1954 Cleveland Indians season
Encyclopedia
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. The Indians lost the World Series in four games to the New York Giants
, after which the Indians would not return to the Fall Classic until 1995
.
were swept in a World Series
. The only highlight for the Indians was that they kept the Yankees
from winning their sixth straight series. The last time the Yankees had not won the series or pennant beforehand was 1948, when, again, the Indians kept them out (although that year, they won the Series). It was also the only World Series from 1949 to 1958 which did not feature the Yankees.
in New York, New York
in New York, New York
in Cleveland, Ohio
in Cleveland, Ohio
(N.L.) over Cleveland Indians (A.L.)
The 1954 Indianapolis Indians featured Herb Score
and Rocky Colavito
. Colavito hit 38 Home Runs and accumulated 116 RBI’s.
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...
advanced to the World Series
1954 World Series
The 1954 World Series matched the National League champion New York Giants against the American League champion Cleveland Indians. The Giants swept the Series in four games to win their first championship since , defeating the heavily favored Indians, who had won an AL-record 111 games in the...
for the first time in six years
1948 World Series
The 1948 World Series matched the Cleveland Indians against the Boston Braves. The Braves had won the National League pennant for the first time since the "Miracle Braves" team of . The Indians spoiled a chance for the only all-Boston World Series by winning a one-game playoff against the Boston...
. It was the team's third 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...
championship in franchise history. The Indians lost the World Series in four games to the New York Giants
1954 New York Giants (MLB) season
The New York Giants season was a season in Major League Baseball. The Giants won the National League pennant with a record of 97 wins and 57 losses and then defeated the Cleveland Indians in the World Series.-Offseason:...
, after which the Indians would not return to the Fall Classic until 1995
1995 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 21, 1995 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta ace Greg Maddux pitched a two-hit complete game victory in his first World Series appearance ....
.
Offseason
- February 19, 1954: Bill UptonBill UptonWilliam Ray "Bill" Upton was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played in with the Philadelphia Athletics. He batted and threw right-handed....
and Lee Wheat were traded by the Indians to the Philadelphia AthleticsOakland AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
for Dave PhilleyDave PhilleyDavid Earl Philley is a former outfielder who played in Major League Baseball. A switch-hitter who threw right-handed, he debuted on September 6, and played his final game on August 6, . He was born in Paris, Texas....
.
Notable transactions
- April 12, 1954: Hal NewhouserHal NewhouserHarold "Prince Hal" Newhouser was an American pitcher for Major League Baseball who played 17 seasons from 1939 to 1955, mostly with the Detroit Tigers of the American League...
was signed as a free agent by the Indians. - June 1, 1954: Bob ChakalesBob ChakalesRobert 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...
was traded by the Indians to the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore OriolesThe 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...
for Vic WertzVic WertzVictor 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...
.
Roster
| 1954 Cleveland Indians | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders Other batters |
Manager Coaches |
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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 | 139 | 423 | 99 | .234 | 11 | 40 | |
| 1B | 94 | 295 | 81 | .275 | 14 | 48 | |
| 2B | 143 | 555 | 189 | .341 | 15 | 67 | |
| 3B | 137 | 466 | 140 | .300 | 24 | 102 | |
| SS | 112 | 361 | 77 | .213 | 6 | 37 | |
| LF | 131 | 481 | 135 | .281 | 11 | 50 | |
| CF | 153 | 577 | 157 | .272 | 32 | 126 | |
| RF | 133 | 452 | 102 | .226 | 12 | 60 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85 | 240 | 63 | .263 | 11 | 42 | |
| 65 | 180 | 45 | .250 | 2 | 24 | |
| 111 | 171 | 43 | .251 | 5 | 18 | |
| 68 | 169 | 45 | .266 | 1 | 19 | |
| 57 | 121 | 34 | .281 | 3 | 17 | |
| 60 | 102 | 30 | .294 | 4 | 13 | |
| 46 | 101 | 24 | .238 | 0 | 12 | |
| 53 | 60 | 17 | .283 | 1 | 6 | |
| 4 | 6 | 2 | .333 | 1 | 1 | |
| 6 | 6 | 1 | .167 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | 2 | 1 | .500 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 1.000 | 0 | 1 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | ---- | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 270.2 | 23 | 11 | 2.73 | 155 | |
| 45 | 258.2 | 19 | 8 | 2.64 | 129 | |
| 36 | 258.1 | 23 | 7 | 2.72 | 110 | |
| 32 | 188 | 15 | 7 | 3.35 | 68 | |
| 19 | 140 | 13 | 3 | 3.09 | 59 | |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 2.22 | 52 | |
| 40 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 1.94 | 55 | |
| 26 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 2.51 | 25 | |
| 17 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2.72 | 12 | |
| 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3.04 | 9 | |
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.87 | 3 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.40 | 0 |
1954 World Series
This was the first time the Cleveland IndiansCleveland 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...
were swept in a World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
. The only highlight for the Indians was that they kept the 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...
from winning their sixth straight series. The last time the Yankees had not won the series or pennant beforehand was 1948, when, again, the Indians kept them out (although that year, they won the Series). It was also the only World Series from 1949 to 1958 which did not feature the Yankees.
Game 1
September 29, 1954 at the Polo GroundsPolo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
in New York, New York
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland (A) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 0 |
| New York (N) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 3 |
| W: Marv Grissom Marv Grissom Marvin Edward Grissom was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball for the New York & San Francisco Giants , Detroit Tigers , Chicago White Sox , Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals . He was born in Los Molinos, California.He helped the Giants win the 1954 World Series... (1-0) L: Bob Lemon Bob Lemon Robert Granville Lemon was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976.... (0-1) |
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| HR: NYG – Dusty Rhodes (1) | |||||||||||||
Game 2
September 30, 1954 at the Polo GroundsPolo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
in New York, New York
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland (A) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| New York (N) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | x | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| W: Johnny Antonelli Johnny Antonelli John August Antonelli is an American former left-handed starting pitcher who played for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves, New York and San Francisco Giants, and Cleveland Indians.... (1-0) L: Early Wynn Early Wynn Early Wynn Jr. , nicknamed "Gus", was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. During a 25-year baseball career, he pitched for the Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox... (0-1) |
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| HR: CLE – Al Smith (1) NYG – Dusty Rhodes (2) | ||||||||||||
Game 3
October 1, 1954 at Cleveland StadiumCleveland Stadium
Cleveland Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in Cleveland, Ohio. In its final years, the stadium seated 74,438, for baseball and 81,000, for football. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball and football...
in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (N) | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 1 |
| Cleveland (A) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| W: Rubén Gómez (1-0) L: Mike Garcia (0-1) S: Hoyt Wilhelm Hoyt Wilhelm James Hoyt Wilhelm was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985.... (1) |
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| HR: CLE – 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... (1) |
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Game 4
October 2, 1954 at Cleveland StadiumCleveland Stadium
Cleveland Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in Cleveland, Ohio. In its final years, the stadium seated 74,438, for baseball and 81,000, for football. It was one of the early multi-purpose stadiums, built to accommodate both baseball and football...
in Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (N) | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 | 3 |
| Cleveland (A) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 2 |
| W: Don Liddle Don Liddle Donald Eugene Liddle was an American left-handed pitcher in professional baseball who played four seasons in the Major Leagues for the Milwaukee Braves, New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals from through... (1-0) L: Bob Lemon Bob Lemon Robert Granville Lemon was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976.... (0-2) S: Johnny Antonelli Johnny Antonelli John August Antonelli is an American former left-handed starting pitcher who played for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves, New York and San Francisco Giants, and Cleveland Indians.... (1) |
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| HR: CLE – Hank Majeski Hank Majeski Henry Majeski was an American professional baseball player, coach and minor league manager. He played as a third baseman in Major League Baseball from to for the Boston Bees/Boston Braves , New York Yankees , Philadelphia Athletics , Chicago White Sox , Cleveland Indians and Baltimore Orioles... (1) |
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Composite Box
1954 World Series (4-0): New York Giants1954 New York Giants (MLB) season
The New York Giants season was a season in Major League Baseball. The Giants won the National League pennant with a record of 97 wins and 57 losses and then defeated the Cleveland Indians in the World Series.-Offseason:...
(N.L.) over Cleveland Indians (A.L.)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 21 | 33 | 7 | |
| Cleveland Indians | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 26 | 4 | |
| Total Attendance: 251,507 Average Attendance: 62,877 | ||||||||||||||
| Winning Player’s Share: – $11,118 Losing Player’s Share – $6,713 | ||||||||||||||
Award winners
All-Star Game1954 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1954 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 21st playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball...
- Al RosenAl RosenAlbert Leonard Rosen , nicknamed "Al", "Flip", and the "Hebrew Hammer", is a former American professional baseball player who was a third baseman and right-handed slugger in the Major Leagues for ten seasons in tthe 1940s and 1950s.He played his entire 10-year career with the Cleveland Indians in...
, first baseman, starter - Bobby AvilaBobby AvilaRoberto Francisco Ávila González to Maria Gonzalez and Jorge Avila, was a Major League Baseball second baseman and right-handed batter who played for the Cleveland Indians , Baltimore Orioles , Boston Red Sox , Milwaukee Braves and Tigres del México...
, second baseman, starter - Larry DobyLarry DobyLawrence Eugene "Larry" Doby was an American professional baseball player in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball....
, reserve - Mike Garcia, reserve
- Bob LemonBob LemonRobert Granville Lemon was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976....
, reserve
Farm system
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Fargo-MoorheadThe 1954 Indianapolis Indians featured Herb Score
Herb Score
Herbert Jude Score was a Major League Baseball pitcher and announcer.-Athletic career:Score came up as a rookie in with the Cleveland Indians...
and Rocky Colavito
Rocky Colavito
Rocco Domenico "Rocky" Colavito, Jr. is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball best known for his years with the Cleveland Indians. He wore a #6, #7 or #21 jersey during his MLB career...
. Colavito hit 38 Home Runs and accumulated 116 RBI’s.