1955 East-West Game (Negro League)

The 1955 East-West Game, played July 31, 1955, was the 28th East-West Game, and marked the game's 23rd year. Announced paid attendance was 11,257 marking an approximately 10% increase from the previous two years. Satchel Paige had returned to the Negro American League (NAL) this year, having been released by the St. Louis Browns, and his presence at the game was considered a major draw, likely keeping attendance from sliding further from its lows of 1953 and 1954.

The NAL consisted of four teams this year. The West team was made up of players from the Kansas City Monarchs and Memphis Red Sox, while the East team players were from the Birmingham Black Barons and Detroit Stars.

The West team won, 2-0, each team getting only two hits, making it the lightest-hitting East-West Game in history. The win gave the West a 16-12 edge in the series overall and its fourth consecutive victory in the series. Isaiah Harris (Memphis) got the win for the West team, and Manny Cartledge (Birmingham) took the loss for the East.

The game was hitless until the fifth inning, scoreless until the bottom of the seventh, with a total of only 11 base runners in the entire game. There were few scoring opportunities. The east had only five base runners, losing one on a double play and another on a caught stealing. The west made the most of its only real scoring opportunity in the seventh. Monarchs third baseman, Hank Baylis reached on an error by Birmingham shortstop Willie Ivory, stole second. Juan Armenteros was hit by a pitch, and both moved up on a wild pitch by Cartledge. After striking out Esard Varona, Cartledge surrendered a double to Eddy Reid, the only extra-base hit of the game, scoring both runners. Enrique Maroto pitched a scoreless two innings to earn a save.

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
East	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	1
West	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	x	2	2	1

Players used[edit]

East Starting Lineup

Joe Montgomery, CF (Det)
Juan Soler, 3B (Det)
Wesley "Doc" Dennis, 1B (Ind)
Eddie Brooks, 2B (Bir)
Ralph Rosado, C (Det)
John Henry Williams, RF (Bir)
William "Poison" Ivory", SS (Det)
Herman Green, LF (Det)
Aaron Jones, P (Det)

Backups Used

Rufus Gipson, 3B (Bir)
Ezell King, 1B (Det)
Otha Bailey, C (Det)
Elliot Coleman, P (Bir)
Manny Cartledge, P (Bir)

Did not play

John Kennedy, SS (Bir)
Mel Duncan, P (Det) [was named starter for the East, but was scratched without explanation]
Pat Patterson, C (Det) [originally named to start]

Manager