The 1954

1954 in baseball

-Major League Baseball:* World Series: New York Giants over Cleveland Indians * All-Star Game, July 13 at Municipal Stadium: American League, 11-9-Other champions:* Caribbean World Series: Caguas Creoles [Criollos de Caguas]...

 Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...

 season was the franchise's 54th season (it was founded as the Milwaukee Brewers in , then played as the St. Louis Browns from 1902–53) but its first season as the Baltimore Orioles. The season involved the Orioles finishing 7th in the American League

American League

The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...

 with a record of 54 wins and 100 losses, 57 games behind the AL champion Cleveland Indians

1954 Cleveland Indians season

The Cleveland Indians advanced to the World Series for the first time in six years. It was the team's third American League championship in franchise history...

 in their first season in Baltimore. The team was managed by Jimmy Dykes

Jimmy Dykes

James Joseph Dykes was an American third and second baseman, manager and coach in Major League Baseball who played for the Philadelphia Athletics and Chicago White Sox from 1918 to 1939...

, and played its home games at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium

Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)

Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...

.

Offseason

• November 30, 1953: Chuck Diering
  Chuck Diering
  Charles Edward Allen Diering in St. Louis, Missouri is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played all or part of nine seasons in the major leagues, between and , for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants and Baltimore Orioles.-External links:...
  
   was purchased by the Orioles from the San Francisco Seals.
• February 2, 1954: Satchel Paige
  Satchel Paige
  Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige was an American baseball player whose pitching in the Negro leagues and in Major League Baseball made him a legend in his own lifetime...
  
   was released by the Orioles.
• February 5, 1954: Johnny Groth
  Johnny Groth
  John Thomas Groth is a former professional baseball player who played outfield in the Major Leagues from 1946 to 1960. He was born in Chicago, Illinois. He play for the Detroit Tigers , St...
  
   and Johnny Lipon
  Johnny Lipon
  John Joseph Lipon was an American Major League Baseball shortstop for the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Browns and Cincinnati Reds over the course of 12 seasons . He was born in Martins Ferry, Ohio....
  
   were traded by the Orioles to the Chicago White Sox
  Chicago White Sox
  The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
  
   for Neil Berry and Sam Mele
  Sam Mele
  Sabath Anthony "Sam" Mele is a former right fielder, manager, coach and scout in Major League Baseball...
  
  .
• April 8, 1954: Dave Koslo
  Dave Koslo
  George Bernard "Dave" Koslo was a former professional baseball left-handed pitcher over parts of twelve seasons with the New York Giants, Baltimore Orioles and Milwaukee Braves. On April 18, 1947, Koslo gave up Jackie Robinson’s first major league home run, hit in the third inning...
  
   was acquired from the New York Giants
  San Francisco Giants
  The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
  
  .

Regular season

• April 15, 1954: Thousands of Baltimoreans jammed city streets as the new Orioles paraded from downtown to their new home at Memorial Stadium
  Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)
  Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road...
  
  . During the 90-minute parade, the new birds signed autographs, handed out pictures and threw styrofoam balls to crowd as the throng marched down 33rd Street West. Inside, more than 46,000 watched the Orioles beat the Chicago White Sox
  1954 Chicago White Sox season
  The 1954 Chicago White Sox season was the team's 54th season in the major leagues, and its 55th season overall. They finished with a record 94-60, good enough for third place in the American League, 17 games behind the first place Cleveland Indians....
  
  , 3-1, to win their home opener and move into first place in the American League. Ironically, the Orioles lost their last home game of the season, 11-0, to the same White Sox, finishing with 100 losses and 57½ games out of first place.

Notable transactions

• May 11, 1954: Neil Berry, Dick Kokos
  Dick Kokos
  Richard Jerome Kokos, born Kokoszka , was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He played for the St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles from to and then from to -External links:...
  
   and Jim Post (minors) were traded by the Orioles to the New York Yankees
  New York Yankees
  The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
  
   for Jim Brideweser
  Jim Brideweser
  James Ehrenfeld Brideweser was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball who played from to for the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers...
  
  .
• May 12, 1954: Don Lenhardt
  Don Lenhardt
  Donald Eugene Lenhardt is a retired outfielder, first baseman, third baseman, scout and coach in American Major League Baseball. In his playing days, he stood , weighed , and threw and batted right-handed...
  
   was acquired from the Orioles by the Boston Red Sox
  Boston Red Sox
  The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
  
  .
• May 25, 1954: Dick Littlefield
  Dick Littlefield
  Richard Bernard "Dick" Littlefield was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for nine teams between 1950 and 1958.Born in Detroit, Michigan, he died there at age 71....
  
   was traded by the Orioles to the Pittsburgh Pirates
  Pittsburgh Pirates
  The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
  
   for Cal Abrams
  Cal Abrams
  Calvin Ross Abrams , nicknamed Abie, was an American left-handed Major League Baseball player.-Baseball career:...
  
  .
• June 1, 1954: Vic Wertz
  Vic Wertz
  Victor Woodrow Wertz was a Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder. He had a seventeen year career from 1947 to 1963. He was signed as a free agent by the Detroit Tigers in 1942 and played for the Tigers, St...
  
   was traded by the Orioles to the Cleveland Indians
  Cleveland Indians
  The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
  
   for Bob Chakales
  Bob Chakales
  Robert Edwards Chakales [sha-kuh'-les] was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played with four different clubs between the 1951 and 1957 seasons. Listed at 6'1", 185 lb., Chakales batted and threw right-handed...
  
  .
• July 4, 1954: Marlin Stuart
  Marlin Stuart
  Marlin Henry Stuart was an American Major League Baseball relief pitcher. He was born in Paragould, Arkansas....
  
   was claimed off waivers from the Orioles by the New York Yankees
  New York Yankees
  The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
  
  .
• August 7, 1954: Bob Kuzava
  Bob Kuzava
  Robert Leroy Kuzava is a retired American professional baseball player, a left-handed pitcher for the Cleveland Indians , Chicago White Sox , Washington Senators , New York Yankees , Baltimore Orioles , Philadelphia Phillies , Pittsburgh Pirates and St...
  
   was claimed off waivers by the Orioles from the New York Yankees.

Roster

1954 Baltimore Orioles
Roster
Pitchers		Catchers Infielders		Outfielders		Manager Coaches

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
C		122	397	107	.270	4	37
1B		95	311	88	.283	2	33
2B		130	432	106	.245	4	24
3B		101	365	104	.285	8	46
SS		125	411	100	.243	2	27
LF		85	240	59	.246	4	36
CF		128	418	108	.258	2	29
RF		115	423	124	.293	6	25

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
	106	323	81	.251	6	45
	100	300	78	.260	1	34
	94	265	74	.279	2	20
	73	204	54	.265	0	12
	72	230	55	.239	5	32
	50	126	31	.246	0	5
	39	62	7	.113	0	5
	29	94	19	.202	1	13
	22	61	15	.246	0	2
	13	33	5	.152	0	1
	11	10	2	.200	1	1
	10	40	9	.225	1	3
	10	34	7	.206	0	1
	5	9	1	.111	0	0

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
	35	247.1	14	15	3.46	185
	33	221.1	13	17	3.50	103
	29	201.2	3	21	4.37	80
	25	179	10	14	3.12	66
	4	23.2	1	3	4.18	15
	1	4	0	1	9.00	0

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
	32	166.2	6	11	4.37	82
	7	16.1	1	1	2.76	6
	3	14.1	0	1	3.14	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
	38	3	7	3	3.73	44
	38	1	2	2	3.67	27
	37	1	5	1	4.69	35
	22	1	2	2	4.46	13
	3	0	0	0	10.50	5
	2	0	0	0	13.50	2
	1	0	0	0	9.00	2

Farm system

Tar Heel League disbanded, June 21, 1954