1953 California League season
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| 1953 California League season | |
|---|---|
| League | California League |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | April 17 – September 7 |
| Number of games | 140 |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| Regular season | |
| League champions | San Jose Red Sox |
| Season MVP | Tex Clevenger, San Jose Red Sox |
| Playoffs | |
| League champions | San Jose Red Sox |
| Runners-up | Stockton Ports |
The 1953 California League was a Class C baseball season played between April 17 and September 7. Eight teams played a 140-game schedule, as the top four teams qualified for the playoffs.
The San Jose Red Sox won the California League championship, defeating the Stockton Ports in the final round of the playoffs.
- The Bakersfield Indians ended their affiliation with the Cleveland Indians and began a new affiliation with the Detroit Tigers.
- The Modesto Reds ended their affiliation with the Pittsburgh Pirates and began a new affiliation with the Milwaukee Braves.
- The Stockton Ports ended their affiliation with the St. Louis Browns and began a new affiliation with the Chicago Cubs.
- The Ventura Braves ended their affiliation with the Boston Braves. The club was renamed to the Ventura Oilers.
- The Visalia Cubs ended their affiliation with the Chicago Cubs. The club was renamed to the Visalia Stars.
Teams
Map of teams
Regular season
Summary
- The San Jose Red Sox finished with the best record in the regular season for the first time since in team history.
Standings
| California League | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Win | Loss | % | GB |
| San Jose Red Sox | 93 | 47 | .664 | – |
| Bakersfield Indians | 75 | 65 | .536 | 18 |
| Santa Barbara Dodgers | 74 | 66 | .529 | 19 |
| Stockton Ports | 72 | 68 | .514 | 21 |
| Visalia Stars | 67 | 73 | .479 | 26 |
| Fresno Cardinals | 64 | 77 | .454 | 29.5 |
| Modesto Reds | 64 | 77 | .454 | 29.5 |
| Ventura Oilers | 52 | 88 | .371 | 41 |
League Leaders
Batting leaders
Pitching leaders
Playoffs
- The San Jose Red Sox won their second California League championship, defeating the Stockton Ports in six games.
Playoff bracket
| Semi-finals | Finals | ||||||||
| 1 | San Jose | 3 | |||||||
| 3 | Santa Barbara | 0 | |||||||
| 1 | San Jose | 4 | |||||||
| 4 | Stockton | 2 | |||||||
| 2 | Bakersfield | 0 | |||||||
| 4 | Stockton | 3 | |||||||
Awards
| California League awards | |
|---|---|
| Award name | Recipient |
| Most Valuable Player | Tex Clevenger, San Jose Red Sox |