1955 in baseball

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
See also: 1955 Major League Baseball season and 1955 Nippon Professional Baseball season

The following are the baseball events of the year 1955 throughout the world.

List of years in baseball
  • … 1945
  • 1946
  • 1947
  • 1948
  • 1949
  • 1950
  • 1951
  • 1952
  • 1953
  • 1954
  • 1955
  • 1956
  • 1957
  • 1958
  • 1959
  • 1960
  • 1961
  • 1962
  • 1963
  • 1964
  • 1965 …

Champions[]

Major League Baseball[]

  • World Series: Brooklyn Dodgers over New York Yankees (4-3); Johnny Podres, MVP
  • All-Star Game, July 12 at County Stadium: National League, 6-5 (12 innings)

Other champions[]

Winter Leagues

Awards and honors[]

  • Baseball Hall of Fame
  • Most Valuable Player
    • American League: Yogi Berra, New York Yankees
    • National League: Roy Campanella, Brooklyn Dodgers
  • Rookie of the Year
    • American League: Herb Score, Cleveland Indians
    • National League: Bill Virdon, St. Louis Cardinals

MLB statistical leaders[]

American League National League
AVG Al Kaline DET .340 Richie Ashburn PHI .338
HR Mickey Mantle NYY 37 Willie Mays NYG 51
RBI Ray Boone DET &
Jackie Jensen BOS		 116 Duke Snider BKN 136
Wins Whitey Ford NYY,
Bob Lemon CLE
& Frank Sullivan BOS		 18 Robin Roberts PHI 23
ERA Billy Pierce CHW 1.97   Bob Friend PIT 2.83  
Ks Herb Score CLE 245 Sam Jones CHC 198

Major league baseball final standings[]

Events[]

Before the Athletics arrive in town, the Kansas City Monarchs move their base of operations to Grand Rapids, Michigan. They retain the name "Kansas City Monarchs" and continue in the Negro American League as a barnstorming team.

January[]

January 24 – In an effort to speed up the game, Major League Baseball announces a new rule which requires a pitcher to deliver the ball within 20 seconds after taking a pitching position.

February[]

  • February 17 – - The Baltimore Orioles obtained pitcher Erv Palica from the Brooklyn Dodgers in exchange for first baseman Frank Kellert and cash considerations. This replaces the previous Preacher Roe deal, which fell through when the Brooklyn pitcher announced his retirement.
  • February 28 – The National League fines the Milwaukee Braves $500 for opening their spring training camp before the official March 1 date.

March[]

  • March 7 – Commissioner Ford Frick advocated for the return of the spitball, arguing that it is "a great pitch and one of the easiest to throw. There was nothing dangerous about it." The spitball was banned following the 1920 season.[1] Despite the Commissioner's enthusiasm, the pitch remained illegal.

April[]

  • April 12 – After a big civic parade, the Athletics open their first season in Kansas City with a win over the Detroit Tigers, 6–2, before a crowd of 32,844.
  • April 14 – Elston Howard becomes the first African-American to wear the New York Yankees uniform. Howard singles in his first-at-bat, against the Boston Red Sox, as the Yankees win 8–4.
  • April 23: The Chicago White Sox tallied a franchise record 29 runs and 29 hits against the host Kansas City Athletics, including seven home runs, in a 29–6 ripping. Sherm Lollar was 5-for-6 with a pair of home runs and five RBI, and became the only player in the decade to get two hits in one inning twice in the same game (2nd and 6th innings). Chico Carrasquel hit 5-for-6, and Bob Nieman paced the attack with two homers and seven RBI. Walt Dropo added a homer and seven RBI, while pitcher Jack Harshman and Minnie Miñoso also homered. Carrasquel and Miñoso each scored five runs. Kansas City had homers from Vic Power and Bill Renna. Bobby Shantz was the losing pitcher.

May[]

  • May 12 – Sam Jones of the Chicago Cubs no-hits the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4–0, becoming the first African American to pitch a no-hitter in the Major Leagues. In the ninth inning Jones walks the bases full and then strikes out Dick Groat, Roberto Clemente and Frank Thomas in a row to preserve his victory. It is also the first no-hitter at Wrigley Field in 38 years. Only 2,918 fans are on hand to witness the double milestone.
  • May 13 – At Yankee Stadium, Mickey Mantle hits home runs from both sides of the plate for the first time in his major league career. The New York Yankees slugger finishes the game with three home runs – two left-handed and one right-handed, while driving in all of his team's runs in a 5–2 victory over the Detroit Tigers. Whitey Ford is the winning pitcher and Steve Gromek takes the loss.

June[]

  • June 1 – Duke Snider hit three home runs at Ebbets Field, helping the Brooklyn Dodgers to an 11–8 victory over the Milwaukee Braves. Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella also belted solo homers for the Dodgers, to set a franchise record with six home runs in a single game.

July[]

  • July 12 – In the All-Star Game in Milwaukee's County Stadium, the American League takes a five run lead on a three-run home run by Mickey Mantle off Robin Roberts, only to see the National League tie it. Milwaukee Braves pitcher Gene Conley strikes out the side in the 12th inning, and Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals homers off Boston Red Sox pitcher Frank Sullivan to seal a 6–5 victory.
  • July 26 - In a key nighttime game at Yankee Stadium, the New York Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox 1-0. The game's only run occurred in the bottom of the 6th inning when Yogi Berra hit his 17th homer of the season off the White Sox' Dick Donovan. Tommy Byrne was the winning pitcher as he held the White Sox to just 4 hits, all of them singles.
  • July 31 – On the first anniversary of his four-home run game, Milwaukee Braves first baseman Joe Adcock has his arm broken by a pitch from the New York Giants' Jim Hearn. Adcock will miss the rest of the season.

August[]

  • August 20 – The Chicago White Sox rally to edge the Detroit Tigers‚ 8–7. Nellie Fox and Jim Rivera pace the attack with four hits apiece‚ while Chico Carrasquel adds a home run. George Kell drives in five runs for the White Sox. The win leaves Chicago (71-46) tied in second place with Cleveland (73-48)‚ and a game in back of New York (74-47).

September[]

  • September 8 – The Brooklyn Dodgers clinch the National League pennant by beating the Milwaukee Braves, 10–2, for their 8th NL title. The Dodgers also break their own Major League Baseball record for the earliest clinching, set in 1953.
  • September 16 – The Kansas City Athletics score seven runs in the first inning and roll to a 13–7 win over the faltering Chicago White Sox. The third place Sox lose their 10th in 17 games. Héctor López hits a three-run home run in the first to start the scoring and later in the game Joe Astroth adds another three-run homer. George Kell and Chico Carrasquel hits solo homers for Chicago. In the 8th inning, 16-year-old shortstop Alex George debuts for Kansas City‚handling two chances in the field flawlessly and making out in his one at bat. George will go 1-for-10 in this his only Major League season.
  • September 14 – Cleveland Indians pitcher Herb Score breaks a rookie record of 235 strikeouts in a season set by Grover Cleveland Alexander in 1911. Score would finish the season with an American League-best 245 strikeouts, along with a 16-10 record and 2.86 earned run average, en route to the American League Rookie of the Year Award.

October[]

  • October 4 – No more "wait till' next year" as the Brooklyn Dodgers, behind the pitching of Johnny Podres, brings its first, and only, World Championship to Brooklyn after seven previous frustrated World Series appearances in a 2-0 win over the New York Yankees. The Dodgers win the Series four game to three, and Podres is named Most Valuable Player – the first time the award is given in the World Series.
  • October 25 – Chicago White Sox GM Frank Lane trade SS Chico Carrasquel and CF Jim Busby to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for CF Larry Doby. The trade was made by Lane to make room for Carrasquel's fellow Venezuelan and future Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio.

November[]

  • November 2 – The Pittsburgh Pirates name Bobby Bragan as their new field manager, replacing Fred Haney.
  • November 8 – In a nine-player transaction before the 1956 season, the Washington Senators sent All-Stars Bob Porterfield and Mickey Vernon along with Johnny Schmitz and Tom Umphlett to the Boston Red Sox, in exchange for Dick Brodowski, Neil Chrisley, Tex Clevenger, Karl Olson and Minor leaguer Al Curtis.
  • November 12 – Fred Hutchinson replaces Harry Walker as the St. Louis Cardinals manager. With the departure of Walker, next season will be the first time in National League history without a player-manager.
  • November 21 – Carl Stotz, principal founding father of the Little League, sues the organization for breach of contract. The suit will be settled out of court.
  • November 28 – The Chicago Cubs trade pitcher Hal Jeffcoat to the Cincinnati Redlegs in exchange for catcher Hobie Landrith.

December[]

  • December 8 – Lenny Yochim of the Leones del Caracas became the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. The 27-year-old left-hander accomplished the feat in a 3–0 victory over the Navegantes del Magallanes helped by catcher Earl Battey. Ramón Monzant was credited with the loss. Previously, the screwballer Yochim had pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates in part of two seasons.

Births[]

January[]

February[]

March[]

April[]

  • April   2 – Billy Sample
  • April   7 – Bobby Mitchell
  • April 14 – Chris Welsh
  • April 16 – Bruce Bochy
  • April 16 – Rick Jones
  • April 17 – Tom Runnells
  • April 18 – Bobby Castillo
  • April 19 – Mike Colbern
  • April 22 – David Clyde
  • April 23 – Tom Dixon
  • April 26 – Mike Scott
  • April 28 – Dewey Robinson

May[]

  • May 1 – Steve Lubratich
  • May 1 – Ray Searage
  • May 7 – Bob Ferris
  • May 12 – Ralph Botting
  • May 14 – Dennis Martínez
  • May 14 – Hosken Powell
  • May 16 – Jack Morris
  • May 16 – Tack Wilson
  • May 19 – Alan Knicely
  • May 19 – Ed Whitson
  • May 21 – Eddie Milner
  • May 25 – Suguru Egawa
  • May 25 – Andrés Mora
  • May 27 – Ross Baumgarten
  • May 31 – Larry Owen

June[]

July[]

August[]

  • August   2 – Jim Dorsey
  • August   6 – Ron Davis
  • August   6 – Steve Nicosia
  • August   6 – Jim Pankovits
  • August   7 – Steve Senteney
  • August 11 – Bryn Smith
  • August 13 – Odie Davis
  • August 18 – Bruce Benedict
  • August 19 – Terry Harper
  • August 19 – Silvio Martínez
  • August 22 – Larry Vanover
  • August 27 – Pat Kelly
  • August 29 – Phil Cuzzi
  • August 30 – Renie Martin

September[]

  • September 2 – Kazuhiro Yamakura
  • September 3 – Don Kainer
  • September 5 – Gil Patterson
  • September 13 – Mike Fischlin
  • September 16 – Joe Edelen
  • September 16 – Robin Yount
  • September 17 – Marshall Brant
  • September 18 – Don McCormack
  • September 18 – Ray Smith
  • September 22 – Jeffrey Leonard
  • September 24 – Gorman Heimueller
  • September 25 – Jim Wessinger
  • September 27 – Bob Veselic
  • September 28 – Terry Bogener
  • September 29 – Byron McLaughlin
  • September 30 – Carlos Lezcano

October[]

November[]

December[]

Deaths[]

January[]

February[]

  • February   3 – Fred Brown, 75, outfielder over parts of two seasons for the Boston Beaneaters in 1901 and 1902, and later a politician who served as Governor of New Hampshire and also in the United States Senate.
  • February   6 – Rosey Rowswell, 71, radio sportscaster best known for being the first full-time play-by-play announcer for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
  • February   6 – Hank Thormahlen, 58, pitcher for the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Brooklyn Robins between 1917 and 1925.
  • February 10 – Cuke Barrows, 71, outfielder who played from 1909 to 1912 for the Chicago White Sox.
  • February 10 – Ray Hartranft, 64, pitcher for the 1913 Philadelphia Phillies.
  • February 10 – Allie Strobel, 70, second baseman who saw action with the Boston Beaneaters in 1905 and 1906.
  • February 15 – Lynn Nelson, 49, pitcher and pinch hitter in all or part of seven seasons between 1930 and 1940 for the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Athletics and Detroit Tigers; had a pedestrian mound record of 33–42 (5.25) in 166 games pitched, but batted .281 lifetime with 103 hits, including a .354 season with 1937 Athletics with 40 hits, four home runs and 29 runs batted in.
  • February 15 – Tom Tennant, 72, pinch-hitter who appeared in just two games for the St. Louis Browns in the 1912 season.
  • February 23 – Bill Tozer, 72, pitcher in four games for the 1908 Cincinnati Reds.
  • February 25 – Ike Kamp, 54, pitcher who played for the Boston Braves in 1924 and 1925.

March[]

  • March   4 – Doc Reisling
  • March 10 – Rick Adams
  • March 13 – Buck Sweeney
  • March 13 – Joe Vernon
  • March 16 – Red Booles
  • March 18 – Morrie Aderholt, 39, outfielder who appeared in 106 games over all or part of five seasons spanning 1939 to 1945 for the Washington Senators, Brooklyn Dodgers and Boston Braves; scout for Washington at the time of his death.
  • March 18 – Ty Helfrich
  • March 19 – Ed Hovlik
  • March 19 – George Stultz
  • March 27 – Frank Roth, 76, catcher who played in 282 games over six seasons between 1903 and 1910, principally the Philadelphia Phillies; later a coach.
  • March 28 – Tom Lynch

April[]

May[]

June[]

  • June   2 – Harry Eccles, 61, pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Athletics during the 1915 season.
  • June   6 – Mike Kelley, 79, first baseman for the 1899 Louisville Colonels, later became a long time minor league baseball owner and manager.
  • June 16 – Mike Morrison, 88, pitcher who played for the Cleveland Spiders, Syracuse Stars and Baltimore Orioles in part of three seasons between 1887 and 1890.
  • June 18 – Jack Katoll, 82, German pitcher who played for the Chicago Orphans, Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles in a span of four seasons from 1898–1902.
  • June 22 – Frankie Hayes, 40, highly regarded defensive catcher and a five-time All-Star while playing for the Philadelphia Athletics, St. Louis Browns, Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox, who led the American League three times in total chances per game, twice each in fielding average, putouts, double plays and errors, and once in assists. Besides, his 29 double plays in 1945 is the second-highest total ever for a catcher. Additionally, he caught 312 consecutive games between October 1943 and April 1946, a Major League record, and was durable enough to catch all 155 Athletics games in 1945, as he set a still-standing American League season record.[2]
  • June 27 – Harry Agganis, 26, Boston Red Sox first baseman and former Boston University football star, who compiled outstanding records as a quarterback in his student heyday, becoming the first person in BU history to receive All-American honors.[3]
  • June 29 – Horace Milan, 61, outfielder who played with the Washington Senators in the 191 and 1917 seasons.

July[]

August[]

  • August   2 – Peaches O'Neill
  • August   3 – Mule Shirley, 54, first baseman who played 44 games for pennant-winning 1924 and 1925 Washington Senators; played in three games as pinch hitter or pinch runner in the 1924 World Series for champion Senators.
  • August   4 – Mike Balenti
  • August   5 – Norm Glockson
  • August   6 – Hooks Cotter
  • August 11 – Jerry Byrne
  • August 11 – Babe Ellison
  • August 24 – John Raleigh
  • August 25 – Jimmy Hudgens, 53, pinch hitter/first baseman who played in 26 career games for the 1923 St. Louis Cardinals and 1925–1926 Cincinnati Reds.
  • August 26 – Sol White

September[]

October[]

  • October   4 – Stan Baumgartner, 60, relief pitcher who spent eight seasons in the majors with both of Philadelphia's MLB teams, the Phillies and Athletics, between 1914 and 1926, then became a prominent baseball writer in that city.
  • October   5 – Lyman Lamb, 60, third baseman for the St. Louis Browns during two seasons from 1920–1921.
  • October   9 – Howie Fox, 34, pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies and Baltimore Orioles from 1944 to 1954.
  • October   9 – Jim Jackson, 77, utility outfielder who played for the Baltimore Orioles, New York Giants and Cleveland Naps over four seasons from 1901–1906.
  • October 13 – Fred Lear, 61, third baseman who played for the Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago Cubs and New York Giants in part of four seasons between 1915 and 1920.
  • October 18 – George Murray, 57, who pitched from 1922 to 1933 for the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Washington Senators and Chicago White Sox.
  • October 26 – Jack Bushelman, 70, pitcher who played with the Cincinnati Reds in the 1909 season and for the Boston Red Sox from 1911 to 1912.
  • October 27 – Clark Griffith, 85, Hall of Fame pitcher and manager, and owner of the Washington Senators since 1920; won 237 games in 20-year career in three major leagues between 1891 and 1914, with 20 or more victories in seven different campaigns; led National League in earned run average (1.88) in 1898, then was a key recruiter of NL players to upstart American League in 1901; managed Chicago White Stockings, New York Highlanders, Cincinnati Reds and Senators between 1901 and 1920.[4]

November[]

  • November   3 – John Merritt, 61, backup outfielder who appeared in just one game with the New York Giants in the 1913 season.
  • November   4 – Cy Young, 88, Hall of Fame pitcher who won a record 511 games over a 22-year career with five clubs from 1890 to 1911, being a 30-game winner five seasons, a 20-game victor sixteen times, pitching a perfect game, two no-hitters, and while being a member of the 1903 Boston Americans hurling the first pitch in a World Series game.[5]
  • November   5 – Frank Gregory, 67, pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds in their 1912 season.
  • November   5 – Bert Wilson, 44, Chicago-based sportscaster who was the radio voice of the Cubs from 1943 to 1955.
  • November 12 – Sam Crane, 61, shortstop who played for the Philadelphia Athletics, Washington Senators, Cincinnati Reds and Brooklyn Robins in part of seven seasons spanning 1914–1922.
  • November 19 – Otto Jacobs, 66, catcher for the 1918 Chicago White Sox.
  • November 23 – Fred Tauby, 49, part-time outfielder who played with the Chicago White Sox in the 1935 season and for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1937.
  • November 30 – John Stone, 50, outfielder for the Detroit Tigers and Washington Senators from 1928 to 1938, who hit over .300 in seven of his eleven seasons, with a career-high .341 in 1936.

December[]

  • December   6 – Honus Wagner, 81, legendary Hall of Fame shortstop of the Pittsburgh Pirates who won eight National League batting crowns and led the league in runs batted in, stolen bases, doubles and slugging average at least five times each in a 21-year career, posting an overall batting line of .328/.391/.467, having scored 1,739 runs, connect 3,420 hits and stolen 723 bases.[6]
  • December   8 – Buck Washer, 73, pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies during the 1905 season.
  • December   9 – Curt Walker, 59, right fielder who played twelve seasons from 1919–1930 for the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds and New York Giants, compiling a slash line of.304/.374/.440 and 1,475 hits in 1,359 games, while batting a .300 or better average in seven seasons.
  • December 17 – Rube DeGroff, 76, backup outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals during two seasons from 1905 to 1906.
  • December 18 – George Caster, 48, pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Athletics, St. Louis Browns and Detroit Tigers during twelve seasons from 1934–1946, as well as a member of the 1945 World Champion Tigers.
  • December 18 – Francisco José Cróquer, 35, Venezuelan sportscaster specialized in baseball and boxing, who achieved international renown and became a household name in Latino communities after joining the Gillette Cavalcade of Sports in the late 1940s.
  • December 19 – Moxie Divis, 61, outfielder who played for the Philadelphia Athletics during the 1916 season.
  • December 22 – Jimmy O'Rourke, 71, outfielder who played in 1908 with the New York Highlanders.
  • December 23 – Joe McManus, 68, who pitched in 1913 for the Cincinnati Reds.
  • December 24 – Jake Boultes, 71, who played from 1907 through 1909 for the Boston Doves, mostly as a pitcher, although he also played a handful of games as a shortstop and third baseman.
  • December 27 – Lord Byron, 83, National League umpire from 1913 to 1919, while officiating 1,012 games and the 1914 World Series.
  • December 27 – Jim Fairbank, 74, pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Athletics during the 1903 and 1904 seasons.
  • December 31 – Clint Brown, 52, relief pitcher for the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox in a span of fifteen seasons from 1928–1942, who posted a career 89-93 W-L record with 64 saves and 4.26 ERA, leading the American League relievers in 1939 in appearances (61), games finished (56), saves (18) and innings (1181/3), ending 11th in the voting for the American League MVP Award.[7]

Sources[]

  1. ^ "Frick Favors Return of "the Old Spitter"". Milwaukee Journal. 1955-03-08. p. 2. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  2. ^ Iron Man Catchers. Encyclopedia of Baseball Catchers.Retrieved on March 3, 2018.
  3. ^ Harry Agganis article. SABR Biography Project. Retrieved on March 3, 2018.
  4. ^ Clark Griffith article. Baseball Hall of Fame website. Retrieved on March 3, 2018.
  5. ^ Cy Young article. Baseball Hall of Fame website. Retrieved on March 3, 2018.
  6. ^ Honus Wagner article. Baseball Hall of Fame website. Retrieved von March 3, 2018.
  7. ^ 1939 American League MVP voting. Baseball Reference. Retrieved on March 4, 2018.

External links[]


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