Wagner 1896 and later converted Babe Ruth from pitcher to outfielder, also signing contracts with Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Lefty Gomez, Tony Lazzeri and Red Ruffing; as business/general manager and club president, oversaw the New York Yankees' dynasty that captured 14 American League pennants and 10 World Series championships from 1921 to 1945, including five Series sweeps; earlier, served as field manager of 1903–1904 Detroit Tigers and 1918–1920 Boston Red Sox, leading 1918 Bosox to world championship December 17 – Walt Devoy, 68, multi-sport athlete who played right field for the 1903 St. Louis Browns, playing also in the St. Louis Soccer League, where he later was an executive for the Ben Millers December 17 – Walt Devoy, 68, multi-sport athlete who played right field for the 1903 St. Louis Browns, playing also in the St. Louis Soccer League, where he later was an executive for the Ben Millers FC. December 17 – Lou McEvoy, 51, who made 34 pitching appearances for the New York Yankees from 1931-32. December 24 – Pinch Thomas, 65, backup catcher whose nickname reflects his pinch-hitting abilities, as he posted a batting average of .419 (13-for-31) for the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians from 1912 to 1921, while earning four World Series titles with Boston (1912; 1915–16) and Cleveland (1920). December 25 – Patsy Donovan, 88, Irish-American right fielder and manager who played for several teams over 17 years spanning 1890–1907, while managing five teams in 11 seasons from 1897–1911, collecting a .301 batting career average of .301 with 2,253 hits and 518 stolen bases, and a managerial record of 684–879 (.438). Sources External links Baseball Reference – 1953 MLB season summary Baseball Reference – MLB Players born in 1953 Baseball Reference – MLB Players died in 1953