1953 Austin Pioneers Roster
Team Record: 69-77
Finished 7th in the BSL
Manager: Al Unser (69-77)
Location: Austin, Texas
Ballpark: Disch-Falk Field
Attendance: 73,229, Avg. 1,003
The Austin Pioneers of the Big State League ended the 1953 season with a record of 69 wins and 77 losses, finishing seventh in the BSL.
The Pioneers scored 620 runs and conceded 598 runs. Mel Nunes and Donald Mason paced all regular batters by hitting .285. Coy Taylor and Dean Franks topped Austin with 17 wins each, while Dean Franks recorded a 2.72 ERA, best among pitchers with enough qualifying appearances.
Members of the 1953 Austin Pioneers who played in Major League Baseball during their careers were Al LaMacchia, Tom Kirk and Al Unser.
Al Unser served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billy Ashley | L | May 17, 1928 | 6'0" | 175 | ||
| Vance Carlson | R | R | November 14, 1925 | 6'0" | 180 | McPherson, KS US |
| Joseph Chuka | R | R | 6'0" | 190 | ||
| Cassius Clay | R | R | March 2, 1929 | 5'9" | 175 | |
| Hal Coffman | R | R | May 8, 1929 | 6'1" | 173 | Topeka, KS US |
| Nelson Davis | R | 6'0" | 170 | |||
| Dean Franks | L | R | 6'4" | 200 | ||
| Lee Jenkins | L | 5'9" | 165 | |||
| Joseph Kapalin | R | R | 6'0" | 185 | ||
| Tom Kirk | L | L | September 27, 1927 | 5'10" | 182 | Philadelphia, PA US |
| Al LaMacchia | R | R | July 22, 1921 | 5'10" | 190 | St. Louis, MO US |
| Kenneth Mapes | R | 6'1" | 180 | |||
| Donald Mason | R | November 11, 1928 | 5'11" | 180 | ||
| Roger May | L | L | July 23, 1929 | 6'0" | 185 | |
| Russell Mays | R | 5'9" | 160 | |||
| Alton McAfee | L | 6'0" | 170 | |||
| Robert McNeal | R | L | 5'11" | 170 | ||
| Dale Myrland | L | L | 6'1" | 182 | ||
| Mel Nunes | R | R | January 13, 1925 | 5'10" | 175 | Niles, CA US |
| Dick Roberson | R | R | February 13, 1931 | 6'0" | 175 | |
| George Socha | R | R | 6'3" | 217 | ||
| Coy Taylor | R | R | June 9, 1927 | 6'1" | 195 | |
| Al Unser | R | R | October 12, 1912 | 6'1" | 175 | Morrisonville, IL US |
| Dan Watson | R | January 26, 1925 | 6'1" | 180 | ||
| Edward Wayne | R | R | October 4, 1921 | 6'1" | 195 | |
| Thomas Weaver | R | September 25, 1930 | 5'11" | 175 | Chicago, IL US | |
| Paul Weeks | R | 6'0" | 160 | |||
| Billy Jack Wynns | R | October 23, 1926 | 5'10" | 180 | Stephens, AR 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.
