1955 Kansas City Athletics season

1955 Kansas City Athletics
Major League affiliations
American League (since 1901)
Location
Municipal Stadium (since 1955)
Kansas City, Missouri (since 1955)
Other information
Owner(s)	Arnold Johnson
Manager(s)	Lou Boudreau
Local television	none
Local radio	KMBC (Merle Harmon, Larry Ray)
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The 1955 Kansas City Athletics season was the 55th season for the franchise in MLB's American League, and the first in Kansas City after playing the previous 54 in Philadelphia. 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.

Offseason

In 1954, the Mack family decided to sell the Philadelphia Athletics. Charlie Finley made an offer to purchase the team, but was refused.^[1] Clint Murchison 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. Murchison's son, Clint Jr., would later become one of the founders of the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys franchise in 1960.

In 1955, the new Kansas City Athletics drew 1,393,054 to Municipal Stadium.

Notable transactions

• Prior to 1955 season: Bob Davis was signed as an amateur free agent by the Athletics.^[2]

Spring training

The A's and Philadelphia Phillies 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.^[3] Both games were played at Wilmington Park, Wilmington, Delaware on April 9, and April 10, 1955 immediately prior to the start of the regular season.

Regular season

Season standings

American League	W	L	Pct.	GB
New York Yankees	96	58	.623	--
Cleveland Indians	93	61	.604	3
Chicago White Sox	91	63	.591	5
Boston Red Sox	84	70	.545	12
Detroit Tigers	79	75	.513	17
Kansas City Athletics	63	91	.409	33
Baltimore Orioles	57	97	.370	39
Washington Senators	53	101	.344	43

Record vs. opponents

1955 American League Records Sources:
Team	BAL	BOS	CWS	CLE	DET	KC	NYY	WSH
Baltimore	—	8–14	10–12–1	3–19	9–13	10–12–1	3–19	14–8
Boston	14–8	—	9–13	11–11	13–9	14–8	8–14	15–7
Chicago	12–10–1	13–9	—	10–12	14–8	14–8	11–11	17–5
Cleveland	19–3	11–11	12–10	—	12–10	17–5	13–9	9–13
Detroit	13–9	9–13	8–14	10–12	—	12–10	10–12	17–5
Kansas City	12–10–1	8–14	8–14	5–17	10–12	—	7–15	13–9
New York	19–3	14–8	11–11	9–13	12–10	15–7	—	16–6
Washington	8–14	7–15	5–17	13–9	5–17	9–13	6–16	—

Notable transactions

• May 11, 1955: Sonny Dixon and cash were traded by the Athletics to the New York Yankees for Enos Slaughter and Johnny Sain.^[4]
• May 31, 1955: Clete Boyer was signed as an amateur free agent (bonus baby) by the Athletics.^[5]
• May 1955: Al Sima was traded by the Athletics to the Washington Senators for Gus Keriazakos.^[6]
• September 10, 1955: Joe Ginsberg was purchased by the Athletics from the Seattle Rainiers.^[7]
• September 12, 1955: Glenn Cox was purchased by the Athletics from the Brooklyn Dodgers.^[8]

Roster

1955 Kansas City Athletics
Roster
Pitchers 26 Charlie Bishop 36 Ewell Blackwell 18 Cloyd Boyer 27 Moe Burtschy 19 Art Ceccarelli  8 Glenn Cox 15 Walt Craddock 28 Art Ditmar 24 Sonny Dixon 17,29 Marion Fricano 37 Tom Gorman 14 Johnny Gray 26 Bill Harrington 17 Ray Herbert 20 Alex Kellner 27 Gus Keriazakos 29 Mike Kume 25 Arnie Portocarrero 16 Vic Raschi 14 Johnny Sain 21 Bobby Shantz 31 Lou Sleater 29 Bob Spicer 23 Bob Trice 15 Ozzie Van Brabant 16 Lee Wheat		Catchers 11 Joe Astroth 10 Eric Mackenzie 33 Jim Robertson 22 Billy Shantz Infielders  1 Hal Bevan  3 Don Bollweg 12 Clete Boyer  2 Joe DeMaestri  4 Jim Finigan 46 Alex George  6 Spook Jacobs  8 Dick Kryhoski  9 Jack Littrell 1,10 Héctor López  7 Vic Power  6 Jerry Schypinski 12 Pete Suder		Outfielders  6 Don Plarski 34 Bill Renna  3 Tom Saffell 36,38 Harry Simpson 33 Enos Slaughter 31 Bill Stewart 35 Elmer Valo 32 Bill Wilson 30 Gus Zernial		Manager  5 Lou Boudreau Coaches 41 Harry Craft 43 Burleigh Grimes 42 Ski Melillo 40 George Susce

Player stats

= Indicates team leader

Batting

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	Power, VicVic Power	147	596	190	.319	19	76
2B	Finigan, JimJim Finigan	150	549	135	.255	9	68
3B	López, HéctorHéctor López	128	483	140	.290	15	68
LF	Zernial, GusGus Zernial	120	413	105	.254	30	84

^[9]

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
Wilson, BillBill Wilson	98	273	61	.223	15	38
Slaughter, EnosEnos Slaughter	108	267	86	.322	5	34
Boyer, CleteClete Boyer	47	79	19	.241	0	6
George, AlexAlex George	5	10	1	.100	0	0
Mackenzie, EricEric Mackenzie	1	1	0	.000	0	0

Pitching

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
Kellner, AlexAlex Kellner	30	162.2	11	8	4.20	75
Cox, GlennGlenn Cox	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
Ditmar, ArtArt Ditmar	35	175.1	12	12	5.03	79
Ceccarelli, ArtArt Ceccarelli	31	123.2	4	7	5.31	68
Boyer, CloydCloyd Boyer	30	98.1	5	5	6.22	32
Craddock, WaltWalt Craddock	4	15	0	2	7.80	9
Keriazakos, GusGus Keriazakos	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
Gorman, TomTom Gorman	57	7	6	18	3.55	46
Harrington, BillBill Harrington	34	3	3	2	4.11	26
Sain, JohnnyJohnny Sain	25	2	5	1	5.44	12
Fricano, MarionMarion Fricano	10	0	0	0	3.15	5
Burtschy, MoeMoe Burtschy	7	2	0	0	10.32	9
Bishop, CharlieCharlie Bishop	4	1	0	0	5.40	4
Blackwell, EwellEwell Blackwell	2	0	1	0	6.75	2
Dixon, SonnySonny Dixon	2	0	0	0	16.20	0
Wilson, BillBill Wilson	1	0	0	0	0.00	1

Awards and honors

All-Star Game

• Jim Finigan, third baseman, starter
• Vic Power, reserve

^[10]

Farm system

Level	Team	League	Manager
AAA	Columbus Jets	International League	Nick Cullop
A	Savannah Athletics	Sally League	Clyde Kluttz
B	Lancaster Red Roses	Piedmont League	Hank Biasatti
C	Hot Springs Bathers	Cotton States League	Joe Lutz and Mickey O'Neil
C	Burlington A's	Provincial League	Vince Plumbo
D	Welch Miners/Marion A's	Appalachian League	Herb Mancini
D	Seminole Oilers	Sooner State League	Charles Hopkins and Al Evans

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Lancaster

Welch franchise transferred to Marion and renamed, July 14, 1955

References

1. Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball's Super Showman, pp. 27, G. Michael Green and Roger D. Launius. Walker Publishing Company, New York, 2010, ISBN 978-0-8027-1745-0
2. Bob Davis page at Baseball Reference
3. Peterson, John E. (2003). Kansas City Athletics: A Baseball History, 1954–1967. McFarland. p. 52. ISBN 0-7864-1610-6. Retrieved May 22, 2009.
4. Enos Slaughter page at Baseball Reference
5. Clete Boyer page at Baseball Reference
6. Al Sima page at Baseball Reference
7. Joe Ginsberg page at Baseball Reference
8. Glenn Cox page at Baseball Reference
9. http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/KCA/1955.shtml
10. http://baseball-almanac.com/asgbox/yr1955as.shtml

External links

• 1955 Kansas City Athletics team page at Baseball Reference
• 1955 Kansas City Athletics team page at www.baseball-almanac.com