1953 Indianapolis Indians Roster
Team Record: 82-72
Finished 4th in the AA
Manager: Birdie Tebbetts (82-72)
Affiliation: Cleveland Indians
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Ballpark: Owen J. Bush Stadium
Attendance: 206,786, Avg. 2,686
Playoffs - Kansas City Blues 4 games, Indianapolis Indians 2
The Indianapolis Indians of the American Association ended the 1953 season with a record of 82 wins and 72 losses, finishing fourth in the AA.
The Indians scored 703 runs and conceded 668 runs. Wally Post walloped 33 home runs for Indianapolis, while Dave Pope, Al Smith and Joe Macko each swatted 15 or more, too. Wally Post drove in 120 runs and topped batters with significant playing time with a .289 average. Ed Blake led the team with 14 wins, and Dick Tomanek recorded a 3.11 ERA, best among pitchers with enough qualifying appearances.
Al Smith, Harry Malmberg, Doug Hansen, George Zuverink, Howie Judson, Herb Adams, Joe Caffie, Jim Lemon, Bill Abernathie, Sam Jones, Bob Chakales, Lloyd Gearhart, Dick Aylward, Rudy Regalado, Tom Ferrick, Bud Daley, Dave Pope, Ray Narleski, Bill Upton, Hank Foiles, Dick Tomanek, Ed Blake, Milt Nielsen, Wally Post, Ted Wilks, Sam Dente and Nino Escalera were all players from the 1953 Indianapolis Indians who played in the Majors during their careers.
Birdie Tebbetts served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Abernathie | R | R | January 30, 1929 | 5'10" | 190 | Torrance, CA US |
| Herb Adams | L | L | April 14, 1928 | 5'9" | 160 | Hollywood, CA US |
| Dick Aylward | R | R | June 4, 1925 | 6'0" | 190 | Baltimore, MD US |
| Jim Barnhardt | R | R | September 17, 1927 | 6'0" | 170 | Easton, PA US |
| Jack Baumer | R | R | October 24, 1928 | 5'11" | 190 | Tulsa, OK US |
| Ed Blake | R | R | December 23, 1925 | 5'11" | 175 | East St. Louis, IL US |
| Joe Caffie | L | R | February 14, 1931 | 5'10" | 180 | Ramer, AL US |
| Norm Camp | R | R | June 19, 1928 | 5'11" | 185 | West Salem, OH US |
| Bob Chakales | R | R | August 10, 1927 | 6'1" | 185 | Asheville, NC US |
| Bud Daley | L | L | October 7, 1932 | 6'1" | 185 | Orange, CA US |
| Sam Dente | R | R | April 26, 1922 | 5'11" | 175 | Harrison, NJ US |
| Nino Escalera | L | L | November 29, 1929 | 5'10" | 165 | Santurce, PR |
| Tom Ferrick | R | R | January 6, 1915 | 6'2" | 220 | New York, NY US |
| Hank Foiles | R | R | June 10, 1929 | 6'0" | 195 | Richmond, VA US |
| Lloyd Gearhart | R | L | August 10, 1923 | 5'11" | 180 | New Lebanon, OH US |
| Doug Hansen | R | R | December 16, 1928 | 6'0" | 180 | Los Angeles, CA US |
| Sam Jones | R | R | December 14, 1925 | 6'4" | 192 | Stewartsville, OH US |
| Howie Judson | R | R | February 16, 1925 | 6'1" | 195 | Hebron, IL US |
| Dick Kinaman | R | R | November 10, 1925 | 6'1" | 190 | Los Angeles, CA US |
| Jim Lemon | R | R | March 23, 1928 | 6'4" | 200 | Covington, VA US |
| Michael Lutz | R | R | August 29, 1927 | 6'1" | 208 | |
| Joe Macko | R | R | February 19, 1928 | 6'2" | 205 | Port Clinton, OH US |
| Harry Malmberg | R | R | July 31, 1925 | 6'1" | 170 | Fairfield, AL US |
| Joe Montalvo | R | June 6, 1926 | 6'4" | 225 | New York, NY US | |
| Ray Narleski | R | R | November 25, 1928 | 6'1" | 175 | Camden, NJ US |
| Milt Nielsen | L | L | February 8, 1925 | 5'11" | 190 | Tyler, MN US |
| Dave Pope | L | R | June 17, 1921 | 5'10" | 170 | Talladega, AL US |
| Wally Post | R | R | July 9, 1929 | 6'1" | 190 | St. Wendelin, OH US |
| Bob Radley | L | January 29, 1931 | 6'0" | 170 | ||
| Rudy Regalado | R | R | May 21, 1930 | 6'1" | 185 | Los Angeles, CA US |
| Howard Rodemoyer | R | R | January 22, 1930 | 5'11" | 190 | Fredonia, PA US |
| Al Smith | R | R | February 7, 1928 | 6'0" | 189 | Kirkwood, MO US |
| Jim Tolleson | R | September 20, 1930 | 6'0" | 180 | ||
| Dick Tomanek | L | L | January 6, 1931 | 6'1" | 175 | Avon Lake, OH US |
| Bill Upton | R | R | June 18, 1929 | 6'0" | 167 | Esther, MO US |
| Ted Wilks | R | R | November 13, 1915 | 5'9" | 178 | Fulton, NY US |
| George Zuverink | R | R | August 20, 1924 | 6'4" | 195 | Holland, MI 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.
