Baseball – 1954

Baseball in 1954

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January

January 12The International League makes 2 franchises shifts as the Baltimore team is transferred to Richmond‚ and the Springfield‚ MA team moves to Havana‚ Cuba.
January 13The Pirates trade workhorse Murry Dickson to the Phils for P Andy Hansen and IF Jack “Lucky” Lohrke. Dickson led the league in losses the past 2 years and will lead it again in 1954.
January 14Former Yankee great Joe DiMaggio marries actress Marilyn Monroe in San Francisco.
January 20The Indians and Senators swap catchers with Joe Tipton going to Washington for Mickey Grasso.

February

February 1The Milwaukee Braves send pitchers Johnny Antonelli‚ Don Liddle‚ infielder Billy Klaus‚ and C Ebba St. Claire to the New York Giants for OF Bobby Thomson and C Sam Calderone. Giant fans will howl in protest at the loss of Thomson‚ but will quiet down when Antonelli posts a sparkling 21-7 record.
February 2Mickey Mantle has his second operation since the end of last season‚ this one to remove a cyst behind the right knee.
February 5In a swap of vets‚ the Orioles trade OF Johnny Groth and SS Johnny Lipon to the White Sox for OF Sam Mele and SS Neil Berry. Lipon will go to the Reds on April 18th for Grady Hatton and then retire after one NL at bat.
February 18The Washington Senators get Roy Sievers from the Orioles for Gil Coan.
February 23The Cards purchase Vic Raschi from the Yankees for $85‚000.

March

March 1In his first spring practice‚ Red Sox slugger Ted Williams breaks his collarbone and will be out until May 15th. The injury occurs when Williams dives for a line drive.
March 13Newly acquired Bobby Thomson of the Braves breaks his ankle sliding into 2B under Woodie Held in a 3-2 exhibition loss to the Yankees at Al Lang Field. The injury‚ a trimalleor fracture‚ will keep Thomson out of action until July 14th‚ but it will open the way for Henry Aaron to start in the left field. Ironically‚ Aaron will suffer a fracture in September.
March 16The O’s purchase veteran first baseman Eddie Waitkus from the Phillies for a reported $40‚000.
March 20The Cubs send SS Roy Smalley to the Braves for P Dave Cole‚ opening up the shortstop job for Ernie Banks.
March 21Roy Campanella‚ in attempting to break up a DP in an exhibition game against the Yankees‚ catches his spikes and chips the bone in his left hand. Though he hits 2 homers on Opening Day‚ he will have surgery in early May for the bone chips‚ returning May 30. As noted by Bill Deane‚ TSN will surmise that the injury started earlier than the sliding mishap‚ occurring when Campy was hit on the hand in the 1953 WS.
March 28The Braves manage 5 hits in losing to their Atlanta farm team, 2-1. Joey Jay wild pitches in the winner in the 9th. Hank Aaron‘s 7th inning homer is the only score for the Braves.
March 29When the Cubs go 5-15 in spring training‚ Phil Cavarretta gives Cubs owner Phil Wrigley an honest assessment of the team’s chances‚ and is fired for his “defeatist attitude.” He’s the first manager to be given the gate during spring training. Stan Hack replaces him. Cavarretta is right; the Cubs will drop to 7th.
March 30The Braves dispose of the Savannah Indians (Sally League) 27-0. Starter Lew Burdette pitches 6 innings and has 3 hits including a homer. On April 4‚ Savannah will take a 4-run lead against the Yankees into the 9th and with 2 outs and the bases empty‚ the Bombers explode to win‚ 11-9.

April

April 8The Orioles pick up veteran Dave Koslo from the Giants.
April 9In Milwaukee‚ Warren Spahn and the Braves beat the Red Sox‚ 3-1.

In a Southern Association game at Mobile‚ pinch hitter Nat Peeples of Atlanta makes his league debut. Peeples is the first black player ever to appear in a league game. He grounds out in the fifth inning and after 2 games is sent to Jacksonville (South Atlantic League).
April 11To make room for promising rookie OF Wally Moon‚ the Cardinals trade long-time great Enos Slaughter to the Yankees. For Mel Wright and 4 players to be named. In what turns out to be a good deal for both teams‚ the Cardinals get CF Bill Virdon‚ P Mel Wright‚ and OF Emil Tellinger in return. Virdon will become the NL Rookie of the Year in 1955‚ following Wally Moon‚ and Slaughter will help the Yankees to win 103 games.

At Indianapolis‚ the Giants and Indians conclude their spring competition with New York winning‚ 5-4‚ in 10 innings on Mays’s triple. The Giants win the 21-game spring series‚ 13-8‚ in what will be a prelude to the World Series.

The Phillies top the A’s‚ 1-0‚ in the Philadelphia city series.

At Wrigley Field‚ the Cubs whip the White Sox 12-9‚ as the Sox help with 4 errors. Hank Sauer has a 3-run homer.
April 13Henry Aaron of the Braves makes his ML debut‚ going hitless in 5 trips to the plate in a 9-8 loss to the Redlegs. Cincy LF Jim Greengrass bangs 4 doubles to tie an opening day record. Andy Pafko takes a hit when he’s beaned by Joe Nuxhall. Because of the extra seats set up to accommodate the overflow crowd‚ 12 of the 13 doubles hit in the game are of the ground rule variety. With the rule change‚ players take their mitts with them at the end of each inning‚ rather than leaving them on the playing field.

In the presidential opener in Washington‚ President Dwight D. Eisenhower is thrilled by Mickey Vernon‘s 10th inning 2-run game-ending homer off Allie Reynolds which beats the Yankees 5-3. Ike skipped last year’s opener‚ which was rained out‚ and the political hue and cry was so great he made sure he tossed out the first ball today. Chuck Stobbs and Whitey Ford start the game‚ but the winning Nats pitcher is reliever Sonny Dixon. Hank Bauer‚ with two singles‚ drives in all three Yankee runs.

The Giants‚ fresh from a Cactus League season where they beat the Indians 13 out of 21 meetings‚ trip the Dodgers‚ 4-3. Back in CF after 2 years in the army‚ Willie Mays of the Giants hits a 2-run shot that beats Brooklyn.

Hitting against the Cubs Paul Minner‚ Cardinal rookie Wally Moon homers in his first ML AB. But Minner homers to back his own pitching‚ as the Cubs win 13-4. Tom Alston becomes the first black to play for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Pittsburgh opens at home for the first time in 61 years and defeats the Phils 4-2 before 32‚294. Curt Roberts‚ the Bucs’ first black player‚ hits a triple against Robin Roberts in the first inning.

The brand new Baltimore Orioles open in Detroit and lose‚ 3-0. Don Larsen takes the loss against Steve Gromek. The Tigers start fast and will win 12 of their first 18 games.

Rookie Spook Jacobs‚ in his first ML game‚ gets 4 hits while Bill Renna and Gus Zernial bang homers in the A’s 6-4 victory over the Red Sox. Bobby Shantz is the winner‚ but leaves in the 6th because of a pulled muscle which will take several years to completely heal. He won’t pitch again this year ending the season today at 1-0. Mel Parnell goes 6 innings for the loss.

In Boston‚ Braves Field is renamed BU Field by its new owners‚ Boston University.
April 14The Baltimore Orioles win their first game‚ tipping the Tigers‚ 3-2 behind pitcher Duane Pillette.

Don Newcombe‚ back from the army and starting his 1st game since his playoff with the Giants in 1951‚ stops the Polo Grounders on 6 hits. The Dodgers win‚ 6-4‚ and Newk has 2 RBIs in going 9 innings.
April 15The Orioles Clint Courtney hits the first HR in Memorial Stadium. Following a 90-minute parade‚ they draw an Opening Day record crowd of 46‚354 in a 3-1 afternoon win against the White Sox. Bob Turley strikes out nine in besting Virgil Trucks. Vern Stephens and Clint Courtney homer for the O’s.

Vic Raschi makes his NL debut but the host Braves knock the Cardinal vet out of the game. Harvey Haddix‚ in relief‚ takes the loss‚ 7-6‚ with Warren Spahn the winner for the Braves. Hank Aaron has his first hit as he goes 2-for-5.
April 17The wind is blowing out at Wrigley‚ as the Cards lose 23-13 to the Cubs in a NL record 3 hour and 43 minute game. The two teams combine for 35 hits‚ including five homers. Bruce Edwards walks twice in the 5th‚ when the Cubs score 10 runs. Cubs 3B Randy Jackson has 4 hits‚ including a HR that hits an apartment building on Waveland Avenue. Jim Brosnan is the winner over Gerry Staley in the highest scoring game ever between these two rivals.

Joe Coleman of the Orioles loses a 3-hitter to the Tigers 1-0. Ned Garver allows 5 hits in winning.

Nino Escalera becomes the first black to play for the Cincinnati Redlegs when he hits a pinch single in a 5-1 loss to the Braves. In the 7th‚ another black rookie‚ Chuck Harmon‚ follows‚ pinch hitting for Corky Valentine and popping out.
April 18The White Sox acquire IF Grady Hatton from the Redlegs.

After Philley pitchers had thrown 32 scoreless innings‚ P Curt Simmons makes a 6th inning error to allow the Pirates to score. The Phils win the doubleheader nitecap 7-1.

At Milwaukee‚ Jim Greengrass drives in 6 runs with 2 singles‚ double‚ and a HR to help the Reds sweep a pair from the Braves‚ 6-4 and 5-3.
April 19On Patriot’s Day in Boston‚ The Yankees sweep both games from the Red Sox. New York wins the morning game‚ 2-1‚ on Jim MacDonald’s one hitter. Harry Agganis has Boston’s only hit‚ a second inning bloop single. In the afternoon game‚ the Yankees top Mel Parnell‚ 5-0 behind Jim McDonald‚ as Mickey Mantle belts his first homer of the year.

Eddie Yost hits a lead off homer in the 9th to give the Senators a 4-3 win over the A’s. The win goes to reliever Camilo Pascual‚ who matches the ML total of his brother Carlos.
April 20Philadelphia’s Alex Kellner allows only a Wayne Terwilliger 8th-inning single in defeating Washington 7-0.
April 21At Yankee Stadium‚ Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle belt back-to-back homers in the 3rd‚ off Leo Kiely‚ and Gil McDougald adds a solo blast to key the Yankees to a 5-1 win over the Red Sox.

In the first night game at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium‚ Bob Turley has a no-hitter against Cleveland when‚ with one out in the 9th‚ Al Rosen singles and Larry Doby homers. Turley strikes out 14‚ but loses‚ 2-1.
April 23At Sportsman’s Park‚ Henry Aaron hits the first of his 755 ML HRs‚ a solo shot off Vic Raschi of St. Louis. The Braves win in 14 innings 7-5 on an error by Hemus. Card rookie Wally Moon is 5-for-5.

Jackie Robinson steals 2B and 3B‚ then swipes home on the front end of a triple steal with Gil Hodges and Sandy Amoros in the 6th against the Pirates. The Dodgers win 6-5 in 13 innings‚ when Robinson doubles home Junior Gilliam.
April 24In the 3rd inning of a 6-1 Boston win‚ Mickey McDermott of the Senators fractures former teammate Boston P Mel Parnell‘s left forearm with a pitch. A pinch runner for Parnell‚ a walk‚ and then a popped bunt is nabbed by McDermott‚ who starts a triple play. Parnell will be out till August 1st when he returns to beat the Senators.

At Crosley Field‚ Wally Post belts a 2-out home run in the 9th inning with a man on to give the Reds a 6-5 win against the Cubs. Kiner and Sauer belt back-to-back HRs for the Cubs in the 7th.

Marv Grissom and the Giants shut out the Phils‚ 1-0‚ at the Polo Grounds. Whitey Lockman‘s 300-foot HR off Robin Roberts is the only score.

The White Sox spoil Vern Bickford‘s AL debut chasing him after 4 innings and winning 14-4. The O’s use 3 relievers including former Negro Leaguer Jehosie “Jay” Heard‚ making his ML debut. Heard is the first black player for the Orioles. He’ll make just one other appearance. On September 10‚ African American OF Joe Durham will make his debut as the second black Oriole.
April 25Giants pitchers Sal Maglie and Johnny Antonelli shut out the Phils in a twin bill 3-0 and 5-0. The Giants complete a 3-game sweep of the Phils with all shut outs.

In a 12-inning‚ 7-6 loss to the Cardinals‚ Braves rookie Hank Aaron goes 5-for-6.
April 27In a slugfest featuring back-to-back homers 3 times‚ the Reds edge the Pirates‚ 8-7. Ted Kluszewski bangs a pair of 2-run homers‚ both off cousin Max Surkont. Jim Greengrass follows Klu’s first homer with one of his own. Toby Atwell and Jerry Lynch go back-to-back in both the 6th and 8th innings for the Buccos‚ the only Pirates to accomplish the feat in the 20th century. Corky Valentine‚ with relief help from Smith‚ gains his first ML victory.
April 28The Reds Jackie Collum allows one hit in 6 /13 innings of shutout relief in an 8-4 win over the visiting Pirates.
April 30Willie Mays homers in the 14th inning off Cubs lefty Warren Hacker to give Sal Maglie and the Giants a 4-2 victory.

The Cubs purchase 1B Steve Bilko from the Cardinals for $12‚500‚ but will let the slugger go at the end of the year. Bilko will then lead the PCL in HRs 3 straight years before returning to the majors.

May

May 1Red Sox IF Billy Goodman‘s single in the 6th spoils Virgil Trucks‘s bid for another no-hitter. Trucks‚ now with the White Sox‚ wins 3-0.
May 2Stan Musial hits 5 HRs in a doubleheader with the Giants in St. Louis. In attendance is 8-year-old Nate Colbert‚ who will be the only other player in history to accomplish this feat. The Cards win the first game 10-6 when Musial’s three-run homer in the 8th off Jim Hearn. Stan’s first two homers are served up by Johnny Antonelli. The Cards hit 5 homers in the opener‚ while the Giants hit three‚ including back-to-back blows by Westrum and Lockman. In the nightcap of the doubleheader‚ Don Mueller goes 5-for-5‚ and the Giants win‚ 9-7‚ with 8 runs in the 4th inning. Musial totals a since-topped record 21 bases in the two games‚ going 4-for-4 with a walk in game 1‚ and 2-for-4 with a walk in game 2. Don Mueller has 6 hits for New York.

The Dodgers bench C Roy Campanella‚ who is hitting only .167‚ but the game in Milwaukee is rained out. Tomorrow‚ he will undergo surgery for the removal of bone chips from his left hand.

Chicago’s Connie Johnson tosses a 2-hitter at the A’s to win‚ 4-0‚ before losing to the A’s‚ 2-1. Elmer Valo‘s pinch single in the 9th wins the nitecap for reliever Marion Fricano.

At Chicago, the Cubs and Pirates split. Chicago’s Paul Minner outguns Vern Law in the opener, 5–3, and the Pirates outhit Chicago to win the nitecap, 18–10 in 8 innings. Frank Thomas has 7 straight hits on the afternoon for Pittsburgh. Hank Sauer hits three homers for Chicago, two in the nitecap, when he goes 4-for-4: Sauer will belt 13 homers this season against the Pirates—a ML record for HRs against one team(set by Jimmie Foxx and later tied by Joe Adcock, in 1956). Bob Skinner has 3 hits to drive in 5 runs for the Bucs in game 2, as his team scores 15 runs in the first 4 innings. Winning pitcher Bob Friend also drives in three runs to win his first of the year, even though he gives up 10 runs in the victory. Not until Vida Blue, in 1979, will anyone allow 10 runs in a win. With homers in both games today, the Cubs set an NL mark of 13 straight games in which they’ve homered since the start of the season.

At Yankee Stadium‚ Detroit’s Bill Hoeft pitches a 5-inning one hitter to win 4-0. A 5th inning double by Andy Carey is the only safety for the Yanks as rain shortens to contest. The Yanks take the opener‚ 12-4‚ scoring six runs in the 3rd inning. Allie Reynolds is the winner with six innings of relief.
May 3Sandy Consuegra gives up 3 runs on just two hits as the White Sox pound the A’s‚ 14-3. The Sox pitchers have given up 5 hits in the last 3 games.
May 4The Phils and Cards set a ML record‚ later broken‚ by using 42 players in an 11-inning‚ 14-10 victory for Philadelphia. The Cards use 8 pitchers and the Phillies use 7.
May 5The Senators Roy Sievers draws a bases-loaded walk to beat the White Sox 1-0. Bob Porterfield‚ who tossed 9 shutouts last year‚ beats Bob Keegan.

Walks do in the Browns Bob Turley‚ who gives up 2 hits in losing to the Yankees‚ 4-2. It’s Turley’s 2nd 2-hit loss of the season; The Indians beat him on April 21.
May 7At New York‚ Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra crash back-to-back homers in the 7th to pin a 2-0 loss on the A’s Morrie Martin.
May 9Athletic C Wilmer (Billy) Shantz‚ brother of P Bobby Shantz‚ hits a grand slam‚ the first homer of his professional career. It comes off former A’s pitcher Harry Byrd‚ now with the Yanks. Shantz will hit just one more ML HR. Wilmer’s slam is all the offense as the Yankees win‚ 7-4. The nitecap ends 1-1 after 9 innings.
May 12The Dodgers option LF Sandy Amoros to Montreal because of weak hitting. They will recall him later in the season.

Tom Brewer of the Red Sox loses a 1-0 three-hitter to the White Sox when he walks 4 in the first. Connie Johnson wins with a 2-hitter‚ the 2nd Sox 2-hitter in 10 days.

The Reds Harry Perkowksi faces just 27 batters in 9 innings‚ but loses‚ 2-1‚ to the Giants. He allows just 2 hits a dna walk thorugh 8 innings. After a walk in the 9th‚ PH Bobby Hofman‚ the 27th batter Perky faces‚ hits a game-ending homer.

Dodger Gil Hodges‘ HR in the 5th spoils Lew Burdette‘s bid for a no-hitter in the Braves 5-1 win.

Rookie CF Wally Moon of the Cards has his 2nd 5-hit game and scores 5 runs in a 13-5 rout of Pittsburgh.

In a PCL contest‚ Oakland’s Al Gettel and Hollywood’s Bob Hall each pitch 21 innings. Each teams scores a run in the first and the Oaks score 4 more in the top of the 21st to win‚ 5-1.
May 13Bobby Adams of the Redlegs hits a lead-off HR against Phillies P Robin Roberts. Roberts then retires the next 27 batters to win‚ 8-1.
May 14After 12 straight defeats at Ebbets Field‚ stretching over 2 years‚ the Cards finally top the Dodgers‚ 10-1‚ behind Vic Raschi. Homers by Musial and Alston pace the Birds attack.

At Connie Mack Stadium‚ the Reds’ 31-year-old rookie Art Fowler shuts out the Phils‚ 1-0. Fowler’s brother‚ Jesse‚ born in 1898‚ and 24 years older than Art‚ pitched in the majors in 1924.
May 15With a pin in his shoulder‚ Ted Williams returns to action after breaking his collarbone in spring training and is hitless in two at bats against Baltimore. The O’s win‚ 2-1‚ behind Coleman.
May 16The Indians sweep the A’s 12-7 and 6-0 to take over first place. This begins a streak of 11 wins in a row.

The Orioles draw a record Memorial Stadium crowd of 46‚796 for a doubleheader with the Yankees. Allie Reynolds wins the opener for New York‚ 2-0‚ on 3 hits‚ before Don Larsen stops the Yankees‚ 6-2 in the nitecap

Ted Williams is back‚ though grimacing with each swing‚ and goes 8-for-9 with 2 HRs and 7 RBI in a doubleheader against the Tigers. Williams has 3 hits in game one‚ a 7-6 loss. He goes 5-for-5 in the nightcap‚ including both HRs‚ but Boston loses 9-8 in 14 innings.
May 19The Phils apologize to 2B Granny Hamner for having him followed by Charles Leland‚ a detective. Phils owner Robert Carpenter‚ suspecting that some players were not ready physically and mentally‚ had hired Leland to follow them. Hamner noticed Leland and reported him to the police‚ who promptly arrested the detective. Carpenter’s apology comes with the Phils tied for 2nd place‚ a game behind St. Louis.
May 21Boston rookie Frank Sullivan makes his first start and beats the Yankees at the Stadium‚ 6-3. Sullivan strikes out Mantle three times before Mickey clocks one over the auxiliary scoreboard into the right-CF bleachers.
May 22At Yankee Stadium‚ Allie Reynolds tosses a 7-hit shutout over the Red Sox to win 7-0. Mantle is the offense‚ going 4-for-5 with 4 RBIs. Mick will knock in 10 runs in the 3-game series against the Red Sox.

In a unique Birdie Tebbetts’ shift against the Cards Stan Musial‚ the Redlegs enlist a “4th” OF in place of regular SS Roy McMillan. This causes a box score irregularity because left-handed Nino Escalera is officially listed as a left-handed SS. After all that‚ Art Fowler strikes out Musial to end the game as the Reds win 4-2.
May 23At New York‚ Mantle’s three run homer in the 3rd ties the game‚ but Mickey strikes out for the final out of the game‚ and Boston wins‚ 10-9.

The White Sox send SS Grady Hatton and $100‚000 to the Red Sox for 3B George Kell.
May 25Cards rookie sensation Wally Moon swipes 4 bases in the Cards‚ 9-4‚ win over the Cubs. Musial has a single‚ double‚ and triple to back Haddix’s pitching.

Warren Spahn tops the Reds‚ 3-1‚ for his 10th straight win over Cincy. It is a team record that will be broken by Spahn in 10 years. He helps his own cause with a homer‚ off loser Herm Wehmeier. It is the Braves 8th win in a row.

At New York‚ the Giants explode for 11 runs in the 8th inning to overwhelm the Pirates‚ 21-4. The Buccos score 3 in the top of the 8th for a NL record for the frame. Led by Lockman’s grand slam‚ the Giants score 5 in the 7th‚ then collect 8 hits in the 8th‚ including 2 homers. Johnny Antonelli has his 6th win and hits his first ML HR. Davey Williams has a single and HR in the 8th. Willie Mays scores 5 runs.

Billy Pierce and Virgil Trucks combine to give the White Sox a 4-2 win over the Indians‚ and stop Cleveland’s 11-game win streak. Bob Lemon takes the loss. Cleveland’s Al Smith steals a base off Sherman Lollar‚ the last base runner to swipe one this year. The Sox catcher will throw out the next 18 base runners who try.
May 26Robin Roberts of the Phils stops a personal 7-game losing streak to the Dodgers at Ebbets Field with an 8-6 win over Brooklyn.

The Senators collect three straight 2-out singles in the 9th and defeat Yankee lefty Eddie Lopat for the first time in 3 years‚ 2-1. The Junkman had won 12 straight over Washington.

Slugger Gus Zernial hits the last grand slam in the history of the Philadelphia Athletics franchise‚ as the A’s down the Red Sox 6-5.
May 27At Washington‚ President Eisenhower presents a silver bat to Mickey Vernon for winning the batting title last year. Vernon goes hitless today but the Nats score 6 unearned runs to beat the Yankees‚ 7-3.
May 28At the Polo Grounds‚ the Giants whip the Dodgers 17-6 with a 6-HR barrage. Four of the HRs come in the 8th as Davey Williams‚ Alvin Dark‚ Monte Irvin‚ and Billy Gardner connect off Ben Wade. Whitey Lockman‚ in the 1st‚ and Willie Mays‚ in the 2nd account for the other two. Brooklyn scores a run in the 6th when Giants P Marv Grissom balks home Rube Walker from 3B. Catcher Ray Katt is at fault‚ having called a time out when Grissom is in his windup.

It’s the managers’ day for the bicarb‚ as White Sox (14) and Oriole (18) pitchers combine to hand out 32 walks in a doubleheader. In the first game‚ the Birds send up an AL record 8 pinch hitters (the Sox use 1 for a new ML-record 9). But all is for naught as the White Sox win both‚ 11-6 and 14-8. Gene Michaels clubs a grand slam in the lidlifter to help reliever Jack Harshman win his first ML game.

At Boston‚ Joe Collins 9th inning walk-the 20th of the game-turns into the winning run in the 9th as New York beats the Red Sox‚ 10-9. The Yanks overcome a grand slam by Jackie Jensen.
May 29Before a record Milwaukee crowd of 40‚001‚ the Cardinals beat the Braves 13-7‚ snapping the Braves 10-game win streak.
May 30At Boston‚ Mickey Mantle belts his 2nd homer in two days to tie the game at 1-1 in the 6th. But that’s all the scoring off Willard Nixon as the Red Sox win‚ 3-1.

Ex-outfielder Hal Jeffcoat (2-0) makes his first mound start and gains a 7-5 win over the Reds at Wrigley. He goes 8 innings and gives up 4 hits before leaving because of a blister on his finger. Cincy wins the nitecap‚ 6-5‚ in a game called after 8 innings because of darkness. They score 3 in the 8th.

Gil Hodges‚ given a 2nd chance when Lockman drops his foul pop‚ belts a 3-run inside-the-park homer in the 1st to lead the Dodgers to a 5-3 victory over the host Giants. Campanella‚ out of action since May 4 with a wrist injury‚ is 0-for-4.

Baltimore snaps its 10-game losing streak by snapping the White Sox’s 8-game win streak‚ 5-2. Jim Fridley and Eddie waitkus homer to back Don Larsen‘s win.

The Senators and A’s pslit a pair‚ with the Nats taking the opener‚ 6-0‚ behind the pitching of Muary McDermott‚ who bats 6th. He goes 0-for-4‚ but Wayne Terwilliger‚ the 9th hitter‚ homers in the 9th. Jim Busby scores on 3 errors: he reaches base on a E by Jim Fionigan‚ steals 2B and Billy Shantz’s throw goes into the OF. Vic Power‘s relay throw goes into the grandstand. Mickey Vernon has a homer in both games for Washington‚ which loses the nitecap 6-5 on Ed McGhee‘s pinch double with the bases loaded in the 9th inning.
May 31The Dodgers send Joe Black‚ their 1952 relief ace and Rookie of the Year‚ to their Montreal farm club. His ERA is 11.57 in 5 appearances.

In game 1 against the A’s‚ the Red Sox pound out 18 hits to win‚ 20-10. Piersall and Bolling each collect 4. Bill Henry completes the sweep with a 9-0 shutout in game 2. Harry Agganis drives in 4 runs with a HR and 2B.

June

June 1The Orioles release pitcher Dave Koslo and pick up pitcher Bob Chakales from Cleveland for Vic Wertz.

In the Kitty League‚ Jackson beats Madisonville‚ 10-2 for it’s first victory after 26 straight losses. The game draws only 64 fans. After the win‚ the Jackson Club folds and forfeits it’s next 15 games. On July 5‚ Central City‚ KY replaces the Jackson Club.
June 2At Yankee Stadium‚ the Yanks tag Early Wynn for seven runs in the first inning without the righty recording an out. Don Mossi relieves and starting in the 2nd inning‚ the Yanks are held hitless against Mossi and four more relievers. Cleveland pecks away‚ eventually tying the game before winning in the 10th‚ 8-7. Hal Newhouser‚ who tosses the last three hitless innings‚ is the winner.

The Dodgers score 5 unearned runs in the 5th good for a 7-6 rain-splashed victory over the Braves‚ that ends after 5 innings Moments after umpire Ballafant clears the Brooklyn bench for protesting a walk to Logan‚ Eddie Mathews belts a grand slam in the 4th. After being banished Dodger star Jackie Robinson accidentally flings a bat into the stands‚ injuring a spectator.
June 3Henry Thompson of the Giants hits 3 HRs and knocks in 8 runs in a 13-8 win against the Cardinals. Willie Mays collects the other 5 RBI on 2 HRs as Alvin Dark scores 5 runs.
June 4At Mexicali‚ the Eagles roll over visiting Cananea‚ 28-5 (Arizona-Texas League). Moises Camacho goes 7-for -7‚ with 3 home runs‚ a triple‚ a double‚ 13 RBIs‚ and scores 5 runs.
June 5Mike Garcia allows just 2 hits but has to go 11 innings to beat the A’s‚ 4-1. He gives up singles to DeMaestri in the 4th‚ who scores‚ and a single to Valo in the 11th. Dave Philley clouts a HR and‚ in the 11th‚ a sac fly to dead center good for 2 runs.

Ted Williams catches pneumonia‚ sidelining him for 3 weeks.
June 6At New York‚ Clint Courtney of the Orioles makes an unassisted DP in a 7-5 win against the Yankees. New York wins the nitecap‚ 5-2‚ as Mantle belts a two-run homer against Don Larsen‚ who is on his way to a 3-21 season.
June 7Dodger C Roy Campanella‚ who hit a home run earlier in the game‚ steals home in the 12th in a 7-5 victory over St. Louis.
June 9Cards P Harvey Haddix defeats the Dodgers 3-0‚ the first lefty to shut them out since 1950. The Dodgers drop into a tie with the Giants for 1st place.

In the 2nd game of two against the Phils‚ Cubs Joe Garagiola and Bill Serena each hit pinch homers‚ but it is not enough as the Phils win 14-6 for a sweep of the doubleheader.

At Cincinnati‚ the Reds hit 4 solo HRs‚ one by winning pitcher Joe Nuxhall‚ to top Max Surkont and the Pirates 4-3. Greengrass hits one while Gus Bell rings twice.
June 10Fred Baczewski of the Redlegs gives up 11 hits and a walk to the Phils‚ but shuts them out‚ 6-0.

At Milwaukee‚ Bill Taylor knocks a pinch homerun in the 10th off Gene Conley to give the Giants a 1-0 win over the Braves. It is the first time in history that a pinch solo homer accounts for all the scoring. For Taylor‚ a reinstated service player‚ it is his first ML HR. Ruben Gomez wins his 6th of 7 decisions against the Braves.
June 11The Tigers hit 6 HRs in a game against the Athletics‚ winning 16-5‚ to get them back to the .500 level. Both 3B Ray Boone and teammate Al Kaline hit grand slams. For Kaline‚ it is one of just 3 grand slams he will hit in his career.

The Reds hit 5 homers‚ including three in the 7th‚ enroute to a 10-8 victory over the visiting Dodgers. One of the homers in the 7th is hit by pitvcher Harry Perkowksi‚ the only homer of his ML career. Brooklyn hits 2 homers in the top of the 7th and the 5 homeruns in the inning ties a ML mark.

At Wrigley‚ the Giants get a 9th inning homer by Ray Kaat‚ his first in the majors‚ to tie the Cubs at 4 apiece. But Eddie Miksis hits the first pitch in the 10th for a catwalk HR to left to give the Cubs and Jim Davis the 5-4 win. The loser is Davis’s uncle Marv Grissom. The two teams combine for 9 errors.
June 12Jim Wilson‚ 32‚ no-hits the Phillies 2-0 before 28‚218 in Milwaukee. Robin Roberts takes the loss‚ his first after 9 straight wins over the Braves. It is Wilson’s first start after pitching just 82?3 innings of relief‚ giving up 7 runs. Ironically‚ the Braves asked waivers on Wilson 2 weeks earlier‚ with no takers.

Behind Bob Feller‚ the Indians beat the Red Sox 4-3 to take undisputed possession of first place. Feller records his 2‚500th strikeout in the game. The Tribe proceeds to win their next 9 games.

The Washington Senators purchase OF Jim Lemon from the Indians.

The Reds sell P Herm Wehmeier (0-3) to the Phillies. The righty‚ 1-6 last year‚ will regain his form in Philley.
June 13Cardinals LF Rip Repulski has 2 hits in each game of a doubleheader sweep against Pittsburgh‚ to start a string of 10 straight games in which he collects 2 or more hits. Haddix wins the opener‚ 5-0‚ for his 8th win in a row. Musial’s 21st HR of the year makes a winner out of reliever Miller‚ 5-3‚ in the nitecap.
June 14Nine Cleveland batters tally 2 or more hits as Cleveland beats the Red Sox.
June 15The Giants take over undisputed possession of first place for the first and last time‚ when Hank Thompson hits a 3-run HR with 2 out in the 9th to beat the Redlegs‚ 5-3. Brooklyn drops the 2nd.

With exactly half the season remaining‚ former Cardinals CF Terry Moore replaces Phillies manager Steve O’Neill.

The University of Missouri defeats tiny Rollins College in the NCAA championship game‚ 4-1.

The White Sox sign bonus baby Ron Jackson‚ 20 years old and 6’7″‚ out of Western Michigan University. He’ll hit .280 for the Sox this year.
June 161B Ferris Fain of the White Sox hits an inside-the-park grand slam in an 11-6 victory over the A’s.
June 17Yankee rookie Bob Grim relieves in the 5th inning and holds the White Sox to 3 hits in 4 innings. He also belts his first ML HR and a single to drive in 3 runs in the 7-6 win. Phil Cavarretta‘s pinch HR in the 9th and a double by Sawatski brings in Johnny Sain to preserve the win. The Yankees are now tied for 2nd place with Chicago.

Let’s end this thing. Starting pitcher Robin Roberts scores the winning run in the 15th inning to give the Phils a 3-2 win over the Cards. The loss goes to Joe Presko who takes over after Gerry Staley goes 12 innings.
June 19Capped by a pinch homer by Hoot Evers‚ the Giants score 4 runs in the 9th off Cards reliever Miller. Cards pitcher Tom Poholsky‚ who is hit on the pitching hand by a liner in the 3rd‚ is forced to give way to Miller after 8 innings. Poholsky will be diagnosed with a broken finger and will not win a game till August 11.
June 20Bobby Hofman‚ Wes Westrum‚ and Dusty Rhodes hit consecutive HRs in the 6th inning‚ as the Giants defeat St. Louis‚ 7-6‚ to stay a half game ahead of the Dodgers. The clouts by Hofman and Rhodes are pinch homers. For the 2nd day in a row‚ Repulski belts a triple and homer for the Birds: yesterday’s was inside-the-park. The Cards strand 17 runners‚ one short of the ML record.

At New York‚ the Yanks beat the White Sox‚ 16-6‚ in the nitecap as Mickey Mantle and Bobby Brown belt consecutive homers off Mike Fornieles.
June 22At Ebbets Field‚ Bud Podbielan pitches a 2-hitter as the Reds roll by the Dodgers‚ 13-1.
June 23Harvey Haddix of the Cardinals yields a run to the Pirates after 37 scoreless innings‚ winning 7-1. It is his 10th straight win. Repulski has 3 hits including a HR.

Dodger lefty Johnny Podres undergoes an appendectomy after being knocked out in 3 straight starts.

The Red Sox pull a triple play but still lose‚ 8-7‚ to Baltimore in a 17-inning game that sets a new AL record for time consumed (4:58) and ties an ML mark‚ set 7 weeks earlier‚ for players used (42). Thirty eight runners are stranded by the 2 teams‚ and 11 pinch hitters are used. The O’s win snaps a 9-game losing streak.

The White Sox top the Senators 8-6. Harmon Killebrew makes his 1st ML appearance‚ pinch running in the 2nd inning for Clyde Vollmer‚ who is hit by a pitch. The Sox announce that they are sending SS Grady Hatton and cash to the Red Sox for perennial All-Star 3B George Kell. After changing Sox‚ Kell‚ 32‚ will continue to post solid numbers.
June 25The Dodgers hold the Cardinals’ hottest hitter‚ Rip Repulski‚ to a solitary single‚ snapping his dual hit streak at 10 games. He will hit in 5 more consecutive games before going hitless. Over the 10 games‚ Repulski‚ in 44 ABs‚ had 22 hits‚ half for extra bases.
June 27In a doubleheader split with the Red Sox‚ White Sox 1B Ferris Fain injures his knee in a collision at home plate and is lost for the season. Rookie Jim Brewer stops Chicago‚ 2-1‚ in the opener‚ and the Pale Hose use 5 Bosox errors for a 9-1 win in game 2. Virgil Trucks pitches the complete game.
June 29At Pittsburgh‚ Herm Wehmeier‚ who beat the Pirates 10 straight as a Reds pitcher‚ continues his mastery in a Phils uniform‚ stopping the Bucs‚ 4-0.
June 30Tom Morgan of the Yankees hits 3 Red Sox-Billy Goodman (hand)‚ Milt Bolling (back)‚ and Ted Lepcio (hand) in the 3rd inning of a 6-1 loss. Mickey Mantle‘s opposite field HR against Willard Nixon is the only Yankee tally. Nixon beat the Yanks a month ago‚ giving up just a solo homer to Mantle.

July

July 1Joe Cunningham of the Cards hits 2 HRs against Milwaukee‚ giving him 3 for his first 2 days in the ML‚ a record unequaled since. In his 1st seven at bats‚ he has 9 RBI. Cardinal ace Harvey Haddix (13-4) stops a Joe Adcock liner with his knee‚ but wins 9-2. Haddix never fully recovers during the season from this injury. Stan Musial chips in with 2 HRs‚ his 25th and 26th.

The first-place Giants beat the Dodgers‚ 5-2‚ to complete a 3-game sweep and move 4 games ahead of the Brooks. Dusty Rhodes‚ who won the opening game of the series with a pinch hit‚ drives in 2 today with a pinch single in the 8th. The Dodgers had tied in the 7th on back-to-back HRs by Campanella and Furillo.

Yankee infielder Bobby Brown retires at age 29 to pursue his medical degree. Brown will later be president of the AL.
July 2Robin Roberts makes his first relief appearance of the year to nail down a 7-6 Phils win over the Dodgers. Roberts gives up a triple to Snider but gets Gilliam to pop out and fans Hoak. Curt Simmons starts but is knocked out after giving up a homer to Cox and a triple to Don Zimmer in his first ML at bat. Del Ennis hits a 3-run HR off starter Clem Labine in the 8th for the win.
July 3With Doby hitting a homer in each game to lead the offense‚ Bob Feller and Early Wynn hurl the Indians to a sweep of the White Sox‚ 3-2 and 5-4. The Sox pennant hopes receive a jolt when 3B George Kell wrenches his knee and will out for out for 5 weeks.

At the Stadium‚ Mickey Mantle‘s opposite field three-run homer is the game-winner as the Yankees beat Bob Porterfield and the Senators‚ 3-2. Mantle has a 12-game hitting streak and is hitting .320.
July 4In a near no-hitter‚ Indians Mike Garcia‚ Ray Narleski‚ and Early Wynn‚ in a rare relief role‚ shut down the White Sox 2-1‚ only allowing Minnie Minoso‘s 9th-inning single. Minnie’s single off Wynn comes with 2 outs in the 9th‚ and he is then caught stealing. Red hot Larry Doby drives in both runs.

The Red Sox‚ behind lefty Leo Kielty‚ down the A’s‚ 8-0. The A’s have no putouts in the game.

The Yankees purchase 35-year-old reliever Marlin Stuart from the Orioles.
July 5Indians reserve 1B Billy Glynn hits 3 HRs‚ including a grand slam‚ in a row and drives in 8 runs in a 13-6 win over Detroit. In his 4th at bat‚ with the bases loaded‚ Glynn hits a sac fly to deep CF. He had 1 homer and 3 RBIs in his first 81 ABs. Boone and Belardi hit back to back HRs for Detroit. Detroit takes the nitecap‚ 1-0‚ in 11 innings with George Zuverink allowing 3 hits and going all the way for the victory. Don Mossi goes the distance in the loss‚ allowing just 3 hits until Harvey Kuenn ends it with a one-out HR.

After splitting their last 13 doubleheaders‚ the Yankees sweep the A’s‚ winning 7-4 and 11-2. The Yanks collect 29 hits‚ 12 for extra bases. In the opener‚ Joe Collins and Mickey Mantle hit back-to back homers off Arnie Portocarrero‚ as Collins has 4 hits‚ including 2 doubles. Irv Noren has a pair of HRs and 5 RBIs in the nitecap.

RF Stan Musial outpolls all other NL players in the All-Star balloting.
July 6Before any batters are retired‚ the Indians score 8 runs‚ a ML record‚ against the Orioles. They’ll tally 3 more in the inning and win‚ 11-3. Bill Glynn has a lead-off homer and single and Larry Doby a pair of hits in the frame. Early Wynn allows no hits through 7 innings before tiring‚ but earns his 10th win.
July 7At New York‚ the Yankees outslug the Red Sox‚ 17-9. Mantle has three hits‚ including his 12th homer‚ off Tom Brewer.
July 8Behind Willie Mays‘ 29th and 30th HRs‚ good for 5 RBIs‚ the Giants win‚ 11-2‚ complete a 3-game sweep of the Dodgers in Ebbets Field to up their lead in the NL to 61?2 games. Preston Gomez allows 2 unearned runs.
July 10Bob Rush of the Cubs stops Cardinal 2B Red Schoendienst‘s hitting streak at 28 games‚ the longest batting streak in 1954. But the Cards win‚ 2-1‚ scoring 2 in the 9th.
July 11In the opener of a doubleheader‚ Giants OF Don Mueller hits for the cycle‚ getting his hits off 4 different pitchers in a 13-7 rout of the Pirates. Five other HRs are added‚ 3 in the 3rd as Monte Irvin‚ Whitey Lockman‚ and Alvin Dark connect.

The Red Sox whip the lowly Athletics 18-0 for one of the worst shutouts in AL history. Frank Sullivan is the victor over Bob Trice. In the nitecap‚ the Sox lighten up to win‚ 11-1. Not a good day as A’s slugger Gus Zernial breaks his collarbone diving for a ball and is out of the lineup until late August.

Despite Jim Command collecting his first ML hit-a grand slam off Carl Erskine-the Phils drop the opener to the Dodgers‚ 8-7. It is Command’s only ML HR. Brooklyn counters with 2 homers by Gil Hodges and one by Carl Furillo. Herm Wehmeier‚ with help from Robin Roberts‚ wins the nitecap‚ 3-1.
July 12In Cleveland‚ representatives of all 16 teams meet to form the Major League Baseball Players Association. The Association hires Norman Lewis to negotiate with the owners and to seek increases in the pension plan.
July 13In the All-Star Game‚ the AL breaks the NL’s 4-game winning streak with an 11-9 win. Larry Doby‘s pinch HR in the 8th‚ followed by Nellie Fox‘s 2-run single‚ ends the highest scoring All-Star Game in history. The 2 teams combine for 31 hits‚ with the AL amassing 17. The Indians Al Rosen has 2 HRs and 5 RBIs; a homer by Ray Boone follows his 3rd inning homer. Cincy stars Ted Kluszewski and Gus Bell also hit homers for the NL. Dean Stone is the winner‚ despite throwing just 2 pitches and retiring no batters. He relieves Bob Keegan in the 8th‚ with Red Schoendienst on third and Alvin Dark on first. With a one-and-one count on Snider‚ Schoendienst tries to steal home and Dean’s throw is in time to get Red. Schoendienst argues it’s a balk. The AL scores 3 runs in the bottom of the inning and Virgil Trucks throws a scoreless 9th to make Stone a cold winner. Gene Conley is the loser.
July 15At Crosley Field‚ Phillie CF Richie Ashburn walks 5 times in a 2-1 loss to the Redlegs.
July 16Gus Bell drives in 6 runs to give the Reds a 9-6 win over the Phils.
July 17For the first time in ML history‚ a majority of a team’s starting lineup is black. Against Milwaukee‚ the Dodgers start Don Newcombe with Campanella catching‚ Junior Gilliam at 2B‚ Jackie Robinson at 3B‚ and Cuban-born Sandy Amaros. The Braves win‚ 6-1.
July 18In St. Louis‚ Phils rookie Bob Greenwood has a 8-1 lead over the Cardinals going into the 5th inning in a game stopped several times because of rain. St. Louis manager Eddie Stanky then starts stalling‚ twice changing pitchers. With the rules prohibiting turning on lights in the middle of a game‚ umpire Babe Pinelli reacts to Stanky’s call for a 3rd pitcher by calling a forfeit. Greenwood loses his first ML win and will not notch his first victory-his only one-till July 31.The NL awards a forfeit victory over the Cards to the Phils for a stall that follows a brawl featuring Phils manager Terry Moore and 1B Earl Torgeson‚ and Cards C Sal Yvars. The Cardinals are under the impression that local ordinances prevent lights being turned on to continue a game. Down 8-1 in the 5th inning of game 2‚ St. Louis begins stalling. Ump Babe Pinelli calls the forfeit. Cards manager Stanky gets slapped with a five-day suspension and a fine‚ while Yvars and Torgeson each get a two days suspension. Game 1 is a 10 inning Phillies victory‚ 11-10.

After winning 13 in a row‚ the Yankees lose the 2nd game of a doubleheader to Detroit 8-6. They now trail Cleveland by a 1?2 game. After winning the opener‚ 6-0‚ behind Byrd‚ the Yankees were in first place.

In his first ML start after 5 relief appearances‚ Red Sox hurler Russ Kemmerer fires a one-hitter at the visiting Orioles to win 4-0. The only hit is Sam Mele‘s drive in the 7th that just misses being a HR. The Birds bounce back in the nitecap to win‚ 4-1‚ behind Duane Pillette.

At Washington‚ the Indians lose the opener to the Senators‚ 8-3‚ to drop out of first place. But they win the nitecap‚ 7-4‚ to regain the AL lead. In game 1‚ Eddie Yost raps a double‚ triple‚ and homer.
July 19The Red Sox defeat the Orioles‚ 9-7‚ on Mickey Owen‘s 9th inning grand slam.

Hobie Landrith‘s 12th inning homer off Al Corwin at Crosley Field gives the Reds a dramatic 1-0 win over the New York Giants. Harry Perkowski goes all the way for Cincinnati‚ allowing just 3 hits. Landrith will have 5 extra base hits this year‚ all homers.
July 20It’s the Giants turn today as they trip the Reds‚ 2-1‚ in 13 innings‚ pushing their lead over the Dodgers to 7 games. Two errors let in the winning run. Johnny Antonelli goes all the way for New York.

It’s like kissing your sister‚ as the Red Sox and Indians play a 17-inning 5-5 tie at Fenway.
July 21Oriole pitcher Don Larsen has 2 triples and a single off Camilo Pascual‚ but still loses to Washington‚ 6-5. An error by Jim Bridewiser in the 9th allows an unearned run to score.
July 22In today’s doubleheader with the White Sox‚ Stengel switches players in an effort to get more power in the Yankee lineup as they chase the first-place Indians. After 4 pinch hitters‚ Phil Rizzuto plays 2B and Mickey Mantle comes in to play SS. Mantle ties the opener 3-3 in the 8th‚ then solos in the 10th with his 20th homer. The Yankees easily win the nitecap‚ 11-1‚ behind Harry Byrd‘s 5-hitter. Chicago falls 6 1/2 games in back of the Indians‚ who sweep 2 from Boston‚ while New York is just a half game back of the Tribe.

The Yankee sign free agent Ralph Branca. He’ll appear in 5 games this year.
July 24After Casey Stengel pulls Phil Rizzuto in the 8th for a pinch hitter‚ he brings in Mickey Mantle again at SS. Mantle plays short with Willie Miranda at 2B against lefthanded hitters. Against righties‚ Miranda and Mantle switch positions. But Cleveland wins 5-4 on Larry Doby‘s 2-run homer in the 10th‚ his 3rd homer in 2 days at Yankee Stadium. Sam Dente fills in at SS for George Strickland‚ sidelined with a broken jaw. The Tribe go 21?2 games up on New York.
July 25White Sox P Jack Harshman sets a team record by striking out 16 in a 5-2 win over Boston. The Pale Hose sweep by taking the nitecap‚ 4-2.
July 26Brooklyn defeats Giant stalwart Sal Maglie in Ebbets Field‚ roughing him up for 6 runs on 11 hits. Since coming into the NL in 1945‚ the “Barber” had recorded 10 straight victories in the Brooklyn ball park.
July 28Giants OF Dusty Rhodes hits 3 consecutive HRs at the Polo Grounds to back Johnny Antonelli‘s 10-0 whipping of St. Louis. It is Antonelli’s 10th consecutive win. Willie Mays smacks his 36th HR‚ a 447 foot clout to LF.
July 30Against Allie Reynolds‚ 3B Bob Kennedy hits the first grand slam for the new Baltimore Orioles‚ as they blast the Yankees‚ 10-0‚ behind Don Larsen. The loss is the Chief’s first after 10 wins. The Orioles surpass the top season attendance the Browns had in their 52 years‚ as they draw 27‚385 for the game‚ giving them 7‚000 more than the 712‚918 St. Louis drew in 1922.
July 31Using a borrowed bat‚ Dodger killer Joe Adcock hits 4 HRs‚ off 4 different pitchers‚ and a double for 18 total bases in the Braves’ 15-7 victory at Ebbets Field. The 18 total bases is a ML mark (topped by Shawn Green in 2002) and‚ combined with the 7 total bases from the day before‚ gives him a 2-day tally of 25. The 2-game total ties him with Ty Cobb. Adcock scores 5 runs. Joining in on the fun is Eddie Mathews who adds two homers which‚ for those keeping score‚ is a HR record for an infield. Another ML mark is set for extra bases on long hits (40)‚ with the Braves contributing 27.

August

August 1Dodgers Clem Labine beans Joe Adcock in the 4th. His helmet apparently saves him from a serious injury‚ but he is taken out of the game as a precautionary measure. He will appear in the starting line-up tomorrow. Gene Conley reciprocates by knocking down Jackie Robinson in the 6th and Robinson ends up scrapping with Eddie Mathews. The Braves win 14-6‚ their 10th win in a row‚ as Conley runs his record to 10-5. The Braves set a ML mark for extra bases on long hits in 2 consecutive games (44).
August 2Johnny Antonelli (16-2) wins his 11th straight‚ beating the Reds 9-4 in the first game of a twinbill at the Polo Grounds.

The 55-game hitting streak of Waco (Big State) OF Roman Mejias ends. He batted .435 during the streak (97 for 223) and will the end the year at .354. The streak‚ the 3rd longest ever in the minors‚ will earn him a promotion to the Pirates.
August 3The Dodgers bench Roy Campanella again for his ailing left hand. He plays only sparingly for the rest of the season.

At Forbes Field‚ Reds manager Birdie Tebbetts starts lefty Bud Podbielan‚ but Fred Haney counters with an all-lefty Pirate lineup. Birdie then lifts Podbielan after one batter and brings in righty Joe Nuxhall. The ploy works and the Reds‚ 7-2.

Bubba Church‚ pitching for Los Angeles (PCL) throws a no-hitter against Portland‚ winning 3-0.
August 5In front of a Ladies Day crowd of 49‚483 in Cleveland‚ New York beats the front runners‚ 5-2 behind Bob Grim. Mantle starts the scoring with a 4th inning solo shot off Early Wynn‚ then follows an 8th inning homer by Joe Collins by connecting on the next pitch with his 23rd homer of the year. Both are served up by Ray Narleski. Larry Doby‘s 2-run homer off Johnny Sain in the 8th is his 24th HR of the year‚ putting him back in the AL lead. New York trails the Indians by 1 1/2 games.

At Brooklyn‚ Stan Musial smashes 2 homers and a sac fly to drive in 7 runs and pace the Cards to a 13-4 rout of the 2nd place Dodgers. The Man’s first HR‚ with 2 on‚ is off Preacher Roe‚ who takes his first loss to the Cards at Ebbets in 4 years. Musial now has 101 RBIs‚ the highest in the ML.
August 6The Reds knock Antonelli out of the box in the 4th and hand the ace his first loss after 11 straight wins. The Giants lose‚ 6-5.
August 8The Dodgers score an NL record 13 runs in the 8th off Cincinnati in Ebbets Field to win 20-7. Twelve of the runs are unearned and an NL-record 12 are tallied with two outs and no one on. Gil Hodges gets a triple and a HR in 3 at bats in the inning‚ while Clem Labine‚ who has a career .100 BA‚ walks twice. Jackie Robinson drives in 3 runs with a single as Snider scores from 1B. Campanella‚ Gilliam‚ and Don Hoak all homer for Brooklyn in the game to pin the loss on Karl Drews.

The Yankees spot the host Tigers a four-run lead‚ tie it up‚ then watch as Detroit wins it 10-8 in 10 innings. Mantle has one homer‚ off Billy Hoeft‚ and just misses on a titanic opposite field drive that curves foul before leaving the stadium.
August 10Boston’s Mel Parnell‚ who fractured his arm in April‚ posts his first win of the year‚ beating the Senators‚ 4-0.

Bob Grim becomes the first Yankee rookie to win 15 games since Borowy in 1942‚ hurling a 5-2 win over the A’s. The Bombers pull to 3 games in back of the Indians.
August 12At Boston‚ Chuck Stobbs beats his former team for the 5th straight time‚ winning 9-5. Mickey Vernon has 4 hits. But ex-Red Sox Maury McDermott then loses‚ 5-0‚ to Frank Sullivan. Eddie Yost of the Senators draws his 100th walk for the 5th year in a row.
August 13In a brilliant pitcher’s duel‚ Chicago’s Jack Harshman and Detroit’s Al Aber go head to headf for 16 innings before the Sox win it on a one-out run scoring triple by Minnie Minoso. Nellie Fox scores from 1st. Harshman strikes out 12 and has now pitched 28 consecutive scoreless innings. Wayne Belardi‚ who enters in the 13th inning‚ bats out of turn in the 15th and bats his regular turn in the next inning.

The A’s break their 8-game losing streak by edging the Senators‚ 3-2‚ on Jim Finigan‘s steal of home in the 8th.
August 14Dodgers slugger Duke Snider fans twice in the 6th inning of a game against the Giants‚ as the Dodgers score 4 in the 6th to come back and win‚ 6-5.

After a two-inning Old-Timer’s game‚ the Yankees beat the Red Sox‚ 3-1. The win goes to Ralph Branca‚ his first and only decision in a Yankee uniform. The Old-Timers match features 18 Hall of Famers‚ and is won by the AL on Joe DiMaggio‘s 3-run homer off Carl Hubbell. Mel Ott has a homer for the NL‚ which is helped by Ted Williams who goes 1-for-1.

A story issued by the Associated Negro Press and printed in today’s Philadelphia Independent says: “Abe Saperstein of the fabulous Harlem Globetrotters stated this week in a press interview that baseball magnate Bill Veeck had intended to use a baseball trick back in 1942 which would have upset the thinking in the major league‚ had it materialized. ‘I’ll tell you one thing about Veeck‚’ said Saperstein‚ ‘something that few people know. In 1942 the Phillies were for sale and Veeck attempted to buy them. But Bill Cox raised more money and got the club. Do you know what Veeck planned to do? He was going to take the Phils to spring training in Florida and then-on the day the season opened-dispose of the entire team. Meanwhile‚ with a team composed entirely of Negroes‚ who would have trained separately‚ he could have opened the National League season. I don’t think there was a team in either league‚ back in 1943‚ that could have stopped the team he was going to assemble.'”
August 15Gene Conley wins his 9th straight game beating the Cubs 2-1 in Milwaukee. The Braves are now 3 1/2 games out of 1st‚ the closest they will get this year.

At Yankee Stadium‚ Mickey Mantle takes Boston’s Hal Brown downtown‚ hitting his 11th homer against the Red Sox this year‚ to pace New York to a 14-9 win. Harry Agganis hits his first ML grand slam for Boston.

In the bottom of the 9th‚ the Reds unload successive home runs by Gus Bell‚ Ted Kluszewski‚ and Jim Greengrass ‚ all of Cot Deal. But it’s a case of too little‚ too late‚ as the Cardinals win‚ 14-12.
August 16In a throwing contest between Jimmy Piersall and Willie Mays before a Red Sox-Giants charity game in Boston‚ Piersall hurts his arm. He starts the game but leaves midway. He wakes up the following morning with a sore arm that stays with him a year‚ and he will never throw quite as well again.
August 20The Cards execute 6 DPs against the Redlegs to tie the NL record‚ but the Redlegs win 3-2. Alex Grammas participates in 5 of the DPs.

Giants lefty Don Liddle shuts out the Pirates to win‚ 4-0‚ with all the New York scoring coming on Don Mueller‘s grand slam in the 5th inning. Willie Mays hits safely in his 21st straight game‚ but he’ll go hitless tomorrow.
August 21The rampaging Indians top the Orioles‚ 4-1‚ to move to 4 1/2 games in back of the Yankees. Larry Doby paces the Tribe with a bases loaded triple and has now driven in 100 runs. Pitcher Bob Lemon helps the cause by starting a triple play in the 4th inning after catching a line drive off the bat of Jim Fridley.

At Boston‚ Footsie Lenhardt’s 2-out single in the 12th gives the Bosox a 10-9 win over the Yankees. The loss drops the Bombers 4 1/2 games in back of Cleveland. Gene Woodling of the Yanks crashes into the wall‚ breaking a thumb and is lost for the season. Behind Williams 4 ribbies‚ the Sox will win tomorrow to sweep the 3 game series
August 22Rookie Spook Jacobs of the A’s steals 4 bases in a 3-2 triumph over the Senators.

The Yankees pick up relief pitcher Jim Konstanty from the Phillies for cash. The former MVP will be a valuable contributor in 1955.

Hank Sauer Day is celebrated at Wrigley Field as the popular slugger receives a hunting dog and a sports car. The game is delayed several minutes when RF bleacher fans shower Hank with packages of chewing tobacco. Hank’s a winner‚ but the Cubs lose to the Braves‚ 12-6.
August 24Robin Roberts is lifted in the 7th as the Braves finally knock out the Phillies ace‚ winning 5-1. Roberts had pitched 13 straight complete games against the Braves over 3 years‚ with a 12-1 record. His only loss came when Jim Wilson threw his June 12‚ 1954 no-hitter.
August 25The Dodgers hit 9 HRs in a 2-day sweep of the host Redlegs‚ winning 12-4 yesterday and 13-2 today. They have hit 38 in 18 games with Cincy. Gil Hodges of the Dodgers has 2 homers today‚ as does Rube Walker‚ to knock in 100 runs for the 6th consecutive season. Furillo‚ with a homer‚ drives in 5 runs‚ and Walker 4. Billy Loes wins his 8th straight as the Dodgers move to 3 1/2 games behind New York.
August 27In an 11-0 White Sox win‚ Chicago 3B Cass Michaels has his skull fractured by a pitch from A’s Marion Fricano. Michaels is sidelined the rest of the year‚ and the injury will effectively end his 12-year ML career.

The Reds pull off a triple play in the 6th to stop a Pirate threat‚ and Ted Kluszewski hits a HR in the 9th for the game winner‚ as the Reds win‚ 3-2. Kluszewski’s homer comes off Max Surkont‚ the 6th time this year that Klu has left the park against him: this ties the ML record set by George Kelly‚ off Vic Aldridge‚ in 1923 and tied by Ted Williams‚ off Johnny Rigney‚ in 1941. No one else this century will match the mark. Big Klu starts a streak of 17 straight games in which he scores a run.

In the championship game of the Little League WS‚ Schenectady‚ NY‚ defeats Colton‚ CA‚ 7-5. Future NL Rookie of the Year‚ Cub 2B Ken Hubbs leads Colton‚ while future major leaguers Jim Barbieri and Billy Connors starred for the New Yorkers. This team later becomes the subject of a best-selling book by Martin Ralbovsky‚ Destiny’s Darlings.
August 29Giants Dusty Rhodes ties a record with 6 extra base hits-2 doubles‚ 2 triples‚ and 2 HRs-in a doubleheader‚ as the Giants split with the Cardinals‚ winning 5-4 in 11 innings‚ and losing 7-4. Rhodes hits his triples in two at-bats in the opener. The split leaves the Giants just 1 1/2 games ahead of Brooklyn.

Orioles bespectacled C Clint Courtney goes 5-for-5‚ as Baltimore defeats the Senators 5-0.

A disappointed crowd of 45‚922 at Milwaukee’s County Stadium sees the Dodgers take 2 from the Braves‚ 12-4 and 11-4. In game one‚ the Dodgers break a tie with a ML record 8 runs in the 11th. The Braves establish a new NL attendance mark of 1‚841‚666 on their way to a season total of 2‚131‚388.
August 30In beating St. Louis 4-1 on 4 hits‚ Johnny Antonelli becomes the first lefty to win 20 games for the Giants since Carl Hubbell and Cliff Melton in 1937.

The Indians complete an 11-home-game sweep of the Red Sox‚ the first such sweep since the Yankees blanked St. Louis Browns in 1927.
August 31The Indians beat the Yanks‚ 6-1‚ to record their 26th win of the month‚ tying the 1931 A’s for most wins in a month.

September

September 1At Crosley Field‚ Redlegs Ted Kluszewski hits 2 HRs to break his own club mark of 40 HRs. He will wind up with 49 for the season. Despite the Klu clouts‚ Cincinnati loses to Philadelphia‚ 9-3. In a pre-game stunt‚ Reds catcher Hobie Landrith catches a ball dropped out of a helicopter hovering some 500-600 feet over the field.
September 2Dodger Russ Meyer beats the Cubs‚ 10-2‚ for his 16th consecutive win over Chicago‚ dating back to 1950.

Mickey Vernon of the Senators gets his 2‚000th hit. He also hits his 19th HR (he will add one more before the end of the season) for a team record for left-handers. Teammate Roy Sievers also sets a team record by hitting his 23rd HR. He will hit one more before the end of the season.

Before 39‚494 at New York‚ the Yankees snap Bob Lemon‘s 11-game win streak to beat the Indians 3-2 in the rubber game of the series and move to 31?2 games from first place. Mantle’s gigantic blast into the RF upper deck in the 1st starts the Yankee scoring. Whitey Ford picks up his 16th win.
September 3At Philadelphia‚ Ted Williams of the Red Sox hits his 362nd HR to put him in 5th place on the all-time list. His drive comes in the 3rd off Arnie Portocarrero and breaks a 1-1 tie. The Sox beat the A’s‚ 11-1.
September 5With Dittmer and Mathews clouting 2 homers apiece‚ the Braves outslug to Reds in both games to win 11-8 and 9-7. Hank Aaron goes 5-for-5 for the day but breaks his ankle in the 2nd game while sliding into 3B on a triple. He is lost for the remainder of the season. Spahn starts the first game and goes 5.1 innings and then relieves in game 2. He gives up a 3-run HR to Kluszewski in game 2‚ which puts the Reds ahead 7-1‚ but the Braves roar back to give Spahnie his 18th win.

Joe Bauman of the Roswell Rockets (Class C Longhorn League) clouts his 70th‚ 71st‚ and 72nd homers‚ an organized ball record. He ends the season with a .400 batting average‚ .916 slugging average and 224 RBIs.
September 6After losing 10 straight‚ the Pirates sweep the Dodgers in Ebbets Field on “Back the Dodgers Day‚” winning 9-6 in 12 innings and 9-7. It is their first doubleheader sweep of the Dodgers since 1950 and drops Brooklyn to 3rd.

Eddie Mathews leads the Braves in 2 wins‚ 13-2 and 6-1‚ over the Cubs. Mathews has 8 straight hits before lining out in his last at bat. He reaches base 9 straight times and steals a base. He and Crandall homer in the lidlifter‚ while Bruton hits an inside-the-park HR in the nightcap. The attendance of 43‚207 pushes the Braves over 2 million‚ the first club in NL history to top 2 mil. The double win moves the Braves into 2nd place ahead of Brooklyn and just 4 behind the Giants.

Cuban OF Carlos Paula‚ the first black to play for the Senators‚ debuts with a 2-for-4 day as the Nats win 8-1 in the first of 2 against the A’s. He’s hitless in game 2‚ a 3-2 win by the A’s. Spook Jacobs has 3 hits and 3 steals in the nitecap.

The Yanks only split a pair with the Red Sox‚ but it is not for lack of trying on Stengel’s part. Casey uses a (since tied) record ten pinch hitters in the two games‚ including pitcher Tommy Byrne for Phil Rizzuto. Pinch hitter Joe Collins wins the opener for Jim Konstanty‚ 6-5‚ with a homer-one of five hit in the game. The Yanks blow a 6-0 lead in the nitecap to lose‚ 8-7.
September 7The Senators and Athletics draw just 460 paid to a game‚ the smallest crowd in Griffith Stadium history. The Senators win 5-4.
September 8With the count 3-2‚ Richie Ashburn fouls off 14 straight pitches from Cincinnati’s Corky Valentine before walking. The Reds top the Phils‚ 9-3.

The Giants purchase catcher Joe Garagiola from the Cardinals. He’ll hit .273 in 5 games‚ then retire to pursue a broadcasting career.
September 9The Yanks Enos Slaughter spoils a no-hitter for the 3rd time by getting a single off Orioles P Joe Coleman‚ who finishes with a one-hitter and a 1-0 shutout.

Hank Thompson’s surprise squeeze bunt in the 9th with the bases loaded and 2 outs‚ allows the Giants to slip past the Cubs‚ 7-6 in the opener against the Cubs. Bob Rush and 2 relievers then combine on a 3-0 win in the nitecap to keep the Giants 4 games ahead of the Braves. Giants rookie Bob Lennon‚ who hit 64 HRs at Nashville‚ is 0-for-1 make his ML debut as a pinch hitter in game 2.
September 10Braves 1B Joe Adcock‘s HR against the Dodgers in Ebbets Field breaks the NL mark of 9 HRs hit on the road against one club. Adcock’s HR is the Braves only hit‚ as Billy Loes one-hits the Braves 2-1 in a 41?2 inning game halted by rain. NL prexy Warren Giles rules from his home after 2 am. that it is an official game‚ after ump Goetz declined to rule whether the game was official or suspended. The loss ends the Braves 10-game win streak‚ their 3rd 10-game win skein of the year.

Attempting to handle Hoyt Wilhelm‘s knuckleball against the Redlegs‚ C Ray Katt of the Giants sets an ML record with 4 passed balls in the 8th inning. Wilhelm faces just 5 batters in the frame‚ yielding a single and two walks‚ as passed balls allow two runners to score. When Wilhelm winds up with 2 out and Bobby Adams on 3B‚ Adams races home‚ expecting Katt to make his 5th passed ball. Roy McMillan swings and misses‚ and Katt holds on and tags out the red-faced Adams. Cincinnati wins 8-1.
September 11Whitey Lockman of the Giants gets a pinch-hit grand slam to beat the Redlegs 7-5. Don Mueller hits in his 21st straight game‚ duplicating Mays’s streak‚ which ended August 20th. He’ll go hitless tomorrow.

The Yanks lose to the White Sox 6-5‚ dropping New York 61?2 out of first‚ the largest deficit in Casey Stengel‘s years.

Again‚ the Dodgers go after Joe Adcock as Don Newcombe plunks the Dodgers nemesis on the right hand. The broken hand ends Adcock’s season. The Dodgers then win their 1st game in 6 tries against Gene Conley‚ winning 5-3 to regain 2nd place ahead of the Braves.
September 12A major-league record crowd of 86‚587 jams Cleveland’s Memorial Stadium to see the Indians sweep a doubleheader from the Yanks‚ 4-1 and 3-2‚ behind Bob Lemon and Early Wynn. Al Rosen’s two-run double is the key blow in the opener. In the nitecap‚ Wally Westlake‘s double in the 5th is the big hit. The Yanks now trail Cleveland (104-40) by 8 1/2 games.

In a double header at Pittsburgh‚ Ted Kluszewski drives in 9 runs to lead the Reds to a sweep. In the 11-5 opening win‚ Klu drives in 6 runs with a pair of homers. He knocks in 3 more in the 13-2 nitecap win.

The White Sox get their 89th and 90th victories‚ the first time this has happened since 1920. They will win 94 for the season. They sweep the Red Sox 5-3 and 7-5‚ stealing 7 bases in the opener to overcome a Williams homer. Minoso starts the scoring in game 2 with a 3-run homer in the 1st.

The Hollywood Stars (PCL) Roger Bowman fires a 7-inning perfect game to beat Portland‚ 10-0‚ and force a one game playoff with San Diego for the PCL pennant. But San Diego will win their 102nd game and the championship.
September 13Redlegs slugger Ted Kluszewski scores a run in a 6-5 loss to the Pirates. Big Klu has scored in 17 consecutive games‚ coring 24 runs‚ tying the ML record of 17 straight games set by Rogers Hornsby in 1921. (This earlier mark was discovered in 2003 by researcher Trent McCotter) Tomorrow Brooklyn’s Johnny Podres will shut the Reds out‚ 4-0.
September 14Willie Mays hits a 1st inning double and scores the only run in a 1-0 win over the Cards. It is Johnny Antonelli‘s 21st win of the year. Mays’s hit is his 82nd extra-base hit‚ breaking Mel Ott’s team record.

Chicago White Sox manager Paul Richards makes the stunning announcement that he is leaving immediately to accept the dual role of manager and GM of the Baltimore Orioles. Coach Marty Marion will manage the team for the remaining games.
September 16Phillie Robin Roberts beats the Giants 5-4 in 10 innings and becomes the first NL pitcher since Carl Hubbell to win 20 games 5 years in a row. Hubbell did it in 1933-37.

In a 9-3 Reds win at Ebbets Field‚ watched by a chilly rain-soaked 522 paying fans‚ Ted Kluszewski belts his 49th homer of the year. Joe Nuxhall wins his 2nd this year at Ebbets Field‚ the only lefty opponent to do so.
September 17Bob Lemon wins his 23rd game‚ beating the Tigers 6-3 and ensuring the Indians at least a tie for the pennant. Bobby Avila breaks a 2-2 tie with a 7th inning grand slam.
September 18The Giants Don Mueller collects his 200th hit an inside-the-park HR‚ making him the first Giant to get 200 hits since Joe Moore in 1936. Willie Mays also has an inside-the park-HR‚ as the Giants beat the Phils 8-1.

In rainy Detroit‚ the Indians clinch their 3rd pennant in history and the first since 1948 with a 3-2 win over the Tigers. Early Wynn is the winner‚ while Jim Hegan and pinch-hitter Dale Mitchell belt homers.

Marty Marion wins his 1st game as White Sox manager as Chicago tops Baltimore‚ 6-3‚ behind Billy Pierce (8-10). Don Larsen loses his 20th and will finish at a 3-21 season.
September 19Detroit’s Harvey Kuenn‚ en route to his 2nd year of 200 hits‚ goes 5-for-5 in a game which the Tigers lose 4-2 to the Indians.

Before a sparse crowd of 1‚715‚ the A’s play their final game at Shibe Park‚ losing to the Yankees‚ 4-2. For the Yankees‚ it is their 100th win of the season and for Stengel it his his first 100-win season in 6 years with NY. For the A’s‚ it is off to Kansas City for the 1955 season.
September 20The Giants clinch the pennant as Sal Maglie beats the Dodgers 7-1 in the opener of a series with the Dodgers at Ebbets Field. Mays has three hits to take over the NL lead with a .344 average. The Giants now get ready for the Indians‚ a team they beat 13 out of 21 times in spring training.

At Milwaukee‚ Warren Spahn of the Braves beats the Reds‚ 6-2‚ to notch his 20th win. Spahn has now won 20 games 6 times.
September 21In front of just 1‚912 fans‚ a Yankee Stadium low‚ Yankees rookie Bob Grim wins his 20th‚ a four-hit‚ 3-1 win over Washington. Freshman Dean Stone takes the loss. The victory gives the Yanks 101 wins‚ and makes Grim only the 2nd Yankee rookie in history to win 20. His 20 wins in less than 200 innings (199) makes him the most efficient 20-game winner ever. The Yankees will finish with 103 victories‚ just one under the ML record for 2nd place‚ held by the 1909 Cubs and 1942 Dodgers.

The White Sox come back from a 9-4 deficit to win‚ 9-7‚ ending the Indians’ 11-game win streak. The Tribe makes five costly errors‚ and the Sox score three runs on a wild pick-off throw‚ wild pitch and passed ball. Chicago now holds an 11-10 edge in the season series and have twice snapped a Cleveland 11-game win skein.

Before an Ebbets Field crowd of 4‚467 the New York Giants top the Dodgers‚ 5-2‚ behind a combined five-hitter by Ruben Gomez and Jim Hearn. Bobby Hofman‚ playing 3B for the injured Thomson‚ hits a first-inning grand slam. In the batting race‚ Mays and Mueller are both 2-for-3‚ while Snider is 1-for-4.

At Boston‚ the Red Sox win a pair from the A’s by 4-3 scores. Jackie Jensen’s 10th inning single wins the opener and his three-run homer in the nitecap clinches it. Billy Goodman adds seven hits in the two games. Jensen’s full day includes grounding into his 32nd DP in the opener‚ breaking the major league record set by Bobby Doerr in 1949: Jensen will lead the majors again in 1956-57. The mark will finally be topped by another Sox player‚ Jim Rice‚ with 36 in 1984. In a ceremony preceding the game‚ Jensen receives a new car from station WBZ‚ for winning the station’s contest to decide the team’s MVP.
September 22Recently called up from Fort Worth‚ Karl Spooner of the Dodgers pitches a 3-0 shutout‚ fanning 15 Giants in his first ML start. Six of the strikeouts are consecutive‚ in the 6th and 7th innings. The 15 is a new ML rookie record breaking the mark set by Cliff Melton on April 25‚ 1937. Roy Campanella calls Spooner “the greatest young pitcher I’ve ever seen. His fastball is the damnest thing. It even amazes the umpire.”

In the top of the 9th‚ the Redlegs have runners on 1B (Wally Post) and 2B (Gus Bell) when Bob Borkowski strikes out on a WP. Braves C Del Crandall retrieves the ball and throws to 3B in a futile try to catch Bell. Borkowski takes off for 1B illegally‚ since 1B is already occupied and there are less than 2 outs. He draws a throw from 3B Ed Mathews‚ which hits him in the back and rolls into RF‚ and both Bell and Post score. The umpires decide that Borkowski and Post are both out‚ the former for drawing an illegal throw. Milwaukee wins 3-1 and the Reds protest. Because the standings of 5 teams are affected by the outcome‚ Warren Giles will uphold the protest‚ even though he believes the umpires made the correct decision. The protested game‚ started from the point where Temple is batting with 2 outs in the 9th‚ will be played in 2 days and the Braves will win 4-3.

The Indians beat the White Sox‚ 3-1‚ for their 110th win of the season. Don Mossi takes the victory with a 5-hitter.

Aided by a triple play in the 6th (Skowron to Coleman)‚ the Yankees Tommy Byrne hurls a 3-0 win over the Senators.
September 24The Tigers stall the Indians pennant clinch‚ topping the Tribe‚ 6-4. Ted Gray is the winner over Bob Lemon. Jim Delsing and Ray Boone homer for Detroit‚ while Cleveland’s George Strickland hits his first homer since early in the season.

Arnie Portocarrero stops the A’s 15-game losing streak to the Yankees by winning‚ 5-1‚ at Yankee Stadium. Arnie fans 11‚ including 3 straight pinch hitter-Berberet‚ Triandos‚ and Leja-in the 9th. Littrell hits a 3-run homer for his first ML HR.

Phillie Murry Dickson loses his 20th game of the season 1-0 to New York’s lefty Don Liddle. It marks the 3rd consecutive season he leads the NL in losses. The Phils then take the nitecap‚ 4-2‚ routing Windy McCall.

In an odd doubleheader with three teams playing‚ the Milwaukee Braves finish a protested game against the Cincinnati Reds by replaying the game from the protested point in the 9th inning. With runners on 2B and 3B‚ Temple singles against Jolley‚ who is in for Spahn‚ and when Bruton misplays the ball‚ both runners score to tie the game at 3 all. The Braves then score in the 9th‚ winning‚ 4-3. Milwaukee takes the regularly scheduled game against the Cardinals‚ winning 4-2. Spahn‚ who finished the protested game 2 days ago‚ wins the second game‚ his 21st win of the year.

The Senators sweep the Red Sox‚ winning the opener 1-0 in 11 innings. Chuck Stobbs allows 7 hits in winning. The Nats complete the sweep with a 6-4 victory in the nitecap.

The Orioles spoil Virgil Trucks bid for his 20th win‚ stopping the White Sox‚ 2-1. he win goes to bonus baby Digger O’Dell‚ who cops his ML win.
September 25Duke Snider joins teammate Gil Hodges in the 40-HR club‚ giving the Dodgers two 40-HR sluggers in 2 straight seasons. The Dodgers win 10-5 over Pittsburgh‚ as the sluggers drive in 3 runs apiece. Erskine wins his 18th.

Early Wynn takes a no hitter into the 9th before allowing two hits in beating the Tigers’ George Zuverink‚ 11-1. It is his league-leading 23rd win as the Indians notch their 111th victory‚ a new AL record eclipsing the 110 wins of the 1927 Yankees.

Making his first ML pitching appearance‚ Al Lary‚ along with reliever Jim Davis‚ hold the Reds to 3 hits as the Cubs win‚ 4-2. Hank Sauer belts a 2-run HR. For Al Lary‚ it is his cup of coffee (he pinch ran on the 6th)‚ and he won’t be back in the majors till 1962. His younger brother Frank debuted on September 14 in a 1-inning mop-up in Detroit’s 11-0 loss to the Yankees.

Although they lose 100 games‚ the same as in the previous season when the club was in St. Louis‚ the Orioles draw over a million fans. Billy Pierce pins the 100th loss on the O’s‚ allowing 5 hits in the White Sox 11-0 trouncing.
September 26In his 2nd start‚ rookie Brooklyn lefty Karl Spooner shuts out Pittsburgh 1-0 on a Gil Hodges HR in the 8th. He fans 12 for a total of 27 strikeouts in his first 2 ML games‚ establishing a new record. One of his strikeouts in the 9th is against Dusty Rhodes: “Before I went up to hit against him‚ I told the boys I’d kiss every one of them if he struck me out. Just call me Liberace.” Gil Hodges‘ 8th-inning HR‚ his 25th at Ebbets Field (a new club record)‚ gives him 42 for the season‚ tying him with Duke Snider for the most by a Dodger. Hodges also finishes the year with 18 sacrifice flies‚ a ML record that won’t be topped the rest of the century.

At Milwaukee‚ Cards rookie Wally Moon hits an 11th-inning 2-run homer to break a scoreless tie. For Moon it is his last at bat for the year; he started the year with a HR in his first at bat.

Going into the last day of the NL season‚ Don Mueller leads in hitting with .3426; Duke Snider is 2nd at .3425‚ followed by Willie Mays at .3422. The Giants win‚ 3-2‚ in 11 innings over the Phillies Robin Roberts‚ as Mays garners a single‚ double‚ and triple in 4 ABs. He finishes at .345 while Mueller‚ going 2-for-6‚ slips to .341‚ the same as the hitless Snider. Richie Ashburn plays in his 730rd straight game‚ stretching back to June 7‚ 1950.

The Yankees try to set a record for most wins by a runner-up. In Casey Stengel‘s “power line-up‚” Yogi Berra plays his only game at 3B in his career; Mickey Mantle plays SS again; Moose Skowron is at 2B‚ with Eddie Robinson at 1B. But Art Ditmar of the Athletics defeats the Yanks 8-6 in the last game the franchise will play as the Philadelphia A’s before moving to Kansas City.

The Indians lose their last game‚ 8-7‚ in 13 innings to Detroit. Bobby Avila is 1-for-2 with a HR before being lifted and wins the batting title with a .341 average. Ted Williams‚ batting 2nd in today’s 11-2 win over Washington‚ is 1-for-4 to finish at .344. Teddy Ballgame is 14 at bats short of qualifying for the title (adding the 14 in gives him a .333) but drew 136 walks in 117 games.
September 28Two days after firing Bucky Harris‚ the Senators sign Chuck Dressen to a 2-year deal to manage in 1955.
September 29In Game 1 of the WS‚ Willie Mays of the Giants makes one of the greatest catches in history when he races back to deep CF in the Polo Grounds to make an over-the-head catch of Indian Vic Wertz‘s 462-foot drive in the 8th with the score tied at 2-2. Wertz drove in the 2 runs in the first with a triple‚ the first of his 4 hits. But in the 10th‚ Dusty Rhodes hits a pinch-hit‚ 3-run‚ 260-foot HR off Bob Lemon to give the Giants a 5-2 victory. With Mays in the Giants lineup‚ and Avila in Cleveland’s‚ it marks just the 3rd time that the league batting champs have faced each other in the WS.
September 30With lefty Johnny Antonelli going the distance‚ the Giants defeat Early Wynn and the Indians 3-1 in game 2. Dusty Rhodes drives in all the Giants runs with a pinch-hit single and a solo HR. The Indians’ only score is a first-pitch HR by leadoff hitter Al Smith.

The Cubs sell 3B Bill Serena to the White Sox. Tomorrow the Cubs send pitchers Johnny Klippstein and Jim Willis to the Reds for P Harry Perkowski‚ and outfielders Jim Bolger and Ted Tappe.

October

October 1Dusty Rhodes gets his 3rd pinch hit of the WS‚ driving in 2 runs in the 3rd. He is hitting for OF Monte Irvin‚ who ironically had 11 hits in the 1951 Series. The Giants’ Ruben Gomez easily bests Indians P Mike Garcia‚ 6-2.
October 2In game 4 the Giants sweep the AL team with the best record in history‚ as they score 4 runs in the 5th to take a 7-0 lead. The final is 7-4 as Don Liddle defeats Bob Lemon.
October 12The AL owners today approve the shift of the Athletic franchise to Kansas City. Roy and Earl Mack now five days to sell the team to Arnold Johnson. Johnson’s bid for the franchise is $3‚375‚000 for the team and stadium‚ which he said he will sell to the Phillies for $1‚675‚000. One of the offers for the team is from a wealthy Texas group that proposes to move the A’s to Los Angeles.
October 14The Phils name Mayo Smith to succeed interim manager Terry Moore as their manager for 1955.
October 20Shoichi Kaneda of the Tokyo Swallows strikes out his 350th batter‚ surpassing the American season record of 348‚ set by Bob Feller in 1948. Kaneda already holds the single-game strikeout record in Japan with 15 in 1952 and 1954 and will go on to hold almost every Japanese pitching record before retiring in 1969.
October 28Despite a last-minute plea by Connie Mack‚ the ML owners vote down the sale of the Athletics to a Philadelphia syndicate. The A’s‚ plagued by debt-even their 1954 team uniforms have not been paid for-have little choice as the Philadelphia group‚ in Mrs. Mack’s words “dilly-dallied.” A week later‚ Arnold Johnson buys a controlling interest in the Athletics from the Mack family for $3.5 million and moves the team to Kansas City.

November

November 3The Yankees tour Japan and draw a record crowd of 64‚000 when they play the first game against the All-Japan Stars in Osaka. Andy Carey slugs 13 HRs‚ and Elston Howard bats .468 on the 25-game tour.
November 17The Cubs trade Ralph Kiner to the Indians for $60‚000 plus OF Gale Wade and P Sam Jones. Kiner’s HR total fell to 22 in 1954‚ though he hit .285.
November 18The Athletics give manager Eddie Joost his unconditional release and hire Lou Boudreau to replace him.

In an enormous two-part trade begun on November 14‚ the Yankees and Orioles exchange 17 players. Included are 1B Dick Kryhoski‚ Ps Bob Turley and Don Larsen‚ and SS Billy Hunter from Baltimore. To the Orioles go OF Gene Woodling‚ SS Willie Miranda‚ Ps Harry Byrd and Jim McDonald‚ and Cs Gus Triandos and Hal Smith. The trade will help both teams.
November 22The Pirates draft young Roberto Clemente from the Dodgers farm system. Clemente hit just .257 at Montreal and Brooklyn assumed he would not be noticed.

December

December 6The Tigers trade 1B Walt Dropo with P Ted Gray and OF Bob Nieman to the White Sox for 1B Ferris Fain and Jack Phillips.

The Orioles conclude their 2nd large trade in 3 weeks sending C Clint Courtney‚ SS Jim Brideweser‚ and P Bob Chakales to the White Sox for C Matt Batts‚ INF Freddie Marsh‚ and Ps Don Johnson and Don Ferrarese. Courtney batted .270 in 397 at bats‚ and struck out an AL-low 7 times‚ the league’s lowest since Joe Sewell hung up his spikes in 1933.
December 8The Cardinals send veteran pitcher Gerry Staley‚ who had won 84 games for St. Louis in the past 6 seasons‚ along with All-star 3B Ray Jablonski to the Reds for Frank Smith (5-8 in 1954). The Cards have the good-fielding Ken Boyer in the wings‚ making the bad-fielding Jabo expendable. He’ll be back in the minors within a year. After a year in St. Louis the Cards will waive good-bye to Smith and Cincinnati will sign him back.
December 11With the Athletics poised to move to Kansas City‚ the Phillies purchase Connie Mack Stadium.
December 13The Dodgers shed part of an era‚ sending P Preacher Roe and 3B Billy Cox to Baltimore for 2 unknowns and cash. The Orioles will complete this deal next March by sending OF Frank Kellert to Brooklyn for P Erv Palica.