1953 Milwaukee Braves season

Major League Baseball season March 2026 November 2013 Milwaukee Braves 1953 National League Milwaukee County Stadium Milwaukee, Wisconsin 92–62 (92 62) 2nd Louis R. Perini John J. Quinn Charlie Grimm WEMPWTMJ(Earl Gillespie, Bob Kelly) 1952 Boston Braves season 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 Braves team owner Lou Perini, due to very low attendance, moved the team to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This move was approved by all seven fellow National League owners and occurred during spring training, just weeks prior to the start of the season.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=trs_AAAAIBAJ&sjid=lVcMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1100%2C788686 Youngstown Vindicator Ohio Associated Press Hand Jack Transfer of Braves to Milwaukee viewed as first in series of future changes March 19, 1953 38https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=o2MbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nE0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6044%2C448338 Pittsburgh Press United Press Boston Braves go to Milwaukee March 18, 1953 1https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mnQxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eRAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5326%2C4842774 Milwaukee Sentinel Thisted Red We're home of the Braves! March 19, 1953 1, part 1 July 2026 InternetArchiveBot https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vZkKAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FUwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2400%2C3800523 Ellensburg Daily Record Washington Associated Press Approve Boston Braves' move March 18, 1958 1 In their first season in Wisconsin, the Braves finished in second place in the National League standings, with a 92 62 y 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.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DZExAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OxAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5181%2C1406083 Braves fans set NL mark Chapman Lou September 21, 1953 1, part 1 October 2026 InternetArchiveBot https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZQgkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_SMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6620%2C3560121 Milwaukee Journal Wolf Bob Braves split final with reds as crowd smashes record September 21, 1953 9, part 2 October 2026 InternetArchiveBot The previous year in Boston, the home attendance for the season was under 282,000. Move of Braves from Boston to Milwaukee Construction began on Milwaukee County Stadium in 1950 in hopes of both luring a Major League baseball team, as well as the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. The minor league Milwaukee Brewers were scheduled to begin play at the start of the 1953 season.The Story Behind This 1953 Brewers Ticket, Milwaukee Magazine, Matthew Prigge, Nov. 1, 2017. This article includes a picture of a never-used 1953 Milwaukee Brewers ticket, the minor league team which would have opened at the new stadium. However, in the first move of a Major League team in half a century, on March 18, 1953, the National League approved owner Lou Perini's move of the Braves to Milwaukee 8–0 because of his "fine standing" with the other owners and also because there was an open city for his minor league team then in Milwaukee. The minor league Brewers moved to Toledo, Ohio, and changed their name to the Mudhens. The full AP quote about fine standing: "Warren Giles, National League president, repeated again and again that 'Perini's fine standing with the other club owners was the most important reason for their approval.'" Braves manager Charlie Grimm had won two minor league pennants while in Milwaukee (one with the Cubs farm team and the second with the Braves farm team in 1951). In addition, the Braves organization promoted him from their Milwaukee farm team to the MLB Boston Braves the summer of 1952. Furthermore, 21 of 40 players on the Braves' starting roster had played at least some of their minor league careers in Milwaukee. Milwaukee County gave the Braves a favorable stadium deal. For the first two years, the team would pay only $1,000 a year for the use of Milwaukee County Stadium. For the next three years, the team would pay 5% of ticket prices and concessions. After that, the rent would be negotiated afresh, with the Braves being required to open their books. At the time of the move, the Braves owner Lou Perini said, "A third major league is the only answer for the future." This did not come to pass. In spite of the Mexican League attracting some MLB players in the 1940s, as of today, professional baseball in the United States comprises only two major leagues: the National League and the American League. Regular season Season standings 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.Retrosheet box score: 1953-04-13 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.Retrosheet box score: 1953-04-14 Starting lineup, April 13, 1953 38 Bill Bruton CF 23 Johnny Logan SS 41 Eddie Mathews 3B 4 Sid Gordon LF 48 Andy Pafko RF 9 Joe Adcock 1B 1 Del Crandall C 6 Jack Dittmer 2B 36 Max Surkont P Record vs. opponents MIL Roster 1953 Milwaukee Braves Roster Pitchers 34 Johnny Antonelli 24 Vern Bickford 10 Bob Buhl 33 Lew Burdette 30 Dave Cole 47 Joey Jay 20 Dick Donovan 22 Virgil Jester 32 Ernie Johnson 16 Dave Jolly 15,43 Don Liddle 21 Warren Spahn 36 Max Surkont 19 Jim Wilson Catchers 14 Paul Burris 39 Walker Cooper  1 Del Crandall 42 Ebba St. Claire Infielders  9 Joe Adcock 37 George Crowe  6 Jack Dittmer  2 Harry Hanebrink 23 Johnny Logan 41 Eddie Mathews 14 Mel Roach 13 Sibby Sisti Outfielders 38 Bill Bruton  4 Sid Gordon 48 Andy Pafko  3 Jim Pendleton 18 Bob Thorpe Other batters  2 Billy Klaus Manager 40 Charlie Grimm Coaches 28 Johnny Cooney 35 Bob Keely 31 Bucky Walters Player stats = Indicates team leader = Indicates league leader 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; SB = Stolen bases Pos Player G AB H Avg. HR RBI SB C Del Crandall 116 382 104 .272 15 512 1B Joe Adcock 157 590 168 .285 18 803 2B Jack Dittmer 138 504 134 .266 9 631 SS Johnny Logan Johnny Logan (baseball) 150 611 167 .273 11 732 3B Eddie Mathews 157 579 175 .302 47 1351 OF Sid Gordon 140 464 127 .274 19 751 OF Andy Pafko 140 516 153 .297 17 722 OF Bill Bruton 151 613 153 .250 1 4126 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 Jim Pendleton 120 251 75 .299 7 27 Walker Cooper 53 137 30 .219 3 16 Harry Hanebrink 51 80 19 .238 1 8 Ebba St. Claire 33 80 16 .200 2 5 George Crowe 47 42 12 .286 2 6 Bob Thorpe Bob Thorpe (outfielder) 27 37 6 .162 0 5 Sibby Sisti 38 23 5 .217 0 4 Mel Roach 5 2 0 .000 0 0 Billy Klaus 2 2 0 .000 0 1 Paul Burris Paul Burris (baseball) 2 1 0 .000 0 0 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 Warren Spahn 35 265.2 23* 7 2.10 148 Johnny Antonelli 31 175.1 12 12 3.18 131 Max Surkont 28 170.0 11 5 4.18 83 Jim Wilson Jim Wilson (pitcher) 20 114.0 4 9 4.34 71 Tied with Robin Roberts (PHI) for league lead 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 Burdette 46 175.0 15 5 3.24 58 Bob Buhl 30 154.1 13 9 2.97 83 Don Liddle 31 128.2 7 6 3.08 63 Vern Bickford 20 58.0 2 5 5.28 25 Joey Jay 3 10.0 1 0 0.00 4 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 Johnson Ernie Johnson (pitcher) 36 4 3 0 2.67 36 Dave Jolly 24 0 1 0 3.52 23 Dave Cole baseball 10 0 1 0 8.59 13 Virgil Jester 2 0 0 0 22.50 0 Awards and honors Sporting News NL Pitcher of the Year - Warren Spahn Sporting News Executive of the Year - Lou Perini All-Star Game Warren Spahn, Pitcher, Reserve Farm system Minor League Baseball 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 2 Johnson Lloyd Wolff Miles The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball 2nd Durham, North Carolina Baseball America 1997 978-0-9637189-8-3 1953 Milwaukee Braves season at Baseball Reference Category:Milwaukee Braves seasons Milwaukee Braves season Milwau