1955 in baseball

Year in baseball
this year = 1955

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

*Caribbean World Series: Cangrejeros de Santurce (Puerto Rico)
*College World Series: Wake Forest University
*Japan Series: Yomiuri Giants over Nankai Hawks (4-3)
*Little League World Series: Morrisville, Pennsylvania

Awards and honors

*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

National League 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-March

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 black to wear the New York Yankees uniform. He singles in his first-at-bat, against the Boston Red Sox, as the Yanks win 8-4.
* April 23: The Chicago White Sox tallied a franchise record 29 runs at Kansas City. Sherm Lollar was 5-for-6 with a pair of home runs and five RBI, while reserve outfielder Bob Nieman and infielder Walt Dropo drove in seven runs apiece, and Chico Carrasquel hit 5-for-6 with five runs scored, in the 29-6 victory over the Athletics.
*May 12 - At Wrigley Field, 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.

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 New York Giants Jim Hearn. he will be out for the season.

*September 8 - The Brooklyn Dodgers clinches the National League pennant by beating the Braves 10-2 for their 8th straight win. They break their own Major League Baseball record for the earliest clinching, set in 1953.

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.

*November 2 - The Pittsburgh Pirates name Bobby Bragan as their new field manager, replacing Fred Haney.
*December 8 - Lenny Yochim of the Caracas Lions became the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter in a professional game in Venezuela. The 27-year-old left-handed accomplished the feat in a 3–0 victory over Magallanes helped by catcher Earl Battey. Ray Monzant was the losing pitcher. The screwballer Yochim also pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates in part of two seasons.

Births

January-March

*January 1 - LaMarr Hoyt
*January 1 - Bob Owchinko
*January 21 - Dave Smith
*January 21 - Mike Smithson
*January 24 - Ted Cox
*January 26 - Brian Doyle
*January 26 - Joe Pettini
*January 28 - Joe Beckwith
*January 31 - Ted Power
*February 1 - Ernie Camacho
*February 4 - Gary Allenson
*February 4 - Rusty Kuntz
*February 5 - Mike Heath
*February 7 - Charlie Puleo
*February 10 - Mike Champion
*February 12 - Chet Lemon
*March 11 - Larry Landreth
*March 12 - Ruppert Jones
*March 15 - Mickey Hatcher
*March 18 - Dwayne Murphy
*March 19 - Mike Norris
*March 25 - Lee Mazzilli

April-June

*April 7 - Bobby Mitchell
*April 14 - Chris Welsh
*April 16 - Bruce Bochy
*April 16 - Rick Jones
*April 18 - Bobby Castillo
*April 22 - David Clyde
*April 23 - Tom Dixon
*April 26 - Mike Scott
*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 - Ed Whitson
*May 21 - Eddie Milner
*May 27 - Ross Baumgarten
*June 10 - Floyd Bannister
*June 10 - Scott Ullger
*June 17 - Joe Charboneau

July-September

*July 3 - Matt Keough
*July 7 - Len Barker
*July 7 - Jerry Dybzinski
*July 9 - Willie Wilson
*July 21 - Mark Lemongello
*July 27 - Shane Rawley
*August 2 - Jim Dorsey
*September 5 - Gil Patterson
*August 6 - Ron Davis
*August 6 - Steve Nicosia
*August 11 - Bryn Smith
*August 18 - Bruce Benedict
*August 19 - Ned Yost
*August 27 - Pat Kelly
*September 16 - Robin Yount
*September 18 - Don McCormack
*September 13 - Mike Fischlin
*September 13 - Dámaso García
*September 16 - Joe Edelen
*September 22 - Jeffrey Leonard

October-December

*October 1 - Jeff Reardon
*October 4 - Lary Sorensen
*October 8 - Jerry Reed
*October 9 - Alex Taveras
*October 21 - Jerry Garvin
*October 25 - Danny Darwin
*November 2 - Greg Harris
*November 2 - Bob Tufts
*November 5 - Bobby Ramos
*November 9 - Jeff Cox
*November 10 - Jack Clark
*November 15 - Fred Breining
*November 15 - Randy Niemann
*November 18 - Luis Pujols
*November 22 - Kevin Rhomberg
*November 22 - Wayne Tolleson
*November 23 - Todd Cruz
*November 26 - Jay Howell
*December 18 - Jim Clancy
*December 18 - Bobby Clark
*December 22 - Lonnie Smith
*December 23 - Keith Comstock
*December 30 - Keith Macwhorter
*December 31 - Jim Tracy

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 - Hank Thormahlen, 58, pitcher for the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Brooklyn Robins between 1917 and 1925
*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, Philies 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
*December 6 - Honus Wagner, 81, legendary Hall of Fame shortstop who won 8 NL batting crowns and led the league in RBI, stolen bases, doubles and slugging percentage at least five times each