=============================================== Baseball Historian

Dick Sisler is the son of hitting legend George Sisler, a member of the Hall of Fame

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Their assault on the National League citadel held by Brooklyn still was led by the peerless pitching twosome of Robin Roberts and Curt Simmons, who fell short of expectations in 1953. Roberts, aiming at 30 victories, was stopped short at 23-16. Simmons posted a 16-13 tabulation. Their combined records of 39-29 were hardly enough for pennant purposes.

Robin Roberts started 41 games, completed an amazing total of 33, hurled 5 shutouts in 347 innings, and picked up 2 saves. Jim Konstanty, fireman hero of the 1951 champions, finished at 14-10, Steve Ridzik had 9-6, and Karl Drews, was 9-10.

Willie Jones was only a .225 batsman at third base. Granny Hamner, shifted to second from short, batted .276. His shortstop replacement, 20-year-old Ted Kazanski, a flashy fielder, batted only .217. Neither veteran Earl Torgeson nor veteran Ed Waitkus at first base was a ball of fire. Ashburn paced the outfield with a classy .330 average sand his 205 hits were high in the league. Ennis plodded along with a .285 mark and a highly respectable 125 RBIs, including 19 homers. Smoky Burgess and Stan Lopata gave the Phils only ordinary performance back at the plate."

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End of the 1954 Season Review:

From baseballhistorian.com - Archives -

The Phillies, led by mound stalwart Robin Roberts' 23 victories, won a furious battle for the last first division slot, finishing the '54 season in fourth place in the then eight team National League. The team went 75-79. Robin Roberts was once again the most dominate pitcher in the NL, leading the league in wins, strikeouts (185), innings (337) and complete games with 29.

The club's opening day manager, Steve O'Neill, who led the club to a 40-37 start, was replaced by new-manager Terry Moore.

Center-fielder Richie Ashburn led the team with .313... Del Ennis led the team with 25 homers and in RBIs with 119. SS Granny Hamner hit .299, lined 13 homers, 89 RBIs... Willie "Puddinhead" Jones hit .271, 12 HR, 56 RBIs... Bobby Morgan hit .262, 14 HR, 50 RBIs... Danny Schell hit .283, with 7 HR... First Baseman Earl Torgeson hit .271... and Catchers Smoky Burgess hit .368 in 108 games, Stan Lopata .290, 14 HR, 42 RBIs in 86 games... Johnny Wyrostek hit .239, 28 RBIs in 92 games... Mel Clark hit .240 in 83 games... Ted Kazanski .135 in 39 games...

Pitchers - Robin Roberts 23-15, .297 ERA... Herm Wehmeier 10-8, 3.85 ERA... Curt Simmons 14-15, 2.81 ERA... Bob Miller 7-9, 4.56 ERA... Steve Ridzik 4-5, 4.13 ERA in 35 games ... Jim Konstanty 2-3, 3.75 ERA in 33 games... Ron Mrozinski 1-1, 4.50 ERA in 15 games... Paul Penson 1-1, 4.50 ERA.

One of the baseball's first bonus babies, the left-handed Simmons created sensational headline news when at age 21 in 1950 for the Philadelphia Phillies he helped lead them to their first pennant in 35 years by going 17-8, 3.40 ERA. However, with only a few weeks left in the season he was called into the Army Reserves and missed the World Series.

Returning to the Phillies after serving in the reserves - In '52, the hard-throwing curve ball specialist went 14-8, 2.82 ERA... in '53 he was 16-13, 3.21 ERA... in '54, he was 14-15, 281 ERA... suffered arm problems in '55 but bounced back with 15-10, 3.36 ERA in '56. In May of 1960, plagued by a sore arm, the three-time All-Star, was unconditionally released by the Phillies. He then signed with the St. Louis Cardinals and by 1963 was one of the team's mainstays. In '63, Simmons posted a 15-9, 2.48 ERA and helped the Cardinals win the NL pennant in '64 with a 18-9, 3.43 ERA. In a career spanning 21 years, Curt Simmons was 193-183, ERA of 3.54, Started 461 Games, 163 GC, only 3313 hits in 3348.3 innings, 1697 strikeouts, 1063 walks, an .259 op/bat/average.

A clutch, long-ball hitter, Willie Jones was the top fielding third baseman during the 1950s. Playing with the Philadelphia Phillies, six times he hit over 20 doubles, nine times over 10 home runs, while setting a record for the most straight seasons leading NL third basemen in fielding percentage - 1953-1958 and he led the league seven seasons in putouts, and twice in assists and double plays during his 12 full years in the majors. And, his 2,045 career putouts are 10th highest in baseball history - as we enter year 2000.

And, he struck out just 541 times, while drawing 755 life-time walks.

Jones spent three years proudly serving in the US Navy, then played in Terre Haute, Utica and Toronto (minors) and scouting reports compared him defensively with Hall of Fame third baseman Pie Traynor... and Traynor even stated he though Jones was better.

Whether it was his fun-sounding nickname that he picked up from the 1930s song - 'Wooden Head, Puddin' Head Jones - or his dramatic game-winning hitting, he was a popular player with baseball's young fans. In his first full big-league season, 1949, Jones, then just 23-years old, lined 4 doubles in one game against the Boston Braves, and later in the season powered a homer and a triple in the same inning.

An All-Star selection in 1950 when he was capturing the attention of the nation's fans with game-winning homers, including a three-run, 9th-inning blast that beat Brooklyn and helped propel Philadelphia's 'Whiz Kids' to the World Series. In this season, Puddinhead Jones hit 28 doubles, 6 triples, 25 homers, and reached career-highs with 100 Runs and 88 RBIs. And, in a losing cause in the 1950 World Series, he batted .286.

Willie Puddin' Head Jones career stats: .258 BA, 252Ds, 33Ts, 190 Hr, 786 Runs, 812 RBIs, 1,502 hits in 5,826 at-bats,

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