1955 World Series

The 1955 World Series matched the Brooklyn Dodgers against the New York Yankees, with the Dodgers winning the Series in seven games to capture their first championship in franchise history. It would be the only Series the Dodgers won while based in Brooklyn, as the team relocated to Los Angeles after the 1957 season. This was the fifth time in nine years that the Yankees and the Dodgers met in the World Series, with the Yankees having won in 1947, 1949, 1952, and 1953; the Yankees would also win in the 1956 rematch.

1955 World Series
Team (Wins) Manager(s) Season Brooklyn Dodgers (4) Walter Alston 98–55, .641, GA: ​13 ^1⁄2 New York Yankees (3) Casey Stengel 96–58, .623, GA: 3
Dates	September 28 – October 4
MVP	Johnny Podres (Brooklyn)
Umpires	Bill Summers (AL), Lee Ballanfant (NL), Jim Honochick (AL), Frank Dascoli (NL), Red Flaherty (AL: outfield only), Augie Donatelli (NL: outfield only)
Hall of Famers	Dodgers: Walt Alston (mgr.) Roy Campanella Sandy Koufax (DNP) Pee Wee Reese Jackie Robinson Duke Snider Tom Lasorda (DNP)‡ Yankees: Casey Stengel (mgr.) Yogi Berra Whitey Ford Mickey Mantle Phil Rizzuto
Broadcast
Television	NBC. This was the first World Series televised in color.
TV announcers	Mel Allen and Vin Scully
Radio	Mutual
Radio announcers	Bob Neal and Al Helfer
World Series

This Series also marked the end of a long period of invulnerability for the Yankees in the World Series. It was the Yankees' first loss in a World Series since 1942 and only their second since 1926. While the Yankees were 15–2 in Series appearances during that time, they would lose again in 1957, 1960, 1963, and 1964, for a record of 4–5 in World Series over the next decade.

Background

This was the sixth World Series contested between the Yankees and Dodgers; the Yankees had won each of the five prior matchups (1941, 1947, 1949, 1952, and 1953). New York manager Casey Stengel had played for the Dodgers from 1912 through 1917.

Brooklyn Dodgers

Roy Campanella (at left) and Yogi Berra were the 1955 MVPs for the National League and American League, respectively.

Main article: 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers season

The NL champion Dodgers finished the regular season with a record of 98–55, ​13 ¹⁄₂ games ahead of the Milwaukee Braves. Offensive team leaders were Duke Snider (.309 batting average, 42 home runs, 136 RBIs, .628 slugging percentage, and 1.046 OPS) and Roy Campanella (.318 batting average, 32 home runs, 107 RBIs, .583 slugging percentage, and .978 OPS). Pitcher Don Newcombe led the team in wins, with a 20–5 record, and ​233 ²⁄₃ innings pitched.[1] Campanella was voted the National League MVP, narrowly edging Snider.[2]

New York Yankees

Main article: 1955 New York Yankees season

The AL champion Yankees finished the regular season with a record of 96–58, three games ahead of the Cleveland Indians. Offensive team leaders were Mickey Mantle (.306 batting average, 37 home runs, 99 RBIs, .611 slugging percentage, and 1.042 OPS), Yogi Berra (.272 batting average, 27 home runs, 108 RBIs, .470 slugging percentage, and .819 OPS), and Bill Skowron (.319 batting average). Pitcher Whitey Ford led the team in wins, with an 18–7 record, and ​253 ²⁄₃ innings pitched.[3] Berra was voted the American League MVP, while Mantle finished fifth.[2]

Summary

NL Brooklyn Dodgers (4) vs. AL New York Yankees (3)

Game	Date	Score	Location	Time	Attendance
1	September 28	Brooklyn Dodgers – 5, New York Yankees – 6	Yankee Stadium	2:31	63,869[4]
2	September 29	Brooklyn Dodgers – 2, New York Yankees – 4	Yankee Stadium	2:28	64,707[5]
3	September 30	New York Yankees – 3, Brooklyn Dodgers – 8	Ebbets Field	2:20	34,209[6]
4	October 1	New York Yankees – 5, Brooklyn Dodgers – 8	Ebbets Field	2:57	36,242[7]
5	October 2	New York Yankees – 3, Brooklyn Dodgers – 5	Ebbets Field	2:40	36,796[8]
6	October 3	Brooklyn Dodgers – 1, New York Yankees – 5	Yankee Stadium	2:34	64,022[9]
7	October 4	Brooklyn Dodgers – 2, New York Yankees – 0	Yankee Stadium	2:44	62,465[10]

Matchups

Game 1

Jackie Robinson

Wednesday, September 28, 1955 1:00 pm (ET) at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Brooklyn	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	2	0	5	10	0
New York	0	2	1	1	0	2	0	0	X	6	9	1
WP: Whitey Ford (1–0)   LP: Don Newcombe (0–1)   Sv: Bob Grim (1) Home runs: BRO: Carl Furillo (1), Duke Snider (1) NYY: Elston Howard (1), Joe Collins 2 (2)

In Game 1, Carl Furillo's leadoff home run in the second off Whitey Ford put the Dodgers up 1–0. Jackie Robinson then tripled with one out and scored on Don Zimmer's single, but in the bottom of the inning, after a walk, rookie Elston Howard, in his first World Series at bat, homered to tie the game off Don Newcombe. Duke Snider's leadoff home run next inning put the Dodgers back in front 3–2 (which would eventually help establish a new HR record for a seven-game series at 17), but in the bottom half, the Yankees again tied the score on Irv Noren's RBI groundout with runners on second and third. Joe Collins's leadoff home run next inning put the Yankees ahead 4–3. His two-run home run in the sixth extended their lead to 6–3. In the seventh, after a single and error by third baseman Gil McDougald put runners on second and third with one out, Zimmer's sacrifice fly scored a run, then Robinson stole home to cut the Yankees' lead to 6–5, but Ford pitched eight innings for the win while Bob Grim earned the save with a scoreless ninth to give the Yankees a 1–0 series lead.

Game 2

Tommy Byrne

Thursday, September 29, 1955 1:00 pm (ET) at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Brooklyn	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	2	5	2
New York	0	0	0	4	0	0	0	0	X	4	8	0
WP: Tommy Byrne (1–0)   LP: Billy Loes (0–1)

In Game 2, Pee Wee Reese lead off the top of the fourth with a triple and scored on Duke Snider's single off Tommy Byrne, but in the bottom of the inning, after a two-out single and walk, back-to-back RBI singles by Elston Howard and Billy Martin tied the game. After a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, Byrne's two-run single put the Yankees up 4–1 and knock starter Billy Loes out of the game. The Dodgers got a run in the fifth on Jim Gilliam's RBI single with Jackie Robinson at third, but could not score again off Byrne, who pitched a complete game to give the Yankees a 2–0 series lead heading to Brooklyn.

Game 3

Roy Campanella

Friday, September 30, 1955 1:00 pm (ET) at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
New York	0	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	3	7	0
Brooklyn	2	2	0	2	0	0	2	0	X	8	11	1
WP: Johnny Podres (1–0)   LP: Bob Turley (0–1) Home runs: NYY: Mickey Mantle (1) BRO: Roy Campanella (1)

In Game 3, Roy Campanella's two-run home run after a walk off Bob Turley in the first put the Dodgers up 2–0, but in the second, Mickey Mantle hit his only home run of the series. Bill Skowron then doubled and scored on Phil Rizzuto's two-out single to tie the game. In the bottom of the inning, two singles and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases before walks to Jim Gilliam off Turley and Pee Wee Reese off Tom Morgan put the Dodgers up 4–2. In the fourth with two on, Campanella's RBI single and Carl Furillo's sacrifice fly extended the Dodgers' lead to 6–2. In the top of the seventh, Rizzuto walked with two outs and scored on Andy Carey's triple, but in the bottom half, Jackie Robinson doubled with one out off Tom Sturdivant and scored on Sandy Amoros's single. After a forceout and walk, Reese's RBI single extended the Dodgers' lead to 8–3. Johnny Podres pitched a complete game as the Dodgers cut the Yankees' series lead to 2–1. This was the last World Series game to be played in the month of September.

Game 4

Clem Labine

Saturday, October 1, 1955 1:00 pm (ET) at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
New York	1	1	0	1	0	2	0	0	0	5	9	0
Brooklyn	0	0	1	3	3	0	1	0	X	8	14	0
WP: Clem Labine (1–0)   LP: Don Larsen (0–1) Home runs: NYY: Gil McDougald (1) BRO: Roy Campanella (2), Gil Hodges (1), Duke Snider (2)

Gil McDougald's one-out home run in the first off Carl Erskine put the Yankees up 1–0. In the second, Joe Collins drew a leadoff walk, moved two bases on two groundouts, and scored on Phil Rizzuto's single. In the third, Sandy Amoros drew a leadoff walk off Don Larsen and scored on Jim Gilliam's RBI double. In the top of the fourth, after a leadoff walk and single, Don Bessent relieved Erksine and allowed an RBI single to Billy Martin, but in the bottom of the inning, Roy Campanella hit a leadoff home run and after a single, Gil Hodges's two-run home run put the Dodgers up 4–3. Duke Snider's three-run home run next inning off Johnny Kucks extended their lead to 7–3. In the top of the sixth, Elston Howard hit a leadoff single off Clem Labine and scored on Billy Martin's double. One out later, Eddie Robinson's RBI single cut the Dodgers' lead to 7–5, but the Dodgers added a run in the seventh on three consecutive leadoff singles by Campanella, Carl Furillo and Gil Hodges off Rip Coleman. Labine earned the win with ​4 ¹⁄₃ innings to close as the Dodgers tied the series with an 8–5 win.

Game 5

Duke Snider

Sunday, October 2, 1955, at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York

Sunday, October 2, 1955 2:00 pm (ET) at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
New York	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	1	0	3	6	0
Brooklyn	0	2	1	0	1	0	0	1	X	5	9	2
WP: Roger Craig (1–0)   LP: Bob Grim (0–1)   Sv: Clem Labine (1) Home runs: NYY: Bob Cerv (1), Yogi Berra (1) BRO: Sandy Amorós (1), Duke Snider 2 (4)

In Game 5, Sandy Amoros's two-run homer in the second off Bob Grim put the Dodgers up 2–0. Next inning, Duke Snider's lead off home run made it 3–0. The Yankees got on the board in the fourth on Billy Martin's RBI single with two off rookie Roger Craig, but Snider's second home run of the game in the fifth gave the Dodgers that run back. Home runs by Bob Cerv in the seventh off Craig and Yogi Berra in the eighth off Clem Labine cut the Dodgers' lead to 4–3, but Brooklyn added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth off Bob Turley when Carl Furillo hit a leadoff single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on Jackie Robinson's single. Laine pitched ​2 ²⁄₃ innings in relief for Craig, who won his first World series start, for the save as the Dodgers were one win away from the championship. Snider became the only player from either league with four home runs in two different Series.

Game 6

Whitey Ford

Monday, October 3, 1955 1:00 pm (ET) at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Brooklyn	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	1
New York	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	X	5	8	0
WP: Whitey Ford (2–0)   LP: Karl Spooner (0–1) Home runs: BRO: None NYY: Bill Skowron (1)

In Game 6, the Yankees scored all five of their runs in the first off Karl Spooner. After two walks, back-to-back RBI singles by Yogi Berra and Hank Bauer put them up 2–0 before Bill Skowron capped the scoring with a three-run home run. Whitey Ford pitched a complete game, allowing one run (on Carl Furillo's RBI single in the fourth) and four hits as the Yankees forced a Game 7 with a 5–1 win.

Game 7

Johnny Podres

Tuesday, October 4, 1955 1:00 pm (ET) at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Brooklyn	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	2	5	0
New York	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	8	1
WP: Johnny Podres (2–0)   LP: Tommy Byrne (1–1)

The Dodgers scored the game's only runs on a fourth inning RBI single (after a double) and sixth inning bases-loaded sacrifice fly, both by Gil Hodges.

With runners on first and second and one out, left fielder Sandy Amorós made a dramatic game-saving catch of a deep fly ball down the left field line off the bat of Yogi Berra in the sixth inning, to start a double play. Amorós then threw to Pee Wee Reese and Reese relayed to Gil Hodges, who tagged Yankee Gil McDougald before McDougald could get back to first. This possibly stymied the Yankees' best chance of the day.

Elston Howard grounded out to Reese for the final out; the two shared the dubious record for playing in the most losing World Series (six each).

This would be the only time in Jackie Robinson's career when he did not play in his team's World Series game. Don Hoak replaced Robinson in the line-up, and played third base.

For the first time in Series history, an MVP was selected—Johnny Podres, winning pitcher of Games 3 and 7. He was 2–0, both wins being complete games including the series-clinching Game 7 shutout, and had a 1.00 ERA.

Composite box

1955 World Series (4–3): Brooklyn Dodgers (N.L.) over New York Yankees (A.L.)

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Brooklyn Dodgers	2	6	3	8	5	1	3	3	0	31	58	6
New York Yankees	6	5	1	7	0	4	2	1	0	26	55	2
Total attendance: 362,310   Average attendance: 51,759 Winning player's share: $9,768   Losing player's share: $5,599[11] Notes: Adjusted for inflation, winning and losing player's shares are $93,227 and $53,437 respectively, as of 2019.[12]

References in popular culture

In her epistolary book (and later stage and film adaptations) 84 Charing Cross Road, the author Helene Hanff reveals herself to be a Brooklyn Dodgers fan and asks her correspondent Frank Doel (along with family) to pray for the Dodgers' fortunes in the series: (sic.) “I shall be obliged if you will send Nora and the girls to church every Sunday for the next month to pray for the continued health and strength of the messrs. gilliam, reese, snider, campanella, robinson, hodges, furillo, podres, necombe and labine, collectively known as The Brooklyn Dodgers. If they lose this World Series I shall Do Myself In and then where will you be?”

Notes

1. "1955 Brooklyn Dodgers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
2. "1955 Awards Voting". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
3. "1955 New York Yankees Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
4. "1955 World Series Game 1 – Brooklyn Dodgers vs. New York Yankees". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
5. "1955 World Series Game 2 – Brooklyn Dodgers vs. New York Yankees". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
6. "1955 World Series Game 3 – New York Yankees vs. Brooklyn Dodgers". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
7. "1955 World Series Game 4 – New York Yankees vs. Brooklyn Dodgers". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
8. "1955 World Series Game 5 – New York Yankees vs. Brooklyn Dodgers". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
9. "1955 World Series Game 6 – Brooklyn Dodgers vs. New York Yankees". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
10. "1955 World Series Game 7 – Brooklyn Dodgers vs. New York Yankees". Retrosheet. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
11. "World Series Gate Receipts and Player Shares". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved June 14, 2009.
12. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.

See also

• 1955 Japan Series

References

• Cohen, Richard M.; Neft, David S. (1990). The World Series: Complete Play-By-Play of Every Game, 1903–1989. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp. 254–258. ISBN 0-312-03960-3.
• Reichler, Joseph (1982). The Baseball Encyclopedia (5th ed.). Macmillan Publishing. p. 2163. ISBN 0-02-579010-2.

External links

• 1955 World Series at WorldSeries.com (MLB.com)
• 1955 World Series at Baseball Almanac
• 1955 World Series at Baseball-Reference.com
• The 1955 Post-Season Games (box scores and play-by-play) at Retrosheet
• History of the World Series - 1955 at The SportingNews. Archived from the original on 2008.
• Kodak Presents – Baseball's 25 Greatest Moments: Brooklyn wins the World Series
• 1955 World Series: Rare, Never-Seen – slideshow by Life magazine
• Drebinger, John (October 4, 1955). "For Brooklyn, This Is Next Year". The New York Times. Retrieved November 5, 2011.