Champions

Major League Baseball

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

: Brooklyn Dodgers over

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

(4-3);

Johnny Podres John Joseph Podres (September 30, 1932 – January 13, 2008) was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in the majors from 1953 to 1969, spending most of his career with the Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers. Podres ...

, MVP *

All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or d ...

, July 12 at County Stadium: National League, 6-5 (12 innings)

Other champions

College World Series The College World Series (CWS), officially the NCAA Men's College World Series (MCWS), is an annual baseball tournament held in June in Omaha, Nebraska. The MCWS is the culmination of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Divisi ...

Wake Forest University Wake Forest University is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The Reynolda Campus, the un ...

* Japan Series:

Yomiuri Giants The are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. They ...

over

Nankai Hawks The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. They compete in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) as a member of the Pacific League. The team was formerly known as the Nankai Hawks and was based in Osaka. ...

(4-3) * Little League World Series: Morrisville, Pennsylvania * Pan American Games:

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...

over USA Winter Leagues * 1955 Caribbean Series: Cangrejeros de Santurce *

Cuban League The Cuban League was one of the earliest and longest lasting professional baseball leagues outside the United States, operating in Cuba from 1878 to 1961. The schedule usually operated during the winter months, so the league was sometimes known a ...

: Alacranes del Almendares * Dominican Republic League:

Leones del Escogido Leones del Escogido (English: ''Chosen One Lions'' or ''Lions of Chosen One'' or ''Picked Lions'') is a professional baseball team in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Established in , Leones are the third most successful team in the Dominican Wi ...

* Mexican Pacific League:

Venados de Mazatlán Venados de Mazatlán ( en, Mazatlán Deer) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican Pacific League based in Mazatlan, Sinaloa. In 2016, the team won the Mexican Pacific League Championship and went on to win their second Caribbean Series ...

* Panamanian League: Carta Vieja Yankees * Puerto Rican League: Cangrejeros de Santurce *

Venezuelan League The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League or Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional (LVBP) is the professional baseball league in Venezuela. The league's champion takes part in the Caribbean Series each year. History Early years Baseball exp ...

Navegantes del Magallanes The Navegantes del Magallanes ( Magellan Navigators), commonly known as Magallanes, are a baseball team in the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Based in Valencia, Magallanes has won 13 LVBP championships and two (2) Caribbean Series. It w ...

Awards and honors

* Baseball Hall of Fame **

Frank Baker John Franklin "Home Run" Baker (March 13, 1886 – June 28, 1963) was an American professional baseball player. A third baseman, Baker played in Major League Baseball from 1908 to 1922 for the Philadelphia Athletics and New York Yankees. Althoug ...

Joe DiMaggio Joseph Paul DiMaggio (November 25, 1914 – March 8, 1999), nicknamed "Joltin' Joe", "The Yankee Clipper" and "Joe D.", was an American baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career in Major League Baseball for the New York Yank ...

Ted Lyons Theodore Amar Lyons (December 28, 1900 – July 25, 1986) was an American professional baseball starting pitcher, manager and coach in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in 21 MLB seasons, all with the Chicago White Sox. He is the franchise le ...

Dazzy Vance Charles Arthur "Dazzy" Vance (March 4, 1891 – February 16, 1961) was an American professional baseball player. He played as a pitcher for five different franchises in Major League Baseball (MLB) in a career that spanned twenty years. Known for ...

** Gabby Hartnett ** Ray Schalk * Most Valuable Player **

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

: Yogi Berra,

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...

Roy Campanella Roy Campanella (November 19, 1921 – June 26, 1993), nicknamed "Campy", was an American baseball player, primarily as a catcher. The Philadelphia native played in the Negro leagues and Mexican League for nine years before entering the minor lea ...

, Brooklyn Dodgers * Rookie of the Year **

Herb Score Herbert Jude Score (June 7, 1933 – November 11, 2008) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) player and announcer. Score pitched for the Cleveland Indians from 1955 through 1959 and the Chicago White Sox from 1960 through 1962. He was ...

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...

: Bill Virdon,

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

MLB statistical leaders

Major league baseball final standings

American League final standings

National League final standings

Events

Before the Athletics arrive in town, the Kansas City Monarchs move their base of operations to

Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...

. They retain the name "Kansas City Monarchs" and continue in the Negro American League as a barnstorming team.

January

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

February

*February 17 – - The

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...

obtained pitcher Erv Palica from the Brooklyn Dodgers in exchange for first baseman Frank Kellert and cash considerations. This replaces the previous

Preacher Roe A preacher is a person who delivers sermons or homilies on religious topics to an assembly of people. Less common are preachers who preach on the street, or those whose message is not necessarily religious, but who preach components such as a ...

deal, which fell through when the Brooklyn pitcher announced his retirement. *February 28 – The National League fines the Milwaukee Braves $500 for opening their spring training camp before the official March 1 date.

March

*March 7 – Commissioner

Ford Frick Ford Christopher Frick (December 19, 1894 – April 8, 1978) was an American sportswriter and baseball executive. After working as a teacher and as a sportswriter for the ''New York American'', he served as public relations director of the Natio ...

advocated for the return of the

spitball A spitball is an illegal baseball pitch in which the ball has been altered by the application of a foreign substance such as saliva or petroleum jelly. This technique alters the wind resistance and weight on one side of the ball, causing it to m ...

, arguing that it is "a great pitch and one of the easiest to throw. There was nothing dangerous about it." The spitball was banned following the 1920 season. Despite the Commissioner's enthusiasm, the pitch remained illegal.

April

*April 12 – After a big civic parade, the

Athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competi ...

open their first season in Kansas City with a win over the Detroit Tigers, 6–2, before a crowd of 32,844. *April 14 –

Elston Howard Elston Gene Howard (February 23, 1929 – December 14, 1980) was an American professional baseball player who was a catcher and a left fielder. During a 14-year baseball career, he played in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball from 1948 t ...

becomes the first African-American to wear the

uniform. Howard singles in his first-at-bat, against the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...

, as the Yankees win 8–4. * April 23: The

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

tallied a franchise record 29 runs and 29 hits against the host Kansas City Athletics, including seven

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s, in a 29–6 ripping.

Sherm Lollar Sherm is a shortened version of the given name Sherman and may refer to: People *Sherm Chavoor (1919-1992), American swimming coach *Sherm Cohen (born 1965), American storyboard artist *Sherm Feller (1918–1994), American musician and sports an ...

was 5-for-6 with a pair of home runs and five RBI, and became the only player in the decade to get two hits in one inning twice in the same game (2nd and 6th innings). Chico Carrasquel hit 5-for-6, and Bob Nieman paced the attack with two homers and seven RBI.

Walt Dropo Walt is a masculine given name, generally a short form of Walter, and occasionally a surname. Notable people with the name include: People Given name * Walt Arfons (1916-2013), American drag racer and competition land speed record racer * Walt B ...

added a homer and seven RBI, while pitcher Jack Harshman and Minnie Miñoso also homered. Carrasquel and Miñoso each scored five runs. Kansas City had homers from Vic Power and Bill Renna. Bobby Shantz was the losing pitcher.

May

*May 12 – Sam Jones of the Chicago Cubs no-hits the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4–0, becoming the first

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

to pitch a no-hitter in the Major Leagues. In the ninth inning Jones walks the bases full and then strikes out

Dick Groat Richard Morrow Groat (born November 4, 1930) is a former professional baseball and basketball player who was an eight-time All-Star shortstop and two-time World Series champion in Major League Baseball. He rates as one of the most accomplished t ...

Roberto Clemente Roberto Enrique Clemente Walker (; August 18, 1934 – December 31, 1972) was a Puerto Rican professional baseball right fielder who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates. After his early death, he was pos ...

and Frank Thomas in a row to preserve his victory. It is also the first no-hitter at

Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago ...

in 38 years. Only 2,918 fans are on hand to witness the double milestone. *May 13 – At

Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx, New York City. It is the home field of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. Opened in April 2009, the stadium replaced the orig ...

Mickey Mantle Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Commerce Comet" and "the Mick", was an American professional baseball player. Mantle played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York ...

hits home runs from both sides of the plate for the first time in his major league career. The

slugger finishes the game with three home runs – two left-handed and one right-handed, while driving in all of his team's runs in a 5–2 victory over the Detroit Tigers. Whitey Ford is the winning pitcher and

Steve Gromek Stephen Joseph Gromek (January 15, 1920 – March 12, 2002) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for 17 seasons in the American League with the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers. In 447 career games, Gromek ...

takes the loss.

June

*June 1 –

Duke Snider Edwin Donald "Duke" Snider (September 19, 1926 – February 27, 2011), nicknamed "the Silver Fox" and "the Duke of Flatbush", was an American professional baseball player. Primarily a center fielder, he spent most of his Major League Baseball (M ...

hit three home runs at

Ebbets Field Ebbets Field was a Major League Baseball stadium in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York. It is mainly known for having been the home of the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team of the National League (1913–1957). It was also home to five pro ...

, helping the Brooklyn Dodgers to an 11–8 victory over the Milwaukee Braves. Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson and

also belted solo homers for the Dodgers, to set a franchise record with six home runs in a single game.

July

*July 12 – In the All–Star Game in

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...

's County Stadium, the

takes a five run lead on a three-run home run by

off Robin Roberts, only to see the

tie it. Milwaukee Braves

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

Gene Conley Donald Eugene Conley (November 10, 1930 – July 4, 2017) was an American professional baseball and basketball player. He played as a pitcher for four teams in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1952 to 1963. Conley also played as a forward in ...

strikes out the side in the 12th inning, and Stan Musial of the

homers off

pitcher Frank Sullivan to seal a 6–5 victory. *July 26 - In a key nighttime game at

, the New York Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox 1–0. The game's only run occurred in the bottom of the 6th inning when Yogi Berra hit his 17th homer of the season off the White Sox' Dick Donovan. Tommy Byrne was the winning pitcher as he held the White Sox to just 4 hits, all of them singles. *July 31 – On the first anniversary of his four-home run game, Milwaukee Braves first baseman

Joe Adcock Joseph Wilbur Adcock (October 30, 1927 – May 3, 1999) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman from 1950 to 1966, most prominently as a member of the Milwaukee Braves teams ...

has his arm broken by a pitch from the New York Giants' Jim Hearn. Adcock will miss the rest of the season.

August

*August 20 – The Chicago White Sox rally to edge the Detroit Tigers‚ 8–7.

Nellie Fox Jacob Nelson “Nellie” Fox (December 25, 1927 – December 1, 1975) was an American professional baseball player. Fox was one of the best second basemen of all time, and the third-most difficult hitter to strike out in Major League Baseball (M ...

and Jim Rivera pace the attack with four hits apiece‚ while Chico Carrasquel adds a home run.

George Kell George Clyde Kell (August 23, 1922 – March 24, 2009) was an American Major League Baseball third baseman who played 15 seasons for the Philadelphia Athletics (1943–1946), Detroit Tigers (1947–1952), Boston Red Sox (1952–1954), Chicago Whi ...

drives in five runs for the White Sox. The win leaves Chicago (71-46) tied in second place with

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

(73-48)‚ and a game in back of New York (74-47).

September

*September 8 – The Brooklyn Dodgers clinch the National League pennant by beating the Milwaukee Braves, 10–2, for their 8th NL title. The Dodgers also break their own Major League Baseball record for the earliest clinching, set in . *September 16 – The

Kansas City Athletics The history of the Athletics Major League Baseball franchise spans the period from 1901 to the present day, having begun as a charter member franchise in the new American League in Philadelphia before moving to Kansas City in 1955 for 13 sea ...

score seven runs in the first inning and roll to a 13–7 win over the faltering

. The third place Sox lose their 10th in 17 games. Héctor López hits a three-run home run in the first to start the scoring and later in the game Joe Astroth adds another three-run homer.

and Chico Carrasquel hits solo homers for Chicago. In the 8th inning, 16-year-old shortstop Alex George debuts for Kansas City‚handling two chances in the field flawlessly and making out in his one at bat. George will go 1-for-10 in this his only Major League season. *September 14 –

pitcher

breaks a rookie record of 235 strikeouts in a season set by

Grover Cleveland Alexander Grover Cleveland Alexander (February 26, 1887 – November 4, 1950), nicknamed "Old Pete", was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He played from 1911 through 1930 for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and St. Louis Cardinals. He ...

in 1911. Score would finish the season with an American League-best 245 strikeouts, along with a 16–10 record and 2.86

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

, en route to the

American League Rookie of the Year Award In Major League Baseball, the Rookie of the Year Award is given annually to two outstanding rookie players, one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL), as voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA). The aw ...

October

*October 4 – No more "wait till' next year" as the Brooklyn Dodgers, behind the pitching of

, brings its first, and only,

World Championship A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

to Brooklyn after seven previous frustrated

appearances in a 2–0 win over the New York Yankees. The Dodgers win the Series four game to three, and Podres is named Most Valuable Player – the first time the award is given in the

. *October 25 – Chicago White Sox GM

Frank Lane Frank Charles Meyers LaneCorbett, Warren: ''Frank Lane,''

...

trade SS Chico Carrasquel and CF

Jim Busby James Franklin Busby (January 8, 1927 – July 8, 1996) was an American center fielder and coach in Major League Baseball who played with the Chicago White Sox (1950–52, 1955), Washington Senators (1952–55), Cleveland Indians (1956–57), Ba ...

to the

in exchange for CF

Larry Doby Lawrence Eugene Doby (December 13, 1923 – June 18, 2003) was an American professional baseball player in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball (MLB) who was the second black player to break baseball's color barrier and the first black pl ...

. The trade was made by Lane to make room for Carrasquel's fellow

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

n and future Hall of Famer

Luis Aparicio Luis Ernesto Aparicio Montiel (born April 29, 1934), nicknamed "Little Louie", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop from 1956 to 1973 for three American League (AL) teams, m ...

November

*November 2 – The Pittsburgh Pirates name

Bobby Bragan Robert Randall Bragan (October 30, 1917 – January 21, 2010) was an American shortstop, catcher, manager, and coach in Major League Baseball and an influential minor league executive. His professional baseball career encompassed 73 years, fro ...

as their new field manager, replacing

Fred Haney Fred Girard Haney (April 25, 1896 – November 9, 1977) was an American third baseman, manager, coach and executive in Major League Baseball (MLB). As a manager, he won two pennants and a world championship with the Milwaukee Braves. He later se ...

. *November 8 – In a nine-player transaction before the 1956 season, the Washington Senators sent All-Stars

Bob Porterfield Erwin Coolidge "Bob" Porterfield (August 10, 1923 – April 28, 1980) was a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for twelve seasons between 1948 and 1959 for the New York Yankees, Washington Senators, Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh ...

and

Mickey Vernon James Barton "Mickey" Vernon (April 22, 1918 – September 24, 2008) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman who played for the Washington Senators (1939–1948, 1950–1955), Cleveland Indians (1949–1950, 1958), Boston Red ...

along with

Johnny Schmitz John Albert Schmitz (November 27, 1920 – October 1, 2011) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher who worked in 366 games over 13 seasons as a member of the Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Se ...

and

Tom Umphlett Thomas Mullen Umphlett (May 12, 1930 – September 21, 2012) was a center and right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from to with the Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators. His 21-year professional baseball career as a player and m ...

to the

, in exchange for

Dick Brodowski Richard Stanley Brodowski (July 26, 1932 – January 14, 2019) was a professional baseball pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Washington Senators, and Cleveland Indians in 1952 and from 1955 to 1959. He b ...

Neil Chrisley Barbra O'Neil Chrisley (December 16, 1931 – May 18, 2013) was a Major League Baseball outfielder who played from 1957 to 1961 with the Washington Senators, Detroit Tigers and Milwaukee Braves. He was tall and weighed , batted left-handed and t ...

Tex Clevenger Truman Eugene "Tex" Clevenger (July 9, 1932 – August 24, 2019) was an American Major League Baseball relief pitcher and spot starter who played for the Boston Red Sox, Washington Senators, Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees from 1954 to ...

Karl Olson Karl Arthur Olson (July 6, 1930 – December 25, 2010) of Kentfield, California, was a backup outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox (1951, 1953–55), Washington Senators (1956–57) and Detroit Tigers (1957). He ...

and Minor leaguer Al Curtis. *November 12 –

Fred Hutchinson Frederick Charles Hutchinson (August 12, 1919 – November 12, 1964) was an American professional baseball player, a major league pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, and the manager for three major league teams. Born and raised in Seattle, Wash ...

replaces Harry Walker as the

manager. With the departure of Walker, next season will be the first time in National League history without a player-manager. *November 21 – Carl Stotz, principal founding father of the

Little League Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization Hal Jeffcoat Harold Bentley Jeffcoat (September 6, 1924 – August 30, 2007) was an American professional baseball player who forged a 12-season, 918-game Major League Baseball career, first as an outfielder (1948–1953) and then as a right-handed pitcher (1 ...

to the

Cincinnati Redlegs Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...

in exchange for catcher Hobie Landrith.

December

*December 8 – Lenny Yochim of the

Leones del Caracas The Caracas Base Ball Club C.A. or better known by its commercial name as the ''Leones del Caracas'', is a professional baseball team of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. In its creation, its headquarters are the University Stadium of C ...

became the first

to throw a no-hitter in the

Venezuelan Professional Baseball League The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League or Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional (LVBP) is the professional baseball league in Venezuela. The league's champion takes part in the Caribbean Series each year. History Early years Baseball exp ...

. The 27-year-old left-hander accomplished the feat in a 3–0 victory over the

helped by

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the ( home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the ca ...

Earl Battey Earl Jesse Battey, Jr. (January 5, 1935 – November 15, 2003) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Chicago White Sox (1955–1959) and Washington Senators / Minnesota Twins (1960� ...

. Ramón Monzant was credited with the loss. Previously, the

screwball A screwball is a baseball and fastpitch softball pitch that is thrown so as to break in the opposite direction of a slider or curveball. Depending on the pitcher's arm angle, the ball may also have a sinking action. The pitch is sometimes known ...

er Yochim had pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates in part of two seasons.

Births

January

*January 1 –

LaMarr Hoyt Dewey LaMarr Hoyt Jr. (January 1, 1955 – November 29, 2021) was an American professional baseball right-handed pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox and San Diego Padres from 1979 to 1986. He won the 1983 Americ ...

*January 1 – Bob Owchinko *January 6 – Doe Boyland *January 9 –

Pat Rockett Patrick Edward Rockett (born January 9, 1955) is an American former baseball shortstop who played for the Atlanta Braves between 1976 and 1978. Rockett was drafted by the Braves as the tenth pick of the 1973 amateur draft. He played his first gam ...

*January 11 –

Dan Norman Daniel Edmund Norman (born January 11, 1955) is an American former professional baseball right fielder, who played for the New York Mets and Montreal Expos of Major League Baseball (MLB). His professional career started in the Cincinnati Reds ...

*January 12 – Chuck Porter *January 18 – Dave Geisel *January 21 – Dave Smith *January 21 –

Mike Smithson Mike Smithson may refer to: * Mike Smithson (British journalist) (born 1946), British journalist, Liberal Democrat politician, and political betting expert *Mike Smithson (Australian journalist), Australian news reporter *Mike Smithson (baseball) ...

*January 24 – Ted Cox *January 26 – Joe Pettini *January 28 – Joe Beckwith *January 31 – Ted Power

February

*February 1 –

Ernie Camacho Ernest Carlos Camacho (born February 1, 1955) is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the major leagues from 1980 to 1981 and 1983 to 1990. His best season came with the 1984 Cleveland Indians, when he led the team with 23 saves. ...

*February 4 – Gary Allenson *February 4 –

Rusty Kuntz Russell Jay Kuntz (; born February 4, 1955) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder. He played for the Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers between 1979 and 1985. He never appeared in more than 84 games in a ...

*February 5 –

Mike Heath Michael Thomas Heath (born February 5, 1955) is an American former professional baseball catcher. He played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the New York Yankees (1978), Oakland Athletics (1979–1985), St. Louis Cardinals (1986 ...

*February 7 –

Charlie Puleo Charles Michael Puleo (born February 7, 1955) is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1981 to 1989 with the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves. Puleo played baseball at Bloomfield High School.Tuite, James"Mets ...

*February 9 – John Urrea *February 9 –

Jerry Keller Jerry Paul Keller (born June 20, 1937) is an American pop singer and songwriter, best known for his 1959 hit song "Here Comes Summer". Career Born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Keller moved with his family to Tulsa, Oklahoma, when he was six, and ...

*February 10 – Mike Champion *February 12 – Greg Johnston *February 12 – Gene Krug *February 12 –

Chet Lemon Chester Earl Lemon (born February 12, 1955) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. A native of Jackson, Mississippi, he grew up in Los Angeles. He was drafted in the first round of the 1972 Major League Baseball draft and played 16 season ...

*February 12 – Steve Mura

March

*March 3 – Jim Wright *March 5 – Steve Burke *March 8 – Phil Nastu *March 11 – Larry Landreth *March 12 – Ruppert Jones *March 15 – Mickey Hatcher *March 18 – Dwayne Murphy *March 19 – Mike Norris *March 25 –

Lee Mazzilli Lee Louis Mazzilli (born March 25, 1955) is an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder for the New York Mets, Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, and T ...

*March 26 –

Dan Morogiello Daniel Joseph Morogiello, born March 26, 1955, in Brooklyn, New York, is a former 1976 third-round draft choice of the Atlanta Braves. Played a total of 10 professional seasons, reaching the majors with the 1983 World Series champion Baltimore Or ...

*March 29 – Karl Pagel

April

*April 2 –

Billy Sample William Amos Sample (born April 2, 1955), is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, and Atlanta Braves in parts of nine seasons spanning 1978–1986. Early life A native of Roanoke, Virgi ...

*April 7 – Bobby Mitchell *April 14 –

Chris Welsh Christopher Charles Welsh (born April 14, 1955) is an American sportscaster and former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres, Montreal Expos, Texas Rangers (baseball), Texas Rangers, and Cinci ...

*April 16 – Bruce Bochy *April 16 – Rick Jones *April 17 –

Tom Runnells Thomas William Runnells (born April 17, 1955) is an American former infielder, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. Biography Runnells attended the University of Northern Colorado and originally signed with the San Francisco Giants. He pla ...

*April 18 – Bobby Castillo *April 19 –

Mike Colbern Michael Malloy Colbern (April 19, 1955 – March 8, 2019) was an American professional baseball catcher who played in the Major Leagues for the Chicago White Sox in the 1978 and 1979 seasons. Career Colbern was born in Santa Monica, California ...

*April 22 –

David Clyde David Eugene Clyde (born April 22, 1955) is a former left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who played for five seasons with the Texas Rangers (1973–1975) and Cleveland Indians (1978–1979). He is noted for his once promising baseball ca ...

*April 23 –

Tom Dixon Tom or Tommy Dixon may refer to: *Tom Dixon (American football) (born 1961), American football player * Tom Dixon (catcher) (1906–1982), Negro league baseball catcher * Tom Dixon (pitcher) (born 1955), Major League Baseball pitcher * Tom Dixon (C ...

*April 26 – Mike Scott *April 28 –

Dewey Robinson Dewey Robinson (August 17, 1898 – December 11, 1950) was an American film character actor who appeared in more than 250 films made between 1931 and 1952. Career Dewey Robinson was born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1898, and made his Br ...

May

*May 1 – Steve Lubratich *May 1 – Ray Searage *May 7 – Bob Ferris *May 12 – Ralph Botting *May 14 –

Dennis Martínez José Dennis Martínez Ortiz (born May 14, 1955), nicknamed "El Presidente" (The President), is a Nicaraguan professional baseball pitcher. Martínez played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles, Montreal Expos, Cleveland India ...

*May 14 – Hosken Powell *May 16 –

Jack Morris John Scott Morris (born May 16, 1955) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1977 and 1994, mainly for the Detroit Tigers. Morris won 254 games throughout his career. Armed ...

*May 16 – Tack Wilson *May 19 – Alan Knicely *May 19 – Ed Whitson *May 21 – Eddie Milner *May 25 – Suguru Egawa *May 25 – Andrés Mora *May 27 – Ross Baumgarten *May 31 – Larry Owen

June

*June 1 – Sandy Wihtol *June 3 – Jim Gaudet *June 6 – Angel Moreno *June 6 –

Chris Nyman Christopher Curtis Nyman (born June 6, 1955) is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played during two seasons at the Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox. He was signed by the White Sox as an amateur free ag ...

*June 10 –

Floyd Bannister Floyd Franklin Bannister (born June 10, 1955) is an American former professional baseball left-handed pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros (–), Seattle Mariners (–), Chicago White Sox (–), Kansas City Ro ...

*June 10 – Scott Ullger *June 13 – Bobby Clark *June 17 – Joe Charboneau *June 26 – Manny Seoane

July

*July 3 – Matt Keough *July 3 – Jeff Rineer *July 7 –

Len Barker Leonard Harold Barker III (born July 7, 1955) is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He pitched the tenth perfect game in baseball history. Barker pitched with the Texas Rangers (1976–78), Cleveland Indians (1979–83 ...

*July 7 – Jerry Dybzinski *July 9 – Willie Wilson *July 13 – Kevin Bell *July 21 – Mark Lemongello *July 27 –

Shane Rawley Shane may refer to: People * Shane (actress) (born 1969), American pornographic actress * Shane (New Zealand singer) (born 1946) * iamnotshane (born 1995), formerly known as Shane, American singer * Shane (name), a masculine given name and a su ...

August

*August 2 – Jim Dorsey *August 6 – Ron Davis *August 6 – Steve Nicosia *August 6 –

Jim Pankovits James Franklin Pankovits (born August 6, 1955 in Pennington Gap, Virginia) is an American professional baseball coach, a former Major League Baseball infielder and minor league manager. In MLB, he appeared in 318 games played, 316 of them with the ...

*August 7 – Steve Senteney *August 11 – Bryn Smith *August 13 – Odie Davis *August 18 – Bruce Benedict *August 19 – Terry Harper *August 19 – Silvio Martínez *August 22 – Larry Vanover *August 27 – Pat Kelly *August 29 – Phil Cuzzi *August 30 – Renie Martin

September

*September 2 – Kazuhiro Yamakura *September 3 – Don Kainer *September 5 – Gil Patterson *September 13 – Mike Fischlin *September 16 – Joe Edelen *September 16 –

Robin Yount Robin R. Yount (; born September 16, 1955), nicknamed "the Kid", and "Rockin' Robin", is an American former professional baseball player. He spent his entire 20-year career in Major League Baseball as a shortstop and center fielder for the Milwau ...

*September 17 – Marshall Brant *September 18 –

Don McCormack Donald Ross McCormack (born September 18, 1955) is a former professional baseball player and coach. He was a fourth round draft pick (75th overall) in the 1974 Major League Baseball Draft, by the Philadelphia Phillies out of Omak High School. On S ...

*September 18 – Ray Smith *September 22 – Jeffrey Leonard *September 24 –

Gorman Heimueller Gorman John Heimueller (born September 24, 1955) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Heimueller pitched parts of two seasons for the Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (often referred to as the A's) are an American professional bas ...

*September 25 – Jim Wessinger *September 27 – Bob Veselic *September 28 –

Terry Bogener Terry Wayne Bogener (born September 28, 1955) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder who played for one season. He played for the Texas Rangers for 24 games during the 1982 Texas Rangers season The Texas Rangers 1982 season involved th ...

*September 29 –

Byron McLaughlin Byron Scott McLaughlin (born September 29, 1955) is an American former professional baseball player, alleged counterfeit shoes manufacturer and convicted money launderer. His baseball career spanned nine seasons, four of which were spent in Ma ...

*September 30 –

Carlos Lezcano Carlos Manuel Lezcano (born September 30, 1955), is a former professional baseball player who played outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1980 to 1981 for the Chicago Cubs. His cousin, Sixto Lezcano, was also a Major League outfielder a ...

October

*October 1 – Jeff Reardon *October 3 –

Jim Joyce James Alfred Joyce III (born October 3, 1955) is an American former professional baseball umpire who worked in the American League (AL) from 1987 to 1999 and throughout Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2000 to 2016. He wore uniform number 6 whil ...

*October 4 –

Gary Cederstrom Gary L. Cederstrom (born October 4, 1955) is an American retired Major League Baseball umpire who worked in the American League from 1989 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues from 2000 to 2019. He wore number 38 throughout his career and was ...

*October 4 – Lary Sorensen *October 8 – Jerry Reed *October 9 – Alex Taveras *October 12 – Jim Lewis *October 14 – Jesús Vega *October 16 – Kurt Seibert *October 17 – Brian Snitker *October 21 – Jerry Garvin *October 25 –

Tommy Boggs Thomas Winton Boggs (October 25, 1955 – October 5, 2022) was an American professional baseball player and college baseball coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher for the Texas Rangers (1976–1977, 1985) and the ...

*October 25 –

Danny Darwin Danny Wayne Darwin (born October 25, 1955), known as the "Bonham Bullet" and "Dr. Death", is an American professional baseball pitcher and coach, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers, Houston Astros, ...

*October 25 – Jeff Schattinger *October 29 – Darrell Brown

November

*November 2 – Greg Harris *November 2 – Bob Tufts *November 3 – Mark Corey *November 5 – Bobby Ramos *November 7 –

Guy Sularz Guy Patrick Sularz (born November 7, 1955) is a former infielder in Major League Baseball. He played for the San Francisco Giants.

*November 9 –

Jeff Cox Jeffrey Lindon Cox (born November 9, 1955) is a former Major League Baseball third base coach for the Chicago White Sox. He is currently a baserunning specialist for the Detroit Tigers. Previously, Cox was a second baseman for the Oakland Athle ...

*November 10 – Jack Clark *November 11 – John Hobbs *November 15 –

Fred Breining Fred Lawrence Breining (born November 15, 1955) is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1980 through 1985 for the San Francisco Giants and the Montreal Expos. He had been traded along with Ed Whitson and Al Holland from the ...

*November 15 –

Randy Niemann Randal Harold Niemann (born November 15, 1955) is an American professional baseball coach and a former pitcher who appeared in 122 Major League games, all but 10 in relief, in 1979–80 and 1982–87 for the Houston Astros, Pittsburgh Pirates ...

*November 18 – Luis Pujols *November 21 –

Rick Peters Rick Peters (born June 1, 1967 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American actor. He has appeared in several films and numerous television shows, and is perhaps best known for his role as Australian Bobby Manning in '' Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye''. He also p ...

*November 22 – Kevin Rhomberg *November 22 –

Wayne Tolleson Jimmy Wayne Tolleson (born November 22, 1955) is an American former professional baseball infielder who played for the Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, and New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). Western Carolina University A star hig ...

*November 23 – Todd Cruz *November 23 – Mark Smith *November 23 – Dan Whitmer *November 24 – Rafael Santo Domingo *November 26 – Jay Howell *November 26 – Mike Mendoza *November 30 – Barry Evans

December

*December 6 – Luis Rosado *December 7 – Scot Thompson *December 13 – Paul Boris *December 18 – Jim Clancy *December 19 – Kevin Stanfield *December 22 – Lonnie Smith *December 23 – Keith Comstock *December 27 – Gary Weiss *December 30 – Keith MacWhorter *December 31 – Jim Tracy

Deaths

January

*January 13 –

Bill Dinneen William Henry Dinneen, alternately spelled Dineen (April 5, 1876 – January 13, 1955), was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who followed his 12-year career from 1898 to 1909 with a highly regarded tenure as an American L ...

, 78, pitching star of the 1903 World Series, while winning three games for the champion

Boston Americans The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

against the Pittsburgh Pirates, including the first two

shutout In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball. Shutouts are usuall ...

s in World Series history. *January 18 – Phil Morrison *January 22 – Bob Wicker *January 23 – Elmer Brown *January 24 –

Monte Beville Henry Monte Beville (February 24, 1875 – January 24, 1955), was a Major League Baseball (MLB) catcher and first basemen who played in 1903 and 1904. He played for the New York Highlanders and the Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an Amer ...

*January 25 – Harry Barton *January 26 – Austin Walsh *January 28 – Bill Calhoun

February

*February 3 – Fred Brown, 75, outfielder over parts of two seasons for the Boston Beaneaters in 1901 and 1902, and later a politician who served as Governor of New Hampshire and also in the United States Senate. *February 6 – Rosey Rowswell, 71, radio sportscaster best known for being the first full-time play-by-play announcer for the Pittsburgh Pirates, serving from 1936 until his death. *February 6 – Hank Thormahlen, 58, pitcher for the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Brooklyn Robins between 1917 and 1925. *February 10 –

Cuke Barrows Roland "Cuke" Barrows (October 20, 1883 – February 10, 1955) was a baseball outfielder who played for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball from 1909 to 1912. Barrows played in 32 games and had a career batting average (baseball), ...

, 71, outfielder who played from 1909 to 1912 for the Chicago White Sox. *February 10 – Ray Hartranft, 64, pitcher for the 1913 Philadelphia Phillies. *February 10 – Allie Strobel, 70, second baseman who saw action with the Boston Beaneaters in 1905 and 1906. *February 15 –

Lynn Nelson Lynn Bernard Nelson (February 24, 1905 – February 15, 1955) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1933 to 1940 for the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Athletics, and Detroit Tigers. Nelson was ...

, 49, pitcher and pinch hitter in all or part of seven seasons between 1930 and 1940 for the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Athletics and Detroit Tigers; had a pedestrian mound record of 33–42 (5.25) in 166 games pitched, but batted .281 lifetime with 103 hits, including a .354 season with 1937 Athletics with 40 hits, four home runs and 29 runs batted in. *February 15 – Tom Tennant, 72, pinch-hitter who appeared in just two games for the St. Louis Browns in the 1912 season. *February 23 – Bill Tozer, 72, pitcher in four games for the 1908 Cincinnati Reds. *February 25 – Ike Kamp, 54, pitcher who played for the Boston Braves in 1924 and 1925.

March

*March 4 – Doc Reisling *March 10 – Rick Adams *March 13 – Buck Sweeney *March 13 – Joe Vernon *March 16 – Red Booles *March 18 – Morrie Aderholt, 39, outfielder who appeared in 106 games over all or part of five seasons spanning 1939 to 1945 for the Washington Senators, Brooklyn Dodgers and Boston Braves; scout for Washington at the time of his death. *March 18 – Ty Helfrich *March 19 – Ed Hovlik *March 19 – George Stultz *March 27 –

Frank Roth Francis Charles Roth (October 11, 1878 – March 27, 1955) was an American professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1903 to 1910 for the Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Browns, Chicago White Sox, and Cincinnat ...

, 76, catcher who played in 282 games over six seasons between 1903 and 1910, principally the Philadelphia Phillies; later a coach. *March 28 – Tom Lynch

April

*April 2 – Reggie Grabowski, 47, pitcher for the 1932–1934 Philadelphia Phillies who worked in 51 career games. *April 10 – Curt Bernard *April 16 – Louis Graff *April 28 – Felix Chouinard

May

*May 3 – Newt Randall *May 4 – Fredrick Westervelt *May 13 – Lefty George *May 18 – Harry Wood *May 24 – Bob Cone *May 29 – Ray Brown *May 31 – Henry Jones

June

*June 2 – Harry Eccles, 61, pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Athletics during the 1915 season. *June 6 – Mike Kelley, 79, first baseman for the 1899 Louisville Colonels, later became a long time minor league baseball owner and manager. *June 16 – Mike Morrison, 88, pitcher who played for the Cleveland Spiders, Syracuse Stars and Baltimore Orioles in part of three seasons between 1887 and 1890. *June 18 – Jack Katoll, 82, German pitcher who played for the Chicago Orphans, Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles in a span of four seasons from 1898 to 1902. *June 22 – Frankie Hayes, 40, highly regarded defensive catcher and a five-time All-Star while playing for the Philadelphia Athletics, St. Louis Browns, Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox, who led the American League three times in

total chances In baseball statistics, total chances (TC), also called ''chances offered'', represents the number of plays in which a defensive player has participated. It is the sum of putouts plus assists plus errors. ''Chances accepted'' refers to the total ...

per game, twice each in

fielding average In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, divi ...

, putouts, double plays and errors, and once in assists. Besides, his 29 double plays in 1945 is the second-highest total ever for a catcher. Additionally, he caught 312 consecutive games between October 1943 and April 1946, a Major League record, and was durable enough to catch all 155 Athletics games in 1945, as he set a still-standing American League season record. *June 27 –

Harry Agganis Aristotle George "Harry" Agganis (April 20, 1929 – June 27, 1955), nicknamed "The Golden Greek", was an American college football player and professional baseball player. After passing up a potential professional football career, he played in M ...

, 26, Boston Red Sox first baseman and former

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with ...

football star, who compiled outstanding records as a

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...

in his student heyday, becoming the first person in BU history to receive All-American honors. *June 29 – Horace Milan, 61, outfielder who played with the Washington Senators in the 191 and 1917 seasons.

July

*July 12 – Dan McGeehan *July 12 – Jesse Stovall *July 12 – Harry Taylor *July 20 – Joe Shannon *July 22 – Lafayette Henion *July 28 – Rudy Bell *July 30 – Dave Rowan

August

*August 2 – Peaches O'Neill *August 3 – Mule Shirley, 54, first baseman who played 44 games for pennant-winning 1924 and 1925 Washington Senators; played in three games as pinch hitter or pinch runner in the 1924 World Series for champion Senators. *August 4 –

Mike Balenti Michael Richard Balenti (July 3, 1886August 4, 1955) was a Major League Baseball shortstop and left fielder who played 70 games for the Cincinnati Reds and the St. Louis Browns in 1911 and 1913, respectively. His maternal grandfather, Charles Ra ...

*August 5 – Norm Glockson *August 6 – Hooks Cotter, 55, first baseman for 1922 and 1924 Chicago Cubs, appearing in 99 career games *August 11 – Jerry Byrne *August 11 – Babe Ellison *August 24 – John Raleigh *August 25 – Jimmy Hudgens, 53, pinch hitter/first baseman who played in 26 career games for the 1923 St. Louis Cardinals and 1925–1926 Cincinnati Reds. *August 26 – Sol White

September

*September 1 – Jim Oglesby *September 3 – Hal Schwenk *September 4 – Gus Weyhing *September 8 –

Dode Criss Dode Criss (March 12, 1885 – September 8, 1955) was a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher and pinch hitter who played his entire career from 1908 to 1911 with the St. Louis Browns of the American League. He is considered by historian Bi ...

*September 10 – Shano Collins, 69, outfielder/first baseman who appeared in 1,799 games for the Chicago White Sox (1910–1920) and Boston Red Sox (1921–1925); member of 1917 World Series champions; manager of Red Sox, 1931 to June 18, 1932. *September 12 – Dick Adkins *September 16 – Dan Sherman *September 20 – Art Herman *September 22 – Louis Drucke *September 23 – Gary Fortune *September 27 – Fred Walden

October

*October 4 – Stan Baumgartner, 60, relief pitcher who spent eight seasons in the majors with both of Philadelphia's MLB teams, the Phillies and Athletics, between 1914 and 1926, then became a prominent baseball writer in that city. *October 5 – Lyman Lamb, 60, third baseman for the St. Louis Browns during two seasons from 1920 to 1921. *October 9 – Howie Fox, 34, pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies and Baltimore Orioles from 1944 to 1954. *October 9 – Jim Jackson, 77, utility outfielder who played for the Baltimore Orioles, New York Giants and Cleveland Naps over four seasons from 1901 to 1906. *October 13 – Fred Lear, 61, third baseman who played for the Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago Cubs and New York Giants in part of four seasons between 1915 and 1920. *October 18 – George Murray, 57, who pitched from 1922 to 1933 for the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Washington Senators and Chicago White Sox. *October 26 – Jack Bushelman, 70, pitcher who played with the Cincinnati Reds in the 1909 season and for the Boston Red Sox from 1911 to 1912. *October 27 –

Clark Griffith Clark Calvin Griffith (November 20, 1869 – October 27, 1955), nicknamed "The Old Fox", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher, manager and team owner. He began his MLB playing career with the St. Louis Browns (1891), Boston Reds ...

, 85, Hall of Fame pitcher and manager, and owner of the Washington Senators since 1920; won 237 games in 20-year career in three major leagues between 1891 and 1914, with 20 or more victories in seven different campaigns; led National League in earned run average (1.88) in 1898, then was a key recruiter of NL players to upstart American League in 1901; managed Chicago White Stockings, New York Highlanders, Cincinnati Reds and Senators between 1901 and 1920.

November

*November 3 – John Merritt, 61, backup outfielder who appeared in just one game with the New York Giants in the 1913 season. *November 4 –

Cy Young Denton True "Cy" Young (March 29, 1867 – November 4, 1955) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. Born in Gilmore, Ohio, he worked on his family's farm as a youth before starting his professional baseball career. Young entered th ...

, 88, Hall of Fame pitcher who won a record 511 games over a 22-year career with five clubs from 1890 to 1911, being a 30-game winner five seasons, a 20-game victor sixteen times, pitching a

perfect game Perfect game may refer to: Sports * Perfect game (baseball), a complete-game win by a pitcher allowing no baserunners * Perfect game (bowling), a 300 game, 12 consecutive strikes in the same game * Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, New York ...

, two no-hitters, and while being a member of the 1903 Boston Americans hurling the first pitch in a World Series game. *November 5 – Frank Gregory, 67, pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds in their 1912 season. *November 5 – Bert Wilson, 44, Chicago-based sportscaster who was the radio voice of the Cubs from 1943 to 1955. *November 12 – Sam Crane, 61, shortstop who played for the Philadelphia Athletics, Washington Senators, Cincinnati Reds and Brooklyn Robins in part of seven seasons spanning 1914–1922. *November 19 – Otto Jacobs, 66, catcher for the 1918 Chicago White Sox. *November 23 – Fred Tauby, 49, part-time outfielder who played with the Chicago White Sox in the 1935 season and for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1937. *November 30 – John Stone, 50, outfielder for the Detroit Tigers and Washington Senators from 1928 to 1938, who hit over .300 in seven of his eleven seasons, with a career-high .341 in 1936.

December

*December 6 –

Honus Wagner Johannes Peter "Honus" Wagner (; February 24, 1874 – December 6, 1955), sometimes referred to as "Hans" Wagner, was an American baseball shortstop who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1917, almost entirely for the Pitts ...

, 81, legendary Hall of Fame shortstop of the Pittsburgh Pirates who won eight National League batting crowns and led the league in

runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the ba ...

, stolen bases, doubles and slugging average at least five times each in a 21-year career, posting an overall batting line of .328/.391/.467, having scored 1,739 runs, connect 3,420 hits and stolen 723 bases. *December 8 –

Buck Washer William "Buck" Washer (October 11, 1882 – December 8, 1955) was an American professional baseball pitcher. Washer played for the Philadelphia Phillies in the season. In one career game, he had a 0–0 record, giving up two runs, four hits, and ...

, 73, pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies during the 1905 season. *December 9 – Curt Walker, 59, right fielder who played twelve seasons from 1919 to 1930 for the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds and New York Giants, compiling a

slash line S sabermetrics :Sabermetrics is the analysis of baseball through objective evidence, especially baseball statistics. The term is derived from the SABR – the Society for American Baseball Research. The term was coined by Bill James, an ...

of.304/.374/.440 and 1,475 hits in 1,359 games, while batting a .300 or better average in seven seasons. *December 17 – Rube DeGroff, 76, backup outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals during two seasons from 1905 to 1906. *December 18 – George Caster, 48, pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Athletics, St. Louis Browns and Detroit Tigers during twelve seasons from 1934 to 1946, as well as a member of the 1945 World Champion Tigers. *December 18 – Francisco José Cróquer, 35, Venezuelan sportscaster specialized in baseball and boxing, who achieved international renown and became a household name in Latino communities after joining the ''Gillette Cavalcade of Sports'' in the late 1940s. *December 19 – Moxie Divis, 61, outfielder who played for the Philadelphia Athletics during the 1916 season. *December 22 – Jimmy O'Rourke, 71, outfielder who played in 1908 with the New York Highlanders. *December 23 – Joe McManus, 68, who pitched in 1913 for the Cincinnati Reds. *December 24 – Jake Boultes, 71, who played from 1907 through 1909 for the Boston Doves, mostly as a pitcher, although he also played a handful of games as a shortstop and third baseman. *December 27 –

Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and has been regarded as among the ...

, 83, National League umpire from 1913 to 1919, while officiating 1,012 games and the

1914 World Series The 1914 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's 1914 season. The 11th edition of the World Series, it was played between the American League champion and defending World Series champion Philadelphia Athletics and ...

. *December 27 – Jim Fairbank, 74, pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Athletics during the 1903 and 1904 seasons. *December 31 –

Clint Brown Clint Brown is a New Zealand television sports presenter for Sky Sport New Zealand and Prime New Zealand and was a former presenter for TV3 New Zealand – the latter of which he reported for 18 years. Early life Brown lived in Hamilton un ...

, 52, relief pitcher for the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox in a span of fifteen seasons from 1928 to 1942, who posted a career 89-93 W-L record with 64 saves and 4.26 ERA, leading the American League relievers in 1939 in appearances (61),

games finished In baseball statistics, a relief pitcher is credited with a game finished (denoted by GF) if he is the last pitcher to pitch for his team in a game. A starting pitcher is not credited with a GF for pitching a complete game. Mariano Rivera is th ...

(56), saves (18) and innings (), ending 11th in the voting for the American League MVP Award.1939 American League MVP voting
''Baseball Reference''. Retrieved on March 4, 2018.

Sources

External links

Baseball Almanac - Major League Baseball Players Who Were Born in 1955Baseball Almanac - Major League Baseball Players Who Died in 1955Baseball Reference - 1955 MLB Season Summary

ESPN - 1955 MLB Season History
{{DEFAULTSORT:1955 In Baseball