1953 National League
| 1953 in baseball |
|---|
| 1953 National League |
| AAGPBL |
| Japanese baseball |
| American League |
| Negro Leagues |
| << 1952 1954 >> |
The 1953 season of the National League was the seventy-eighth season of the league.
Season summary[edit]
The 1953 National League was a big-hitting season, the biggest in the league between 1930 and 1999 in terms of runs per game. The average slugging percentage was .411 and Gil Hodges' .550 slugging percentage placed him only seventh in the league.
The league ERA was 4.29, with Warren Spahn's 2.10 ERA much lower than #2, which was Robin Roberts at 2.75. Only nine pitchers had ERA's under 3.50.
In spite of all the hitting, nobody had a batting average over .350, and nobody hit 50 home runs. Stan Musial did have 53 doubles, but it was far ahead of #2 in the league, Alvin Dark with 41 doubles.
The Brooklyn Dodgers ran away with the league pennant, winning 105 games and beating the # 2 Milwaukee Braves by 13 games. The Braves were in their first season in Milwaukee, WI after coming from Boston. The New York Giants, who were to win the World Series the following year, managed only a 70-84 season in 1953. And the Pittsburgh Pirates went 50-104, and continued to be the source of anecdotes for Joe Garagiola.
Standings[edit]
- Bold indicates league champion, Italics indicates World Series champion
| Rank | Team | G | W | L | T | WPCT | GB | RS (RS/G) | RA (RA/G) | AVG | OBP | SLG | ERA | FPCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brooklyn Dodgers | 155 | 105 | 49 | 1 | .677 | -.- | 955 (6.16) | 689 (4.45) | 0.285 | 0.362 | 0.474 | 4.10 | 0.980 |
| 2 | Milwaukee Braves | 157 | 92 | 62 | 3 | .586 | 13.0 | 738 (4.70) | 589 (3.75) | 0.266 | 0.322 | 0.415 | 3.30 | 0.976 |
| 3 | St. Louis Cardinals | 157 | 83 | 71 | 3 | .529 | 22.0 | 768 (4.89) | 713 (4.54) | 0.273 | 0.343 | 0.424 | 4.23 | 0.977 |
| 4 | Philadelphia Phillies | 156 | 83 | 71 | 2 | .532 | 22.0 | 716 (4.59) | 666 (4.27) | 0.265 | 0.332 | 0.396 | 3.80 | 0.975 |
| 5 | New York Giants | 155 | 70 | 84 | 1 | .452 | 35.0 | 768 (4.95) | 747 (4.82) | 0.271 | 0.333 | 0.422 | 4.25 | 0.975 |
| 6 | Cincinnati Reds | 155 | 68 | 86 | 1 | .439 | 37.0 | 714 (4.61) | 788 (5.08) | 0.261 | 0.323 | 0.403 | 4.64 | 0.978 |
| 7 | Chicago Cubs | 155 | 65 | 89 | 1 | .419 | 40.0 | 633 (4.08) | 835 (5.39) | 0.260 | 0.326 | 0.399 | 4.79 | 0.967 |
| 8 | Pittsburgh Pirates | 154 | 50 | 104 | 0 | .325 | 55.0 | 622 (4.04) | 887 (5.76) | 0.247 | 0.315 | 0.356 | 5.22 | 0.973 |
League leaders[edit]
- Bold indicates league record, Italics indicate all-time record
Batting[edit]
Pitching[edit]
All-Star Game[edit]
The National League won the twentieth midsummer classic at Crosley Field in Cincinnati, OH on Tuesday, July 14, 1953 by a score of 5 to 1. The league's manager was Chuck Dressen.
Postseason[edit]
In the World Series, the National League champion Brooklyn Dodgers were defeated by the American League's New York Yankees, 4 games to 2.
Award winners[edit]
The winner of the league's Most Valuable Player Award, given its Most Valuable Player, was Roy Campanella, a catcher with the Brooklyn Dodgers. In the award's voting, he had 297 out of a possible 336 points and 17 first place votes.
The winner of the league's Rookie of the Year Award, given its best rookie player, was Jim Gilliam, a second baseman with the Brooklyn Dodgers. In the award's voting, he had 11 out of a possible 24 points and 11 first place votes.
Hall of Fame Game[edit]
The twelfth annual Hall of Fame Game was played on July 27 at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, NY near the National Baseball Hall of Fame. In the game, the National League's Cincinnati Reds defeated the Chicago White Sox of the American League by a score of 16 to 6.
Notable events[edit]
Umpires[edit]
- Lee Ballanfant
- Al Barlick
- Dusty Boggess
- Jocko Conlan
- Frank Dascoli
- Hal Dixon
- Augie Donatelli
- Bill Engeln
- Larry Goetz
- Artie Gore
- Tom Gorman
- Bill Jackowski
- Babe Pinelli
- Lenny Roberts
- Frank Secory
- Bill Stewart
- Lon Warneke
Further Reading[edit]
- John Oelerich: The Off Season: National League 1953/54, Amika Press, Northfield, IL, 2011.
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