1953 Milwaukee Braves season

1953 Milwaukee Braves
Major League affiliations
Location
Results
Record 92–62 (.597)
League place 2nd
Other information
Owner(s) Louis R. Perini
General manager(s) John J. Quinn
Manager(s) Charlie Grimm
Local television none
Local radio WEMP
WTMJ
(Earl Gillespie, Bob Kelly)
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The 1953 Milwaukee Braves season was the 83rd season of the franchise. It saw the return of Major League Baseball to Milwaukee for the first time since 1901, when the original Milwaukee Brewers played before moving to St. Louis and becoming the Browns. With attendance and interest in Boston very low, team owner Lou Perini moved the team to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during spring training, just weeks before the start of the season.[1][2][3][4]

In their first season in the Badger State, the Braves finished in second place in the National League standings, with a 92–62 (.597) record, thirteen games behind the NL Champion Brooklyn Dodgers.

At the new County Stadium, the Braves drew a then-NL record 1.82 million fans.[5][6] The previous year in Boston, the home attendance for the season was under 282,000.[1]

Regular season

Season standings

National League W L Pct. GB Home Road
Brooklyn Dodgers 10549 0.682 — 60–17 45–32
Milwaukee Braves 9262 0.597 13 45–31 47–31
Philadelphia Phillies 8371 0.539 22 48–29 35–42
St. Louis Cardinals 8371 0.539 22 48–30 35–41
New York Giants 7084 0.455 35 38–39 32–45
Cincinnati Redlegs 6886 0.442 37 38–39 30–47
Chicago Cubs 6589 0.422 40 43–34 22–55
Pittsburgh Pirates 50104 0.325 55 26–51 24–53

Opening game

The Braves moved from Boston to Milwaukee on March 18, 1953, less than four weeks before the start of the regular season, causing the National League to quickly realign its 1953 schedule. Before 1953, the NL was divided into four Eastern teams (Boston, Brooklyn, New York, Philadelphia) and four "Western" ones (Chicago, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, St. Louis). With the Milwaukee Braves now a Western club, they exchanged 1953 schedules with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and opened their season on the road against the Cincinnati Redlegs in the traditional NL opener at Crosley Field on Monday, April 13. Braves' starting pitcher Max Surkont threw a three-hit shutout, however, and Sid Gordon and Jack Dittmer drove in the only runs of the day, as Milwaukee triumphed, 2–0.[7] The following day, April 14, they opened at home before 34,357 fans, and in ten innings they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals at Milwaukee County Stadium, 3–2. Warren Spahn earned the complete game victory.[8]

Starting lineup, April 13, 1953

38Bill BrutonCF
23Johnny LoganSS
41Eddie Mathews   3B
  4Sid GordonLF
48Andy PafkoRF
  9Joe Adcock1B
  1Del CrandallC
  6Jack Dittmer2B
36Max SurkontP[7]

Record vs. opponents

1953 National League Records

Sources:
Team BR CHC CIN MIL NYG PHI PIT STL
Brooklyn —13–9–115–713–915–714–820–215–7
Chicago 9–13–1—12–108–149–135–1711–1111–11
Cincinnati 7–1510–12—8–149–1312–1015–77–15–1
Milwaukee 9–1314–814–8—14–8–113–9–115–713–9–1
New York 7–1513–913–98–14–1—9–1311–119–13
Philadelphia 8–1417–510–129–13–113–9—15–711–11–1
Pittsburgh 2–2011–117–157–1511–117–15—5–17
St. Louis 7–1511–1115–7–19–13–113–911–11–117–5—

Roster

1953 Milwaukee Braves
Roster
Pitchers Catchers

Infielders

 Outfielders

Other batters

 Manager

Coaches

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Pos Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI
SSJohnny Logan150611167.2731173

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI
Bob Thorpe27376.16205
Paul Burris210.00000

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player G IP W L ERA SO
Johnny Antonelli31175.112123.18131
Jim Wilson20114494.3471

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player G IP W L ERA SO
Lew Burdette461751553.2458
Bob Buhl30154.11392.9783
Don Liddle31128.2763.0863
Vern Bickford2058255.2825
Joey Jay310100.004

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player G W L SV ERA SO
Ernie Johnson364302.6736
Dave Cole100108.5913

Farm system

Level Team League Manager
AAA Toledo Sox American Association Tommy Holmes and George Selkirk
AA Atlanta Crackers Southern Association Gene Mauch
A Jacksonville Braves Sally League Ben Geraghty
A Lincoln Chiefs Western League Lou Finney and Walt Linden
B Wichita Falls Spudders Big State League Whitey Wietelmann
B Evansville Braves Illinois–Indiana–Iowa League Bob Coleman
B Hagerstown Braves Piedmont League Dutch Dorman, Jimmy Zinn
and Billy Jurges
C Modesto Reds California League Guy Fletcher
C Eau Claire Bears Northern League Rex Carr
C Quebec Braves Provincial League George McQuinn
D Sandersville Wacos Georgia State League Gabby Grant, Parnell Ruark,
Lucius Morgan and Julian Morgan
D Wellsville Braves PONY League Ted Sepkowski
D Appleton Papermakers Wisconsin State League Travis Jackson

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Wichita Falls, Quebec

References

  1. 1 2 Hand, Jack (March 19, 1953). "Transfer of Braves to Milwaukee viewed as first in series of future changes". Youngstown Vindicator. (Ohio). Associated Press. p. 38.
  2. ↑ "Boston Braves go to Milwaukee". Pittsburgh Press. United Press. March 18, 1953. p. 1.
  3. ↑ Thisted, Red (March 19, 1953). "We're home of the Braves!". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 1.
  4. ↑ "Approve Boston Braves' move". Ellensburg Daily Record. Washington. Associated Press. March 18, 1958. p. 1.
  5. ↑ Chapman, Lou (September 21, 1953). "Braves fans set NL mark". p. 1, part 1.
  6. ↑ Wolf, Bob (September 21, 1953). "Braves split final with reds as crowd smashes record". Milwaukee Journal. p. 9, part 2.
  7. 1 2 Retrosheet box score: 1953-04-13
  8. ↑ Retrosheet box score: 1953-04-14
  • Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds. (1997). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (2nd ed.). Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America. ISBN 978-0-9637189-8-3.
  • 1953 Milwaukee Braves season at Baseball Reference
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