. p. A5.
  18. ^ "Albany Club Owner Asks for Video Of Major League Games in His Area". Hartford Courant. Associated Press. June 6, 1953.
  19. ^ Ames, Walter (May 8, 1954). "L.A.-Las Vegas Relay Ready by Fall; Lamenting Berle Seeks New Home". Los Angeles Times. p. A5.
  20. ^ "TV Baseball Ban Denied By Official". The Daily Reporter. Associated Press. March 11, 1954. p. 1.
  21. ^ "Club Owners Veto Television of Spring Games". The Spokane-Review. Associated Press. March 14, 1954. p. 1.

External links

  • 1953 Major League Baseball season schedule at Baseball Reference
  • v
  • t
  • e
Pre-modern era
Beginnings
Competition
NL monopoly
Modern era
Dead-ball era
Live-ball era
World War II
Post-war and integration
First expansion
Birth of division play
Wild Card begins
Wild Card expansion
Pitch clock era
See also