1954 Cincinnati Redlegs season

1954 Cincinnati Redlegs
Major League affiliations
National League (since 1890)
Location
Crosley Field (since 1934)
Cincinnati (since 1882)
Other information
Owner(s)	Powel Crosley Jr.
General manager(s)	Gabe Paul
Manager(s)	Birdie Tebbetts
Local television	WCPO-TV (Waite Hoyt, Bob Gilmore)
Local radio	WCPO (Waite Hoyt, Bob Gilmore)
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The 1954 Cincinnati Redlegs season was a season in American baseball. The team finished fifth in the National League with a record of 74–80, 23 games behind the New York Giants.

Offseason

• October 6, 1953: Art Fowler was acquired by the Redlegs from the Milwaukee Braves as part of a conditional deal.^[1]
• December 1, 1953: Brooks Lawrence was drafted from the Redlegs by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1953 minor league draft.^[2]

Regular season

During the season, Nino Escalera became the first black player in the history of the Cincinnati franchise.^[3]

Season standings

National League	W	L	Pct.	GB	Home	Road
New York Giants	97	57	0.630	—	53–23	44–34
Brooklyn Dodgers	92	62	0.597	5	45–32	47–30
Milwaukee Braves	89	65	0.578	8	43–34	46–31
Philadelphia Phillies	75	79	0.487	22	39–39	36–40
Cincinnati Redlegs	74	80	0.481	23	41–36	33–44
St. Louis Cardinals	72	82	0.468	25	33–44	39–38
Chicago Cubs	64	90	0.416	33	40–37	24–53
Pittsburgh Pirates	53	101	0.344	44	31–46	22–55

Record vs. opponents

1954 National League Records Sources:
Team	BR	CHC	CIN	MIL	NYG	PHI	PIT	STL
Brooklyn	—	15–7	16–6	10–12	9–13	13–9	15–7	14–8
Chicago	7–15	—	8–14	6–16	7–15	7–15	15–7	14–8
Cincinnati	6–16	14–8	—	10–12	7–15	14–8	15–7	8–14
Milwaukee	12–10	16–6	12–10	—	10–12	13–9	14–8	12–10
New York	13–9	15–7	15–7	12–10	—	16–6	14–8	12–10
Philadelphia	9–13	15–7	8–14	9–13	6–16	—	16–6	12–10
Pittsburgh	7–15	7–15	7–15	8–14	8–14	6–16	—	10–12
St. Louis	8–14	8–14	14–8	10–12	10–12	10–12	12–10	—

Notable transactions

• July 1954: Ernie Broglio was acquired by the Redlegs from the Oakland Oaks.^[4]
• August 7, 1954: Jim Pearce was purchased by the Redlegs from the Washington Senators.^[5]

Roster

1954 Cincinnati Redlegs
Roster
Pitchers 46 Fred Baczewski 34 Jackie Collum 31,53 Karl Drews 51 Art Fowler 47 Howie Judson 36 Jerry Lane 39 Joe Nuxhall 54 Jim Pearce 35 Harry Perkowski 36 Mario Picone 38 Bud Podbielan 36 Ken Raffensberger 31 Cliff Ross 42 Moe Savransky 32 Frank Smith 49 Corky Valentine 31 Herm Wehmeier 53 George Zuverink		Catchers  6 Ed Bailey  5 Hobie Landrith  7 Andy Seminick Infielders 12 Bobby Adams 14 Rocky Bridges 10 Chuck Harmon 18 Ted Kluszewski 11 Roy McMillan 16 Johnny Temple		Outfielders 25 Gus Bell 15,26 Jim Bolger 24 Bob Borkowski 21 Nino Escalera 23 Jim Greengrass 20 Lloyd Merriman 28 Wally Post Other batters 15 Grady Hatton 15 Johnny Lipon 19 Dick Murphy 19 Connie Ryan		Manager  1 Birdie Tebbetts Coaches  2 Dick Bartell  3 Tom Ferrick

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Pos	Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI
OF	Greengrass, JimJim Greengrass	139	542	152	.280	27	92

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI
Escalera, NinoNino Escalera	73	69	11	.159	0	3

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
Fowler, ArtArt Fowler	40	227.2	12	10	3.83	93
Baczewski, FredFred Baczewski	29	130	6	6	5.26	43

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
Pearce, JimJim Pearce	2	11	1	0	0.00	3

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	W	L	SV	ERA	SO
Smith, FrankFrank Smith	50	5	8	20	2.67	51
Collum, JackieJackie Collum	36	7	3	0	3.76	28

Farm system

Level	Team	League	Manager
AA	Tulsa Oilers	Texas League	Joe Schultz
A	Columbia Reds	Sally League	Ernie White
B	High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms	Carolina League	Tommy Reis, Don Padgett and Fred Lanifero
B	Colonial Heights-Petersburg Colts	Piedmont League	Johnny Vander Meer
C	Maryville-Alcoa Twins/Morristown Twins	Mountain States League	Tuck McWilliams
C	Duluth Dukes	Northern League	Oscar Khedarian, Dick Wade and Danny Litwhiler
C	Ogden Reds	Pioneer League	Earle Brucker, Sr.
D	Fort Walton Beach Jets	Alabama–Florida League	John Streza
D	Douglas Trojans	Georgia State League	Charles Bledsoe
D	Fitzgerald Redlegs	Georgia–Florida League	Red Treadway

Maryville-Alcoa franchise transferred to Morristown, June 19, 1954; Morristown club folded, July 7^[6]

References

1. Art Fowler page at Baseball-Reference
2. Brooks Lawrence page at Baseball-Reference
3. Great Baseball Feats, Facts and Figures, 2008 Edition, p. 199, David Nemec and Scott Flatow, A Signet Book, Penguin Group, New York, ISBN 978-0-451-22363-0
4. Ernie Broglio page at Baseball-Reference
5. Jim Pearce page at Baseball-Reference
6. Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 3rd edition. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 2007

External links

• 1954 Cincinnati Redlegs season at Baseball Reference