The 1955

1955 in baseball

-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Brooklyn Dodgers over New York Yankees ; Johnny Podres, MVP*All-Star Game, July 12 at County Stadium: National League, 6-5 -Other champions:*Caribbean World Series: Cangrejeros de Santurce...

 Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...

 season involved the Red Sox finishing 4th 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...

 with a record of 84 wins and 70 losses.

Offseason

• October 14, 1954: Owen Friend
  Owen Friend
  Owen Lacey Friend was a Major League Baseball second baseman for five different teams between 1949 and 1956. Listed at 6'1, 180 lb., Friend batted and threw right-handed. Nicknamed "Red," he was born in Granite City, Illinois.Strictly a line drive hitter, Friend entered the majors with the St...
  
   was purchased by the Red Sox from the Cleveland Indians
  Cleveland Indians
  The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
  
  .

Regular season

After finishing fourth — but 42 games behind the pennant

Pennant (sports)

A pennant is a commemorative flag typically used to show support for a particular athletic team. Pennants have been historically used in all types of athletic levels: high school, collegiate, professional etc. Traditionally, pennants were made of felt and fashioned in the official colors of a...

-winning Cleveland Indians

1954 Cleveland Indians season

The Cleveland Indians advanced to the World Series for the first time in six years. It was the team's third American League championship in franchise history...

 — in 1954

1954 Boston Red Sox season

The 1954 Boston Red Sox season involved the Red Sox finishing 4th in the American League with a record of 69 wins and 85 losses.- Opening Day lineup :- Roster :- Starters by position :...

, the 1955 Red Sox improved substantially, gaining 15 games in the win column (although again finishing fourth). The Red Sox played especially well throughout the early and middle parts of the season, seemingly in pennant contention for the first time since 1950

1950 Boston Red Sox season

The 1950 Boston Red Sox season involved the Red Sox finishing 3rd in the American League with a record of 94 wins and 60 losses.- Opening Day lineup :- Roster :- Starters by position :...

. Much of the improvement was ascribed to rookie manager

Manager (baseball)

In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...

 Pinky Higgins

Pinky Higgins

Michael Franklin "Pinky" Higgins was an American third baseman, manager, front office executive and scout in Major League Baseball who played for three teams and served as manager or general manager of the Boston Red Sox during the period of through . He batted and threw right-handed.-Playing...

, promoted to Boston after eight years as a skipper in the team's farm system.

But the Red Sox' improvement on the field was overshadowed by the sudden illness and death, on June 27, of the team's sophomore first baseman

First baseman

First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...

, Harry Agganis

Harry Agganis

Aristotle George Agganis ' , nicknamed "The Golden Greek", was an American athletic star in two sports. His family origins were from Longanikos near Sparta, Greece. -Career:...

. Perhaps the most celebrated Boston-area athlete of the 20th century, the Lynn, Massachusetts

Lynn, Massachusetts

Lynn is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 89,050 at the 2000 census. An old industrial center, Lynn is home to Lynn Beach and Lynn Heritage State Park and is about north of downtown Boston.-17th century:...

, native had starred in football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

 as the quarterback

Quarterback

Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...

 of the Boston University Terriers

Boston University Terriers

The Boston University Terriers are the nine men's and twelve women's varsity athletic teams representing Boston University in NCAA Division I competition. The men compete in basketball, cross country, ice hockey, rowing, soccer, swimming, tennis, indoor and outdoor track, and wrestling...

 before signing a professional baseball contract with the Red Sox. He was batting

Batting average

Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...

 .313 in 83 at bat

At bat

In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...

s on June 2 when he was initially taken ill with pneumonia

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...

. He died less than four weeks later, at 26, of a massive pulmonary embolism

Pulmonary embolism

Pulmonary embolism is a blockage of the main artery of the lung or one of its branches by a substance that has travelled from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream . Usually this is due to embolism of a thrombus from the deep veins in the legs, a process termed venous thromboembolism...

.

Opening Day lineup

10	Billy Goodman Billy Goodman William Dale Goodman was an infielder and left-handed batter who played Major League Baseball with the Boston Red Sox , Baltimore Orioles , Chicago White Sox and Houston Colt .45's ....	2B
20	Eddie Joost Eddie Joost Edwin David Joost was a shortstop and manager in American Major League Baseball. In 1954, Joost became the third and last manager in the 54-year history of the Philadelphia Athletics. Under Joost, the A's finished last in the American League and lost over 100 games...	SS
26	Faye Throneberry Faye Throneberry Maynard Faye Throneberry was an American professional baseball player. A native of Fisherville, Tennessee, he was a backup outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox , Washington Senators and Los Angeles Angels . Throneberry batted left-handed and threw right-handed...	LF
4	Jackie Jensen Jackie Jensen Jack Eugene Jensen was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for three American League teams from 1950 to 1961, most notably the Boston Red Sox...	RF
8	Sammy White Sammy White (baseball) Sammy Charles White was a Major League Baseball catcher and right-handed batter who played with the Boston Red Sox , Milwaukee Braves and Philadelphia Phillies .White was born in Wenatchee, Washington...	C
3	Norm Zauchin Norm Zauchin Norbert Henry Zauchin was a first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators . He batted and threw right-handed...	1B
12	Ted Lepcio Ted Lepcio Thaddeus Stanley Lepcio is an American former Major League Baseball utility infielder.Lepcio attended Seton Hall University. A one-time semiprofessional baseball player in Oneida, New York, he was signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent in...	3B
37	Jimmy Piersall Jimmy Piersall James Anthony Piersall is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball. Between 1950 and 1967, he played for the Boston Red Sox , Cleveland Indians , Washington Senators , New York Mets , and Los Angeles/California Angels .While he had a fairly good professional career as a center...	CF
18	Frank Sullivan Frank Sullivan (baseball) Franklin Leal Sullivan is a retired American professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher over parts of eleven seasons with the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins. He tied for the American League lead in wins in 1955 with Boston...	P

Notable transactions

• June 12, 1955: Owen Friend
  Owen Friend
  Owen Lacey Friend was a Major League Baseball second baseman for five different teams between 1949 and 1956. Listed at 6'1, 180 lb., Friend batted and threw right-handed. Nicknamed "Red," he was born in Granite City, Illinois.Strictly a line drive hitter, Friend entered the majors with the St...
  
   was purchased from the Red Sox by the Chicago Cubs
  Chicago Cubs
  The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
  
  .

Roster

1955 Boston Red Sox
Roster
Pitchers		Catchers Infielders		Outfielders		Manager Coaches

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
2B		149	599	176	.294	0	52

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
	25	83	26	.313	0	10
	14	42	11	.262	0	2

Starting 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
	31	192.2	11	10	4.20	91

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
	7	34	2	1	0.00	1

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
	16	1	0	0	5.63	10
	1	0	0	0	0.00	1

Farm system