1955 Major League Baseball All-Star Game

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1955 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
1955 MLB All-Star Game.gif
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 R H E
American League 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 10 2
National League 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 0 1 6 13 1
Date July 12, 1955
Venue Milwaukee County Stadium
City Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Managers
Attendance 45,643 – Time of Game: 3:17
Television NBC Sports
TV announcers Mel Allen and Al Helfer
Radio Mutual
Radio announcers Bob Neal and Earl Gillespie

The 1955 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 22nd playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 12, 1955, at Milwaukee County Stadium, the home of the Milwaukee Braves of the National League.

Summary

The National League overcame a five-run deficit to defeat the American League, 6–5, in this edition of the midsummer classic. Stan Musial led off the bottom of the 12th inning by drilling a home run to deep right field on the first pitch he saw from Frank Sullivan, pulling off one of the greatest victories in All-Star Game history.

The National League began their comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning. Willie Mays led off the frame with a single off Whitey Ford, and after two outs, Hank Aaron walked and Johnny Logan singled to drive home Mays and make it a 5–1 game. Next batter Stan Lopata reached base on an error, and Aaron scored the second run off the inning before the third out was made.

With two outs in the eight inning, Mays, Ted Kluszewski and Randy Jackson hit consecutive singles for a run, and Ford was replaced by Sullivan. Aaron greeted him with an RBI single scoring Kluszewski to knot the game at 5–5.

The American League quickly took the lead in the top of the first inning when Harvey Kuenn and Nellie Fox hit consecutive singles against Robin Roberts, with Kuenn advancing to third base from first and later scoring on a wild pitch. Then Ted Williams walked and Mickey Mantle hit a three-run home run, before Roberts recorded his first out. In the sixth inning, Mickey Vernon grounded out to drive home Yogi Berra to give the American League a five-run cushion.

In the ninth inning, Joe Nuxhall and Sullivan matched strikeouts as the All-Star Game went into extra innings for only the second time since 1950, which turned out to be the first year the game went more than nine innings.

The contest remained tied until the 12th inning, when Gene Conley struck out all three AL batters he faced. Then came the walk-off of Musial, which was his fourth homer in All-Star games, breaking a tie with Ted Williams and Ralph Kiner.

It was the fifth victory for the National League in the last six All-Star games, even though the American League still leading the contest 13–9.

Notes

  • Billy Pierce sailed through his three innings of work for the American League, facing the minimum nine batters while striking out three without walks. Red Schoendienst led off the first inning with a single, but was out trying to advance to second on a pitch in the dirt that Yogi Berra managed to smother.
  • Early Wynn relieved Pierce in the fourth, and he tossed three shutout innings as well, allowing just three hits.
  • Harvey Haddix took over for Roberts in the fourth and he went three innings, allowing just one run in the sixth.
  • Don Newcombe (1), Sam Jones (​23) and Joe Nuxhall (​3 13) combined for five scoreless innings.
  • Whitey Ford got the first two batters out in the eighth, but allowed three singles and a run and was replaced by Frank Sullivan, who faced 14 batters in ​3 13 innings before the Musial's blast.
  • It was the only All-Star appearance for Sullivan, the losing pitcher, who would win 18 games for the Boston Red Sox that season. In 1960, Sullivan would be traded for the winning pitcher in this game, Gene Conley.
  • Both teams' pitchers combined for 23 hits and 20 strikeouts of 100 batters faced.
  • Roy Campanella was selected for the National League roster in the poll, but he did not play in the game due to a leg injury and was replaced by Stan Lopata.
  • Ironically, this game was played the same day on which funeral services were held for Arch Ward, the sports editor for the Chicago Tribune, who had founded the All-Star Game in 1933.[1]

Opening Lineups

American League National League
Player Team Pos Player Team Pos
Harvey Kuenn Detroit Tigers  SS Red Schoendienst St. Louis Cardinals  2B
Nellie Fox Chicago White Sox  2B Del Ennis Philadelphia Phillies  LF
Ted Williams Boston Red Sox  LF Duke Snider Brooklyn Dodgers  CF
Mickey Mantle New York Yankees  CF Ted Kluszewski Cincinnati Redlegs  1B
Yogi Berra New York Yankees    C Eddie Mathews Milwaukee Braves  3B
Al Kaline Detroit Tigers  RF Don Mueller New York Giants  RF
Mickey Vernon Washington Senators  1B Ernie Banks Chicago Cubs  SS
Jim Finigan Kansas City Athletics  3B Del Crandall Milwaukee Braves    C
Billy Pierce Chicago White Sox    P Robin Roberts Philadelphia Phillies    P

Rosters

Players in italics have since been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

1955 American League All-Star Game roster
Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Manager

Coaches

1955 National League All-Star Game roster
Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Manager

Coaches

Umpires

Position Umpire
Home Plate Al Barlick
First Base Hank Soar
Second Base Dusty Boggess
Third Base Bill Summers
Left Field Frank Secory
Right Field Ed Runge

Line Score

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 R H E
AL All-Stars 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 10 2
NL All-Stars 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 0 0 0 1 6 13 1
WP: Conley   LP: Sullivan
Home runs:
AL: Mantle
NL: Musial
Winning Run scored with 0 outs
How the runs scored
Team Inning Play AL NL
AL 1st Kuenn scored on a wild pitch; Mantle homered, Fox and Williams scored 4 0
AL 6th Vernon grounded out, Berra scored 5 0
NL 7th Logan singled, Mays scored, Aaron to third; Lopata safe on error, Aaron scored 5 2
NL 9th Jackson singled, Mays scored, Kluszewski to third; Aaron singled, Kluszewski and Jackson scored 5 5
NL 12th Musial homered to right 5 6

Play-by-play at Retrosheet

References

  1. http://baseball-almanac.com/asgbox/yr1955as.shtml

External links