1953 Newport News Dodgers Roster
Team Record: 80-56
Finished 3rd in the PL
Manager: Stan Wasiak (80-56)
Affiliation: Brooklyn Dodgers
Location: Newport News, Virginia
Ballpark: War Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 90,000, Avg. 1,324
Playoffs - Newport News Dodgers 4 games, Hagerstown Braves 0
Finals - Norfolk Tars 4 games, Newport News Dodgers 1
The Newport News Dodgers of the Piedmont League ended the 1953 season with a record of 80 wins and 56 losses, finishing third in the PL.
The Dodgers scored 673 runs and yielded 585 runs. Lou Colombo led batters with significant playing time with a .310 average. Wayne Johnson and Emerson Unzicker topped Newport News with 14 wins each, while Wayne Johnson recorded a 2.48 ERA, best among regular hurlers.
Players from the 1953 Newport News Dodgers who spent time in the Majors during their careers included John Glenn, Ralph Mauriello, Charlie Neal, Johnny Rutherford, Bob Lillis and Al Gionfriddo.
Stan Wasiak served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Alberts | R | 5'9" | 180 | |||
| Dick Ballestrini | R | December 28, 1929 | 6'1" | 185 | ||
| Arnold Banals | R | R | December 4, 1933 | 6'5" | 200 | |
| John Ceplo | R | R | March 20, 1932 | 5'10" | 170 | Montrose, NY US |
| Tony Cincotta | R | R | June 19, 1928 | 5'11" | 180 | Brooklyn, NY US |
| Cliff Collins | R | R | December 29, 1928 | 6'4" | 210 | Hollywood, CA US |
| Lou Colombo | L | August 22, 1927 | 5'11" | 180 | Brockton, MA US | |
| Richie Colombo | R | R | February 10, 1929 | 6'0" | 185 | Brockton, MA US |
| Jack Elkins | L | R | December 26, 1926 | 6'2" | 180 | |
| Al Gionfriddo | L | L | March 8, 1922 | 5'6" | 165 | Dysart, PA US |
| John Glenn | R | R | July 10, 1928 | 6'3" | 180 | Moultrie, GA US |
| Ned Iwakiri | R | L | 5'11" | 160 | ||
| Frank Jeffers | R | 6'1" | 190 | |||
| Wayne Johnson | R | L | February 20, 1920 | 6'2" | 175 | Piedmont, SC US |
| Albert Karan | R | 5'11" | 185 | |||
| Daniel Keith | L | 6'3" | 180 | |||
| Jim Koranda | R | R | June 3, 1934 | 6'3" | 205 | Chicago, IL US |
| Bob Lillis | R | R | June 2, 1930 | 5'11" | 160 | Altadena, CA US |
| Dan Lynk | R | R | November 25, 1933 | 6'4" | 200 | |
| Morris Mack | R | November 29, 1928 | 5'8" | 160 | ||
| Owen Maguire | R | R | June 22, 1928 | 6'1" | 185 | San Francisco, CA US |
| James Malloch | R | R | June 16, 1928 | 6'1" | 179 | Eastport, ME US |
| Ralph Mauriello | R | R | August 25, 1934 | 6'3" | 195 | Brooklyn, NY US |
| Ray McLeod | R | September 30, 1928 | 5'11" | 170 | ||
| Glenn McMinn | R | R | March 11, 1933 | 6'1" | 165 | Chillicothe, TX US |
| Thomas McMullen | L | R | 6'0" | 160 | ||
| McKinley Mosley | R | R | March 24, 1929 | 6'2" | 195 | |
| Frank Murray | L | L | November 21, 1933 | 6'0" | 175 | Danbury, CT US |
| Charlie Neal | R | R | January 30, 1931 | 5'10" | 165 | Longview, TX US |
| Sam Palamara | R | November 1, 1928 | 6'0" | 180 | ||
| Johnny Rutherford | L | R | May 5, 1925 | 5'10" | 170 | Belleville, ON CA |
| Harry Shifflett | R | 6'0" | 180 | |||
| James Sprankle | R | R | July 22, 1935 | 6'1" | 190 | Lafayette, IN US |
| Emerson Unzicker | R | L | August 15, 1932 | 5'8" | 165 | Hamilton, OH US |
| Stan Wasiak | R | R | April 8, 1920 | 5'9" | 170 | Chicago, IL US |
| David Williams | R | R | September 16, 1929 | 6'1" | 190 | Long Beach, CA US |
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.
