1953 Philadelphia Athletics season

The 1953 Philadelphia Athletics season involved the A's finishing 7th in the American League with a record of 59 wins and 95 losses, 41½ games behind the New York Yankees, who would win their fifth consecutive World Series Championship. It was also the penultimate season for the franchise in Philadelphia.

Offseason

January 27, 1953: Ferris Fain and Bob Wilson (minors) were traded by the Athletics to the Chicago White Sox for Joe DeMaestri, Ed McGhee and Eddie Robinson.^[1]
February 2, 1953: Sam Zoldak was released by the Athletics.^[2]

During the season, Bob Trice became the first black player in the history of the Athletics.^[3]

1953 American League record v t e Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
Team	BOS	CWS	CLE	DET	NYY	PHA	SLB	WSH
Boston	—	6–16	13–9	13–9	10–11	15–7	17–5	10–12
Chicago	16–6	—	11–11–1	14–8–1	9–13	10–12	17–5	12–10
Cleveland	9–13	11–11–1	—	14–8	11–11	19–3	17–5	11–11
Detroit	9–13	8–14–1	8–14	—	6–16	11–11–3	7–15	11–11
New York	11–10	13–9	11–11	16–6	—	17–5	17–5	14–6
Philadelphia	7–15	12–10	3–19	11–11–3	5–17	—	13–9	8–14
St. Louis	5–17	5–17	5–17	15–7	5–17	9–13	—	10–12
Washington	12–10	10–12	11–11	11–11	6–14	14–8	12–10	—

1953 Philadelphia Athletics

Roster

Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Manager

Coaches

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
1B	Eddie Robinson	156	615	152	.247	22	102
SS	Joe DeMaestri	111	420	107	.255	6	35
OF	Ed McGhee	104	358	94	.263	1	29

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
Tom Hamilton	58	56	11	.196	0	5

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

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
Harry Byrd	40	236.2	11	20	5.51	122
Bob Trice	3	23	2	1	5.48	4

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

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
Marion Fricano	39	211	9	12	3.88	67
Charlie Bishop	39	160.2	3	14	5.66	66
Joe Coleman	21	90	3	4	4.00	18

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

Player	G	W	L	SV	ERA	SO
Frank Fanovich	26	0	3	0	5.55	37

Level	Team	League	Manager
AAA	Ottawa Athletics	International League	Frank Skaff
A	Williamsport Athletics	Eastern League	George Staller
A	Savannah Indians	Sally League	Les Bell
B	Fayetteville Athletics	Carolina League	Buck Etchison, Bill Bergeron, Bob Eiziminger and Kemp Wicker
C	St. Hyacinthe A's	Provincial League	John Sosh and Joe Rullo
D	Welch Miners	Appalachian League	Jack Crosswhite
D	Cordele A's	Georgia–Florida League	Joe Rullo and Lew Richardson
D	Hopkinsville Hoppers	KITTY League	Norm Wilson and Ed Wright

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Savannah, Welch

^ Joe DeMaestri at Baseball Reference
^ Sam Zoldak at Baseball Reference
^ Great Baseball Feats, Facts and Figures, 2008 Edition, p. 199, David Nemec and Scott Flatow, A Signet Book, Penguin Group, New York, ISBN 978-0-451-22363-0

v t e 1953 MLB season by team
American League	Boston Chicago Cleveland Detroit New York Philadelphia St. Louis Washington
National League	Brooklyn Chicago Cincinnati Milwaukee New York Philadelphia Pittsburgh St. Louis
1953 All-Star Game 1953 World Series