1953 San Antonio Missions Roster
Team Record: 67-87
Finished 7th in the TL
Manager: Jimmie Crandall (0-0), Bill Norman (0-0)
Affiliation: St. Louis Browns
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Ballpark: Mission Stadium
Attendance: 98,711, Avg. 1,282
The San Antonio Missions of the Texas League ended the 1953 season with a record of 67 wins and 87 losses, finishing seventh in the TL.
The Missions scored 662 runs and yielded 745 runs, most in the circuit. Jim Fridley led San Antonio with 26 home runs, while Bobby Balcena and Rocco Ippolito walloped 15 or more, too. Jim Fridley drove in 96 runs. Ed Mickelson paced all qualifying hitters on the roster with a .296 average. Ryne Duren topped the squad with 12 wins and a team-best 2.63 ERA, best among qualifying pitchers.
Players from the 1953 San Antonio Missions who spent time in Major League Baseball during their careers included Bud Thomas, Phil Haugstad, Ed Albrecht, Mel Held, John Sullivan, Russ Bauers, Ed Mickelson, Irv Medlinger, Andy Tomasic, Charlie White, Ryne Duren, Al Cihocki, Jim Fridley and Bobby Balcena.
Jimmie Crandall and Bill Norman served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ed Albrecht | R | R | February 28, 1929 | 5'10" | 165 | St. Louis, MO US |
| Jose Bache | R | R | May 25, 1923 | 5'10" | 162 | Tuxpan, Veracruz MX |
| Bobby Balcena | R | L | August 1, 1925 | 5'7" | 160 | San Pedro, CA US |
| Russ Bauers | L | R | May 10, 1914 | 6'3" | 195 | Townsend, WI US |
| Robert Caffery | L | R | November 7, 1929 | 5'11" | 170 | |
| Al Cihocki | R | R | May 7, 1924 | 5'11" | 185 | Nanticoke, PA US |
| Ryne Duren | R | R | February 22, 1929 | 6'2" | 190 | Cazenovia, WI US |
| Bill Elbert | S | R | May 3, 1923 | 6'1" | 195 | Miles City, MT US |
| Jim Fridley | R | R | September 6, 1924 | 6'2" | 205 | Phillippi, WV US |
| Phil Haugstad | R | R | February 23, 1924 | 6'2" | 165 | Black River Falls, WI US |
| Mel Held | R | R | April 12, 1929 | 6'1" | 178 | Edon, OH US |
| Richard Honacki | R | 5'8" | 165 | |||
| Charlie Hopkins | R | November 18, 1926 | 6'0" | 197 | ||
| Rocco Ippolito | R | October 17, 1928 | 6'1" | 200 | ||
| George Kress | R | March 30, 1926 | 6'1" | 190 | Adams County, PA US | |
| Ray Lindquist | R | September 30, 1929 | 5'10" | 170 | ||
| Irv Medlinger | L | L | June 18, 1927 | 5'11" | 185 | Chicago, IL US |
| Ed Mickelson | R | R | September 9, 1926 | 6'3" | 205 | Ottawa, IL US |
| Everette Neal | R | R | 6'3" | 200 | ||
| Rich Neal | R | October 11, 1929 | 5'10" | 180 | Los Angeles, CA US | |
| Vachel Perkins | L | R | 6'2" | 200 | ||
| Max Peterson | R | R | December 22, 1921 | 5'10" | 176 | Warren County, IL US |
| Bill Pilgram | R | R | 6'3" | 190 | ||
| Harry Schwegman | L | R | August 7, 1927 | 5'10" | 180 | Oxford, OH US |
| Claudio Solano | R | February 14, 1926 | 5'10" | 180 | Hermosillo, Sonora MX | |
| John Sullivan | R | R | November 2, 1920 | 5'10" | 170 | Chicago, IL US |
| Bud Thomas | R | R | March 10, 1929 | 6'0" | 180 | Sedalia, MO US |
| Andy Tomasic | R | R | December 10, 1917 | 6'0" | 175 | Hokendauqua, PA US |
| John Waltman | R | R | December 1, 1929 | 5'11" | 170 | |
| Charlie White | L | R | August 12, 1927 | 5'11" | 192 | Kinston, NC US |
| Harry Wilson | L | L | 5'11" | 205 | Rockford, TN 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.
