1953 Minneapolis Millers Roster
Team Record: 76-78
Finished 5th in the AA
Manager: Chick Genovese (0-0), Freddie Fitzsimmons (0-0)
Affiliation: New York Giants
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Ballpark: Nicollet Park
Attendance: 128,630, Avg. 1,671
The Minneapolis Millers of the American Association ended the 1953 season with a record of 76 wins and 78 losses, finishing fifth in the AA.
The Millers topped the circuit with 809 runs, spearheaded by 169 home runs. Minneapolis allowed 791 runs, most in the league. George Wilson walloped 34 home runs for the team, while Ray Katt, Clint Hartung and Rance Pless each swatted 15 or more as well. Ray Katt recorded 98 runs batted in and topped batters with significant playing time by connecting at a .326 clip. Mario Picone led the team with 14 wins, and Harry Nicholas registered a 4.53 earned run average, leading qualifying pitchers.
Adrián Zabala, Al Worthington, Clint Hartung, George Spencer, Claude Corbitt, Bill Taylor, Marv Blaylock, Jake Early, Ray Noble, Ray Katt, Rance Pless, Foster Castleman, Ron Samford, Bud Byerly, Mario Picone, George Wilson, Bill Connelly, Frank Hiller and Chuck Diering were all players from the 1953 Minneapolis Millers who played in the Major Leagues during their careers.
Chick Genovese and Freddie Fitzsimmons served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ray Berns | L | 5'11" | 175 | |||
| Marv Blaylock | L | L | September 30, 1929 | 6'1" | 175 | Fort Smith, AR US |
| Joe Bracchitta | L | April 20, 1927 | 5'11" | 178 | Hackensack, NJ US | |
| Bud Byerly | R | R | October 26, 1919 | 6'2" | 185 | Webster Groves, MO US |
| Foster Castleman | R | R | January 1, 1931 | 6'0" | 175 | Nashville, TN US |
| Bill Connelly | L | R | June 29, 1925 | 6'0" | 175 | Alberta, VA US |
| Claude Corbitt | R | R | July 21, 1915 | 5'10" | 170 | Sunbury, NC US |
| Chuck Diering | R | R | February 5, 1923 | 5'10" | 165 | St. Louis, MO US |
| Jake Early | L | R | May 19, 1915 | 5'11" | 168 | Kings Mountain, NC US |
| Robert Giddens | R | R | 6'0" | 175 | ||
| Bob Giddings | L | R | December 23, 1926 | 6'1" | 150 | Pontiac, MI US |
| Clint Hartung | R | R | August 10, 1922 | 6'5" | 210 | Hondo, TX US |
| Frank Hiller | R | R | July 13, 1920 | 6'0" | 200 | Irvington, NJ US |
| Amado Ibanez | R | R | 6'0" | 180 | ||
| Ziggy Jasinski | R | R | December 3, 1925 | 5'9" | 164 | Maspeth, NY US |
| Ray Katt | R | R | May 9, 1927 | 6'2" | 190 | New Braunfels, TX US |
| Leslie Klesitz | L | L | July 24, 1930 | 6'1" | ||
| John Kropf | R | R | December 5, 1926 | 5'10" | 180 | |
| Dick Libby | L | L | May 4, 1925 | 6'1" | 188 | Bridgton, ME US |
| Pete Modica | R | R | January 25, 1924 | 6'0" | 145 | New Orleans, LA US |
| Harry Nicholas | R | R | September 28, 1929 | 6'2" | 180 | Valley Stream, NY US |
| Ray Noble | R | R | March 15, 1919 | 5'11" | 210 | Central Hatillo, CU |
| Mario Picone | R | R | July 5, 1926 | 5'11" | 180 | Brooklyn, NY US |
| Rance Pless | R | R | December 6, 1925 | 6'0" | 195 | Greeneville, TN US |
| Ron Samford | R | R | February 28, 1930 | 5'11" | 156 | Dallas, TX US |
| Jake Schmitt | L | L | November 3, 1925 | 6'1" | 173 | Norwalk, CT US |
| Frederick Sherkel | L | L | January 26, 1931 | 6'3" | 175 | |
| George Spencer | R | R | July 7, 1926 | 6'1" | 215 | Columbus, OH US |
| Bill Taylor | L | L | December 30, 1929 | 6'3" | 212 | Alhambra, CA US |
| Tony Wesoloski | R | R | August 15, 1928 | 6'0" | 170 | Norwich, CT US |
| George Wilson | L | R | August 31, 1924 | 6'1" | 185 | Cherryville, NC US |
| Al Worthington | R | R | February 5, 1929 | 6'2" | 195 | Birmingham, AL US |
| Adrián Zabala | L | L | August 26, 1916 | 5'11" | 165 | San Antonio de los Banos, CU |
Average attendance is based upon the number of actual home dates where known (most leagues from 1992 and later). Where the number of home dates is not known, the average is calculated using half the team's total games.
