1953 Syracuse Chiefs Roster
Team Record: 58-95
Finished 7th in the IL
Manager: Bruno Betzel (58-95)
Affiliation: New York Yankees
Location: Syracuse, New York
Ballpark: MacArthur Stadium
Attendance: 83,992, Avg. 1,098
The Syracuse Chiefs of the International League ended the 1953 season with a record of 58 wins and 95 losses, finishing seventh in the IL.
The Chiefs plated 627 runs and gave up 779 runs, most in the league. Johnny Blatnik paced Syracuse with 18 home runs and accounted for 76 RBI. Héctor Rodríguez topped all regular batters by hitting .302. Duke Markell and Lynn Lovenguth led the squad with 11 wins each, while Duke Markell recorded a 3.86 ERA, leading regular hurlers.
Players from the 1953 Syracuse Chiefs who spent time in the Majors during their careers included Jack Robinson, Roy Partee, Len Okrie, Héctor Rodríguez, Lee Griffeth, Johnny Welaj, Art Schult, Jim Robertson, Hank Workman, Benny Zientara, Johnny Blatnik, Jim Brideweser, Hank LaManna, Duke Markell, Claude Corbitt, Marv Blaylock, Carden Gillenwater, Leroy Williams, Harley Hisner, Kurt Krieger, Frank Verdi, John Douglas, Jim Blackburn, Bill Drescher and Lynn Lovenguth.
Bruno Betzel served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Bell | R | R | February 10, 1929 | 6'1" | 175 | Redondo Beach, CA US |
| Jim Blackburn | R | R | June 19, 1924 | 6'4" | 175 | Warsaw, KY US |
| Johnny Blatnik | R | R | March 10, 1921 | 6'0" | 195 | Bridgeport, OH US |
| Marv Blaylock | L | L | September 30, 1929 | 6'1" | 175 | Fort Smith, AR US |
| Jim Brideweser | R | R | February 13, 1927 | 6'0" | 165 | Lancaster, OH US |
| Joe Budny | R | R | March 14, 1926 | 6'1" | 185 | |
| Claude Corbitt | R | R | July 21, 1915 | 5'10" | 170 | Sunbury, NC US |
| John Douglas | L | L | September 14, 1917 | 6'2" | 195 | Thayer, WV US |
| Bill Drescher | L | R | May 23, 1921 | 6'2" | 190 | Congers, NY US |
| Arthur Dyck | R | L | 6'5" | 205 | ||
| Carden Gillenwater | R | R | May 13, 1917 | 6'1" | 175 | Riceville, TN US |
| Lee Griffeth | S | L | May 20, 1925 | 5'11" | 180 | Carmel, NY US |
| Jack Griffore | R | R | March 28, 1921 | 5'11" | 195 | |
| Art Hartley | R | R | August 25, 1920 | 5'11" | 183 | |
| Harley Hisner | R | R | November 6, 1926 | 6'1" | 185 | Maples, IN US |
| Dick Kinaman | R | R | November 10, 1925 | 6'1" | 190 | Los Angeles, CA US |
| Kurt Krieger | R | R | September 16, 1926 | 6'3" | 212 | Traisen, AT |
| Hank LaManna | R | R | August 22, 1919 | 6'2" | 195 | Waterton, PA US |
| Bob Landeck | R | R | May 17, 1925 | 6'0" | 195 | Blue Island, IL US |
| Lynn Lovenguth | L | R | November 29, 1922 | 5'10" | 170 | Camden, NJ US |
| Duke Markell | R | R | August 17, 1923 | 6'1" | 209 | Paris, FR |
| Len Okrie | R | R | July 16, 1923 | 6'0" | 185 | Detroit, MI US |
| Roy Partee | R | R | September 7, 1917 | 5'10" | 180 | Los Angeles, CA US |
| Jim Robertson | R | R | January 29, 1928 | 5'9" | 183 | Chicago, IL US |
| Jack Robinson | R | R | February 20, 1921 | 6'0" | 175 | Orange, NJ US |
| Héctor Rodríguez | R | R | June 13, 1920 | 5'8" | 165 | Alquizar, CU |
| Art Schult | R | R | June 20, 1928 | 6'3" | 210 | Brooklyn, NY US |
| Wayne Tucker | L | R | September 18, 1922 | 6'0" | 175 | Colonia Dublan, Chihuahua MX |
| Frank Verdi | R | R | June 2, 1926 | 5'10" | 170 | Brooklyn, NY US |
| Charles Weathers | L | R | January 13, 1927 | 5'10" | 175 | Shelby, NC US |
| Johnny Welaj | R | R | May 27, 1914 | 6'0" | 164 | Moss Creek, PA US |
| Leroy Williams | S | R | July 10, 1927 | 5'10" | 170 | Orlando, FL US |
| Marvin Williams | L | L | 5'10" | 170 | ||
| Bill Woop | L | L | September 13, 1923 | 6'1" | 210 | New York, NY US |
| Hank Workman | L | R | February 5, 1926 | 6'1" | 185 | Los Angeles, CA US |
| Benny Zientara | R | R | February 14, 1918 | 5'9" | 165 | Chicago, IL 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.
