1953 Brooklyn Dodgers season

Major League Baseball season

Major League Baseball team season

The 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers repeated as National League champions by posting a 105–49 record. However, Brooklyn again failed to capture the World Series, losing in six games to the American League champion New York Yankees.

The Dodgers' .682 winning percentage in 1953 stood is still the best single-season winning percentage in franchise history for a full season. In 2020, the Dodgers posted a .717 mark (43–17) during a shortened 60-game season.^[1]

Offseason

• October 10, 1952: Dixie Howell was purchased by the Dodgers from the Cincinnati Reds.^[2]
• October 10, 1952: Clyde King was purchased from the Dodgers by the Cincinnati Reds.^[3]
• October 14, 1952: Billy Hunter was traded by the Dodgers to the St. Louis Browns for Ray Coleman, Stan Rojek, Bob Mahoney and cash.^[4]
• January 17, 1953: Andy Pafko was traded by the Dodgers to the Milwaukee Braves for Roy Hartsfield and cash.^[5]
• February 16, 1953: The Dodgers traded Rocky Bridges to the Cincinnati Reds and Jim Pendleton to the Milwaukee Braves as part of a four-team trade. The Philadelphia Phillies sent Russ Meyer to the Dodgers. The Braves sent cash to the Reds and Earl Torgeson to the Phillies. The Reds sent Joe Adcock to the Braves, and the Phillies sent cash to the Braves.^[6]

Regular season

Duke Snider had a hitting streak of 27 games.^[7]

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Opening Day Lineup

^[8]

Notable transactions

• May 25, 1953: Bud Byerly was traded by the Dodgers to the New York Giants for Norman Fox (minors).^[9]

Roster

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

Other batters

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

Pitching

Starting pitchers

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

Other pitchers

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

Relief pitchers

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

1953 World Series

Game 1

September 30, 1953, at Yankee Stadium in New York

Game 2

October 1, 1953, at Yankee Stadium in New York

Game 3

October 2, 1953, at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York

Game 4

October 3, 1953, at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York

Game 5

October 4, 1953, at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York

Game 6

October 5, 1953, at Yankee Stadium in New York

Awards and honors

• National League Most Valuable Player
  • Roy Campanella
• National League Rookie of the Year
  • Jim Gilliam
• TSN Player of the Year Award
  • Roy Campanella
• TSN NL Rookie of the Year Award
  • Jim Gilliam

All-Stars

• 1953 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
  • Roy Campanella, starter, catcher
  • Pee Wee Reese, starter, shortstop
  • Carl Furillo, reserve
  • Gil Hodges, reserve
  • Jackie Robinson, reserve
  • Duke Snider, reserve
• TSN Major League All-Star Team
  • Roy Campanella, catcher
  • Carl Furillo, outfield
  • Duke Snider, outfield
  • Pee Wee Reese, shortstop

Farm system

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Montreal

Notes

1. Los Angeles Dodgers Team History & Encyclopedia
2. Dixie Howell at Baseball-Reference
3. Clyde King at Baseball-Reference
4. Billy Hunter at Baseball-Reference
5. Andy Pafko at Baseball-Reference
6. Jim Pendleton at Baseball-Reference
7. Duke Snider at The Baseball Page
8. 1953 Opening Day Lineup at Baseball-Reference
9. Bud Byerly at Baseball-Reference

References

• Baseball-Reference season page
• Baseball Almanac season page

External links

• 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers uniform
• Brooklyn Dodgers reference site
• Acme Dodgers page Archived September 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
• Retrosheet