Mississippi-Ohio Valley League 1953

Player Roster

Players who played for teams in the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League (a Midwest League predecessor) in 1953. This list includes all players I can identify, coaching staff members, umpires, and selected front office staff. There are certainly missing players, as the available sources are known to be incomplete.

212 different players are listed on this page (3 of whom played in the majors), as are 20 non-playing personel; some are listed more than once.

Team Roster Limit: 16 players.
Experience Rules: National Association Rule.
Salary Limit: $2,600.00 (entire team, per month).
League Statistican: unknown.

While the information here is intended to be both complete and accurate, it's likely that there are omissions and the scale of the project guarantees errors; there's a lot of data here, from a variety of sources, all of which was originally in another format.

I will correct errors, or fill in missing birthdates and uniform numbers as I learn of them. Feel free to help; just drop me a line. Thanks.

There's more information about the MWL Roster project on my blog, A Dabbler's Journal.

New
7jun08
Changed
4oct08
Major Change
14sep08

Mississippi-Ohio Valley League Officials

 #      Name                    B/T Ht   Wt     DOB             Organization    Pos
        R.L. Britt              ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      MOV             Vice President  
        John Bruder             ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      MOV             Umpire  
        Henry D'Agostino        ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      MOV             Umpire  
        Jim Dale                ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      MOV             Umpire  
        Daniel Everett          ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      MOV             Umpire  
        Russell Fischer         ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      MOV             Umpire  
        Harold Hoelscher        ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      MOV             Umpire  
        C.C. Hoffman            ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      MOV             President/Secretary/Treasurer   
        Rollin Natter           ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      MOV             Umpire

Danville (Illinois) Dans

 #      Name                    B/T Ht   Wt     DOB             Organization    Pos
        Dick Bade               ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      White Sox               
        Don Bafus               R/? 6-02 190    04/09/1935      White Sox               
        Maurice Becker          ?/? 0-00 000    08/31/1933      White Sox       P       
        Jim Bergstrom           ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      White Sox               
        Elmer Boston            ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      White Sox               
        Tom Brown               R/? 5-06 170    00/00/1922      White Sox       3B      
        Hurley Carrera          ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      White Sox       P       
        Frank Clift             S/? 6-00 186    00/00/1932      White Sox       P       
        Wendell Clifton         L/? 6-02 196    00/00/1932      White Sox       P       
        Ron Cooper              L/? 5-11 180    00/00/1935      White Sox       OF      
        Willie Cunningham       S/? 5-09 172    00/00/1935      White Sox       P       
        Dan D'Esposito          ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      White Sox               
        Lloyd Davenport         ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      White Sox               
        Lonnie Davis            ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      White Sox               
        Tom Denny               L/? 6-01 185    00/00/1935      White Sox       OF      
        Don Drake               R/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      White Sox               
        Ray Finch               ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      White Sox       P       
        Don Ford                R/? 6-00 175    00/00/1934      White Sox               
        Pete Gazzola            R/? 6-01 184    00/00/1933      White Sox       P       
        Carmine Giordano        R/? 5-10 180    00/00/1932      White Sox       P       
        John Gordon             R/? 5-10 185    00/00/1932      White Sox       OF      
        Ed Gunner               ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      White Sox       P       
        Terry Hackett           ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      White Sox       P       
        Bill Harrison           R/? 5-11 167    00/00/1934      White Sox               
        Dick Hatfield           R/? 6-00 168    00/00/1933      White Sox       P       
        Herb Heiserer           R/? 6-01 175    00/00/1932      White Sox               
        Ace Hutchinson          R/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      White Sox       P       
        Russ Johnson            ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      White Sox       P       
        Roger King              L/? 6-03 210    00/00/1935      White Sox       P       
        John Kolodziejski       ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      White Sox       OF      
        Carl Lemons             L/? 5-11 165    00/00/1932      White Sox               
        Randy Lewis             R/? 5-11 165    00/00/1934      White Sox               
        Carl Lutz               R/? 6-02 160    00/00/1934      White Sox       P-1B-OF 
        Hillman Lyons           ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             GM      
        Bill Maley              R/? 5-10 185    12/02/1930      White Sox       C       
        Marv Melanson           R/? 6-02 185    00/00/1933      White Sox       P       
        Virl Minnis             R/? 5-10 180    06/09/1924      White Sox       2B/Manager      
        Bill Nolan              R/? 6-01 190    00/00/1934      White Sox       P       
        Bob Oefinger            L/? 6-03 185    00/00/1933      White Sox       1B      
        Jim Partin              L/? 6-01 180    00/00/1932      White Sox       OF-P    
        Fred Pearson            R/? 5-11 162    00/00/1926      White Sox               
        Jim Peterson            L/? 5-11 175    00/00/1934      White Sox               
        Jim Qualls              ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      White Sox               
        Stewart Riles           R/? 5-10 175    00/00/1929      White Sox               
        Willie Roberts          ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      White Sox               
        Fred Robison            ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             President       
        Bob Rous                L/? 6-02 205    00/00/1934      White Sox       3B      
        Frank Santora           R/? 5-11 170    05/22/1926      White Sox               
        Bob Schlemmer           R/? 5-09 170    00/00/1926      White Sox               
        Pete Simonovitch        ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      White Sox               
        Darrell Sisemore        R/? 6-00 180    00/00/1934      White Sox               
        Ted Solomon             L/? 6-00 158    00/00/1934      White Sox               
        Al Spearman             R/? 6-01 185    08/26/1931      White Sox       P       
        Rudolph Stanzel         ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      White Sox       3B      
        Othello Strong          S/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      White Sox       P       
        Bill Unger              ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      White Sox       P       
        Gerald Witteveen        ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      White Sox       1B      
        Jim Zapp                R/? 6-03 232    04/18/1924      White Sox       OF

Decatur (Illinois) Commodores

 #      Name                    B/T Ht   Wt     DOB             Organization    Pos
        Bob Appleby             ?/? 0-00 000    07/20/1922      N/A             P       
        Gonzalo Chenard         R/? 5-08 150    00/00/1933      N/A             SS      
        Andres DeLaFuente       R/? 5-11 167    00/00/1929      N/A                     
        Antonio Estrella        R/? 5-11 170    00/00/1920      N/A             P       
        Jaime Fals              ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             P       
        Amancio Ferro           ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             P       
        Jim Freeman             R/? 5-11 190    00/00/1927      N/A             OF      
        Armando Galban          ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A                     
        Juan Garcia             ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             P       
        Ramon Garcia (Garcia)   R/R 5-10 170    03/05/1924      N/A                     MLB
        Arturo Gonzalez         ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             President       
        Rene Gonzalez           R/? 6-02 206    10/06/1923      N/A                     
        Sid Goreham             R/? 6-03 195    00/00/1930      N/A             P       
        Guillermo Grajeda       R/? 5-07 160    00/00/1926      N/A             P       
        Clarence Hall           R/? 5-10 173    00/00/1931      N/A             OF-C    
        Miguel Hernandez        ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             P       
        Ernest Heron            ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A                     
        Luis Herrera            S/? 5-11 185    00/00/1934      N/A             P       
        Ed Isley                L/? 5-06 143    00/00/1932      N/A             P       
        Alfonso Lopez           ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             P       
        Larry Lovelace          ?/? 0-00 000    12/08/1916      N/A             P       
        Sergio Martinez         L/? 5-11 175    00/00/1928      N/A             1B      
        Creed Nance             R/? 5-11 175    00/00/1930      N/A             OF      
        Pedro Naranjo           L/? 5-10 180    00/00/1932      N/A             P       
        Herman Niehaus          R/? 6-03 185    00/00/1929      N/A             OF      
        Raul Olivares           ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             OF-P    
        Don Ottoson             R/? 6-00 165    00/00/1933      N/A                     
        Carlos Paula (Conill)   R/R 6-03 195    11/28/1927      N/A             OF      MLB
        Lew Saum                R/? 6-03 189    00/00/1933      N/A             P       
        Andy Smith              L/? 6-01 200    00/00/1923      N/A                     
        Ray Taylor              L/? 5-09 152    01/10/1915      N/A             2B/Manager      
        Manuel Valdez           R/? 5-10 178    00/00/1933      N/A             3B      
        Mario Varona            R/? 6-04 198    00/00/1926      N/A             P       
        Karl Wilken             ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             GM      
        Ed Yelito               ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A

Hannibal (Missouri) Cardinals

 #      Name                    B/T Ht   Wt     DOB             Organization    Pos
        Roy Albertson           ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Cardinals               
        Jim Allen               L/? 6-01 174    00/00/1934      Cardinals       P       
        Warren Allen            R/? 6-00 160    00/00/1934      Cardinals       P       
        Roy Anderson            ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Cardinals               
        Fred Anthony            ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Cardinals       OF      
        Ervin Armin             ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Cardinals       P       
        Bill Bixler             R/? 6-03 210    00/00/1933      Cardinals       P       
        Bernard Coulter         R/? 5-08 162    00/00/1931      Cardinals       SS      
        Bob Denaro              ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Cardinals       C       
        Earl Dreisbach          R/? 5-10 188    00/00/1933      Cardinals       1B-OF   
        Neil Fiala              ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Cardinals       OF      
        Don Fleisch             L/? 5-10 165    00/00/1934      Cardinals               
        Billy Flurry            R/? 5-11 165    00/00/1932      Cardinals       P       
        Gary Grosnickle         R/? 5-11 193    00/00/1935      Cardinals       C       
        Joseph Guidice          L/? 5-10 200    08/10/1929      Cardinals       OF      
        Dick Gumbert            R/? 6-01 185    01/27/1933      Cardinals       C       
        Nate Haber              L/? 5-05 160    00/00/1930      Cardinals       OF      
        Warren Hancks           L/? 5-10 160    00/00/1932      Cardinals               
        Lawrence Henke          ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Cardinals       P       
        Jerry Hood              L/? 5-11 175    00/00/1930      Cardinals       3B      
        Dan Howard              L/? 6-04 215    00/00/1932      Cardinals               
        Don Hudson              R/? 5-10 170    00/00/1933      Cardinals       OF      
        Charles Keller          L/? 6-00 175    00/00/1933      Cardinals               
        Dick King               ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             President       
        Tince Leonard           L/? 5-10 175    00/00/1917      Cardinals       P/Manager       
        Lotte                   ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Cardinals               
        Gene Lyles              ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Cardinals       C       
        Gerald McGhay           L/? 6-01 178    00/00/1934      Cardinals       P       
        Lynn Merrill            ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Cardinals       P       
        Creed Nance             R/? 5-11 175    00/00/1930      Cardinals       OF      
        Leroy Parmeley          ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Cardinals       OF      
        Danny Pavone            R/? 5-08 170    06/18/1930      Cardinals       SS      
        Jimmy Powell            ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Cardinals               
        Von Price               ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             GM      
        Bill Ross               R/? 5-11 160    02/20/1930      Cardinals       P       
        Sam Scarpone            ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Cardinals               
        Bob Sisk                R/? 6-00 175    00/00/1931      Cardinals       P-O-C   
        Ted Stewart             ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Cardinals               
        Gerald Vance            ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Cardinals               
        Bob Williams            ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Cardinals               
        John Wills              R/? 5-10 150    00/00/1915      Cardinals       P       
        Ed Wilson               ?/? 0-00 000    07/31/1928      Cardinals               
        Forrest Wright          R/? 5-10 165    00/00/1933      Cardinals       P       
        Ed Yelito               ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Cardinals

Mattoon (Illinois) Phillies

 #      Name                    B/T Ht   Wt     DOB             Organization    Pos
        Don Alexander           ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Phillies        P       
        R.W. Alfred             ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             President       
        Bill Bright             L/? 6-00 175    00/00/1932      Phillies        P       
        Bill Chapman            ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             GM      
        Tom Cronin              R/? 6-05 222    00/00/1934      Phillies        P       
        Jim Davis               L/? 6-00 195    00/00/1935      Phillies                
        Jim Deery               R/? 5-11 160    11/03/1921      Phillies        2B/Manager      
        Gene Easterling         R/? 6-00 170    00/00/1932      Phillies        P       
        Al Gabriel              ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Phillies        3B      
        Jim Grubb               R/? 5-11 170    00/00/1929      Phillies                
        Dennis Hamilton         L/? 5-11 170    00/00/1933      Phillies        P       
        Nelson Hoerner          R/? 6-03 183    00/00/1932      Phillies        P       
        Bill Hoffman            ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Phillies                
        Bob Hunter              L/? 6-03 185    00/00/1930      Phillies        OF      
        George Kresina          ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Phillies        P       
        Andrew Lindstrom        ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Phillies        P       
        Bob McGee               L/? 5-10 180    00/00/1932      Phillies        OF      
        Gene Pharr              L/? 6-00 170    00/00/1933      Phillies        1B      
        Marshall Radebach       L/? 6-01 195    00/00/1932      Phillies        OF      
        Kelvin Roberts          L/? 6-01 185    00/00/1934      Phillies        OF      
        John Ruff               ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Phillies        P       
        Lou Shade               R/? 6-01 195    00/00/1932      Phillies        P       
        Alex Sirota             R/? 6-03 175    00/00/1930      Phillies        C       
        John Stillman           R/? 6-02 195    00/00/1931      Phillies        P       
        Don Strichek            R/? 6-01 194    00/00/1934      Phillies        SS      
        Lawrence Tuttle         ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Phillies                
        Bob Vacca               ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Phillies        P       
        Gene Vejsicky           ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Phillies        P       
        Alvin Watkins           ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Phillies        3B      
        Bob Waugh               ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Phillies        P       
        Gerald Weber            R/? 5-11 185    00/00/1935      Phillies                
        Leonard Zeitz           ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      Phillies        P

Mount Vernon (Illinois) Kings

 #      Name                    B/T Ht   Wt     DOB             Organization    Pos
        Garland Barrett         ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A                     
        Elmer Boston            ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A                     
        Milford Bridges         R/? 6-03 175    00/00/1933      N/A             P       
        Bob Brookman            ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             P       
        Paul Corbett            L/? 5-10 155    00/00/1934      N/A             P       
        Willie Cunningham       S/? 5-09 172    00/00/1935      N/A             P       
        Don Eldridge            ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             P       
        Ken Eubanks             ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             C       
        Allen Evans             L/? 5-08 164    00/00/1928      N/A                     
        W.R. Faulkner           ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             President       
        Charles Francis         R/? 6-00 180    00/00/1935      N/A             P       
        Don Gaebe               L/? 6-00 165    00/00/1931      N/A                     
        Jack Garrett            L/? 6-02 165    00/00/1932      N/A             P       
        Charles Henry           R/? 5-11 165    00/00/1928      N/A                     
        Joe Henry               S/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             3B      
        Bob Himmelman           ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             SS      
        Ken Hinton              R/? 6-00 165    00/00/1935      N/A             SS      
        Ken Huffman             ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             P       
        Anthony Laganella       ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             SS      
        Roy Lee                 L/L 6-00 175    09/28/1917      N/A                     MLB
        Marlin Manning          ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             P       
        Dick McAssey            ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A                     
        Jack McQuillen          R/? 5-10 178    00/00/1923      N/A             3-O-P   
        Lowell Mendenhall       R/? 6-01 180    00/00/1935      N/A             OF      
        Dave Parisotto          ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             P-OF    
        Dick Ritzheimer         R/? 5-10 180    00/00/1931      N/A             SS      
        Joel Rolla              ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             P       
        Mike Rolla              R/? 6-01 180    00/00/1918      N/A             P       
        Reuben Saager           ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             P       
        Joe Schmidt             R/? 5-10 185    06/09/1918      N/A             2B/Manager      
        Wayne Skoble            ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             C       
        Nick Starasta           R/? 6-01 185    00/00/1923      N/A             C       
        Dan Stover              ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             OF      
        Rogers Werner           L/? 6-00 160    00/00/1929      N/A

Paris (Illinois) Lakers

 #      Name                    B/T Ht   Wt     DOB             Organization    Pos
        Herb Bracken            R/? 6-03 192    00/00/1919      N/A             P       
        Joe Capachione          L/? 6-00 190    00/00/1931      N/A             C       
        George Case             R/? 6-00 170    00/00/1930      N/A                     
        Paul Crain              ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             SS      
        John Gibbons            ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             President/GM    
        Russ Gilmore            R/? 6-01 185    08/18/1931      N/A                     
        Herold Gordon           R/? 5-09 162    00/00/1928      N/A             P       
        Jim Granneman           S/? 6-02 175    00/00/1923      N/A             2B      
        Don Lewis               L/? 5-11 195    00/00/1927      N/A                     
        Bill Mackinnon          R/? 5-10 180    00/00/1933      N/A             P       
        Leonard Marion          R/? 6-00 185    00/00/1930      N/A             1B      
        Neil Maxa               R/? 6-00 175    00/00/1921      N/A             P       
        Jim Miller              ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             OF      
        Sam Misailedes          ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             P       
        Jim Paolo               L/? 5-09 165    00/00/1930      N/A             P       
        Ken Payne               L/? 5-09 165    00/00/1926      N/A                     
        Wayne Platz             S/? 6-01 180    00/00/1931      N/A                     
        Ed Rouse                R/? 5-10 165    00/00/1929      N/A             3B-OF   
        Larry Rowley            R/? 6-00 175    00/00/1933      N/A             P       
        Bob Sisk                R/? 6-00 175    00/00/1931      N/A             P-O-C   
        Wayne Skoble            ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A             C       
        Quincy Smith            S/? 5-10 171    00/00/1921      N/A             OF-P    
        Bob Staton              R/? 6-01 180    00/00/1925      N/A                     
        Tom Sunkel              L/L 6-01 190    08/09/1912      N/A             Manager MLB
        Don Williams            ?/? 0-00 000    00/00/0000      N/A

If you can help fill the gaps in this information, please drop me a line. Thanks.

Sources

This list was compiled from a number of sources, including those listed below. It was checked against both Pat Doyle's Professional Baseball Player Database and SABR's Minor League Statistics Database. Inevitably, there are errors; those are mine.

The Sporting News Baseball Guide for 1954.
The Baseball Blue Book for 1953.
Programs and scorecard inserts in my collection.

1953 Season

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The Midwest League plays Single-A, professional baseball in America's agricultural and industrial heartland. 14 teams play a 140 game schedule which begins in early April and ends Labor Day weekend.

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