1955 World Series

vs. 1955 World Series (4-3) Brooklyn Dodgers (98-55, NL) over New York Yankees (96-58, AL) BR 1955 World Series Summary

Introduction

The 1955 World Series matched the Brooklyn Dodgers against the New York Yankees, with the Dodgers winning the Series in 7 games to capture the first championship in franchise history. It would be the only Series the Dodgers won in Brooklyn, as the team would relocate to Los Angeles after the 1957 season. The two teams were meeting in a World Series for the fifth time in nine years, with the Yankees having won in 1947, 1949, 1952 and 1953.

For the first time in Series history, an MVP was selected - Johnny Podres, who won Games 3 and 7. He was 2-0, with 2 complete games and an ERA of 1.00; Game 7 was a shutout.

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 6th inning of Game 7, to start a double play and stymie the Yankees' best chance of the day. Amorós, who was left-handed, had just been inserted in left field for Jim Gilliam; it is doubtful Gilliam could have made the catch as he was right-handed.

Records: Brooklyn Dodgers (W: 98, L: 55, Pct: .641, GA: 13 ½) - New York Yankees (W: 96, L: 58, Pct: .623, GA: 3)

Managers: Walter Alston (Brooklyn), Casey Stengel (New York)

Umpires: Bill Summers (AL), Lee Ballanfant (NL), Jim Honochick (AL), Frank Dascoli (NL), Red Flaherty (AL: outfield only), Augie Donatelli (NL: outfield only)

MVP: Johnny Podres

Television: NBC (Mel Allen and Vin Scully announcing)

Summary

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

Game	Score	Date	Location	Attendance
1	Dodgers – 5, Yankees – 6	September 28	Yankee Stadium	63,869
2	Dodgers – 2, Yankees – 4	September 29	Yankee Stadium	64,707
3	Yankees – 3, Dodgers – 8	September 30	Ebbets Field	34,209
4	Yankees – 5, Dodgers – 8	October 1	Ebbets Field	36,242
5	Yankees – 3, Dodgers – 5	October 2	Ebbets Field	36,796
6	Dodgers – 1, Yankees – 5	October 3	Yankee Stadium	64,022
7	Dodgers – 2, Yankees – 0	October 4	Yankee Stadium	62,465

Matchups

Game 1

September 28, 1955 at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Brooklyn (N)	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	2	0	5	10	0
New York (A)	0	2	1	1	0	2	0	0	x	6	9	1
W: Whitey Ford (1-0)   L: Don Newcombe (0-1)   S: Bob Grim (1)
HR: BRO – Carl Furillo (1), Duke Snider (1)    NYY – Elston Howard (1), Joe Collins (1, 2)

The Yankees took Game 1 behind two homers from Joe Collins and one by rookie Elston Howard in his first World Series at bat. Carl Furillo homered for Brooklyn and Duke Snider hit his first of the series, all of which would eventually help establish a new home run record for a 7-game series, with 17. Jackie Robinson stole home, but Whitey Ford won with relief help in the 9th from Bob Grim.

Game 2

September 29, 1955 at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Brooklyn (N)	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	2	5	2
New York (A)	0	0	0	4	0	0	0	0	x	4	8	0
W: Tommy Byrne (1-0)   L: Billy Loes (0-1)

Tommy Byrne tossed a 5-hit complete game victory and singled in New York's final run during the Yanks' big 4-run 4th inning, putting New York up 2-0.

Game 3

September 30, 1955 at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
New York (A)	0	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	3	7	0
Brooklyn (N)	2	2	0	2	0	0	2	0	x	8	11	1
W: Johnny Podres (1-0)  L: Bob Turley (0-1)
HR: NYY – Mickey Mantle (1)    BRO – Roy Campanella (1)

Johnny Podres went all the way and won with home run help from Roy Campanella. A limping Mickey Mantle hit his only home run of the series.

Game 4

October 1, 1955 at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
New York (A)	1	1	0	1	0	2	0	0	0	5	9	0
Brooklyn (N)	0	0	1	3	3	0	1	0	x	8	14	0
W: Clem Labine (1-0)  L: Don Larsen (0-1)
HR: NYY – Gil McDougald (1)    BRO – Roy Campanella (2), Gil Hodges (1), Duke Snider (2)

Brooklyn evened the series at 2-2 as Roy Campanella, Gil Hodges and Duke Snider all hit home runs.

Game 5

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

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
New York (A)	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	1	0	3	6	0
Brooklyn (N)	0	2	1	0	1	0	0	1	x	5	9	2
W: Roger Craig (1-0)  L: Bob Grim (0-1)   S: Clem Labine (1)
HR: NYY – Bob Cerv (1), Yogi Berra (1)    BRO – Sandy Amoros (1), Duke Snider (3, 4)

Duke Snider hit two home runs (bringing his total to four in the series) and Sandy Amoros helped the Dodgers beat the Yankees for the third straight day. Dodgers rookie Roger Craig won in his first World Series start. Bob Cerv and Yogi Berra hit Yankee homers off Craig and reliever Clem Labine.

Game 6

October 3, 1955 at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Brooklyn (N)	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	1
New York (A)	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	x	5	8	0
W: Whitey Ford (2-0)   L: Karl Spooner (0-1)
HR: NYY – Bill Skowron (1)

Whitey Ford hed the Dodogers to four hits and a single run while striking out eight as the Yankees evened the series at 3-3. New York scored all 5 of its runs in the 1st inning, led by Bill Skowron's three-run blast.

Game 7

October 4, 1955 at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Brooklyn (N)	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	2	5	0
New York (A)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	8	1
W: Johnny Podres (2-0)   L: Tommy Byrne (1-1)

The Dodgers scored one run in the 4th and 6th innings on a single and sacrifice fly, both by Gil Hodges. Sandy Amoros made a catch off the bat of Yogi Berra that set off a double play as Amoros threw to Pee Wee Reese to Hodges who tagged Yankee Gil McDougald before he had made it back to first base. Johnny Podres got the win with a complete game shutout.

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

Quote(s) of the Series

• "Ladies and gentlemen, the Brooklyn Dodgers are the champions of the world." - Vin Scully, announcing that the Dodgers had won the World Series.
• "In Brooklyn that day, it was the Liberation of Paris, Vee Jay Day, New Years Day all rolled into one." - Peter Vescey on Brooklyn the day the Dodgers won

Trivia

• Jackie Robinson did not play in the seventh game of this World Series. Don Hoak played third base in place of Robinson.
• When Duke Snider went deep during the 3rd and 5th inning of Game 5, he became the first and only player from either league with four home runs in two different Series.
• The last time the Brooklyn franchise won a World Championship was in 1900. The team was called the Brooklyn Superbas, the event was called the Chronicle-Telegraph Cup, and the opponent was their fellow National League team, the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Further Reading

• David S. Neft and Richard M. Cohen: The World Series, 1st ed., St MartinsPress, New York, NY, 1990, pp. 254-258.
• Thomas Oliphant: Praying for Gil Hodges: A Memoir of the 1955 World Series and One Family's Love for the Brooklyn Dodgers, St. Martin's Press, New York, NY, 2005.

External links

• 1955 World Series at WorldSeries.com (MLB.com)
• 1955 World Series at Baseball-Almanac.com
• Kodak Presents - Baseball's 25 Greatest Moments: Brooklyn wins the World Series
• NY Times article, "For Brooklyn, This Is Next Year," by John Drebinger, October 4, 1955 - includes a great photo of Amoros' catch from the right-field stands

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