Minneapolis Millers Game by Game Results: 1951-1960

Minneapolis Millers - Compiled by Stew Thornley

1953 - American Association, 76-78, 5th place - Standings, statistics, and notes follow game-by-game results

Manager: Frank "Chick" Genovese-Jake Early-Fred Fitzsimmons

*Scheduled for seven innings

Date

Opponent

Outcome

Record

Notes

W 4/15

at Kansas City Blues

W 13-12 (10)

1-0

Winning pitcher-Adrian Zabala 1-0. Temperature was 47 degrees at gametime and dropped as snow flurries started in the 3rd. Winds listed as 35 miles per hour with gusts to 66. Millers scored 6 in the 1st inning and had 8-0 lead after 1-1/2 innings. Bill Taylor opened the 10th with his 4th hit, starting a 2-run rally. Chuck Diering had 5 hits, including 2 doubles.

Th 4/16

at Kansas City

W 16-6

2-0

WP-Pete Modica 1-0. Millers score 8 runs in the 1st. Clint Hartung homered as did starting pitcher Tony West.

F 4/17

at Kansas City, cold

Sa 4/18

at Louisville Colonels, snow

Su 4/19-1

at Louisville

L 4-7

2-1

Losing pitcher-Al Worthington 0-1.

*Su 4/19-2

at Louisville

L 6-7

2-2

LP-Mario Picone 0-1.

T 4/21

Louisville

L 12-14

2-3

LP-West 0-1.

W 4/22

Louisville

L 10-19

2-4

LP-Picone 0-2. Jake Early will manage team through Sunday as Chick Genovese's dad dies.

Th 4/23

Kansas City

L 4-10

2-5

LP-Dick Libby 0-1

F 4/24

Kansas City, wet grounds

Sa 4/25

at St. Paul Saints, rain and snow

Su 4/26

St. Paul

W 5-3

3-5

WP-Harry Nicholas 1-0.

M 4/27

at St. Paul

L 4-5

3-6

LP-Modica 1-1.

Tu 4/28

St. Paul

L 1-6

3-7

LP-West 0-2.

Th 4/30

at Columbus Red Birds

L 2-5

3-8

LP-Nicholas 1-1. Minneapolis pitchers walk 16 batters.

F 5/1

at Columbus

W 8-1

4-8

WP-Picone 1-2.

Sa 5/2

at Charleston Senators

L 5-8

4-9

LP-Libby 0-2. Millers give up 8 walks and make 4 errors.

*Su 5/3-1

at Charleston

L 2-3

4-10

LP-West 0-3. Jack Cassini's 2-run homer in the top of the 7th wins game for Senators.

Su 5/3-2

at Charleston

L 0-3

4-11

LP-Fred Sherkel 0-1.

M 5/4

at Indianapolis Indians, rain

Tu 5/5

at Indianapolis

W 10-4

5-11

WP-Picone 2-2.

W 5/6

at Toledo Sox

W 3-1 (13)

6-11

WP-Worthington 1-1.

Toledo got a team again when the Milwaukee Brewers, displaced by the move of the National League Boston Braves to Milwaukee, moved to Toledo. The new Toledo team took the name Glass Sox (Glass for the city's leading industry and Sox as a nickname long associated with baseball). The name did not go over well with the fans, players, and media (the Toledo city council even passed a resolution asking that the name be reconsidered), so the team dropped the "Glass" and became the Toledo Sox.

Th 5/7

at Toledo, rain

Sa 5/9

Charleston

L 5-6

6-12

LP-Zabala 1-1.

Su 5/10-1

Charleston

W 12-11

7-12

WP-Nicholas 2-1.

*Su 5/10-2

Charleston

W 6-1

8-12

WP-Sherkel 1-1.

M 5/11

Columbus

L 0-3 (10)

8-13

LP-Worthington 1-2.

Tu 5/12

Columbus, rain and cold

W 5/13

Columbus

W 4-2

9-13

WP-West 1-3.

Th 5/14

Indianapolis

L 2-7

9-14

LP-Nicholas 2-2.

Sa 5/16

Toledo

L 5-7 (11)

9-15

LP-Zabala 1-2. Millers leave 16 runners on base and drop to last place. The Millers had runners in scoring position in every inning except the 9th but could score in only 1 of the innings. Millers had 13 hits, only 1 for extra bases. Down by 2, Millers load the bases with 1 out in the 11th. Nicholas pinch hits and grounds into 1-2-3 double play to end the game.

Su 5/17-1

Toledo

W 3-2

10-15

WP-Worthington 2-2.

*Su 5/17-2

Toledo

L 1-5

10-16

LP-Picone 2-3.

M 5/18

at Louisville

L 2-5

10-17

LP-West 1-4.

Tu 5/19

at Louisville

W 9-3

11-17

WP-Libby 1-2.

W 5/20

at Louisville

W 3-1

12-17

WP-Worthington 3-2. Chuck Diering and Bill Taylor hit back-to-back homers in the 9th to break a 1-1 tie.

*Th 5/21-1

at Kansas City

L 2-4

12-18

LP-West 1-5.

Th 5/21-2

at Kansas City

L 1-4 (7, rain)

12-19

LP-Picone 2-4.

F 5/22

at Kansas City

L 3-6

12-20

LP-Nicholas 2-3. Millers get George Wilson, a powerful left-handed hitter and a "Nicollet Park pest" when he was with Louisville, from the Giants.

Sa 5/23

Kansas City

L 2-4

12-21

LP-West 1-6.

Su 5/24-1

Kansas City

W 6-2

13-21

WP-Worthington 4-2.

*Su 5/24-2

Kansas City

W 4-3

14-21

WP-Picone 3-4.

M 5/25

Louisville

W 3-2

15-21

WP-Libby 2-2.

Tu 5/26

Louisville

W 8-5

16-21

WP-Zabala 2-2.

W 5/27

Louisville

L 8-11

16-22

LP-Bud Byerly 0-1.

Th 5/28

at St. Paul

L 1-3

16-23

LP-Worthington 4-3.

F 5/29

at St. Paul

L 2-6

16-24

LP-Picone 3-5.

Sa 5/30 a.m.

St. Paul

L 9-12

16-2

LP-Nicholas 2-4.

Sa 5/30 p.m.

at St. Paul

L 7-9

16-26

LP-Libby 2-3

Su 5/31

St. Paul

L 9-10

16-27

LP-Les Klesitz 0-1.

M 6/1

at Toledo

L 3-4

16-28

LP-George Spencer 0-1.

Tu 6/2

at Toledo

L 2-3

16-29

LP-Picone 3-6.

W 6/3

at Toledo

L 2-12

16-20

LP-Libby 2-4.

Th 6/4

at Toledo

L 6-7

16-31

LP-Libby 2-5. 10th straight loss.

*F 6/5-1

at Indianapolis

W 3-2

17-31

WP-Worthington 5-3. Worthington pitches 6-hitter to break losing streak. Ronnie Samford's 2-run homer in the 5th puts Millers ahead 3-2.

F 6/5-2

at Indianapolis

L 5-7

17-32

LP-Spencer 0-2. Wally Post wins game for Indianapolis with a 3-run homer off Spencer with 1 out in the last of the 9th.

Sa 6/6

at Indianapolis

W 10-3

18-32

WP-Byerly 1-1. Genovese fired. Jake Early takes over until Fred Fitzsimmons arrives to take over as manager on Monday. Fitzsimmons had been a coach for the New York Giants.

Su 6/7-1

at Columbus

W 4-1

19-32

WP-Nicholas 3-4.

*Su 6/7-2

at Columbus

W 4-3

20-32

WP-Libby 3-5. Millers go 3-0 under Early (not counting the games he managed in place of Genovese after Genovese's dad died in April).

M 6/8

at Columbus

W 7-3

21-32

WP-Spencer 1-2. Fitzsimmons manages first game for the Millers.

Tu 6/9

at Charleston, rain

W 6/10

at Charleston, rain

F 6/12

Toledo

W 7-6

22-32

WP-Worthington 6-3. Millers score all 7 runs in the 4th. Samford gets 4 hits, including 2 doubles.

Sa 6/13

Toledo

W 8-7

23-32

WP-Byerly 2-1.

Su 6/14-1

Indianapolis

W 11-0

24-32

WP-Picone 4-6. Picone has a no-hitter until 2 out in the 9th until Jack Baumer singles. Millers score 8 in the 3rd inning, which includes 2 long home runs by Clint Hartung. The first, estimated at 438 feet, hit Lake Street on one bounce. The second was 425 feet over the old scoreboard in center, the first in the history of Nicollet Park to be hit over the 45-foot barrier in center.

*Su 6/14-2

Indianapolis

L 3-5

24-33

LP-Nicholas 3-5. Hartung hits a 2-run homer, but it is offset by home runs by Wally Post and Jim Lemon, the latter's described as an "unbelievable poke" to the fire escape in left-center.

M 6/15

Indianapolis

L 2-8

24-34

LP-Spencer 1-3. Lemon hits 2 more long home runs, along with a double, for Indianapolis. In pre-game ceremonies, Jake Early tried to catch a ball dropped from a helicopter but the ball was dropped too far from him.

Tu 6/16

Columbus

W 5-2

25-34

WP-Worthington 7-3.

*W 6/17-1

Columbus

L 3-5

25-35

LP-Sherkel 1-2.

W 6/17-2

Columbus

W 9-6

26-35

WP-Byerly 3-1.

Th 6/18

Charleston

L 3-12

26-36

LP-Nicholas 3-6.

F 6/19

Charleston, rain

Sa 6/20

at Kansas City

W 8-3

27-36

WP-Picone 5-6.

Su 6/21-1

at Kansas City

L 5-6

27-37

LP-Worthington 7-4.

*Su 6/21-2

at Kansas City

L 6-7

27-38

LP-Spencer 1-4.

M 6/22

at Kansas City

W 5-4

28-38

WP-Byerly 4-1.

Tu 6/23

at Louisville

W 7-3

29-38

WP-Spencer 2-4.

*W 6/24-1

at Louisville

L 1-2

29-39

LP-Nicholas 3-7.

W 6/24-2

at Louisville

W 5-4

30-39

WP-Worthington 8-4.

Th 6/25

at Louisville

L 3-5

30-40

LP-Zabala 2-3.

F 6/26

Kansas City

L 4-6

30-41

LP-Worthington 8-5.

Sa 6/27

Kansas City

W 6-1

31-41

WP-Byerly 5-1. 7-hitter by Byerly who gives up a 3rd-inning homer to Vic Power for the only run for the Blues. Hartung gets 5 hits, including his 12th home run of the year.

Su 6/28-1

Kansas City

W 15-5

32-41

WP-Picone 6-6. Wilson hits 3 homers in successive innings, 6th, 7th, 8th. Hartung gets 2 walks, a single, double, home run, and is hit by a pitch to give him 9 consecutive plate appearances in which he reached base safely over 2 games.

*6/28-2

Kansas City

L 2-7

32-42

LP-Nicholas 3-8.

M 6/29

Louisville

L 9-11

32-43

LP-Nicholas 3-9.

Tu 6/30

Louisville

W 5-2

33-43

WP-Worthington 9-5.

W 7/1

Louisville

L 2-5

33-44

LP-Libby 3-6.

Th 7/2

St. Paul

W 12-5

34-44

WP-Byerly 6-1. Byerly wins despite giving up 16 hits, including 5 home runs; one was the 23rd home run of the season for St. Paul's Don Zimmer.

F 7/3

St. Paul

L 12-13

34-45

LP-Spencer 2-5. Millers make 5 errors, which lead to 11 unearned runs. The Millers were down 11-4 but scored 4 runs each in the 8th and 9th innings for a 12-11 lead. With 2 out in the top of the 9th, St. Paul had Dixie Howell on 3rd and Gino Cimoli on first. Zikfert “Zig” Jasinski dropped a pop up, allowing Howell to score the tying run. Zimmer's single then scored Cimoli.

Sa 7/4 a.m.

at St. Paul

W 10-4

35-45

WP-Nicholas 4-9.

Sa 7/4 p.m.

St. Paul

W 9-8

36-45

WP-Picone 7-6. With the Millers behind 8-7 with 2 out and nobody on in the last of the 9th, Hartung, who had homered in the morning game, walked. Ray Katt lifted a fly to right that was caught by the breeze. As it came down the ball scraped the screen under the grandstand roof for a game-winning home run.

Su 7/5

at St. Paul

W 5-4

37-45

WP-Frank Hiller 1-0.

Tu 7/7

at Charleston

L 0-1

37-46

LP-Byerly 6-2. Millers sell Jasinski to Tulsa in the Texas League. Jasinski came to Minneapolis with a reputation as a great-fielding shortstop but made 28 errors in 77 games with the Millers.

W 7/8

at Charleston

W 5-1

38-46

WP-Picone 8-6. Hartung leaves team to go to Texas, where his dad had a heart attack.

Th 7/9

at Columbus

L 3-4

38-47

LP-Zabala 2-4.

F 7/10

at Columbus

W 8-6 (12)

39-47

WP-Sherkel 2-2.

Sa 7/11

at Toledo

L 0-7

39-48

LP-Hiller 1-1.

Su 7/12

at Toledo

L 5-6

39-49

LP-Spencer 2-6.

M 7/13

at Indianapolis

W 8-7

40-49

WP-Hiller 2-1.

Tu 7/14

at Indianapolis

L 1-3

40-50

LP-Bill Connelly 0-1. Hartung back with the Millers.

W 7/15

at Indianapolis

W 6-4 (13)

41-50

WP-Picone 9-6.

Th 7/16

St. Paul

W 1-0

42-50

WP-Nicholas 3-9.

F 7/17

St. Paul, rain

Sa 7/18

Columbus

W 5-2

43-50

WP-Hiller 3-1.

Su 7/19-1

Columbus

W 8-6

44-50

WP-Picone 10-6.

*Su 7/19-2

Columbus

L 7-10

44-51

LP-Connelly 0-2.

M 7/20

at Sioux City Soos (ex.)

W 7-2

WP-Zabala.

*Tu 7/21-1

Charleston

W 5-4

45-51

WP-Libby 4-6.

Tu 7/21-2

Charleston

W 6-2

46-51

WP-Byerly 7-2.

W 7/22

Charleston

W 9-2

47-51

WP-Nicholas 6-9.

Th 7/23

Charleston

L 1-4

47-52

LP-Hiller 3-2.

F 7/24

Toledo

W 9-5

48-52

WP-Sherkel 3-2.

Sa 7/25

Toledo

W 9-4

49-52

WP-Picone 11-6. Picone strikes out 12. Wilson hits 3 home runs (and a single and a double) and drives in 7 runs. Wilson has 22 home runs, tied for second in the league with Indianapolis's Wally Post, one behind St. Paul's Don Zimmer, who is out for the season after being beaned. Katt, playing with a broken toe, also homers.

Su 7/26-1

Toledo, rain

*Su 7/26-2

Toledo, rain

*M 7/27-1

Toledo

L 4-6 (8)

49-53

LP-Nicholas 6-10. Wilson homers.

M 7/27-2

Toledo

L 1-6

49-54

LP-Byerly 7-3. Wilson hits 24th home run.

Tu 7/28

Indianapolis

W 12-5

50-54

WP-Hiller 4-2. Wilson hits 25th home run. Claude Corbitt hits grand slam.

*W 7/29-1

Indianapolis

L 3-4

50-55

LP-Spencer 2-7.

W 7/29-1

Indianapolis

L 7-9

50-56

LP-Nicholas 6-11.

Th 7/30

Indianapolis

W 5-4 (10)

51-56

WP-Picone 12-6. Wilson homers with no out in the 10th for 5-4 win. Wilson has 26 home runs and 69 RBIs in the last 42 games.

F 7/31

Indianapolis

W 5-4

52-56

WP-Byerly 8-3. Byerly and Indianapolis's Sam Jones strike out 9 straight batters in the 2nd and 3rd innings. Byerly struck out 11 in the game.

Sa 8/1

at Charleston

W 3-2 (10)

53-56

WP-Sherkel 4-2.

Su 8/2

at Charleston

L 2-3

53-57

LP-Connelly -3.

M 8/3

at Charleston, rain

*Tu 8/4-1

at Charleston

W 4-1

54-57

WP-Bob Giddens 1-0.

Tu 8/4-2

at Charleston

W 7-5

55-57

WP-Sherkel 5-2.

*W 8/5-1

at Charleston

W 4-2 (12)

56-57

WP-Zabala 3-4.

W 8/5-2

at Charleston

L 1-2 (6)

56-58

LP-Hiller 4-3. Called to allow Minneapolis to catch train.

Th 8/6

at Columbus

W 6-4

57-58

WP-Nicholas 7-11.

F 8/7

at Columbus

W 6-0

58-58

WP-Connelly 1-3. 4-hitter by Connelly.

Sa 8/8

at Columbus

W 10-3

59-58

WP-Zabala 4-4. Wilson homers (27).

Su 8/9

at Columbus

W 8-1

60-58

WP-Byerly 9-3. Wilson homers (28).

M 8/10

at Indianapolis

W 3-0

61-58

WP-Picone 13-6. 3-hitter by Picone for his 10th straight win.

Tu 8/11

at Indianapolis

L 3-8

61-59

LP-Hiller 4-4. Post homers to tie Wilson for the league lead with 28 homers.

W 8/12

at Indianapolis

L 2-3 (14)

61-60

LP-Zabala 4-5.

Th 8/13

at Indianapolis

L 2-5

61-61

LP-Spencer 2-8.

F 8/14

at Toledo

L 4-5

61-62

LP-Zabala 4-6. Mud Hens score 4 in the last of the 9th.

Sa 8/15

at Toledo

L 1-10

61-63

LP-Sherkel 5-3.

Su 8/16-1

at Toledo

W 11-6

62-63

WP-Zabala 5-6.

*Su 8/16-2

at Toledo

W 4-0

62-63

WP-Hiller 5-4.

Tu 8/18

at St. Paul

L 1-2

63-64

LP-Connelly 1-4. St. Paul's Ray Moore pitches a 1-hitter (4th-inning double by Katt), strikes out 18, and drives in Gino Cimoli with the winning run with 1 out in the last of the 9th.

W 8/19

St. Paul

W 5-4

64-64

WP-Byerly 10-3.

Th 8/20

at St. Paul

L 1-4

64-65

LP-Hiller 5-5.

F 8/21

St. Paul

W 9-5

65-65

WP-Sherkel 5-4.

Sa 8/22

Indianapolis

L 6-8

65-66

LP-Picone 13-7.

Su 8/23

Indianapolis

W 12-5

66-66

WP-Connelly 2-4.

M 8/24

Toledo

L 6-12

66-67

LP-Byerly 10-4. Foster Castleman makes debut after having knee surgery during spring training.

Tu 8/25

Toledo

W 5-4

67-67

WP-Spencer 3-8. Wilson hits a grand slam (32nd home run).

W 8/26

Charleston

W 6-5

68-67

WP-Sherkel 6-4.

Th 8/27

Charleston

W 11-5

69-67

WP-Spencer 4-8.

F 8/28

Charleston

W 9-4

70-67

WP-Connelly 3-4.

Sa 8/29

Columbus

L 1-9

70-68

LP-Byerly 10-5.

Su 8/30-1

Columbus

W 7-5

71-68

WP-Spencer 5-8.

*Su 8/30-2

Columbus

L 0-3

71-69

LP-Giddens 1-1.

M 8/31

at Louisville

L 1-5

71-70

LP-Picone 13-8.

Tu 9/1

at Louisville

L 2-5

71-71

LP-Nicholas 7-12.

Th 9/3

at Kansas City, rain

F 9/4-1

at Kansas City

W 9-8

71-72

WP-Connelly 4-4. Millers carry 9-3 lead into the last of the 9th, then hang on for a 9-8 win.

F 9/4-2

at Kansas City

L 4-5

71-73

LP-Byerly 10-6. Trailing 4-1, Blues rally for 4 in the last of the 8th. Both games were 9 innings (first game a twilight game, second a night game).

Su 9/6

at St. Paul

W 7-1

72-73

WP-Hiller 6-5.

M 9/7 a.m.

St. Paul

W 6-4

73-73

WP-Picone 14-8.

M 9/7 p.m.

at St. Paul

L 2-5

73-74

LP-Giddens 1-2.

Tu 9/8

at St. Paul

L 1-2

73-75

LP-Nicholas 7-13. Ray Moore strikes out 13 batters.

*Th 9/10-1

Kansas City

L 2-14

73-76

LP-Byerly 10-7.

Th 9/10-2

Kansas City

W 8-6

74-76

WP-Spencer 6-8.

F 9/11

Kansas City

L 8-13

74-77

LP-Hiller 6-6.

Sa 9/12

Louisville

W 11-9 (10)

75-77

WP-Spencer 7-8.

Su 9/13-1

Louisville

W 5-4 (10)

76-77

WP-Sherkel 7-4.

*Su 9/13-2

Louisville

L 4-6 (11)

76-78

LP-Hartung 0-1. Hartung pitches all 11 innings, homers to tie the game in the 7th but gives up 2 homers in the 11th.

Manager

Toledo

Tommy Holmes-George Selkirk

Kansas City

Harry Craft

Louisville

Mike "Pinky" Higgins

Indianapolis

Birdie Tebbetts

Minneapolis

Frank "Chick" Genovese-Jake Early-Fred Fitzsimmons

St. Paul

Clay Bryant

Columbus

John Keane

Charleston

Joe Becker

Statistics

Player

Games

Batting Average

Home Runs

Runs Batted In

Position

Foster Castleman

.368

Ray Katt

114

.326

Rance Pless

152

.322

Chuck Diering

152

.322

George Wilson

118

.315

Rafael “Ray” Noble

.306

Amado “Chico” Ibanez

.289

2b-3b

Ray Berns

.283

Ronnie Samford

143

.280

2b-ss

Clint Hartung

120

.276

of-p

Joe Bracchitta

110

.259

1b-of

Marv Blaylock

.256

Zikfert “Zig” Jasinski

.230

Bill Taylor

.223

Johnny Kropf^*

113

.214

Jake Early

.209

Claude Corbitt

.189

Pitcher

ERA

Adrian Zabala

2.78

Al Worthington

118

2.90

Frank Hiller

3.64

Fred Sherkel

4.04

George Spencer

119

4.31

Eldred “Bud” Byerly^*

159

4.36

Harry Nicholas

161

4.53

Mario Picone

211

4.99

Bill Connelly

5.18

Dick Libby

7.43

Pete Modica

Bob Giddens

Tony West

Robert Giddings

Clint Hartung

Les Klesitz

Jake Schmitt

*Kropf’s statistics include games played with Charleston in 1953, and Byerly’s include games with St. Paul.

George Wilson led the American Association with 34 home runs.