Baseball – 1955

Baseball in 1955

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January

January 3The Orioles purchase veteran OF Hoot Evers from the Tigers.
January 11Before an exhibition game in San Juan‚ Puerto Rico‚ Willie Mays and teammate Ruben Gomez get into a brawl. It starts when Gomez slips into the batting catch ahead of Mays‚ and batting practice pitcher Milt Ralat then refuses to throw. The sulking Gomez sits down on the plate‚ and Mays then steps to the side and directs the pitcher to throw to him there. Ralat then throws an insulting slow pitch which Willie barehands and fires back. He and Ralat exchange words and when Mays walks towards the mound‚ Gomez‚ brandishing a bat‚ attempts to interfere. Mays drops him with a right. The two later apologize to each other.

The Cards trade P Ben Wade to Pittsburgh for P Paul LaPalme.

February

February 12Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente hit crucial HRs to lead Santurce (Puerto Rico) to a 4-2 win over Venezuela in the Caribbean Series. Mays’s HR comes in the 11th.
February 17The Orioles get P Erv Palica from the Dodgers for 1B Frank Kellert and cash. This replaces the Preacher Roe deal‚ which fell through when the Brooklyn lefty announced his retirement.
February 28The NL fines the Braves $500 for opening their spring training camp before the official March 1 date.

March

March 7Commissioner Ford Frick states that he favors legalization of the spitter‚ “a great pitch and one of the easiest to throw.

Mexican millionaire Jorge Pasquel dies in a private plane crash. Pasquel and his brother started a fight with MLB in 1946 when he signed major leaguers like Danny Gardella‚ Sal Maglie and Mickey Owen to play in the Mexican League. The league dissolved in 1953 and its remnants merged into organized baseball.
March 10In Clearwater‚ Robin Roberts throws the ceremonial first pitch before the first game at Jack Russell Stadium‚ and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Detroit Tigers 4-2 before a crowd of 4‚209 fans. The cozy park is named for a former major league pitcher and city commissioner.
March 19The Cubs sell P Dave Cole to the Phillies. Apprised of the sale‚ Cole remarks‚ “That’s too bad. They’re the only team I can beat.”
March 20While the Cubs are in Arizona beating their LA farm team‚ 7-0‚ major league baseball is played at Chicago’s Wrigley Field. In a rematch of last year’s World Series‚ the Giants beat the Indians again‚ 7-3. Mays and Rhodes hit homers for New York‚ while Ralph Kiner‘s 9th inning homer is the first score for Cleveland. A crowd of 24‚434 is on hand.
March 30The Yanks sell P Ewell Blackwell and Tom Gorman‚ plus reserve IF Dick Kryhoski‚ to the Kansas City Athletics‚ now in the AL‚ for $50‚000.

April

April 11After President Eisenhower tosses out the first ball‚ the Senators open the season with a 12-5 win over the Orioles. Bob Porterfield is the complete-game winner.
April 12In a 4-2 win over the Reds‚ Milwaukee‚ rookie Chuck Tanner hits an 8th-inning pinch-homer on the first pitch in his first ML AB. The homer comes off of Gerry Staley and ignites a 3-run rally. A NL record Opening Day crowd of 43‚640 watch at Milwaukee’s County Stadium.

After a huge civic parade‚ the Athletics open their first season in Kansas City with Ex-President Harry Truman throwing out the first ball. Bill Wilson hits the first-ever homer for KC and Bob Wilson for the Tigers answers. Alex Kellner‚ with relief from Ewell Blackwell‚ making his first appearance since 1953‚ picks up the victory in the 6-2 A’s win. Ned Garver is the Tigers’ loser.
April 13The Dodgers open what will be their only World Championship season in Brooklyn by beating Pittsburgh‚ 6-1. Carl Erskine is the winner.

At Philadelphia‚ Robin Roberts holds the Giants hitless until‚ with one out in the 9th‚ Alvin Dark singles after Rhodes reaches 1B on an error. After Mays strikes out‚ Irvin doubles in 2 runs. Ashburn and Ennis‚ injured in an exhibition game collision‚ sit out the opener. Ashburn’s consecutive-games played streak is stopped at 731.

In the Opener at Yankee Stadium‚ the Yanks rout the Senators 19-1. Winner Whitey Ford gets 3 hits and only allows 2‚ as he knocks in 4 runs. Mickey Mantle and Bob Cerv also drive home 4 runs. Mantle‚ Yogi Berra‚ and Bill Skowron crack homers‚ while Cerv and Andy Carey add triples. Mickey McDermott‚ in 3+ innings of work‚ is the loser‚ as the Yanks register the biggest margin of victory in an opener. The most runs in an opener was by the Indians‚ 21-14 over the Browns in 1925.
April 14In the home opener at St. Louis‚ Cards reliever Frank Smith pulls a Merkle boner in the 10th inning depriving the Birds of a winning run. With 2 outs‚ Smith reaches 1B‚ sending Stephenson to 3B. Moon’s single seemingly scores Stephenson‚ but Smith turns back without touching 2B. Aaron’s throw to O’Connell forces him for the 3rd out. Virdon takes Smith off the hook in the 11th with a HR off Dave Koslo to win‚ 8-7. The Cards have 6 homers in the game.

Elston Howard becomes the first black player to wear the Yankee uniform. He singles in his first at bat‚ against the Red Sox‚ as the Yanks lose‚ 8-4.

Brooklyn P Don Newcombe hits 2 HRs‚ off Maglie and Wilhelm‚ in a 10-8 win over the Giants at the Polo Grounds.

The Orioles buy P Jim Wilson from the Braves.
April 15The clouting Cubs beat the Reds‚ 6-4‚ when Jackson and Banks hit back-to-back homers in the 10th. Hal Jeffcoat‚ who hit a HR in the 9th‚ is the winner.
April 16En route to losing their first 5 games‚ the Redlegs hit 5 solo HRs but lose to the Braves 9-5. The Braves Johnny Logan goes 5-for-5‚ and Del Crandall‚ Johnny Logan‚ and Joe Adcock slug solo homers for Milwaukee. Cincy’s 5 solo shots-2 by Ray Jablonski-and just 5 runs scored ties a ML record.

In St. Louis‚ the Cubs hit 6 homers‚ including consecutive homers by Randy Jackson‚ Ernie Banks and Dee Fondy in the 2nd inning‚ but the Cards win in 14 innings‚ 12-11. Wally Moon‘s bloop single is the winner after Sarni’s bloop double drops when Sauer and Banks do an Alphonse-Gaston number. Jackson has a 2nd HR in the 3rd‚ and Banks and Fondy hit back-to-back consecutive homers in the 12th‚ tying a ML record for doing it twice in a game‚ but Moon’s 2-run HR deadlocks at 11 apiece.
April 17Twenty-year-old Al Kaline of the Tigers hits 3 HRs in Briggs Stadium‚ including 2 in the 6th inning to drive in 6 runs. The Tigers rout the A’s 16-0‚ behind Steve Gromek‘s pitching. Kaline is the first American Leaguer since DiMaggio in 1936 to hit 2 homers in an inning‚ and he is the first Tiger to do so.

After the Cubs edge the Cards‚ 6-5‚ in the opener‚ St. Louis scores 10 in the first inning and go on to rout the Cubs 14-1 in the nitecap.

Roberto Clemente makes his debut for the Pirates and goes 1-for-4 against Johnny Podres. The visiting Dodgers win‚ 10-3.
April 18In what can be described as a rare “pitcher’s cycle‚” Pirate hurler Al Grunwald allows a single‚ double‚ triple‚ and HR for 4 runs in one-third of an inning in his first ML game. Grunwald relieves in the 4th with the Giants ahead 3-0‚ and gives up a single to Don Mueller‚ a double to Monte Irvin‚ a triple to Mays‚ and a HR to Whitey Lockman. The Giants score 8 runs in the inning‚ 4 off Grunwald‚ to win 12-3.

Mantle’s 2-run homer in the 3rd off Harry Byrd provides all the scoring Whitey Ford needs‚ as the lefty tosses a 3-hitter against the Orioles. New York tops the O’s‚ 6-0.

The Orioles release veteran 3B Vern Stephens‚ who will sign with the White Sox on May 2.
April 21Brooklyn wins its 10th in a row‚ trouncing Robin Roberts of the Phils‚ 14-2. This sets a new ML record for consecutive wins to start a season‚ later topped by Atlanta and Oakland.
April 22Though the Dodgers take a 3-0 lead into the 8th‚ their streak ends as the Braves’ Max Surkont beats Johnny Podres 5-4. Don Zimmer is called out at home on a squeeze play by Jackie Robinson that would have tied the game. Alston vehemently protests the call and gets sent to the showers for his efforts.

In a rundown play between home and 3rd‚ Yankee 2B Jerry Coleman breaks his collarbone. The Yanks beat the Red Sox 3-0‚ but Coleman is out for the season. Ford notches his 2nd straight shutout‚ while Berra and Bauer hit homers.

In their home debut before a standing-room only crowd of 32‚147‚ the Kansas City A’s beat the Detroit Tigers‚ 6-2.
April 23The visiting White Sox erupt for 29 hits in a 29-6 ripping of Kansas City. C Sherm Lollar becomes the only man in the decade to get 2 hits in one inning twice in the same game. Lollar’s feat comes in the 2nd and 6th innings. Chico Carrasquel goes 5-for-6 as the White Sox pound out 7 HRs. Bob Nieman has 7 RBIs to pace the Sox offensive attack with 2 homers; Lollar (2)‚ Walt Dropo‚ pitcher Jack Harshman‚ and Minnie Minoso also homer. Chico Carrasquel and Minoso each score 5 runs. KC gets homers from Vic Power and Bill Renna. Bobby Shantz takes the loss.

In a celebrated fight with the Dodgers‚ Alvin Dark takes on Jackie Robinson after the latter bowls over pitcher Sheldon Jones‚ covering first on a bunt. Jones injures his back in the incident. Brooklyn wins 3-1.
April 24The Giants and Dodgers go at it again‚ this time with bats. The Giants score 6 runs in the 10th inning to seemingly put the game away‚ but Brooklyn answers with 5 runs‚ only to lose‚ 11-10. Alvin Dark scores the decisive run in the 11th when Carl Furillo catches Thompson’s fly and‚ thinking it made the 3rd out‚ he jogs in with the ball. The 11 runs in the 10th is a NL record.
April 26Bob Turley of the Yanks fires a one-hitter‚ fanning 10 in beating the White Sox 5-0. Sherm Lollar’s single in the 2nd is the lone hit.
April 27Hank Bauer and Andy Carey‚ the first two Yankee hitters‚ hit homers to deflate White Sox pitcher Virgil Trucks. But the Sox knock the wheels off Ford and 3 relievers for 14 hits to win 13-4 and regain first place in the AL.
April 28The Kansas City Athletics sign P Vic Raschi‚ who has just been released by the Cardinals. The Athletics purchase P Lou Sleater from the Yankees for cash. Neither pitcher is any help today as New York thrashes the A’s‚ 11-4 at Municipal Stadium. Mantle hits a homer for the 5th run off losing pitcher Charlie Bishop.
April 29White Sox pitcher Dick Donovan‚ in his 5th trial in the majors‚ shuts out the Red Sox on 4 hits to win his first big league game‚ 7-0.

Before a crowd of 33‚471 at Kansas City‚ little Bobby Shantz shuts down the Yankees on three singles‚ and the A’s win‚ 6-0.
April 30One-time Cub Russ Meyer of the Dodgers continues his mastery over the Bruins‚ winning his 17th consecutive game against Chicago‚ 7-5. Meyer has not lost to the Cubs since July 16‚ 1950‚ a Cubs record for consecutive losses to one pitcher. The Dodgers lead 2nd Milwaukee and the Phillies by 5 games.

Bob Lemon (5-0) of the Indians beats the Baltimore Orioles‚ 5-2. Lemon is the first ML pitcher to ever win 5 games in April.

At New York‚ the Cards defeat the Giants‚ 6-2‚ as Paul LaPalme throws 8 innings of scoreless relief.

Harvey Kuenn of the Tigers goes 5-for-5 in an 11-7 win over the Senators.

The Phillies trade C Smoky Burgess‚ P Steve Ridzik‚ and OF Stan Palys to the Redlegs for OF Jimmy Greengrass‚ C Andy Seminick‚ and OF Glen Gorbous. Then the Phillies buy SS Roy Smalley from the Braves.

May

May 1In a masterful performance‚ Bob Feller one-hits the Red Sox 2-0‚ with Sammy White‘s single in the 7th spoiling his bid for a no-hitter in the first game of a doubleheader. It is his ML-record 12th one-hitter. In the nightcap‚ Cleveland’s Herb Score fans 16 Boston hitters in a 2-1 win‚ missing Bob Feller‘s strikeout record by 2. Score fans 9 of the first 12 batters and 12 through the first 5 frames.

In the Giants 2-1 win over the Reds‚ the 2 teams toil 16 innings combining for a record-tying 10 double plays. The only other time 10 were turned was 30 years ago‚ when the Reds and Braves made 10 DPs in 12 innings. An alert Don Mueller start the rally in the 16th when the Reds are trying to intentionally walk him. He hits an outside 4th-ball pitch for a pop single‚ sending Lockman to 3B. Johnny Antonelli pitches all 16 innings for the win.

Felipe Montemayor must’ve had the right breakfast today as the Pirate hits a 2-run HR in each game of a DH with the Cards. They are the only two homers of his career. The Cards take the opener‚ 4-3‚ and the Bucs are victorious in the nightcap‚ 7-0‚ behind Ron Kline.
May 2At Ebbets‚ Carl Furillo raps his 8th HR with Robinson on base in the 12th inning to give the Dodgers a 2-0 win over the Braves. Carl Erskine wins his 4th straight‚ beating Conley‚ as both pitchers go the distance.
May 3Mantle’s homer in the 6th off Mike Garcia gives New York a 4-3 lead‚ but Cleveland wins it 5-4 at home. Garcia last year allowed just six homers in 258 innings‚ the best mark of the 1950s.
May 4Against host Oakland (PCL)‚ Los Angeles slugger Steve Bilko clouts a homerun that lands on top of a building 552 feet away from home plate. LA wins 9-6.
May 5In his first ML start‚ Dodger southpaw Tom Lasorda throws 3 wild pitches in the same inning‚ to tie a record. He also receives a spike wound from Wally Moon of the Cardinals in a play at the plate. Lasorda later blames his wildness on his catcher‚ Roy Campanella‚ but the Dodgers go on to win the game‚ 4-3. Before the game‚ Don Newcombe refuses to pitch batting practice for the 2nd time this week and Walt Alston tells him he’s suspended. The two will settle their differences tomorrow and Newk will finish up the Dodgers‚ 6-4‚ 12 inning win over the Phils.
May 6At Fenway‚ Mantle lines a first inning solo shot into the Yankee bullpen‚ and Bob Turley shuts out Boston the rest of the way for a 6-0 New York win. Frank Sullivan is the losing pitcher.

White Sox veteran Virgil Trucks shuts out his old team‚ Detroit‚ winning 1-0 over Ned Garver. It is Trucks’ 10th 1-0 victory.
May 7Backed by Elston Howard‘s first ML homer‚ and Mickey Mantle‘s tie breaker to dead CF in the 8th‚ the visiting Yanks overpower the Red Sox‚ 9-6. The Yanks spot Boston a 5-0 lead before roaring back with three in the 9th.

Behind Carl Erskine‚ the Dodgers beat Robin Roberts and the Phils‚ 6-3‚ for their 9th straight win. All the Phils scoring is on solo homers-two by Jones and one by Ennis. For the Phils‚ it is their 8th loss in a row while the Brooks have now won 20 out of 22 games. The game is almost forfeited in the 7th after plate ump Art Gore chases Roberts‚ Earl Torgeson‚ and Jack Meyer from the Phils bench. Fans rain dozens of beer cans down on Gore and fellow ump Jocko Conlin.

The White Sox nip the Tigers‚ 1-0‚ behind Dick Donovan‘s 2nd shutout.
May 10Dodger ace Don Newcombe one-hits the Cubs 3-0. Gene Baker‚ who singles in the 4th and is caught stealing‚ is the only base runner.
May 11The Cubs click off 5 DPs in a come from behind 10-8 win over Brooklyn‚ snapping the Dodgers’ 11-game winning streak. Ernie Banks hits a grand slam‚ the 1st of 5 he’ll hit this year. The loss goes to Russ Meyer‚ who had beaten the Cubs 17 straight times and 22 times in his last 23 decisions against Chicago.

The Tigers buy OF Charlie Maxwell from the Orioles.

The A’s continue to wheel and deal as they purchase OF Harry Simpson from the Indians and P Ray Herbert from the Tigers. They give cash and P John “Sonny” Dixon to the Yankees in exchange for RF Enos Slaughter and P Johnny Sain.

At Yankee Stadium‚ Early Wynn survives solo homers by Andy Carey and Mickey Mantle to give Cleveland a 4-3 victory.
May 12Sam “Toothpick” Jones of the Cubs no-hits the Pirates 4-0‚ fanning the last 3 batters in the 9th after walking the bases loaded. It is the first no-hitter in Wrigley Field since the double no-hitter of 1917‚ and the first no-hitter in the ML by a Black pitcher. The Cubs lace 15 hits against Nellie King and Vernon Law. TV announcer Harry Creighton joked in a pre-game interview with Jones that he’d give him a gold toothpick if he pitched a no-hitter. Creighton keeps his word.

The Braves Gene Conley stops the Dodgers‚ 2-1‚ ending Brooklyn’s streak from the start of the season of 25 straight games in which they’ve led at some point in the game. The mark will be topped by the 2005 White Sox.

Washington 3B Eddie Yost‘s streak ends at 838 straight games because of tonsillitis as teammate Maury McDermott 4-hits the Indians for a 3-0 win.
May 13It’s Friday the 13th and bad luck for the Tigers as Mickey Mantle homers from both sides of the plate for the first time. In all‚ Mantle has 3 HRs‚ the first two lefty against starter Steve Gromek‚ and the third off Bob Miller‚ all to the deep reaches of the right centerfield bleachers. Mick adds a single‚ good for 5 RBIs as New York beats Detroit 5-2. Whitey Ford goes seven innings for the win. Mantle joins Lazzeri (1927)‚ Ben Chapman (1932)‚ and Dickey (1939) as the only Yanks to hits three homers in a game at Yankee Stadium.
May 15New York’s Irv Noren hits an inside-the-park grand slam in an 8-4 victory over the A’s. New York wins the nitecap to sweep the A’s. Mantle is 4-for-9 for the afternoon and is hitting .311.

Chicago’s Dick Donovan tosses his 3rd shut out of the season‚ beating the Senators‚ 3-0.

After the Braves win the lidlifter with the Phils‚ 6-5‚ Philadelphia comes back in the nitecap to win‚ 9-1‚ and break their 13-game losing streak. Robin Roberts is the victor. Bruton’s leadoff HR is the only run off Roberts.
May 17Paced by Joe Adcock‘s 4 hits‚ including a HR‚ the Braves defeat the Giants‚ 9-4. Gene Conley is the winner‚ despite giving up HRs to Mays and Thompson‚ but he does stop Don Mueller’s 24-game hit streak.

At St. Louis‚ Cards rookie Larry Jackson hands the Dodgers their first shutout‚ stopping the league leaders‚ 3-0. St. Louis takes advantage of the removal of the screen from the RF pavilion by banging 2 homers-by Schoendienst and Boyer-into the sector‚ 310 feet away.
May 18Cleveland scores 11 runs in the 5th to whip the Red Sox 19-0‚ and give Herb Score an easy win over Willard Nixon. Vic Wertz‘s grand slam is the big blow in the inning. It is the worst shutout pasting ever by Boston and the most runs ever in a shutout for the Tribe.

Milwaukee slugger Eddie Mathews undergoes an appendectomy and is lost for 2 weeks.

At the Stadium‚ Mantle’s 8th inning grand slam off Mike Fornieles powers the Yankees past the White Sox‚ 11-6. In the play before Mantle’s blast‚ a grounder was ruled a dead ball after Hank Bauer interfered with Nellie Fox at 2nd‚ leaving the sacks jammed. The Sox lose Minnie Minoso for 2 weeks with a hairline fracture of the skull after he is hit by a pitch from Bob Grim.
May 21In Milwaukee‚ Cubs pitcher Warren Hacker loses his no-hitter when he gives up a one-out 9th-inning HR to George Crowe. Hacker holds on to win 2-1.

In a game marked by a fight between Maury McDermott and Jackie Jensen‚ the Senators top the Red Sox‚ 1-0‚ in 12 innings. In the 12th‚ Jensen is trapped off 1B but his way back to the bag is obstructed by first baseman Vernon: it is called by 2B ump Ed Runge but he makes no gestures and Jensen continues back to 1B. McDermott‚ waiting to put the tag on‚ is knocked over by Jensen‚ and Hank Soar at 1B calls the runner out. Soar is overruled and then the fight starts between Jensen and the pitcher and both are tossed. Pedro Ramos‚ who succeeds McDermott‚ draws a walk and scores the winning run.
May 22The 2nd game of a Giants-Pirates doubleheader is called at the top of the 9th due to rain‚ 28 minutes short of the Sunday curfew‚ with the Giants leading 5-3. If the rain had started before the end of the 8th‚ the game would have gone to the Pirates by a score of 3-2. The umpires almost ruled it a suspended game rather than a called game‚ because they felt they had to wait at least half an hour before calling a game‚ which would set the time 2 minutes after the curfew. But a Giants vice president finds the rule that puts weather and similar conditions first when determining whether a game is called or suspended.
May 24After losing 11 straight games‚ the Pirates rout the Dodgers 15-1‚ their highest score in 172 games. Tomorrow they will sink to the cellar. Friend‚ who pitches the last 4 1/3 innings in relief of starter Vern Law‚ is the winner. Preston Ward has a single‚ triple and HR to pace the Corsairs.
May 26Dodgers P Don Newcombe becomes the only NL pitcher of the decade to steal home when he hits a triple and swipes home in the 9th inning in Pittsburgh. Newk has two RBIs as he wins 6-2 over Kline (2-6). Following Fred Hutchinson in 1947‚ he is the only pitcher to triple then swipe home.

Despite a single by Ted Williams in his first appearance of the season‚ Boston loses to the Senators‚ 5-3. The Senators score 5 in the 6th when McDermott starts the scoring with a HR.
May 27In just the first 5 innings‚ Norm Zauchin hits 3 HRs and a double and drives in 10 runs as the Red Sox slaughter the Senators 16-0. Pitcher Tom Brewer coasts for the win.

Bobby Hofman of the Giants hits his 3rd pinch-hit HR of the year‚ and 9th of his career‚ tying him with Cy Williams for the record. The Giants trip the Dodgers 3-1.

At Detroit‚ Frank House‘s HR is the only score as Bill Hoeft beats the White Sox‚ 1-0. In the 9th‚ Bill Tuttle runs down a 415 ft. drive by Rivera that Schoolboy Rowe calls “the greatest catch since White’s robbery of Martin in the ’34 Series.”
May 28Johnny Groth bangs 4 extra bases hits-2 HRs and 2 doubles- as the White Sox wallop the Tigers‚ 16-4. Every Sox starter has at least a hit and a run. The Sox take over 3rd place from the Bengals.

Harry “the Hat” Walker replaces Eddie Stanky as manager of the Cardinals with the team in 5th place with a record of 17-19.

After starting the season on the retired list‚ Ted Williams of the Red Sox becomes “unretired.” He joins the team and collects a single in his first at bat‚ but the Red Sox bow to the Senators‚ 5-3. Pascual is the starter‚ but receives a warning from the ump when the Cuban Cutie twice hits Sammy White with pitches. His replacement‚ Maurie McDermott‚ ignites a 5-run 6th with a HR.
May 29Larry Doby of the Indians hits the first ML HR over the outer wall in Kansas City‚ an estimated 500-foot clout in the 6th. The Indians win 4-2 behind Herb Score‚ who is replaced in the 9th after singles by C Wilmer Shantz and PH Slaughter. Wilmer’s brother Bobby Shantz is the loser.
May 30For the 2nd time this season‚ Dodger ace Don Newcombe homers twice in the same game‚ posting his 8th straight win‚ beating Pittsburgh‚ 8-3. The Brooks win the opener‚ 8-4 behind Russ Meyer. Newk gives up 12 hits but fans 9 and starts 2 DPs.

Senators P Mickey McDermott beats the Yankees‚ 3-2‚ with a pinch-hit single in the 10th.

Cubs rookie slugger Bob Speake homers in both games of a double header against the Cards to finish the month with 10 homers. His homer breaks a 3-3 tie in the 11th inning of the nightcap to help the Cubs sweep in St. Louis‚ 9-5 (10) and 4-3 (11). Paul Minner and Howie Pollet are the winners for Chicago‚ while Brooks Lawrence and Bobby Tiefenauer take the losses. Speake will hit just 2 more homers the rest of the season. In game 2‚ the Cards get stopped in the 9th by an interference call. Moon‚ attempts to steal 3B but C Harry Chiti‘s throw hits the bat of Red Schoendienst. Red is called out and Moon must return to 2B. Musial then grounds out.

The Orioles waive Bob Kennedy to the White Sox.

June

June 1At Ebbets Field‚ Duke Snider of the Dodgers hits 3 HRs and just misses a 4th when it bounces off the top of the fence for a double. The Dodgers set a club record with six 4-baggers‚ as Campanella‚ Reese‚ and Robinson add homers to outlast the Braves 11-8.
June 3Stan Musial hits the 300th HR of his career‚ a 5th-inning‚ 3-run shot against Brooklyn’s Johnny Podres. The Cards use a NL-record 8 pitchers but still lose 12-5.

The Cards trade veteran C Del Rice to the Braves for OF Pete Whisenant and C Charlie White.

At Comiskey Park‚ Chicago’s Jack Harshman gives up a solo homer to Mantle‚ but gets the Yankee slugger to ground out in the 7th inning with the bases loaded. Mantle’s shot hits the left-centerfield facing of the 2nd deck. The White Sox win 3-2.
June 4For the 2nd time‚ Willie Mays blasts an extra inning homer off the Cub’s Warren Hacker‚ this time in the 12th inning. But it’s not enough as the Cubs win‚ 9-8. On April 30th of last year Willie hacked one in the 14th.
June 5The Yankees split today’s doubleheader with Chicago‚ winning the opener 3-2 in 10 innings. Facing Billy Pierce in the 4th inning‚ Mantle clouts a tape measure shot to left the clears the roof and‚ according to the Tribune tomorrow‚ “bounced on 34th Street to shatter the windshield of a car.” Eyewitnesses say the ball does not hit the roof‚ but clears it on the fly‚ some 550 feet‚ and compare it to the shot Foxx launched on June 16‚ 1936. The Yankees now lead the AL‚ four games in front of Cleveland.
June 6The White Sox trade veteran P Harry Dorish to the Orioles for C Les Moss.

At Briggs Stadium‚ the Yankees blast four homers to beat the Tigers and Bob Miller‚ 7-5. Eddie Robinson connects for a pair of two-run homers‚ while Billy Hunter‚ Gil McDougald and Mantle add round trippers. Mantle’s blow is to dead center‚ 440 feet away.
June 7The White Sox reacquire speedster CF Jim Busby from the Senators for C Clint Courtney‚ OF Johnny Groth‚ and P Bob Chakales.
June 8The Dodgers option P Tommy Lasorda to Montreal to make room on the roster for bonus baby Sandy Koufax‚ who has been on the injury list.
June 9The Redlegs trade OF Bob Borkowski and cash to the Dodgers for 1952 Rookie of the Year pitcher Joe Black.
June 11The Dodgers win their 6th in a row to increase their lead to 10 1?2 games. The lead will not dip below 10 games for the remainder of the season.
June 12After winning 10 in a row‚ Dodger P Don Newcombe suffers his first defeat of the season‚ 9-5 to the Cubs. Clem Labine wins the nitecap‚ 6-2‚ for da Bums.

The Indians sweep a doubleheader from the Yanks 7-3 and 10-2. The Cleveland crowd of 69‚352 is the largest ML crowd of the season. New York is now just 2 1?2 in front of Chicago.
June 14Led by Jack Bryant’s 3 doubles‚ Wake Forest beats Western Michigan University‚ 10-7. Wake also steals a record 7 bases. Wake will beat the Broncos again‚ 7-6‚ to win the College World Series.
June 15The Tigers buy Earl Torgeson from the Phillies to replace Ferris Fain at 1B.

The Orioles trade OF Gene Woodling and IF Billy Cox to the Indians for outfielders Wally Westlake and Dave Pope. When Cox announces his retirement‚ the Indians get more cash.

The Indians pick up Ted Gray who had just been released by the White Sox. He’ll pitch in just 2 games before being released and the Yanks will sign him June 30. Gray will play for 4 teams this year‚ but appear in just 14 games.
June 17At Comiskey‚ Mickey Mantle ties the game at one apiece by hitting a Dick Donovan pitch 10 rows up in the top tier of the RF stands. New York scores another to win‚ 2-1.

At Wrigley‚ Curt Simmons is the winner‚ 3-2‚ when batterymate Stan Lopata hits a 2-out homer in the 9th off starter Bob Rush. For Rush it is his 14th straight loss to the Phils‚ the longest losing skein to a single team for any Cubs pitcher (as noted by historian Ed Hartig).
June 19Giants Leo Durocher benches Willie Mays for 2 days for a “rest” and starts Whitey Lockman. The Braves win‚ 8-7.

In the doubleheader opener at Wrigley Field the Phillies push over a run in 15th inning to win 1-0 over the Cubs. Jones doubles home Blaylock for the score to give the win for reliever Jack Meyer. In the nitecap‚ the Cubs win 8-7 in 7 innings as darkness falls.
June 20At Cincinnati‚ Willie Mays watches from the stands as his Giants lose to the Reds‚ 5-3. Mays was benched yesterday. Dusty Rhodes and Bill Taylor hits pinch homeruns for the Giants.
June 21In the first inning at Yankee Stadium‚ Mantle launches a shot off the A’s Alex Kellner that lands in Cooperstown. The home run is the first ever to reach the centerfield bleachers‚ 461 feet from home‚ since the Stadium opened in 1923. New York wins‚ 6-2. New York will win tomorrow‚ 6-1‚ with Mantle clouting another homer‚ off Art Ditmar.

At Boston‚ Ted Williams hits a 3-0 pitch for a 3-run homer off Ned Garver and the Sox come from behind in the 8th inning to beat Detroit‚ 5-4. It is the Splinter’s 9th in 19 games since rejoining the team‚ and his 22nd RBI. Boston has won 12 of 14.
June 23The Yanks Bob Turley shuts out the Athletics 4-0 on 3 hits to end his 5-game losing streak.

The Redlegs purchase OF Sam Mele from the Red Sox.
June 24Washington bonus baby Harmon Killebrew boots a Kaline grounder in the 5th as the Tigers take a 13-0 lead. In the bottom of the inning‚ Killebrew silences the boos by crushing his first major league HR‚ off Billy Hoeft. The Tigers coast to the win‚ 18-7.
June 25Miseries plague the Dodger pitching staff. Russ Meyer goes on the disabled list with a broken collarbone‚ and Carl Erskine has arm trouble.
June 27The Orioles trade 2B Bobby Young to the Indians for IF Hank Majeski.

Boston’s young star 1B Harry Agganis dies of complications following a bout with pneumonia. The “Golden Greek” was hitting .313 this season in 25 games. His last appearance was in a May 15 doubleheader when he stroked 5 hits.
June 29Willie Mays hits the first grand slam of his career‚ off Clem Labine‚ and accounts for all the RBI in a 6-1 Giant win over Brooklyn. Roy Campanella has a broken spur in his knee and will miss 2 weeks.
June 30At Washington‚ Joe Cronin declares his Red Sox are only playing today because it is a Red Cross benefit game. In deference to the Sox‚ the Senators move the game’s start from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. so it does not coincide with the burial of Harry Agganis in Lynn‚ MA. Also‚ the Sox players don’t participate in the pre-game antics such as the egg-tossing contest‚ the phantom infield practice and the blindfolded wheelbarrow race‚ won by Camilo Pascual. Finishing off the day is a post-game dressage exhibition by Arthur Godfrey: his horse spends the game grazing by the vistors’ bullpen. After a 15-minute tribute to Agganis‚ the Senators beat the Red Sox‚ 3-2. Frank Shea‚ who sung “You Gotta Have Heart‚” from “Damn Yankees‚” with Mickey McDermott before the game (“Shea only sang the “heart”) strikes out Norm Zauchin with the bases loaded to end the game.

The Dodgers come back three times to beat the Giants‚ 6-5. On the front end of a double steal with Dusty Rhodes in the 7th‚ Wayne Terwilliger scores to put New York up‚ 3-2. Brooklyn scores in the 9th to tie it up. Mays hits a 2-run homer in the 10th and Brooklyn again comes back to tie‚ Durocher uses 4 pitchers to pitch to 4 batters in the 11th but Brooklyn scores to win‚ 6-5. The Dodgers press Dixie Howell into service when Rube Walker is injured in the 8th in a collision with Mays: Campanella is out with a knee injury.

July

July 1At Wrigley Field‚ Hank Sauer‚ Ransom Jackson‚ and Gene Baker all homer in the 2nd inning against the Cardinals. Ernie Banks adds another later to help Chicago win 11-7.

At Cleveland‚ Early Wynn hurls his 3rd straight shutout‚ handing the White Sox their 6th straight defeat‚ 1-0. Billy Pierce takes the loss. Wynn has now thrown 29 straight scoreless innings‚ but will give up a 1st inning HR on July 5 to Joe DeMaestri.
July 4The Red hot Red Sox sweep a pair from the Yankees at Boston‚ winning 4-2 and 10-5. Jackie Jensen‚ with a grand slam‚ and Norm Zauchin‚ with a 3 run homer‚ pace the Hubmen in the nitecap. Russ Williams has a double and HR in the opener to lead the offense. Nixon‚ with relief help from Ike Delock‚ wins the opener: Delock strikes out 4 Yankees in the 9th. Reliever Hurd wins the nitecap.
July 5In Cincinnati‚ manager Birdie Tebbetts complains to Jocko Conlin about the delaying tactics of Cards catcher Bill Sarni‚ and Cards manager Harry Walker soon joins the discussion. The talk escalates to punches and the two managers end up on the ground wrestling. Both bloodied skippers are tossed and will get fines of $100. Sarni gets a $25 slap. The Redlegs tally twice in the 9th to win‚ 5-4.
July 6In his first ML start‚ Sandy Koufax goes 4 1/3 innings against the Pirates at Forbes Field. He gives up just three hits but walks 8 while fanning 4. He gets no decision as the Bus win‚ 4-1.
July 8Light-hitting Joe DeMaestri of the Athletics goes 6-for-6 in an 11-inning‚ 11-8 loss to the Tigers.
July 9Chicago newspaperman Arch Ward‚ the originator of the All-Star Game‚ dies at age 58 as he is leaving to cover his 22nd mid season classic.

Giants P Jim Hearn does it all‚ hitting 2 HRs and single and drives in 4 runs in whipping the Dodgers 10-2 at the Polo Grounds. For Hearn‚ it is his 3rd and 4th HRs of the year.
July 10Despite giving up two solo homers to Mantle‚ the Nat’s Dean Stone holds on for a 6-4 win in Washington in the 1st of a twinbill. Carlos Paula homers the 5th off Whitey Ford for the first Washington hit‚ then later adds a double. In the nitecap‚ Mantle homers off Ted Abernathy to help New York win‚ 8-3.
July 12In the All-Star Game in Milwaukee‚ the AL takes a 5-run lead on a 3-run shot by Mickey Mantle off Robin Roberts‚ only to see the NL tie it. Braves P Gene Conley strikes out the side in the 12th‚ and Stan Musial of the Cards homers off Frank Sullivan of the Red Sox to win it.
July 13The Orioles deal OF Hoot Evers to the Indians in exchange for P Bill Wight.
July 14The Indians sign 2-time batting champ Ferris Fain as a free agent. Fain was released by the Tigers.

The Reds storm the Bastille‚ scoring in 7 different innings and stomping the Pirates‚ 19-1. Wally Post scores 5 runs.
July 17Detroit Tigers first baseman Earl Torgeson steals home with 2 outs in the 9th inning to give the Tigers a 6-5 win over the New York Yankees. The steal comes with Bob Turley on the mound and the victory gives Detroit a three-game sweep over New York.

In what would be their most important move of the season‚ the Brooklyn Dodgers bring up rookie pitchers Roger Craig and Don Bessent from the minor leagues. They immediately pay dividends as they beat the Reds in both ends of a doubleheader. Craig wins 6-2 and Bessent matches it‚ 8-5.

Vern Law pitches 18 innings‚ giving up just 9 hits and fanning 12‚ but gets no decision as his Pirates beat Milwaukee 4-3. The win goes to reliever Bob Friend. This is the longest pitching effort since Les Mueller 10 years earlier‚ and no one will match him the rest of this century.
July 18Newly acquired Jim Wilson of Baltimore 2-hits the White Sox 3-0.
July 19Playing like the real Babe‚ Detroit’s Babe Birrer pitches 4 innings of shutout relief‚ and hits two 3-run homers in a 12-4 win over Baltimore. They are his only career ribbies and home runs.

Leading 11-4 over the Phils in the 6th‚ The Cubs lose 12-11. Jack Meyer is the winner. This is all part of a disastrous 1-12 road trip in July for Chicago.

Chattanooga (SA) OF Jim Lemon clouts 4 home runs in the league’s all-star contest‚ as the all-stars defeat the first-place Birmingham club‚ Lemon has 7 RBIs.
July 20Boston P George Susce Jr.‚ son of A’s coach George Susce‚ yields a 1st inning single to KC’s Vic Power‚ and that’s it. Susce’s one-hitter over his dad’s team gives the Sox a 6-0 win.
July 21The Redlegs Gus Bell hits 3 solo homers‚ but the Phils win‚ 5-3‚ to register their 10th straight win. This extends the Phils’ 20th century club record win streak‚ which they set yesterday.

Warren Spahn‚ Braves lefty‚ hits a 3-run homer to beat the Pirates 5-3.
July 22In the first game of a doubleheader‚ the Phillies beat the Cardinals‚ 5-3. The win completes an 11-game winning streak‚ extending a team record‚ with all the wins coming at home. They drop the nitecap‚ 8-1. Harvey Haddix wins the nitecap over Herm Wehmeier‚ who has never beaten St. Louis in his career.

A day after he collects his 2‚000th hit‚ Pee Wee Reese is given at birthday party at Ebbets Field (his birthday is the 23rd‚ correct‚ though after his career he reveals he shaved a year or 2). Fans are asked to bring something to light up and 33‚000 fans comply. Pee Wee celebrates by collecting two doubles and a single‚ and the Dodgers beat Gene Conley and the Braves‚ 8-4. The 2nd place Braves now trail by 14 1/2 games.
July 23LF Del Ennis of the Phillies hits 3 HRs and drives in all 7 runs-one short of Georgy Kelly’s NL mark set in 1924-as the Phils beat the Cards 7-2. Robin Roberts wins his 16th and 6th in a row.

In the 9th inning at Kansas City‚ New York Yankees pinch hitter Bob Cerv homers off Alex Kellner and teammate Elston Howard immedately follows with a pinch homer off Tom Gorman. The two homers in the same inning by teammates is a major league first. Howard’s home run ties the game, but the Kansas City Athletics win in 11 innings, 8-7.
July 24Pitching for Seattle‚ Elmer Singleton fires his 2nd PCL no-hitter‚ beating San Diego‚ 2-0‚ in 7 innings. Singleton pitched a 12-inning no-hitter in 1952‚ only to give up 3 hits in the 13th and lose. He joins Skeeter Fanning as the only PCL hurler with 2 no-hitters. In 2 days‚ former Dodger Chris Van Cuyk will pitch another PCL no-hitter‚ beating LA‚ 2-0‚ in 7 innings for Oakland.
July 26The Yankees release pitcher Ted Gray‚ who will be signed by Baltimore‚ his 4th AL team this year. Just 2 other players have played for 4 AL teams in one season.
July 28The White Sox overcome Mantle’s triple and 2-run homer in the 9th to nip New York at the Stadium‚ 3-2. Connie Johnson is the winner.
July 29Redlegs C Smoky Burgess connects for 3 HRs-one a grand slam-and collects 9 RBIs in a 16-5 pounding of the Pirates. Teammate Bob Thurman also hits a grand slam.
July 30The Orioles get P Ed Lopat from the Yankees for P Jim McDonald and cash. New York waives the veteran to make room for Don Larsen.
July 31Happy Anniversary‚ Joe. On the anniversary of his 4-HR game‚ Braves 1B Joe Adcock has his arm broken by a pitch from Giant Jim Hearn. He will be out for the season. Adcock’s replacement‚ George Crowe‚ homers in the 7-3 loss to the Giants. Mays starts the scoring with a HR off Spahn in the 1st.

In today’s first game‚ Don Larsen wins 5-2‚ as the Yanks and Athletics collaborate for 9 DPs‚ with the New Yorkers turning 6. The 9 ties an AL record (topped in 1990)‚ and the 12 for both games‚ also matches the AL mark. Cloyd Boyer‚ who had 3 of his first 8 pitches hit for HRs-by Bauer‚ Mantle‚ and Berra-takes the loss.

Using the long ball‚ the Red Sox sweep a pair from the Tigers at Fenway‚ 7-3 and 3-2. Ted Williams thumps his 12th career grand slam in opener‚ part of a 6-run 4th inning. Frank Sullivan is the CG winner. Piersall’s leadoff homer in the 9th of game 2 ends that contest and makes a winner of young Frank Baumann‚ relieving in his ML debut. A highlite of the nightcap is Harvey Kuenn‘s moving background in the 7th inning to distract Williams. On the first pitch by Hoeft‚ the SS crosses over to the 2B side of the bag‚ and Williams protests to Ed Rommel‚ who did not see the move. On the next pitch‚ Kuenn bluffs a move and Rommel orders him to stop. That starts an argument by Billy Hitchcock and Fred Hatfield‚ who are promptly tossed out of the game by 3B ump Frank Umont. Kuenn moves again on the 6th pitch and Williams fouls out. The umps then warn Detroit manager Bucky Harris that Kuenn will be gone if he tries to distract another batter. Afterwards‚ Kuenn defended himself‚ saying‚ “I was just moving with the pitch.”

Led by Johnny Temple‘s 7 hits‚ the Reds sweep a pair from the visiting Pirates‚ winning 6-5 and 7-4.

The Giants sell P Sal Maglie (9-5) to the Cleveland Indians.

The AL-leading White Sox suffer a great blow as their leading pitcher‚ Dick Donovan (13-4) undergoes an emergency appendectomy. He will miss 3 weeks.

Ty Cobb is a guest on the television show WHAT’S MY LINE.

August

August 1Chicago beats the Red Sox‚ 2-1‚ in Boston and retain 1st place.

Joe Collins hits 2 homers‚ one in the 1st and one in the 10th‚ to give the Yankees a 2-1‚ win over the Indians‚ Tommy Byrne‚ batting 7th‚ goes the route to beat Early Wynn. The Yanks trail the White Sox by a game‚ with Boston in 4th place‚ 4 games back.
August 2Johnny Klippstein and Joe Nuxhall of the Redlegs shut out the Phils‚ 2-0 and 4-0‚ in both ends of a doubleheader. Klippstein allows 6 hits and Nuxhall just 5. Gus Bell knocks in both runs in the opener and 2 more runs in the 2nd game.

Mr. Cub Ernie Banks hits his 4th grand slam of the season‚ tying the ML record‚ as Bob Rush bests the Pirates‚ 12-4.
August 3Frank Lary of the Tigers beats Washington 3-0 on a 2-hitter.
August 4Ernie Banks continues his hot hitting‚ clouting 3 HRs at Wrigley against 3 Pirate pitchers (Dinoso‚ Surkont‚ and Littlefield) and they are all needed‚ as the Cubs win 11-10.
August 6Scoring 6 runs in the 3rd inning on homers by Dave Philley and Gus Triandos‚ the lowly Orioles defeat the league-leading White Sox‚ 8-1. It’s Chicago’s 4th straight defeat. Chicago stays in first by .001 as the Yanks and Indians lose. After playing 274 straight games at 2B‚ Nellie Fox is given a day off by White Sox manager Marty Marion. Fox will come back the next day and play in 798 consecutive games.
August 7After a 12-17 record in July‚ the Yankees are in a four-team race. The 2nd division Tigers beat New York 4-2 in game one‚ and New York then earns a critical 3-2 10th-inning win on a Mickey Mantle 2-out homer off Babe Birrer. It is the Mick’s 2nd homer of the game‚ having connected off starter Frank Lary. The Yanks finish the day in a virtual tie with Chicago‚ a 1?2 game ahead of Cleveland‚ and 11?2 games ahead of Boston.
August 8With his record at 18-1‚ the Dodgers Don Newcombe loses a 1-0 game to the Cubs Sam Jones. Newk’s two losses have both been to the Cubs.
August 10Stan Musial slugs his 1‚000th extra base hit‚ and his 529th career double‚ connecting off Lew Burdette‚ as the Cards down the host Braves‚ 7-2.
August 11Ted Williams gets his 2‚000th hit‚ a first inning bloop single‚ in a 5-3 Red Sox loss to the Yanks. Teddy Ballgame’s hit comes off Bob Turley. Frank Baumann‚ in his first ML start‚ takes the loss.
August 13The Indians beat the A’s‚ 5-3‚ to stretch their lead in the AL to 2 games. Larry Doby makes his first error in the OF after 165 errorless games a new AL record.
August 14Cardinals manager Harry Walker pulls a shift by moving P Tom Poholsky to LF and bringing in lefty Luis Arroyo to face slugger Ted Kluszewski of the Redlegs. Big Klu foils the manager by homering. Cards rally to win anyway 5-4.

At Baltimore‚ the Yanks overcome a muddy ball field‚ the result of Hurricane Connie passing through‚ and top the Orioles‚ 7-2. Mantle hits a 2 run homer in the 4th to help defeat Eddie Lopat‚ sent to the O’s two weeks ago.
August 15Mantle homers from both sides of the plate in the same game for the 2nd time in his career‚ tying the ML mark. The Yanks beat the Orioles 12-6 in game 2 and sweep the doubleheader to move back into first.

At Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis‚ Braves pitcher Warren Spahn cracks a HR off Card’s P Mel Wright. Spahn has now hit a HR in every National League park.
August 16At Fenway‚ Mantle clouts his 4th homer in 3 days‚ this one clearing the 379 foot wall in LF center and hitting a building across the street. The Yanks roll over Frank Sullivan to win‚ 13-6.
August 19Robin Roberts of the Phils defeats Don Newcombe of the Dodgers 3-2 to become the first 20-game winner in 1955. Roberts beat Newk by the same score 5 days ago and in both games Willie Jones drives in the winning run.

At Comiskey Park‚ Billy Pierce shuts out the Tigers‚ 3-0.
August 20The Tigers shell Bob Keegan‚ but the White Sox rally to edge Detroit‚ 8-7. Nellie Fox and Jim Rivera pace the attack with 4 hits apiece‚ while Chico Carrasquel adds a homer. George Kell drives in 5 runs for the Bengals. The loss leaves the White Sox (71-46) in 2nd place with the Indians (73-48)‚ and a game in back of New York (74-47).

The Yankees stay a game ahead of the White Sox and Cleveland‚ by clipping the Orioles‚ 3-2. Lefty Bill Wight allows just one hit till the 4th‚ before allowing a walk‚ single‚ ground out‚ and double. Paul Richards then brings in George Zuverink to pitch to Elston Howard‚ moving Wight to 1B replacing Triandos. Howard doubles in 2 runs‚ Zuverink gets the next 2 hitters before Wight returns to the mound and pitches shutout ball the rest of the way. Tommy Byrne wins his 12th game against 3 losses.
August 21Former Yankee Eddie Lopat serves up 3 homers-to Skowron‚ Bauer and Mantle-and New York beats the visiting Orioles‚ 6-1.

The White Sox move within 2 percentage points of the Yanks by sweeping two games from Detroit. Connie Johnson wins the opener‚ 2-0‚ and Dick Donovan‚ making his first start in three weeks‚ scatters 8 hits to win‚ 8-2. But Donovan will lose his next five decisions.
August 24At Briggs Stadium‚ the Tigers take a 2-1 lead into the 9th inning‚ only to lose 3-2 when Berra and Mantle hit back-to-back homers off Steve Gromek.
August 26Vic Wertz of the Indians is diagnosed as having non-paralytic polio and is lost for the season. He will return next year.
August 27In his second major league start‚ Dodger bonus baby Sandy Koufax fans 14 Redlegs in a 7-0 two-hitter‚ as the 2-team total of 23 strikeouts ties a record.

At Detroit‚ the Red Sox trail 3-0 with 2 outs in the 9th when Ted Williams drills a grand slam HR. The Sox win 4-3.
August 28In Chicago‚ the Sox and Yankees split. The White Sox‚ reaping dividends from their waiver pickup of Bob Kennedy‚ top New York‚ 3-2‚ on Kennedy’s homer in game 1. In the nitecap‚ Mantle’s 3-run homer off Connie Johnson in the 5th leads New York to a 6-1 victory in the neck-and-neck AL race. Berra adds another homer for New York. With Cleveland losing two‚ the Yankees finish the day a half-game ahead of the White Sox.
August 31Lefty Bill Wight of the Orioles gives up 5 runs in the first without recording an out before being relieved by Hector “Skinny” Brown. Brown then no-hits the Indian for 8 innings‚ striking out 10‚ but the O’s lose 5-1. Herb Score fans 13 in winning.

At KC‚ the Yanks beat up on Arnie Portocarrero and win‚ 11-6. Mantle has a homer in the nite game.

September

September 2After sitting out since August 7th with a broken rib‚ SS Alvin Dark of the Giants falls and breaks his shoulder in a game against the Phillies. The Phils win‚ 5-3‚ as Robin Roberts wins his 22nd.

Whitey Ford and Mickey Mantle celebrate Billy Martin‘s return from the army; Ford throws 6 innings of no-hit ball against Washington before Carlos Paula spoils it in the 7th with Washington’s only hit. The Yanks win 4-2 as Mantle hits his 36th HR‚ a 3-run shot‚ off Bob Porterfield. Mantle is 10 HRs ahead of rivals Al Kaline and Ted Williams. New York stays a half game behind the White Sox‚ winners over the 3rd-place Indians. Billy Martin will hit .300 in September‚ and New York will go on a 17-6 tear to win the pennant by 3 games.

Ernie Banks belts his 40th homer to set a new ML record for shortstops. The previous record of 39 was held by Vern Stephens. Teammates Randy Jackson and Walker Cooper also homer to help Paul Minner win 12-2 over the Cards. Wally Moon homers for St. Louis and Tom Poholsky is the losing pitcher.
September 3Sandy Koufax hurls his 2nd consecutive shut out‚ topping the Pirates 4-0 on 5 hits.
September 4Mickey Mantle’s first-inning 3-run HR allows Bob Turley to coast to an 8-3 win over Washington. Pedro Ramos is the losing pitcher.

After hitting a 3-run HR in the 1st‚ Phils C Stan Lopata collapses in the dugout. The Giants win‚ 7-4. Lopata’s collapse is believed to be a delayed reaction to a beaning he received on September 2 against the Giants. He’ll return to action on the 9th.
September 5P Don Newcombe wins his 20th game of the season‚ 11-4‚ over the Phillies. Newk hits his 7th HR of the season to set a new NL record for HRs by a pitcher.
September 7Whitey Ford continues his mastery with his AL-record 2nd consecutive one-hitter‚ beating the A’s 2-1. Jim Finigan hits a 2-out single in the 7th for the A’s only hit. Ford is the 5th ML pitcher to throw consecutive one-hitters. Arnie Portocarrero is the hard-luck loser.

Cleveland’s Early Wynn stops the Orioles on 5 hits and wins‚ 6-0. It is his 200th career win on the way to 300. Larry Doby supplies the offense with a pair of homers.
September 8Brooklyn clinches the pennant by beating the Braves 10-2 for their 8th straight win. They break their own ML record for the earliest clinching‚ set in 1953. Second place Milwaukee is 131?2 games back.
September 9After losing the opener to the Cubs‚ 11-4‚ the Dodgers win the nitecap 16-9 as pitcher Clem Labine gets his 3rd HR of the year. Labine has just 3 hits all year‚ but all 3 are dingers. The Dodgers lead is now 161?2 games.
September 10OF Hank Bauer of the Yankees‚ pressed into emergency service as a catcher‚ permits a passed ball‚ setting up the winning run in a 9-8 loss to the White Sox.
September 11With Herm Wehmeier on the mound Del Crandall belts a 2-out grand slam in the 9th inning to climax a 5-run rally and give the Braves a 5-4 win over the Phils. It is Crandall’s 3rd slam of the season. Milwaukee takes the nitecap‚ 5-1‚ behind Humberto Robinson‚ whose wildness in the final frame prevents a shut out. He hits 18-year-old bonus baby Fred Van Dusen with a pitch in what will be Van Dusen’s only ML plate appearance.

RF Enos Slaughter of the A’s plays in his 2‚000th ML game‚ getting a pinch single in a 4-3 victory over the Orioles.

In a move to shore up their pitching down the stretch‚ the Yankees buy Gerry Staley from the Reds for the waiver price.
September 12Antonelli does it all. The Giants Johnny Antonelli collects four hits against the Braves-two singles‚ a double and a home run and four runs batted in. He also pitches a complete game 9-1 win.
September 14Herb Score of the Indians breaks Grover Cleveland Alexander’s rookie record of 227 strikeouts‚ but the Senators win‚ 3-2‚ beating reliever Ray Narleski. Score finishes the season with 245 K’s.
September 16The Yankees‚ trailing the Indians by a half-game with 11 games to play‚ open a critical series with the Red Sox. The Yankees take a 3-0 lead‚ but are behind 4-3 in the 9th. Hank Bauer then hits a HR off reliever Ellis Kinder to tie it‚ and with 2 outs‚ Yogi Berra cracks the game-winning HR to win it 5-4. When Detroit beats Cleveland‚ 3-0‚ the Yanks move in first to stay. Slugger Mickey Mantle tears a hamstring muscle running out a bunt. He will make just 2 pinch-hit appearances in September‚ and he will go to bat in the WS just 10 times.

Kansas City scores 7 runs in the first inning and rolls to a 13-7 win over the faltering White Sox. The 3rd place Sox lose their 10th in 17 games. Hector Lopez hits a 3-run homer in the first to start the scoring and later in the game Joe Astroth adds a 3-run homer. George Kell and Chico Carrasquel homer for the Sox. 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 ML season.
September 17Future Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson goes 2-for-4 in his first game as the O’s top the Senators‚ 3-1.

Rizzuto and Cerv pull off a 1st inning double steal‚ but the Scooter is knocked unconscious in the 4th by a pitch from George Susce. Byrne’s 4-hitter gives New York a critical‚ 4-1‚ win‚ as the Indians bow to the Tigers. New York’s woes continue: following an out‚ Moose Skowron kicks a water cooler and breaks his toe.
September 18In a 7-5 loss to Brooklyn‚ Willie Mays hits his 9th HR of the year at Ebbets Field to tie Joe Adcock‘s 1954 mark at Ebbets.

The Tigers deal the Indians a crushing 10-3 defeat‚ the 3rd loss in a row to Detroit. Cleveland now trails the Yanks by 2 games.

Reliever Bob Grim pitches 7 hitless innings to enable the Yankees to defeat the Red Sox‚ 3-2. Nemesis Nixon is handed the defeat.
September 19Cubs slugger Ernie Banks hits his 5th grand slam of the season to set a new ML mark‚ but the Cubs lose 6-5 in 12 innings‚ to the Cardinals. Rip Repulski‘s homer off Jim Davis is the winner.

Superfan Bill Sherwood‚ perched on top of a flag pole since June 23rd‚ finally descends after the Braves end their chance to win 7 straight games. Sherwood vowed to stay aloft until the Braves won 7 in a row; they were able to win 6 in a row three times‚ but never reached 7. They don’t play today‚ but the Braves will win tomorrow‚ beating the Reds‚ 7-0‚ behind Lew Burdette.
September 20Brooklyn sweeps a pair from the Phils‚ winning 6-3 and 6-1 over Murry Dickson and Robin Roberts. In game 2‚ reserve 1B Frank Kellert’s HR in the 4th is the Dodgers 200th of the season‚ making them the first team to hit 200 or more in a season more than once. They did it with 208 in 1953. Robin Roberts surrenders a 2nd homer‚ to George Shuba‚ making it 40 for the season‚ a ML record. The previous mark set in 1938‚ by game 1 loser Dickson.

Giants slugger Willie Mays poles 2 HRs against the Pirates‚ giving him 50 for the year‚ making him only the 7th player in history to accomplish this. The Giants sweep the doubleheader‚ winning 11-1 and 14-8. Mays’s HR in the 2nd game is his 7th in 6 consecutive games.

In his first ML start‚ Red Sox rookie Frank Malzone is 6-for-10 in a doubleheader loss against Baltimore. His 6 hits are consecutive. The O’s win 3-2 in 10 innings‚ and 7-4‚ to stretch their win streak to 6 games.

The Scooter returns to action and bats 9th behind Don Larsen as the Yankees sweep a pair from the Senators‚ 6-3 and 9-7. The Bombers now lead the Indians by 2 1/2 games with 5 to play.
September 21Gus Bell makes it easy for P Johnny Klippstein by driving in 8 runs to pace the Reds to a 14-5 win over Milwaukee. Bell has 4 hits‚ including a grand slam‚ to raise his RBI total to 102. Ted Kluszewski chips in with his 47th homer of the year as just 1‚503 watch in Cincinnati.

Cubs rookie Bob Speake makes a game-saving catch of an Alex Grammas drive in the 11th‚ but fractures his wrist when he slams into the wall. He is carried off on a stretcher. The Cubs score 4 in the 13th‚ 3 on a Jackson triple with the sacks full‚ to win‚ 7-5.
September 23After losing the first game‚ 8-4‚ the Yanks clinch the pennant by beating the Red Sox‚ 3-2. Don Larsen‚ with Whitey Ford in a sparkling relief effort‚ notches the win. Ford gets Williams to ground into a DP with the sacks full.

After a running feud with owner Charlie Comiskey‚ Jr.‚ Frank Lane resigns as GM of the White Sox. He had been GM for 7 years.
September 24The Giants fail to renew manager Leo Durocher‘s contract. He resigns and is replaced by Bill Rigney. Durocher will take a job as a broadcaster.

The Washington Senators lose their 99th and 100th games of the season‚ the first time the franchise has ever reached the century mark. The Orioles do the damage 1-0 and 8-5.
September 25In Durocher’s last game as manager‚ Bobby Hofman underscores the tone of the season for the Giants as he lines into a 9th inning season-ending triple play against the Phillies in a 3-1 loss. Seemingly wanting to end the season quickly‚ the Giants hit into double plays in the 7th and 8th. The Giants win the opener‚ 5-2‚ as Willie Mays belts his 51st HR of the year. Mays ties John Mize for the team record.

The Dodgers close out the regular season with a 4-0 whitewash of the Phillies. Russ Meyer gets the win. The Dodgers win the season series against all 7 opponents.

Detroit OF Al Kaline is 0-for-1 but becomes the youngest batting champ in history‚ as he takes the AL crown at age 20 with a .340 average. The Tigers top the Indians‚ 6-2.

Wally Moon homers‚ off the Braves Chet Nichols‚ to run the league home run total to a since-topped NL record 1‚263. The Cardinals win‚ 8-5. The homer comes on Moon’s last at bat against the Braves this year‚ matching what he did against them in 1954.

The Red Sox and Yankees split a WS tune-up‚ as Stengel uses 17 players in each game. New York wins‚ 9-2‚ then loses 8-1 to Susce. Williams is 1-for-1 in each game and is replaced with a PR. He finishes the season at .356‚ well ahead of Kaline’s .340‚ but he does not have enough at bats to win the batting title. The same thing happened in 1954. Williams was walked 136 times in 1954 and 71 times (an AL-leading 17 were intentional) this year. A rule change will be made to recognize plate appearances‚ not times at bat. The Throneberry brothers face in other for the first time in the opener with New York’s Marv collecting 2 hits to Faye’s 0. Haywood Sullivan and Frank Sullivan‚ the losing pitcher‚ are the Boston battery in game 1‚ but they aren’t related.
September 28The Yanks win the first game of the WS‚ as Whitey Ford beats Don Newcombe‚ 6-5. In a controversial play with Frank Kellert at bat‚ Jackie Robinson steals home in the 8th to bring the Dodgers to within a run of a tie. Films later disclose that Robinson is out by a whisker‚ but Yankee C Yogi Berra actually balked on the play‚ receiving Whitey Ford‘s pitch before Kellert could swing at it.

In the last game at Minneapolis’ Nicollet Park‚ the Millers (American Association) clip the Rochester Red Wings (International League) 9-4 in the 7th game of the Junior World Series. The win gives the Millers their first-ever Jr. WS Championship.
September 29In Game 2‚ lefty Tommy Byrne defeats Dodger Billy Loes 4-2 to go 2 games up. The pitcher’s 2-run single caps a 4-run 4th for the Yanks. Byrne becomes the only lefty to hurl a complete game against Brooklyn in 1955.
September 30The Dodgers Johnny Podres defeats Bob Turley who fails to last 2 innings against the Bums. C Roy Campanella leads the attack with 3 hits and 3 RBI‚ as Brooklyn wins 8-3 behind the strong effort of lefty Johnny Podres.
September 31The Series evens up with an 8-5 win. Campanella and Gil Hodges give the Dodgers a 4-3 lead‚ and Snider’s 3-run shot in the 5th insures the victory.

October

Surprise Brooklyn starter rookie Roger Craig pitches 6 innings for the 5-3 win. Two HRs by Duke Snider and one by Sandy Amoros in the first 5 innings prove too much for New York. Snider‚ who hit 4 HRs in the 1952 WS‚ becomes the first player in history to do this more than once.
October 2The Yanks kayo lefty Karl Spooner‚ a surprise pick by manager Alston‚ in the first with 5 runs on 2 walks‚ 2 singles and Moose Skowron’s HR. Ford goes all the way for the 5-1 victory. It is Spooner’s last ML appearance‚ the victim of an arm injury in spring training.
October 3No more “wait till next year” as Brooklyn‚ behind the 2-0 pitching of Johnny Podres‚ brings its first WS championship to Brooklyn in 8 tries. Sixth-inning replacement Sandy Amoros races over to the wall in LF to one-hand an opposite-field bid for extra bases by Yogi Berra with the tying runs on. Amoros turns and fires to SS Pee Wee Reese who throws a bullet to Gil Hodges at 1B for the DP on Yankee base runner Gil McDougald. Brooklyn pulls off 12 DPs in the WS‚ a new record.
October 6The Cards name Frank “Trader” Lane as their new GM‚ succeeding Richard Meyer‚ who doubled as a Card official and an executive with Anhauser-Busch. Meyer is named Executive veep. Yesterday‚ Vice-President Bill Walsingham resigned after 29 years with the team. He was the nephew of one-time owner Sam Breadon.
October 9Pitcher Howie Fox‚ out of the majors in 1955‚ is knifed to death in a bar fight in San Antonio‚ Texas. The 34-year-old was 1-2 in 1954.
October 12The Cardinals give manager Harry Walker his hat and replace him with Fred Hutchinson. With the departure of Walker‚ who pinch hit for the Cards during the season‚ the 1956 season will be the first one in NL history without a player-manager. The AL first went to all bench managers in 1930‚ then repeated in 1951.
October 18Home run slugger and future Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner calls it quits. Kiner hit just 18 homers for the Indians in 1955.
October 25Baseball great Branch Rickey steps down as GM of the Pirates and moves into an advisory role with the Pirates. Joe L. Brown‚ son of the actor‚ replaces him.

The White Sox trade Chico Carrasquel and Jim Busby to the Indians for Larry Doby.
October 27Hall of Fame pitcher Clark Griffith dies at the age of 85. Griffith had been owner and president of the Washington Senators since 1919.

November

November 2The Pirates name Bobby Bragan as their new field manager‚ replacing Fred Haney.
November 5Bert Wilson‚ the radio voice of the Chicago Cubs on station WIND since 1943‚ dies at the age of 44. The cause was high blood pressure.
November 8The Senators trade stalwarts Mickey Vernon‚ Bob Porterfield‚ Johnny Schmitz and Tom Umphlett to the Red Sox for 5 young players: P Dick Brodowski‚ P Truman Clevenger‚ P Al Curtis‚ and outfielders Neil Chrisley and Karl Olson.
November 21In an obvious power struggle for control‚ the principal founding father of Little League‚ Carl Stotz‚ sues the organization for breach of contract. The suit will be settled out of court.
November 28The Cubs trade P Hal Jeffcoat to the Redlegs for C Hobie Landrith. They also draft veteran Monte Irvin from the Giants organization.

December

December 1The Tigers bring back P Virgil Trucks in a trade with the White Sox for 3B Bubba Phillips
December 5The Cardinals buy 41-year-old Ellis Kinder from the Bosox. He will team up with the like-aged Walker Cooper to form just the second 40+ battery. Curt Davis and Clyde Sukeforth‚ in 1945‚ are the other duo.

Carl Stotz plans to set up a rival Little League of his own.
December 6Brooklyn trades 3B Don Hoak and OF Walt Moryn to the Cubs for 3B Ransom Jackson.
December 8Dodger C Roy Campanella wins his third NL MVP, matching the record of Stan Musial. Campy just beats out teammate Duke Snider, 226-221, but a clerical error, discovered later by Sid Keener of The Sporting News, may have cost Snider a share of the award. Campy is named on all 24 ballots cast, while Duke is named on 23. But on the ballot that fails to mention Snider, Campy is listed twice—for 1st place and 6th place. If the ballot is invalidated, Snider wins; if the assumption is made that the writer made an error and meant to vote Snider in 6th place, the two teammates tie at 226 points apiece.

In the American League, Yankee C Yogi Berra wins his second straight MVP award.

Two days after the death of Cy Young at the age of 88, Hall of Famer Honus Wagner, 81, dies in Carnegie, PA.
December 9The Dodgers send P Russ Meyer to the Cubs for P Don Elston and cash. Meyer has the best record in history against the Cubs‚ at one point going 22-1 against them.

The Phillies purchase veteran Frankie Baumholtz from the Cubs. Frankie will play in 76 games next year without an extra base hit‚ a NL record that will be topped. Red Sox Mike McNally‚ in 1916‚ played in 87 games without an long hit‚ a record Luis Gomez will break in 1989 (as noted by Lee Sinins).

The Reds trade pitcher Frank Smith to the Cardinals for 3B Ray Jablonski.
December 15The Cards sign C Walker Cooper who started his career with St. Louis in 1940.