The following are the baseball events of the year 1955 throughout the world. [edit] Champions [edit] Major League Baseball [edit] Other champions [edit] Awards and honors [edit] MLB statistical leaders [edit] Major league baseball final standings [edit] American League final standings [edit] National League final standings [edit] 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. [edit] January-March [edit] April-June - April 12 - After a big civic parade, the Athletics open their first season in Kansas City with a win over the Detroit Tigers, 6–2, before a crowd of 32,844
- April 14 - Elston Howard becomes the first African-American to wear the New York Yankees uniform. Howard singles in his first-at-bat, against the Boston Red Sox, as the Yankees win 8–4.
- April 23: The Chicago White Sox tallied a franchise record 29 runs/29 hits against the host Kansas City Athletics, including seven home runs, in a 29–6 ripping. Sherm Lollar 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 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 12 - At Wrigley Field, Sam Jones of the Chicago Cubs no-hits the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-0, becoming the first African American to pitch a no-hitter in the Major Leagues.
[edit] July-September - September 8 - The Brooklyn Dodgers clinches the National League pennant by beating the Milwaukee Braves, 10–2, for their 8th straight NL title. The Dodgers also break their own Major League Baseball record for the earliest clinching, set in 1953.
- September 16 - The Kansas City Athletics scores seven runs in the first inning and rolls 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 hits solo homers for Chicago. In the 8th‚ 16-year-old shortstop Alex George debuts for Kansas City‚ handling two chances in the field flawlessly and making out in his one at bat. George will go 1-for-10 in this his only Major League season.
[edit] October-December - November 21 - In an obvious power struggle for control, Carl Stotz, principal founding father of the Little League, sues the organization for breach of contract. The suit will be settled out of court.
[edit] Births [edit] January-March [edit] April-June [edit] July-September [edit] October-December [edit] Deaths - January 13 - Bill Dinneen, 78, pitching star of the 1903 World Series who went on to have a 29-year career as an American League umpire
- February 6 - Hank Thormahlen, 58, pitcher for the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Brooklyn Robins between 1917 and 1925
- June 6 - Mike Kelley, 79, first baseman for the 1899 Louisville Colonels, later became a long time minor league baseball owner and manager.
- June 27 - Harry Agganis, 26, Red Sox first baseman from Lynn, Massachusetts who gave up being a football star to play for the BoSox, closer to his home and mother. On June 2, he was hospitalized with pneumonia. He rejoined the Sox 10 days later, fell ill again on June 27 and was flown back to Cambridge, Ma. where he died of a pulmonary embolism.
- August 26 - Sol White, 87, player, manager and executive with various Negro leagues and teams from 1887 to 1926
- September 23 - Gary Fortune, 60, pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox between 1916 and 1920
- October 9 - Howie Fox, 34, pitcher for the Reds, Philies and Orioles from 1944 to 1954
- October 18 - George Murray, 57, pitched from 1922 to 1933 for the Yankees, Red Sox, Senators and White Sox
- October 27 - Clark Griffith, 85, Hall of Fame pitcher and manager, and owner of the Washington Senators since 1920
- November 4 - Cy Young, 88, Hall of Fame pitcher who won a record 511 games over a 22-year career and pitched three no-hitters, including a perfect game
- November 30 - John Stone, 50, outfielder for the Tigers and Senators from 1928-38, who collected seven .300 seasons, with a career-high .341 in 1936
- December 6 - Honus Wagner, 81, legendary Hall of Fame shortstop who won eight National League batting crowns and led the league in RBI, stolen bases, doubles and slugging percentage at least five times each
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