1955 in baseball
The following are the baseball events of the year 1955 throughout the world.
Champions
Major League Baseball
Other champions
Awards and honors
- Most Valuable Player
- Rookie of the Year
MLB statistical leaders
Major league baseball final standings
American League final standings
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National League final standings
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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.
April–June
- 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/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 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. Jones does it in the hardest way, when In the ninth inning he 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.
July–September
- July 12 - In the All-Star Game in Milwaukee's County Stadium, the American League takes a 5-run lead on a 3-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 Frank Sullivan of the Red Sox to win it.
- July 31 - On the anniversary of his 4-home run game, 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 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 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‚ 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.
October–December
- October 3 - 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 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 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
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Deaths
- January 13 - Bill Dinneen, 78, pitching star of the 1903 World Series who went on to have a 29-year career as an American League umpire.
- 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.
- May 4 - Fredrick Westervelt, 77, major league umpire for five years.
- June 6 - Mike Kelley, 79, first baseman for the 1899 Louisville Colonels, later became a long time minor league baseball owner and manager.
- June 27 - Harry Agganis, 26, Red Sox first baseman from Lynn, Massachusetts who gave up being a football star to play for the BoSox, closer to his home and mother. On June 2, he was hospitalized with pneumonia. He rejoined the Sox 10 days later, fell ill again on June 27 and was flown back to Cambridge, Ma. where he died of a pulmonary embolism.
- August 26 - Sol White, 87, player, manager and executive with various Negro leagues and teams from 1887 to 1926.
- September 23 - Gary Fortune, 60, pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox between 1916 and 1920.
- October 9 - Howie Fox, 34, pitcher for the Reds, Phillies and Orioles from 1944 to 1954.
- October 18 - George Murray, 57, pitched from 1922 to 1933 for the Yankees, Red Sox, Senators and White Sox.
- October 27 - Clark Griffith, 85, Hall of Fame pitcher and manager, and owner of the Washington Senators since 1920
- November 4 - Cy Young, 88, Hall of Fame pitcher who won a record 511 games over a 22-year career and pitched three no-hitters, including a perfect game.
- November 30 - John Stone, 50, outfielder for the Tigers and Senators from 1928–38, who collected seven .300 seasons, with a career-high .341 in 1936.
- December 6 - Honus Wagner, 81, legendary Hall of Fame shortstop who won eight National League batting crowns and led the league in RBI, stolen bases, doubles and slugging percentage at least five times each.
- December 27 - Lord Byron, 83, National League umpire from 1913 to 1919.