Copyright © Los Angeles Dodgers, Inc.
The 1954 Dodgers
- 1954 Record:
- 92-62, 2nd place
- Postseason:
- None
- Manager:
- Walter Alston
- All-Stars:
- Walter Alston, Mgr.; Roy Campanella, C; Carl Erskine, P; Gil Hodges, 1B; Pee Wee Reese, SS; Jackie Robinson, OF; Duke Snider, OF
- Home Attendance:
- 1,020,581
Season Recap:
1954 Dodgers Yearbook
Copyright © Los Angeles Dodgers, Inc.
New Manager Walter Alston, not the most recognized name in baseball when he took the reins in 1954, guided the Dodgers to a successful 92-62 season, but one in which they finished in second place, five games behind the New York Giants and were eliminated with five days left to play. Alston was a well-schooled organization man who led the Montreal Royals to the “Little World Series” title over the New York Yankees' Kansas City Triple-A farm club in 1953. He had also skippered the Dodgers' St. Paul (MN.) club to the American Association Pennant in 1948. However, for the first time in three seasons, the Dodgers did not win the N.L. Pennant. Center fielder Duke Snider amassed a banner season with a .341 average, 40 home runs, 130 RBI and 120 runs scored. Gil Hodges was equally successful at first base with a .304 average, 42 home runs, 23 doubles and 130 RBI. He also set a major league record with 19 sacrifice flies. Snider and Hodges combined had 82 home runs, 260 RBI and 713 total bases, easily the top combined totals that season by a pair of teammates. Pitching was shaky for the Dodgers with a high 4.31 staff ERA, despite the efforts of reliable right-hander Carl Erskine, who racked up an 18-15 record with 1 save and 166 strikeouts, third best in the league. Billy Loes was 13-5 and reliever Jim Hughes was 8-4 with 24 saves in 60 games pitched. However, after serving two years in the Navy, Don Newcombe didn’t have his good stuff and finished with a 9-8 mark. In his major league debut, left-hander Karl Spooner set a record by fanning 15 batters. He also had two shutouts in his first two major league starts. On Aug. 8, the Dodgers scored 12 runs in the eighth inning after two were out and the bases were empty. Catcher Roy Campanella underwent surgery for the removal of a bone chip in his left wrist on May 4 and, although he returned late that month, he never was able to get out of the starting blocks. Another ailment, this time numbness in his two fingers, hindered the usually consistent Campy and he dropped to a .207 batting average with 19 home runs and 51 RBI, well off his usual totals.
Below are the Dodger Front Office department heads and personnel, plus scouts who worked for Walter O’Malley.
- President:
- Walter O’Malley
- Vice President:
- Emil J. Bavasi
- Vice President:
- Fresco Thompson
- Executive Assistant:
- Leslie MacMitchell
- Business Manager:
- Harold Parrott
- Director of Publicity and Public Relations:
- Frank Graham, Jr.
- Promotions:
- Irving Rudd
- Statistician:
- Allan Roth
- Traveling Secretary:
- Lee Scott
- Director of Minor League Operations:
- Fresco Thompson
- Secretary of Minor League Operations:
- Dick Walsh
- Purchasing Agent:
- Matt Burns
- Chief Scout:
- Andy High
- Manager:
- Walter Alston
- Club Physician:
- Dr. Eugene Zorn
- Scouts:
- John Corriden, Special Assignments; Eastern Division, Ed Blonski, Alex Campanis, John Carey, Joe Cicero, Arthur Dede, Charles Gelbert, Leon Hamilton, Bill Harris, Marty Jones, Buck Lai, John Menzel, Doug Mowry, Greg Mulleavy, Pat Murrow, Bill O'Connor, John Piurek, Howard Ruppen, Mack Schwartz, Joe Thomas, Phil Weinert; Midwestern Division: William P. Schweppe, Supervisor; Cliff Alexander, Duce Belford, Pat Dery, Stan Feezle, Jerry Flathman, West Griffin, Marion McDonald, John Pryor, Henry Schultz, Oscar Siemer, Bert Wells; Western Division: Robert Ripley, Supervisor; Bill Brenzel, Cliff Hathaway, Bob Hughes, Harold Phillips, Charles Smith