The 1953 major league baseball season began on April 13, 1953. The regular season ended on September 27, with the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees as the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. In a rematch of the previous season, the postseason began with Game 1 of the 50th World Series on September 30 and ended with Game 6 on October 5. In the fifth iteration of this Subway Series World Series matchup (and a rematch of the previous year), the Yankees defeated the Dodgers, four games to two, capturing their 16th championship in franchise history, concluding their 5-year World Series winning streak, an all-time record.
The 20th All-Star Game was held on July 14 at Crosley Field in Cincinnati, Ohio, home of the Cincinnati Redlegs; the National League won, 5–1.
The Reds lengthened their name to Redlegs due to the escalating Cold War and resulting red scare; as Cincinnati's general manager Gabe Paul noted later, "We wanted to be certain we weren't confused with the 'Russian Reds'."
The 1953 season had the first relocation in professional baseball since the Milwaukee Brewers moved to St. Louis in to become the Browns, with the Boston Braves, coincidentally, relocating to Milwaukee. It was the first National League relocation since the St. Louis Maroons moved to Indianapolis and became the Indianapolis Hoosiers. This season began a trend of relocation which would occur several times throughout the 1950s and 1960s. The was also the last season for the Browns in St. Louis, moving east to Baltimore the following season to become the Orioles.
On September 13, the Philadelphia Athletics became the seventh team in professional baseball to break the color line when they fielded Bob Trice; the Chicago Cubs became the eighth team just four days later when they fielded future Hall-of-Famer Ernie Banks.
This was also the first regular season of the televised Major League Baseball Game of the Week, originally broadcast on ABC.
Schedule
The 1953 schedule consisted of 154 games for all teams in the American League and National League, each of which had eight teams. Each team was scheduled to play 22 games against the other seven teams of their respective league. This continued the format put in place since the season (except for ) and would be used until in the American League and in the National League.
National League Opening Day took place on April 13, featuring the newly relocated Milwaukee Braves and Cincinnati Reds, while American League Opening Day took place the following day, featuring six teams. This was the first season since that both leagues opened on different days. The final day of the scheduled regular season was on September 27, which saw all sixteen teams play, continuing the trend from . The World Series took place between September 30 and October 5.
Rule changes The 1953 season saw the following rule changes: Players involved in waiver transactions after the June 15 deadline now had to pass through waivers in both leagues, not just in their respective leagues. In addition, waiver claims were prioritized in reverse order of the team’s record to give less-competitive teams the first opportunity to acquire a player. Rules regarding signing bonus players were amended: Previously, what defined a bonus player in the majors was $6,000 (), Triple-A was $4,000 (), and lower level leagues were progressively less. Now, all leagues classified above Class B (including majors) considered more than $4,000 as the line for being considered a bonus player, while Class B and lower placed this line at $3,000 (). Bonus players signed to major-league contract were required to spend the first two years on the parent team before he could farmed out; if signed to minor-league contract, the player could not be moved up or down in the farms system for one year. The commissioner was granted the authority to levy fines of $2,000 () or more on clubs and $500 () or more on officials who violated the rule, as well as suspend any guilty parties. Rules regarding high-school players were amended. Players would be allowed to sign at any time, but could not play until their original class graduated. A student who left school early could be granted permission to play at any time. Violation of the high-school signing rule could lead to the commissioner declaring the illegally signed player a free agent and levying a fine on the team. A new amendment regarding players being optioned or recalled to and from minor leagues was implemented. A major-league player optioned to the minor leagues was required to remain with the minor-league team for at least 10 days (and must be physically fit to play). In addition, any player optioned after July 31 must remain with the minor-league team until the minor-league's season concluded (with an exception granted in case of an open roster spot on the major-league team due to an emergency injury, allowing immediate recalls only in this situation).
Teams LeagueTeamCityBallparkCapacityManagerBoston Red SoxBoston, MassachusettsFenway Park34,824Chicago White SoxChicago, IllinoisComiskey Park47,400Cleveland IndiansCleveland, OhioCleveland Stadium73,811Detroit TigersDetroit, MichiganBriggs Stadium58,000New York YankeesNew York, New YorkYankee Stadium67,000Philadelphia AthleticsPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaConnie Mack Stadium33,166St. Louis BrownsSt. Louis, MissouriBusch Stadium30,500Washington SenatorsWashington, D.C.Griffith Stadium29,731Brooklyn DodgersNew York, New YorkEbbets Field32,111Chicago CubsChicago, IllinoisWrigley Field36,755Cincinnati RedlegsCincinnati, OhioCrosley Field29,439Milwaukee BravesMilwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee County Stadium36,011New York GiantsNew York, New YorkPolo Grounds54,500Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaConnie Mack Stadium33,166Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh, PennsylvaniaForbes Field34,249St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis, MissouriBusch Stadium30,500
Standings
American League
National League
Tie games 11 tie games (5 in AL, 6 in NL), which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again) occurred throughout the season.
American League Chicago White Sox, 2 Cleveland Indians, 1 Detroit Tigers, 4 Philadelphia Athletics, 3
National League Brooklyn Dodgers, 1 Chicago Cubs, 1 Cincinnati Redlegs, 1 Milwaukee Braves, 3 New York Giants, 1 Philadelphia Phillies, 2 St. Louis Cardinals, 3
Postseason The postseason began on September 30 and ended on October 5 with the New York Yankees defeating the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1953 World Series in six games.
Bracket
Managerial changes Off-season Team Former Manager New ManagerPittsburgh PiratesBilly MeyerFred Haney
In-season Team Former Manager New ManagerCincinnati RedsRogers HornsbyBuster Mills
League leaders American League
+ Hitting leaders Stat Player Total AVG Mickey Vernon (WSH) .337 OPS Al Rosen (CLE) 1.034 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 WHIP Eddie Lopat (NYY) 1.127
National League
+ Hitting leaders Stat Player Total AVG Carl Furillo (BRO) .344 OPS Duke Snider (BRO) 1.046 HR Eddie Mathews (MIL) 47 RBI Roy Campanella (BRO) 142 R Duke Snider (BRO) 132 H Richie Ashburn (PHI) 205 SB Bill Bruton (MIL) 26
+ Pitching leaders Stat Player Total W Robin Roberts (PHI)Warren Spahn (MIL) 23 L Murry Dickson (PIT)Warren Hacker (CHC) 19 ERA Warren Spahn (MIL) 2.10 K Robin Roberts (PHI) 198 IP Robin Roberts (PHI) 346.2 SV Al Brazle (STL) 18 WHIP Warren Spahn (MIL) 1.058
Milestones Batters Vic Raschi (NYY): Set an American League record by a pitcher when he hits for seven RBIs in a single game on August 4.
Pitchers No-hitters
Bobo Holloman (SLB): Holloman threw his first career no-hitter and fourth no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Philadelphia Athletics 6–0 on May 6. Holloman walked five and struck out three. It was his first career start.
Miscellaneous Boston Red Sox: Set a modern (1900–present) major league record for most runs scored in the seventh inning, by scoring 17 runs against the Detroit Tigers on June 18.
Awards and honors Regular season Baseball Writers' Association of America AwardsBBWAA AwardNational LeagueAmerican LeagueRookie of the Year Jim Gilliam (BRO) Harvey Kuenn (DET)Most Valuable Player Roy Campanella (BRO) Al Rosen (CLE)Babe Ruth Award(World Series MVP) — Billy Martin (NYY)
Other awards The Sporting News Awards Award National League American League Player of the Year — Al Rosen (CLE) Pitcher of the Year Warren Spahn (MIL) Bob Porterfield (WSH) Rookie of the Year Jim Gilliam (BRO) Harvey Kuenn (DET) Manager of the Year — Casey Stengel (NYY) Executive of the Year Lou Perini (MIL) —
Baseball Hall of Fame
Chief Bender Dizzy Dean Al Simmons Bobby Wallace Ed Barrow (executive) Harry Wright (executive) Tom Connolly (umpire) Bill Klem (umpire)
Home field attendance Team nameWinsHome attendanceMilwaukee Braves9243.8%1,826,397549.3%23,119New York Yankees994.2%1,537,811 −5.6%19,972Chicago White Sox899.9%1,191,353 −3.3%15,274Brooklyn Dodgers1059.4%1,163,4196.9%14,916Cleveland Indians92 −1.1%1,069,176 −26.0%13,707Boston Red Sox8410.5%1,026,133 −8.0%13,502Detroit Tigers6020.0%884,658 −13.8%11,198St. Louis Cardinals83 −5.7%880,242 −3.6%11,285Philadelphia Phillies83 −4.6%853,64413.0%10,944New York Giants70 −23.9%811,518 −17.6%10,539Chicago Cubs65 −15.6%763,658 −25.5%9,918Washington Senators76 −2.6%595,594 −14.8%7,941Pittsburgh Pirates5019.0%572,757 −16.6%7,438Cincinnati Redlegs68 −1.4%548,086 −9.3%7,027Philadelphia Athletics59 −25.3%362,113 −42.3%4,642St. Louis Browns54 −15.6%297,238 −42.7%3,860
Venues With the relocation of the Boston Braves from Boston, Massachusetts to Milwaukee, Wisconsin as the Milwaukee Braves, they leave Braves Field (where they played 38 seasons) and move into Milwaukee County Stadium. They would go on to play there for 13 seasons through before again relocating.
Two venues were renamed early in the year: Shibe Park, home to the Philadelphia Athletics and Philadelphia Phillies, was renamed to Connie Mack Stadium in February, after longtime manager and owner of the Athletics. Sportsman's Park, home to the St. Louis Browns and St. Louis Cardinals, was sold on April 9 by Browns owner Bill Veeck to brewing company Anheuser-Busch, whose president and CEO, Gussie Busch, subsequently renamed the park to Busch Stadium (having been vetoed by the Commissioner of Baseball Ford Frick from naming it "Budweiser Stadium").
The St. Louis Browns would play their last game at Busch Stadium on September 27 against the Chicago White Sox, relocating to Baltimore, Maryland at Baltimore Memorial Stadium as the Baltimore Orioles for the start of the season.
Media All American League teams (except for the St. Louis Browns) signed a two-year reciprocal agreement that guaranteed the visiting team a percentage of the radio and television broadcast revenue. The result of the Browns not signing said agreement, was that the team was shut out of the television and radio market at home and on the road.
In the National League, while the St. Louis Cardinals forged agreements with the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Redlegs, other teams could continue to broadcast games with opponents, even if they had not signed an agreement to do so.
Television