1955 in baseball explained
See also: 1955 Major League Baseball season and 1955 Nippon Professional Baseball season.
Champions
Major League Baseball
Brooklyn Dodgers over New York Yankees (4-3); Johnny Podres, MVP
Other champions
Wake Forest University
Yomiuri Giants over Nankai Hawks (4-3)
Morrisville, Pennsylvania
Dominican Republic over USAWinter Leagues
Cangrejeros de Santurce
Alacranes del Almendares
Leones del Escogido
Venados de Mazatlán
Carta Vieja Yankees
Cangrejeros de Santurce
Navegantes del Magallanes
Awards and honors
Yogi Berra, New York Yankees
Roy Campanella, Brooklyn Dodgers
Herb Score, Cleveland Indians
Bill Virdon, St. Louis Cardinals
MLB statistical leaders
Major league baseball final standings
National League final standings
Nippon Professional Baseball final standings
Central League final standings
Pacific League final standings
Events
Before the Athletics arrive in town, the Kansas City Monarchs move their base of operations to Grand Rapids, Michigan. They retain the name "Kansas City Monarchs" and continue in the Negro American League as a barnstorming team.
January
- 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
March
- March 7 – Commissioner Ford Frick advocated for the return of the spitball, 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.[1] Despite the Commissioner's enthusiasm, the pitch remained illegal.
- March 12 – The New York Giants sign future Baseball Hall of Fame first baseman Willie McCovey, 17, as an amateur free agent.
- March 17 – The Baltimore Orioles obtain pitcher Erv Palica from the Brooklyn Dodgers in exchange for first baseman Frank Kellert and cash considerations. The trade is an add-on to a December 13, 1954 transaction that sent third baseman Billy Cox and pitcher Preacher Roe to Baltimore, which had to be reworked when Roe announced his retirement.
- March 29 – The Boston Red Sox sign shortstop Eddie Joost, a 17-year veteran, as a free agent. Joost, 38, spent 1954 as the player-manager of the final edition of the Philadelphia Athletics.
- March 30 – The New York Yankees sell the contracts of pitchers Ewell Blackwell and Tom Gorman and first baseman Dick Kryhoski to the Kansas City Athletics.
April
- April 11
- April 12 – After a big civic parade, the Athletics open their first season in Kansas City with a win over the Detroit Tigers, 6–2, before a crowd of 32,844. Former U.S. President Harry Truman throws out the first ball, and center fielder Bill Wilson scores three runs and goes three-for-three, including the first home run in Kansas City's major-league history.
- April 13 – The eventual combatants in the 1955 World Series, the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees, get their seasons off on the right foot. At Ebbets Field, Carl Erskine tosses a complete game and Brooklyn scores five sixth-inning runs (helped by homers from Jim Gilliam and Carl Furillo) as the Dodgers breeze past the Pittsburgh Pirates, 6–1. At Yankee Stadium, the "Bronx Bombers" live up to their nickname, thrashing the Washington Senators, 19–1, with Whitey Ford throwing a two-hitter and going three-for-five at the plate, including a home run, and collecting four runs batted in.
- April 14 – Elston Howard becomes the first African-American to wear a New York Yankees uniform. At Fenway Park, Howard singles in his first at-bat. But the Boston Red Sox win the game, 8–4, behind Willard Nixon.
- April 21 – Don Zimmer is four-for-four, including a homer and three runs batted in, and Joe Black goes 6 innings in relief of Russ Meyer, as the Brooklyn Dodgers win their tenth straight game to start the 1955 season, 14–4, over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. The Dodgers' streak will end the next day when they're defeated by their intense rivals, the defending world-champion New York Giants.
- April 23 – The Chicago White Sox tally a franchise-record 29 runs and 29 hits (including seven home runs) against the host Kansas City Athletics, in a 29–6 ripping. Sherm Lollar goes 5-for-6 with a pair of home runs and five RBI, and becomes the only player in the decade to get two hits in one inning twice in the same game (second and sixth innings). Chico Carrasquel is five-for-six, and Bob Nieman paces the attack with two homers and seven RBI. Walt Dropo adds a homer and seven RBI, while pitcher Jack Harshman and left fielder Minnie Miñoso also homer. Carrasquel and Miñoso each score five runs. Kansas City gets homers from Vic Power and Bill Renna. Bobby Shantz is the losing pitcher.
- April 30
May
- May 1
- At Cleveland Stadium, the Indians sweep a doubleheader from the Boston Red Sox, 2–0 and 2–1, behind the brilliant pitching of future Hall-of-Famer Bob Feller, who strikes out only one hitter, and rookie phenom Herb Score, who fans 16 in his complete game victory. The sweep enables Cleveland, defending American League champions, to take over first place in the Junior Circuit by a half-game over the New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers.
- The first marathon contest of the season sees the New York Giants outlast the Cincinnati Redlegs 2–1 in 16 innings at the Polo Grounds. New York's ace left-hander, Johnny Antonelli, goes all the way for the complete game.
- May 10 – The Brooklyn Dodgers continue their red-hot start to the 1955 campaign. Don Newcombe fires a one-hitter to win his fourth straight decision and future Hall-of-Famer Duke Snider's solo homer gives Newcombe the only run he needs in an eventual 3–0 triumph over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Brooklyn's record is now 22–2 (.917) with a +69 run differential, and they hold a 9½-game lead over the New York Giants.
- May 12 – Sam Jones of the Chicago Cubs no-hits the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4–0, becoming the first African-American to pitch a no-hitter in the major leagues. In the ninth inning Jones walks the bases full and then strikes out Dick Groat, Roberto Clemente and Frank Thomas in a row to preserve his victory. It is also the first no-hitter at Wrigley Field in 38 years. Only 2,918 fans are on hand to witness the double milestone.
- May 13 – At Yankee Stadium, Mickey Mantle homers 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 the New York Yankees' runs in a 5–2 victory over the Detroit Tigers. Whitey Ford is the winning pitcher and Steve Gromek takes the loss.
- May 18 – A 19-hit attack, including home runs from Vic Wertz, Ralph Kiner and Hank Majeski, powers the Cleveland Indians and rookie southpaw Herb Score to a 19–0 blanking of the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. The fireballing Score, now 4–2 (3.26 ERA), strikes out nine.
- May 27 – The 17–19 St. Louis Cardinals fire Eddie Stanky, their manager since the start of the season. Stanky, 39, has compiled a 260–238–3 record at the Redbirds' helm. His replacement is player-manager Harry Walker, 36, who has been running the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings.
- May 28 – Ted Williams returns to the Boston Red Sox lineup by going one-for-four against the Washington Senators in a 5–3 loss before 9,162 fans at Fenway Park. Williams had declined to sign his lucrative 1955 contract until May 23, after a contentious divorce settlement was reached. The Bosox had gone 17–24 (11 games out of first) in "The Kid's" absence.
June
- June 1 – Duke Snider hits three home runs at Ebbets Field, helping the Brooklyn Dodgers to an 11–8 victory over the Milwaukee Braves. Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella also belt solo homers for the Dodgers, to set a franchise record with six home runs in a single game. Although they have cooled somewhat since their 22–2 start, the Dodgers (33–11) still hold a solid 6½-game lead in the National League.
- June 2
- Sophomore first baseman and fabled local high-school and college athlete Harry Agganis of the Boston Red Sox bangs out a double and single in four at bats in a losing cause in the Chicago White Sox' 4–2 victory at Comiskey Park. In the process, Agannis, recently hospitalized for pneumonia of the right lung, raises his 1955 batting average to .313 in 25 games. But, in a tragedy that will unfold over the next 25 days, the 26-year-old Agganis will never play again. Coughing and exhausted, he is readmitted to a Boston-area hospital the next day with pneumonia in his left lung and phlebitis, then placed on the voluntarily-retired list June 16. Eleven days later, Agganis dies suddenly from a massive pulmonary embolism. (See Deaths entry for June 27, 1955.) Ten thousand mourners file past his coffin prior to his June 30 funeral in his native Lynn, Massachusetts.
- Temporarily assuming Brooklyn's mantle as the "hottest team in baseball," the New York Yankees (33–13) win their 19th game in 22 attempts since May 11 by defeating the lowly Kansas City Athletics, 12–6, at Municipal Stadium. During that time, on May 21, the Yankees took over first place in the American League, and with today's victory they hold a three-game advantage over the runner-up Cleveland Indians.
- June 7 – The Chicago White Sox reacquire center fielder Jim Busby from the Washington Senators for pitcher Bob Chakales, catcher Clint Courtney and center fielder Johnny Groth.
- June 15 – The Cleveland Indians acquire outfielder Gene Woodling and third baseman Billy Cox from the Baltimore Orioles for outfielders Dave Pope and Wally Westlake. Cox, 35, retires rather than report to Cleveland, and the deal is completed when Baltimore sends $15,000 to the Indians as compensation.
- June 18 – The Chicago White Sox vault into a first-place tie with the New York Yankees by taking the first two games of a four-game weekend set at Yankee Stadium. The tie proves to be short-lived, however, as the Yankees sweep a June 19 doubleheader to kick off a 13–1 hot streak to seemingly retake command of the American League pennant race.
- June 24 – "Bonus baby" Sandy Koufax, signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in December 1954, makes his MLB debut by throwing two scoreless innings of relief against the Milwaukee Braves at County Stadium. Facing his first three big-league hitters, the 19-year-old southpaw loads the bases on a single, error (his own), and base on balls, then escapes unscathed by striking out Bobby Thomson and inducing Joe Adcock to ground into a 6–4–3 double play.
July
- July 10
- July 12 – In the All–Star Game in Milwaukee's County Stadium, the American League takes a five run lead on a three-run home run by Mickey Mantle off Robin Roberts, only to see the National League tie it. Milwaukee Braves pitcher Gene Conley strikes out the side in the 12th inning, and Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals homers off Boston Red Sox pitcher Frank Sullivan to seal a 6–5 victory. Coincidentally, the 6inchesft8inchesin (ftin) Conley and the 6inchesft7inchesin (ftin) Sullivan will be traded for each other after the 1960 season.
- July 23 – The New York Yankees fall into a first-place tie with the Chicago White Sox by suffering their 13th loss in 18 games, 8–7, in 11 innings to the Kansas City Athletics. The White Sox, meanwhile, have gone 9–3 since the All-Star break, with the third-place Cleveland Indians only one game back of the leaders.
- July 26 – In a key nighttime game at Yankee Stadium, the New York Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox 1–0. The game's only run occurs in the bottom of the sixth inning when Yogi Berra hits his 17th homer of the season off the White Sox' Dick Donovan. Tommy Byrne is the winning pitcher as he holds the White Sox to just four hits, all of them singles. The victory enables the Yankees (60–37) to increase their American League lead to two games over the ChiSox (57–38) and Cleveland Indians (58–39).
- July 29 – Smoky Burgess belts three homers, including a grand slam, and knocks in nine runs, leading his Cincinnati Redlegs to a 16–5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Teammates Bob Thurman (who also hits a grand slam) and Milt Smith also contribute long balls, and left-hander Joe Nuxhall wins his tenth game of the year.
- July 30 – With a little more than 50 games left in the regular season, three teams are tied for the top spot in the American League: the Chicago White Sox (60–39, .606), Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees (each 61–40, .604). This three-way virtual deadlock, involving the same teams, will occur again August 5 and 6.
- July 31 – On the first anniversary of his four-home run game, Milwaukee Braves first baseman Joe Adcock is hit by a pitch from the New York Giants' Jim Hearn. The pitch breaks Adcock's arm and he will miss the rest of the 1955 season.
August
September
- September 1 – As the month begins, the Brooklyn Dodgers continue to hold a commanding lead (13 games over the Milwaukee Braves) in the National League, while the three main American League combatants—the 79–41 Chicago White Sox and the 79–42 Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees—are separated by a half-game.
- September 8 – The Brooklyn Dodgers — who are 92–46 (.667) and 17 games ahead of the second-place Milwaukee Braves — clinch the National League pennant by beating Milwaukee, 10–2, for their eighth NL title. The Dodgers also break their own MLB record for the earliest clinching, set in .
- September 13 – With veterans Mike Garcia and Bob Lemon on top of their game, the Cleveland Indians sweep the Washington Senators, 3–1 and 8–2, in a Griffith Stadium doubleheader. Attempting to defend their AL championship, the Tribe open up a two-game lead over the New York Yankees, while the third-place Chicago White Sox, only 4–8 in September, fall to 4½ back.
- September 14 – Cleveland Indians pitcher Herb Score breaks a rookie record of 235 strikeouts in a season set by Grover Cleveland Alexander in 1911. Score would finish the season with a league-best 245 strikeouts, along with a 16–10 record and 2.86 earned run average, en route to the American League Rookie of the Year Award.
- September 16 – The Kansas City Athletics score seven runs in the first inning and roll to a 13–7 win over the faltering Chicago White Sox. The third place Sox lose their 10th in 17 games. Héctor López hits a three-run home run in the first to start the scoring and later in the game Joe Astroth adds another three-run homer. George Kell and Chico Carrasquel hit solo homers for Chicago. In the eighth inning, 16-year-old shortstop Alex George debuts for Kansas City‚ handling two chances in the field flawlessly and making an out in his one at bat. George will go 1-for-10 in this, his only Major League season.
- September 17 – Playing without superstar Mickey Mantle, who pulled a hamstring trying to beat out a bunt the night before, the New York Yankees retake sole possession of first place in the American League with a 4–1 triumph over the visiting Boston Red Sox. The Yankees are in the midst of a finishing kick that will see them win eight games in a row and clinch their 21st AL pennant on September 21, setting up another "Subway Series" with the 1955 NL champion Brooklyn Dodgers. Mantle, however, will be able to appear in only three games, with ten plate appearances, in the Fall Classic.
- September 23 – Flamboyant Chicago White Sox general manager "Frantic" Frank Lane, publicly feuding with club vice president and heir-apparent to the throne Chuck Comiskey, announces his resignation with four years left on his contract. By one count, Lane, a compulsive wheeler-dealer, has made 241 trades since taking over the ChiSox front office in the autumn of 1948.
- September 25 – Manager Leo Durocher, 50, and the New York Giants part company, with the combative future Baseball Hall of Famer saying he is "retiring" to enter private business. His new venture will be as a "Game of the Week" color analyst for NBC Sports. Manager of the Giants since July 16, 1948, Durocher led them to a 637–523 (.549) record, two National League pennants and the 1954 World Series championship. It will be a full decade before Durocher manages again in the big leagues. The Giants immediately replace him by promoting Bill Rigney, 37, from Triple-A Minneapolis.
October
- October 4 – There will be no more "wait 'til next year." The Brooklyn Dodgers, behind the pitching of Johnny Podres, bring their first, and only, World Series championship to Brooklyn after seven frustrating previous appearances, with a 2–0, seventh-game win over the New York Yankees. Podres is named the Most Valuable Player of the Series—the first time such an award is given. Dodger left fielder Sandy Amorós makes a clutch sixth-inning catch to rob Yogi Berra of a potential two-RBI double to preserve Podres' shutout.
- October 6 – Frank Lane signs a three-year contract to become the new general manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, replacing Anheuser-Busch brewery executive Richard A. Meyer. Lane had quit a similar job with the Chicago White Sox just 13 days earlier.
- October 25
- October 27 – "The Old Fox," Clark Griffith, Hall of Fame pitcher and patriarch of the Washington Senators as manager (1912–1920) and president/chief stockholder (1920–1955), dies in Washington, D.C., at age 85. (See Deaths entry for this date below.) He leaves his 52 percent share of the Senators evenly split between his widow's nephew Calvin Griffith and niece Thelma Griffith Haynes. Calvin, supported by Thelma, assumes the team presidency and soon begins to field bids by other cities to lure the franchise from Washington.
November
- November 2 – The Pittsburgh Pirates name Bobby Bragan as their new field manager, replacing Fred Haney.
- November 4 – Cy Young, holder of the record for most games won (511) in his MLB career and perhaps the greatest pitcher of all time, dies in Newcomerstown, Ohio, at age 88. (See Deaths entry for this date below.)
- November 8 – In a nine-player transaction, the Washington Senators send pitchers Bob Porterfield and Johnny Schmitz, first baseman Mickey Vernon and outfielder Tom Umphlett to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for pitchers Dick Brodowski, Tex Clevenger and minor-leader Al Curtis, and outfielders Neil Chrisley and Karl Olson. Veterans Porterfield and Vernon are former All-Stars.
- November 12 – Former Detroit Tigers pitcher and manager Fred Hutchinson, 36, replaces Harry Walker at the helm of the St. Louis Cardinals. With the departure of Walker, 1956 will be the first year in the National League's 80-year history without a player-manager.
- November 21 – Carl Stotz, principal founding father of the Little League, sues the organization for breach of contract. The suit will be settled out of court.
- November 28 – The Chicago Cubs trade pitcher Hal Jeffcoat to the Cincinnati Redlegs in exchange for catcher Hobie Landrith.
December
- December 2 – Veteran pitcher Ellis Kinder, 41, is claimed off waivers by the St. Louis Cardinals from the Boston Red Sox. Nicknamed "Old Folks," Kinder excelled as both a starter (23 wins in 1948) and reliever (American League leader in games pitched and saves in both 1951 and 1953) during his eight years with the Red Sox.
- December 3 – New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra (.272 batting average, 27 home runs, 108 runs batted in, .819 OPS) wins his third American League Most Valuable Player Award (and his second in a row). Berra received 218 points and seven first-place nods to take the award over Al Kaline, 20-year-old star of the Detroit Tigers, who finishes with 201. Because the AL MVP award is announced five days before its National League counterpart, Berra becomes the first player to win three such awards.
- December 8
- December 9 – Responding to their ninth consecutive below-.500 season, the Chicago Cubs begin a revamping of their roster, trading pitcher Don Elston and third baseman Randy Jackson to the Dodgers for pitcher Russ Meyer, third baseman Don Hoak and outfielder Walt Moryn. The Cubs also release veteran outfielder Frankie Baumholtz.
- December 15 – Catcher Walker Cooper, 40, returns to his original team, the St. Louis Cardinals, signing as a free agent one day after drawing his release from the Cubs. During his 1940–1945 tenure in St. Louis, Cooper was a three-time NL All-Star and two-time (1942 and 1944) World Series champion.
Births
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Deaths
January
- January 13 – Bill Dinneen, 78, pitching star of the 1903 World Series, while winning three games for the champion Boston Americans against the Pittsburgh Pirates, including the first two shutouts in World Series history.
- January 18 – Phil Morrison, 60, pitcher who worked two-thirds of an inning for the Pittsburgh Pirates, his lone major-league appearance, on September 30, 1921.
- January 22 – Bob Wicker, 77, right-hander who pitched in 138 games for the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds between 1901 and 1906; won 20 games for 1903 Cubs; also appeared in 26 games as an outfielder, and batted .205 lifetime.
- January 23 – Elmer Brown, 71, southpaw hurler who worked in 43 games for St. Louis of the American League and Brooklyn of the National League between 1911 and 1915.
- January 24 – Monte Beville, 79, catcher and first baseman for the New York Highlanders and Detroit Tigers in 1903–1904 who got into 145 career games.
- January 25 – Harry Barton, 80, switch-hitting catcher-infielder who played in 29 games for the 1905 Philadelphia Athletics.
- January 26 – Austin Walsh, 63, outfielder who appeared in 57 games for Chicago of the "outlaw" Federal League in 1914.
- January 28 – Bill Calhoun, 64, who got into six games as a pinch hitter and first baseman for the 1913 Boston Braves.
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, 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 13 – Clyde Spearman, 42, one of five brothers to play in the Negro leagues; outfielder for five clubs between 1935 and 1946 and led 1938 Negro National League in hits while a member of the Philadelphia Stars.
- February 15 – Lynn Nelson, 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, 80, "dead-ball era" pitcher who posted a 2.45 earned run average in 49 career games for the 1903–1904 Brooklyn Superbas and 1909–1910 Washington Senators.
- March 10 – Rick Adams, 76, left-handed pitcher who worked in 11 games for the 1905 Senators.
- March 13 – Buck Sweeney, 64, who appeared in one game (with one at bat) as a left fielder for the Philadelphia Athletics on September 28, 1914.
- March 13 – Joe Vernon, 65, pitcher whose two-game career included one contest for the 1912 Chicago Cubs and one for the 1914 Brooklyn Tip-Tops of the "outlaw" Federal League.
- March 16 – Red Booles, 74, left-hander who pitched in four games for the 1909 Cleveland Naps.
- 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, 64, second baseman who appeared in 43 games for the Federal League's Brooklyn Tip-Tops in 1915.
- March 19 – Ed Hovlik, 63, who pitched in 11 games for the 1918–1919 Washington Senators.
- March 19 – George Stultz, 81, pitcher who threw a complete-game victory, allowing no earned runs, in his only big-league appearance for the Boston Beaneaters of the National League on September 22, 1894.
- March 27 – Frank Roth, 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, 94, 19th-century outfielder-catcher who played in 42 games for Wilmington of the Union Association (1884) and Philadelphia of the National League (1884–1885).
April
- April 2 – Reggie Grabowski, 47, pitcher for the 1932–1934 Philadelphia Phillies who worked in 51 career games.
- April 8 – Alfred Saylor, 43, pitcher for the 1943–1945 Birmingham Black Barons who led the 1944 Negro American League in innings pitched and games lost.
- April 10 – Curt Bernard, 77, who appeared in 43 games, mostly as an outfielder, for the 1900–1901 New York Giants.
- April 16 – Louis Graff, 88, listed as appearing in one game as a catcher for the Syracuse Stars of the major-league American Association on June 23, 1890.
- April 28 – Felix Chouinard, 67, outfielder-infielder who played 50 of his 88 career games in the Federal League (Brooklyn Tip-Tops, Pittsburgh Rebels, Baltimore Terrapins) in 1914–1915, after debuting with the Chicago White Sox in 1910–1911.
May
- May 3 – Newt Randall, 75, Canadian outfielder who played in 97 games for Chicago and Boston of the National League in 1907.
- May 4 – Fredrick Westervelt, 77, umpire who officiated in the American League (1911–1912), Federal League (1915), and National League (1922–1923).
- May 13 – Lefty George, 68, longtime minor-league pitcher (1909–1921, 1923–1933, 1940 and 1943–1944), where he won 327 career games, whose MLB tenure included 52 total games for the 1911 St. Louis Browns, 1912 Cleveland Naps, 1915 Cincinnati Reds, and 1918 Boston Braves.
- May 18 – Harry Wood, 70, Maine native who appeared in two games as an 18-year-old outfielder for Cincinnati in April 1903.
- May 24 – Bob Cone, 61, pitcher who appeared in two-thirds of an inning in his lone appearance with the last-place Philadelphia Athletics on July 25, 1915.
- May 29 – Ray Brown, 66, Chicago Cubs' right-hander who threw a complete-game victory in his lone MLB game on September 29, 1909.
- May 31 – Henry Jones, 98, 19th-century infielder-outfielder who played in 34 games for the 1884 Detroit Wolverines of the National League.
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 a longtime minor league manager (notably with St. Paul and Minneapolis) and club owner (Minneapolis).
- 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 19 – Eli Juran, 52, left-handed first baseman-outfielder-pitcher who appeared for five different clubs in the Eastern Colored League and East–West League in 1926 and 1932.
- June 22 – Frankie Hayes, 40, five-time All-Star catcher who played for the Philadelphia Athletics, St. Louis Browns, Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox for 14 seasons spanning 1933 to 1947; a workhorse who caught 312 consecutive games between October 1943 and April 1946, a Major League record, including catching all 155 Athletics games in 1944, setting a still-standing American League season record;[2] led AL three times in total chances per game, twice each in fielding average, putouts, double plays and errors, and once in assists; his 29 double plays in 1945 is the second-highest total ever for a catcher.
- June 27 – Harry Agganis, 26, Boston Red Sox first baseman who appeared in 157 games between April 13, 1954 and June 2, 1955, when he was sidelined by illness; former local schoolboy (Lynn Classical High School) and college (Boston University) football star, nicknamed "The Golden Greek", who compiled outstanding records as a quarterback and became first person in BU history to receive All-American honors.[3]
- June 29 – Horace Milan, 61, outfielder who played in 42 games with the Washington Senators in 1915 and 1917; brother of speedster Clyde Milan.
July
- July 12 – Dan McGeehan, 70, second baseman who played three games for the St. Louis Cardinals in April 1911.
- July 12 – Jesse Stovall, 79, pitcher who hurled in 28 games for the 1903 Cleveland Naps and 1904 Detroit Tigers; also played six games as a first baseman and pinch hitter.
- July 12 – Harry Taylor, 89, 19th-century first baseman and outfielder who played 438 games for the 1890–1892 Louisville Colonels and 1893 Baltimore Orioles.
- July 20 – Joe Shannon, 58, who appeared in five contests as a pinch hitter, outfielder and first baseman for the 1915 Boston Braves at the age of 18.
- July 22 – Lafayette Henion, 56, pitcher who made one appearance in MLB when he threw three innings of relief for the Brooklyn Robins on September 10, 1919.
- July 28 – Rudy Baerwald (also known as Rudy Bell and Jack Bell), 74, outfielder in 18 games for 1907 New York Highlanders.
- July 28 – Dell Clark, 64, second baseman for the 1921 St. Louis Giants of the Negro National League.
- July 30 – Dave Rowan, 73, Canadian first baseman who appeared in 18 contests for the St. Louis Browns between May 27 and June 22, 1911.
August
- August 2 – Peaches O'Neill, 75, Notre Dame graduate who appeared in eight contests as a catcher, first baseman and pinch hitter for the 1905 Cincinnati Reds.
- 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, 69, shortstop-outfielder who appeared in 78 total games for 1911 Cincinnati Reds and 1913 St. Louis Browns; a Native American (Cheyenne) who attended Carlisle Indian School.
- August 5 – Norm Glockson, 61, catcher and pinch hitter who received a seven-game trial with Cincinnati late in the 1914 season.
- August 5 – Wilbur Pritchett, 58, pitcher who hurled for five clubs over eight seasons in Black baseball between 1924 and 1932.
- August 6 – Hooks Cotter, 55, first baseman for 1922 and 1924 Chicago Cubs, appearing in 99 career games
- August 11 – Jerry Byrne, 48, pitcher in three games for the 1929 Chicago White Sox.
- August 11 – Babe Ellison, 56, infielder-outfielder in 135 games for the 1916–1920 Detroit Tigers; enjoyed brilliant minor-league career with San Francisco Seals from 1921 to 1927, where in 1924 he compiled 307 hits in 201 Pacific Coast League games, seventh-most in history; member of PCL Hall of Fame.
- August 23 – Eugene Redd, 55, third baseman-shortstop for the Cleveland Tate Stars and Milwaukee Bears of the Negro National League in 1922–1923.
- August 24 – John Raleigh, 68, southpaw who went 1–10 (4.10 ERA) in 18 games for the 1909–1910 St. Louis Cardinals.
- 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, 87, pioneer player, manager and executive of the Negro leagues (1887 to 1926) and member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame (elected 2006); piloted Philadelphia Giants to four consecutive championships (1904–1907) and in the latter year wrote the first history of Black baseball.
September
- September 1 – Jim Oglesby, 50, first baseman and minor-league veteran who appeared in three games at age 30 for the 1936 Philadelphia Athletics.
- September 3 – Hal Schwenk, 65, southpaw who, in his only MLB game, pitched his St. Louis Browns to an 11-inning, 5–4 complete game victory on September 4, 1913.
- September 4 – Gus Weyhing, 88, fire-balling 145lb hurler who won 264 games (losing 232) for 11 teams in four major leagues (National, American, Players', and the American Association) between 1887 and 1901, and set the all-time record for hit batsmen (277); won 30 or more games for four consecutive seasons (1889–1892), and 20 or more games on three other occasions; also lost 19 or more games eight times.[4]
- September 8 – Dode Criss, 70, good-hitting pitcher turned pinch hitter and first baseman who played in 227 games for 1908–1911 St. Louis Browns; batted .276 lifetime with 84 hits and posted 3–9 record (4.38 ERA) in 30 mound appearances.
- 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, 35, shortstop who played three games for the Philadelphia Athletics in September 1942.
- September 16 – George Brown, 69, outfielder for Dayton, Columbus and Detroit of the Negro National League in 1920 and 1921; prior to that, played extensively for independent Black baseball clubs during the 1910s.
- September 16 – Dan Sherman, 64, pitcher who faced four batters (and registered one out) in his only appearance for Chicago of the Federal League on September 4, 1914.
- September 20 – Art Herman, 84, pitcher who appeared in 17 games for Louisville of the National League in 1896 and 1897.
- September 22 – Louis Drucke, 66, New York Giants' pitcher who worked in 53 games between 1909 and 1912; member of 1911 NL champions.
- September 23 – McKinley Brewer, 59, pitcher-outfielder-first baseman for the 1921 Chicago Giants of the Negro National League.
- September 23 – Gary Fortune, 60, pitcher who went 0–5 lifetime (6.61 ERA) in 20 games for the Philadelphia Phillies (1916, 1918) and Boston Red Sox (1920).
- September 27 – Fred Walden, 65, catcher who played in one game, caught one inning, and made one error, in his one MLB game on June 3, 1912, as a member of the St. Louis Browns.
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 18 – Charlie Shields, 32, pitcher who played for the Chicago American Giants, New York Cubans and Homestead Grays of the Negro leagues between 1941 and 1943.
- 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, 85, Hall of Fame pitcher and manager, and principal 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;[5] his 1901 White Stockings won the pennant in the AL's inaugural season.
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, 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, two no-hitters, and while being a member of the 1903 Boston Americans hurling the first pitch in a World Series game.[6]
- 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 15 – Calvin Clarke, 39, outfielder, second baseman and pitcher who appeared for the 1938 Washington Black Senators and 1941 Newark Eagles of the Negro National League.
- 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, 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, 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.[7]
- December 8 – Buck Washer, 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 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 – William "Lord" Byron, 83, National League umpire from 1913 to 1919, officiating 1,012 games and the 1914 World Series.
- December 27 – Jim Fairbank, 74, pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Athletics during the 1903 and 1904 seasons.
- December 31 – Clint Brown, 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 (56), saves (18) and innings (118), ending 11th in the voting for the American League MVP Award.[8]
External links
Notes and References
- News: Frick Favors Return of "the Old Spitter". Milwaukee Journal. 1955-03-08. 2. May 26, 2013.
- http://members.tripod.com/bb_catchers/catchers/ironmen.htm Iron Man Catchers
- http://sabr.org/bioproj/person/69d56ecd Harry Agganis article
- Web site: Gus Weyhing . Racanelli . John . sabr.org . Society for American Baseball Research Biography Project . March 12, 2023 .
- https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/griffith-clark Clark Griffith article
- https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/young-cy Cy Young article
- https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/wagner-honus Honus Wagner article
- https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1939.shtml#all_AL_MVP_voting 1939 American League MVP voting
