1953 Wichita Falls Spudders Roster
Team Record: 85-58
Finished 1st in the BSL
Manager: Whitey Wietelmann (85-58)
Affiliation: Milwaukee Braves
Location: Wichita Falls, Texas
Ballpark: Spudder Park
Attendance: 71,247, Avg. 996
Playoffs - Wichita Falls Spudders 4 games, Waco/Longview Pirates 0
Finals - Wichita Falls Spudders 4 games, Tyler East Texans 3
The Wichita Falls Spudders of the Big State League ended the 1953 season with a record of 85 wins and 58 losses, finishing first in the BSL.
The Spudders topped the circuit with 919 runs, ignited by 174 home runs. Wichita Falls allowed 761 runs. Al Neil topped all regular batters with a .356 average. Jim Vitter led the squad with 20 wins, while Noel Oquendo added 15 or more wins, too Jim Vitter recorded a 3.33 ERA, leading pitchers with enough qualifying appearances.
Members of the 1953 Wichita Falls Spudders who played in Major League Baseball during their careers were Johnny Lucadello, Harley Hisner and Whitey Wietelmann.
Whitey Wietelmann served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bob Bauer | S | L | October 21, 1927 | 6'2" | 180 | |
| Glenn Blackwood | R | R | 6'0" | 170 | ||
| Howard Boles | R | March 25, 1927 | 6'4" | 220 | LaSalle, IL US | |
| Joe Duffield | R | 6'1" | 165 | |||
| Abelardo Fleitas | R | 6'0" | 170 | |||
| Ev Hall | R | R | November 14, 1926 | 5'11" | 170 | Gary, IN US |
| Charles Higham | L | L | September 18, 1928 | 6'3" | 180 | Woodbury, NJ US |
| Frank Hill | L | R | 6'1" | 175 | ||
| Harley Hisner | R | R | November 6, 1926 | 6'1" | 185 | Maples, IN US |
| Hugh King | R | R | 6'2" | 176 | ||
| Milton Kress | R | 5'11" | 178 | |||
| Johnny Lucadello | S | R | February 22, 1919 | 5'11" | 160 | Thurber, TX US |
| Humberto Marti | R | 5'7" | 165 | |||
| Burke McLaughlin | R | R | October 22, 1929 | 6'0" | 185 | Moody, AL US |
| Stan Milankovich | R | R | November 6, 1923 | 6'0" | 200 | |
| Al Neil | August 18, 1925 | 192 | San Diego, CA US | |||
| Noel Oquendo | R | R | 5'10" | 175 | ||
| Aureliano Patino | ||||||
| Jose Rayle | R | R | July 4, 1930 | 6'2" | 185 | Tijuana, Baja California MX |
| Nelson Reeves | R | R | 6'1" | 185 | ||
| Gordon Roach | R | R | July 22, 1929 | 6'4" | 225 | Goodwood, ON CA |
| Perry Roberts | L | July 15, 1924 | 6'1" | 210 | ||
| Cecilio Santana | R | R | November 23, 1930 | 6'0" | 160 | San Luis Potosi, San Luis Potosi MX |
| Frederick Shipman | R | December 31, 1927 | 6'0" | 175 | ||
| Lee Smith | R | R | November 17, 1927 | 5'11" | 165 | El Segundo, CA US |
| Irvin Tassin | L | R | 6'0" | 186 | ||
| Israel Ten | R | 5'6" | 154 | |||
| Jim Vitter | R | R | April 27, 1925 | 5'9" | 180 | Dillonvale, OH US |
| Jim Warner | R | R | September 23, 1923 | 6'0" | 200 | San Diego, CA US |
| Ray Wicker | L | R | 6'2" | 185 | ||
| Whitey Wietelmann | S | R | March 15, 1919 | 6'0" | 170 | Zanesville, OH 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.
