1955 Kansas City Athletics season
Encyclopedia
The 1955 Kansas City Athletics
season was a season in American baseball. The team won 63 games -- only the fifth time in 20 years that they won more than 60 games -- and lost 91, finishing sixth in the American League
, 33 games behind the AL Champion New York Yankees
.
also made an offer to purchase the team with plans to relocate to Southern California, but was also refused. On October 12, 1954, the owners approved the sale of the Athletics to Chicago businessman Arnold Johnson
, who moved the team from Philadelphia
to Kansas City
for the 1955 season. Finley would later buy the A's from Johnson's estate in 1960.
In 1955, the new Kansas City Athletics drew 1,393,054 to Municipal Stadium.
had played a Philadelphia City Series since 1903. The Kansas City A's returned to Philadelphia at the end of spring training
in 1955, and the teams played two games. The A's beat the Phillies in the second game, 10-2, at Wilmington Park
, home of the original Wilmington Blue Rocks
.
Welch franchise transferred to Marion and renamed, July 14, 1955
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
season was a season in American baseball. The team won 63 games -- only the fifth time in 20 years that they won more than 60 games -- and lost 91, finishing sixth in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
, 33 games behind the AL Champion New York Yankees
1955 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the team's 53rd season in New York, and its 55th season overall. The team finished with a record of 96-58, winning their 21st pennant, finishing 3 games ahead of the Cleveland Indians. New York was managed by Casey Stengel. The Yankees played their home games at...
.
Offseason
In 1954, the Mack family decided to sell the Philadelphia Athletics. Charlie Finley made an offer to purchase the team, but was refused. Clint MurchisonClint Murchison, Sr.
Clinton Williams Murchison, Sr. , was a noted Texas-based oil magnate and political operative. He was also the father of Dallas Cowboys owner Clint Murchison, Jr..-Personal:...
also made an offer to purchase the team with plans to relocate to Southern California, but was also refused. On October 12, 1954, the owners approved the sale of the Athletics to Chicago businessman Arnold Johnson
Arnold Johnson
Arnold M. Johnson was an American industrialist, businessman and sportsman, who purchased the storied but financially unsound Philadelphia Athletics baseball club and moved it to Kansas City, Missouri, in the autumn of 1954...
, who moved the team from Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
to Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
for the 1955 season. Finley would later buy the A's from Johnson's estate in 1960.
In 1955, the new Kansas City Athletics drew 1,393,054 to Municipal Stadium.
Notable transactions
- Prior to 1955 season: Bob DavisBob Davis (pitcher)Robert Edward Davis was a professional baseball pitcher. He played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball, 1958 and 1960, for the Kansas City Athletics.- Early life :...
was signed as an amateur free agent by the Athletics.
Spring training
The A's and Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
had played a Philadelphia City Series since 1903. The Kansas City A's returned to Philadelphia at the end of spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
in 1955, and the teams played two games. The A's beat the Phillies in the second game, 10-2, at Wilmington Park
Wilmington Park
Wilmington Park was a ballpark in Wilmington, Delaware that was located at the corner of 30th Street and Governor Printz Boulevard. It was home to the University of Delaware football team from 1940 to 1952 and the Wilmington Blue Rocks of the Class B Interstate League from 1940 to 1952...
, home of the original Wilmington Blue Rocks
Wilmington Blue Rocks
The Wilmington Blue Rocks are a Minor League Baseball team located in Wilmington, Delaware. The Blue Rocks play in the Northern Division of the Carolina League.-Franchise history:...
.
Notable transactions
- May 11, 1955: Sonny DixonSonny Dixon (baseball)John Craig "Sonny" Dixon was a retired American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball for parts of four seasons for the Washington Senators, the Philadelphia Athletics and Kansas City Athletics, and the New York Yankees...
and cash were traded by the Athletics to the New York YankeesNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
for Enos SlaughterEnos SlaughterEnos Bradsher Slaughter , nicknamed "Country", was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 19-year baseball career, he played from 1938–1942 and 1946-1959 for four different teams, but is noted primarily for his time with the St...
and Johnny SainJohnny SainJohn Franklin Sain was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who was best known for teaming with left-hander Warren Spahn on the Boston Braves teams from 1946 to 1951...
. - May 31, 1955: Clete BoyerClete BoyerCletis Leroy "Clete" Boyer was a Major League Baseball player.A third baseman who also played shortstop and second base occasionally, Boyer played for the Kansas City Athletics , New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves...
was signed as an amateur free agent (bonus babyBonus RuleThe Bonus Rule was a rule instituted by Major League Baseball in 1947 that prevented teams from assigning certain players to farm clubs. The rule stipulated that when a Major league team signed a player to a contract in excess of $4,000 , the Major League team was required to keep that player on...
) by the Athletics. - May, 1955: Al SimaAl SimaAlbert "Al" Sima was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played from to , with the Washington Senators, Chicago White Sox, and Philadelphia Athletics.-External links:...
was traded by the Athletics to the Washington SenatorsMinnesota TwinsThe Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
for Gus KeriazakosGus KeriazakosConstantine Nicholas "Gus" Keriazakos was an American professional baseball player. He was a , right-handed pitcher who worked 28 games played in the Major Leagues in and –. Keriazakos spent the entire 1954 campaign with Washington, appearing in 22 games, 19 in relief, and posting a creditable...
. - September 10, 1955: Joe GinsbergJoe GinsbergMyron Nathan "Joe" Ginsberg was a catcher for the Detroit Tigers , Cleveland Indians , Kansas City Athletics , Baltimore Orioles , Chicago White Sox , Boston Red Sox , and New York Mets...
was purchased by the Athletics from the Seattle RainiersSeattle RainiersThe Seattle Rainiers, originally named the Seattle Indians and also known as the Seattle Angels, were a minor league baseball team in Seattle, Washington, that played in the Pacific Coast League from 1903-06 and 1919-68...
. - September 12, 1955: Glenn CoxGlenn CoxGlenn Melvin Cox is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched in parts of four seasons in the majors, from 1955 until 1958, for the Kansas City Athletics.-External links:...
was purchased by the Athletics from the Brooklyn DodgersLos Angeles DodgersThe Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
.
Roster
| 1955 Kansas City Athletics | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers |
Catchers Infielders |
Outfielders |
Manager Coaches |
||||||
Player stats
| = Indicates team leader |
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Pos | Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 147 | 596 | 190 | .319 | 19 | 76 | |
| 2B | 150 | 549 | 135 | .255 | 9 | 68 | |
| 3B | 128 | 483 | 140 | .290 | 15 | 68 | |
| LF | 120 | 413 | 105 | .254 | 30 | 84 | |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 98 | 273 | 61 | .223 | 15 | 38 | |
| 108 | 267 | 86 | .322 | 5 | 34 | |
| 47 | 79 | 19 | .241 | 0 | 6 | |
| 5 | 10 | 1 | .100 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games played; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | 162.2 | 11 | 8 | 4.20 | 75 | |
| 2 | 2.1 | 0 | 2 | 30.86 | 2 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 175.1 | 12 | 12 | 5.03 | 79 | |
| 31 | 123.2 | 4 | 7 | 5.31 | 68 | |
| 30 | 98.1 | 5 | 5 | 6.22 | 32 | |
| 4 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 7.80 | 9 | |
| 5 | 11.2 | 0 | 1 | 12.34 | 8 | |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 57 | 7 | 6 | 18 | 3.55 | 46 | |
| 34 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4.11 | 26 | |
| 25 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 5.44 | 12 | |
| 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.15 | 5 | |
| 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10.32 | 9 | |
| 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5.40 | 4 | |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6.75 | 2 | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16.20 | 0 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 |
Awards and honors
All-Star Game1955 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1955 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 22nd playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball...
- Jim FiniganJim FiniganJames Leroy Finigan was a Major League Baseball infielder. He was signed by the New York Yankees as an amateur free agent before the 1948 season, and traded to the Philadelphia Athletics in an 11-player deal on December 16, 1953...
, second baseman, starter - Vic PowerVictor PellotVictor Pellot a.k.a. "Vic Power" was the second black Puerto Rican to play in Major League Baseball and the first Puerto Rican to play in the American League...
, reserve
Farm system
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: LancasterWelch franchise transferred to Marion and renamed, July 14, 1955