1953 MLB Season

As originally written by Tim Brulia:

OK. This is going to be an ambitious project.

Courtesy of the generosity of the Godfather of Sportscasting, jtgrace1, this is the first installment of the history of Major League Baseball on network and national cable TV.

We start with 1953, the first year of national network telecasts.

A couple of notes:

ABC would be the first network to televise regular season baseball. They were able to televise from three cities, all AL clubs; Cleveland, Chicago and Philadelphia. No National League games were to be televised, but for a late season schedule change.

NBC had the "Classics", Mid-Summer (All-Star Game) and Fall (World Series), courtesy of the Gillette Safety Razor Company.

MAY

Saturday 5/30:

Indians-White Sox, 2:30, ABC. Dizzy Dean, Buddy Blattner

JUNE

Saturday 6/6:

Yankees-White Sox, 2:30, ABC. Dizzy Dean, Buddy Blattner

Saturday 6/13:

Yankees-Indians, 2:00, ABC. Dizzy Dean, Buddy Blattner

Saturday 6/20:

White Sox-Athletics, 2:00, ABC. Dizzy Dean, Buddy Blattner

Saturday 6/27:

Browns-Athletics, 2:00, ABC. Dizzy Dean, Buddy Blattner

JULY

Saturday 7/4:

Tigers-Indians, 2:00, ABC. Dizzy Dean, Buddy Blattner

Saturday 7/11:

Indians-White Sox, 2:30, ABC. Dizzy Dean, Buddy Blattner

Tuesday 7/14:

Baseball All-Star Game from Cincinnati:

American-National, 2:15, NBC. Jack Brickhouse, Mel Allen

Saturday 7/18:

Athletics-Indians, 2:00, ABC. Dizzy Dean, Buddy Blattner

Saturday 7/25:

Athletics-White Sox, 2:30, ABC. Dizzy Dean, Buddy Blattner

AUGUST

Saturday 8/1:

Indians-Athletics, 2:00, ABC. Dizzy Dean, Buddy Blattner

Saturday 8/8:

Tigers-Athletics, 2:00, ABC. Dizzy Dean, Buddy Blattner

Saturday 8/15:

Yankees-Athletics, 2:00, ABC. Dizzy Dean, Buddy Blattner

Saturday 8/22:

Tigers-White Sox, 2:30, ABC. Dizzy Dean, Buddy Blattner

Saturday 8/29:

Yankees-Indians, 2:00, ABC. Dizzy Dean, Buddy Blattner

SEPTEMBER

Saturday 9/12:

White Sox-Athletics, 2:00, ABC. Dizzy Dean, Buddy Blattner

Saturday 9/19:

Phillies-Dodgers, 1:00, ABC. Dizzy Dean, Buddy Blattner

Saturday 9/26:

Tigers-Indians, 2:00, ABC. Dizzy Dean, Buddy Blattner

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WORLD SERIES

Wednesday 9/30:

Game 1, Dodgers-Yankees, 1:00, NBC. Mel Allen, Vin Scully

Thursday 10/1:

Game 2, Dodgers-Yankees, 1:00, NBC. Mel Allen, Vin Scully

Friday 10/2:

Game 3, Yankees-Dodgers, 1:00, NBC. Vin Scully, Mel Allen

Saturday 10/3:

Game 4, Yankees-Dodgers, 1:00, NBC. Vin Scully, Mel Allen

Sunday 10/4:

Game 5, Yankees-Dodgers, 2:00, NBC. Vin Scully, Mel Allen

Monday 10/5:

Game 6, Dodgers-Yankees, 1:00, NBC. Mel Allen, Vin Scully

Notes:

ABC was to have televised the 4/13 Yankees-Senators season opener, but the game was rained out.

WOR-New York, WPIX-New York and WABD-New York also provided coverage, using the NBC feed.