The 1955 Dodgers Set a Major League Record

EBBETS FIELD - April 22, 1955

The Sports Time Traveler is following the Boys of Summer, the Brooklyn Dodgers, in their 1955 season.

And what a start it has been to the season. Going into yesterday’s game, the Dodgers had tied the all-time major league record of 9 wins to begin the season.

Background

This Dodgers team has been sensational over the past decade. They’ve been to the World Series 4 times in the past 8 seasons. But every single time they lost to the Yankees, including in 1947, 1949, 1952, and 1953. Last year, they were in contention down the stretch for the NL pennant again. Following a 7 game winning streak in September, they were just 3 games behind the Giants on September 15th. Then 5 straight losses did them in, and they finished 2nd with a record of 92 - 62.

1955 Predictions

Going into this season, there was some concern that the Dodgers were getting too old. Sports columnist George Beahon of the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle picked the Dodgers to finish 4th in the 8 team league. Not including the war years, the Dodgers have been no worse than 3rd since 1938.

Beahon cited Roy Campanella’s injured hand in 1954 as a major reason for expecting the decline of the Dodgers. Campy, a two-time MVP in 1951 and 1953, was only able to bat .207 last year. Now at 33 years old, could he rebound?

And other team leaders are perhaps on the backside of their careers. Shortstop Pee Wee Reese, the Dodgers’ captain, is 36. Jackie Robinson is also 36. And Carl Furillo is 33.

In addition, 29 year old Don Newcombe, a 20 game winner in 1951, had come back in 1954 from 2 years in the service and pitched poorly, winning just 9 games with an ERA of 4.55. Will Newk ever regain his form as the number one starter?

The Rival New York Giants

The cross-town Giants, behind with their young superstar, Willie Mays, the 23 year old phenom and 1954 MVP, who led the Giants to a stunning sweep of the 111 win Cleveland Indians in the World Series, look poised to be the new kings of New York baseball.

It’s not hard to see why some sportswriters think the Dodgers’ time has come and gone with no World Series victory to show for it.

The 1955 Season Begins in Record Style

The Dodgers quickly proved otherwise as the season began last week. After beating the Pirates at home 6 - 1 on opening day, the Dodgers went to the Polo Grounds to face the World Champion Giants. They took the two games 10 - 8 and 6 - 3. They continued on the road to Pittsburgh, winning 3 at Forbes Field. Then on to Philadelphia, where they won 2 more before heading back home to Brooklyn.

Two days ago, they tied the modern-day record of 9 straight wins to begin the season in a 3 - 2 decision over the Phillies. They did it in somewhat dramatic fashion. Behind 2 - 0 with 2 outs in the bottom of the 7th, the Dodgers loaded the bases without getting a hit as Roy Campanella and George Shuba walked, and Jackie Robinson got hit by a pitch. Then Duke Snider walked to bring home the Dodgers’ first run. Next up was Gil Hodges, who slashed a ground ball single into center, scoring 2 runs and putting the Dodgers ahead 3 - 2.

Relief pitcher Clem Labine shut out the Phillies in the 8th and 9th, allowing no hits, to pick up the save.

Going for 10 in a Row

Yesterday afternoon, the Dodgers took on the Phillies again at Ebbets Field in a 1:30pm game. The weather was dry and a touch chilly. It was 58 degrees to start the game, and the high hit 61. Really not a bad day to be at the ballpark to witness a possible record-setting 10th consecutive win.

Yet a disappointing crowd of just 3,874 paid customers showed up for the game.

After the game, Dodgers’ Pee Wee Reese told Jack Lang in a special to the Staten Island Advance, “I don’t know what’s happened to the fans. It must be television.” The game was broadcast live on channel 9.

Russ Meyer was on the mound for the Dodgers. Meyer has been a solid pitcher for the Dodgers the past 2 seasons going 26 - 11 with 4 shutouts in 60 starts. That was good enough for Dodgers’ 2nd year manager Walt Alston to give Meyer the ball on opening day last week. And Meyer responded with the win and no earned runs.

Yesterday, Meyer lost his 2nd “shutout” bid when on the 2nd pitch of the game, Phillies’ leadoff batter, Bobby Morgan, hit a home run on what New York Daily News writer, Dana Mozely, referred to as, “a gopher pitch.”

The Phillies sent perhaps the best starter in baseball over the past 5 years to the mound - Robin Roberts. Roberts has won 115 games in the past 5 seasons (23 per year), while keeping his ERA under 3.00. And, he’d picked up right where he left off in 1954, winning his first 2 starts and allowing just 2 earned runs in 20 innings pitched.

Roberts put down the Dodgers 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 1st.

But in the bottom of the 2nd, the Dodgers got 3 hits and 2 runs off Roberts and took a 2 - 1 lead.

In the top of the 3rd, after Russ Meyer gave up a single, double, walk and wild pitch, Walt Alston decided to take out his starter, who Mozley reported, “didn’t have it” yesterday. Alston gave the ball to Joe Black, the star of the staff from 1952, but “a bust ever since,” according to Mozley.

Black proceeded to pitch a fine game, allowing just 5 hits and 2 runs over the next 6 and 2/3 innings.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers’ batters feasted on the normally feisty Roberts. They pummeled him with 4 home runs in the 3rd through 5th innings, including a 3-run bomb by the Duke.

The Dodgers went on to win the game 14 - 4.

The victory made the Brooklyn Dodgers’ the first team in the modern era (since 1900) to win the first 10 games of the season. Only the 1884 New York National League team has ever won more games to start a season (12).

However, unlike the 1884 team, the Dodgers didn’t get to play their first 21 games of the season at home. While the New York streak of 12 in 1884 was all done at home, the Dodgers have won 7 of their 10 games on the road.

The Dodgers’ 10 wins have also been by a combined score of 70 - 31, an average of a 7 - 3 victory in each contest.

Here is the complete set of scores during the streak:

The Celebration

In the Dodgers’ clubhouse after the game, New York Times reporter Roscoe McGowen saw noted there was a sign on the blackboard that read, “The Bums dood it, 10 straight.” He also observed an odd celebration as, “the boys broke two phonograph records on Zimmer’s head.” That’s utility infielder, Don Zimmer, who started in place of Reese at shortstop and had one of the homers. Zimmer went 4-for-4 on the day.

The New York Daily News ran this cartoon to celebrate the record 10th win to start the 1955 season.

The Boys are Back in Town!

The 1955 Dodgers seem to be back in business in Brooklyn.

In addition to the pitchers allowing just 3 runs per game, the batters are collectively hitting .345.

Here are the averages of the Dodgers’ batters that have at least 15 at bats through 10 games:

.385 Carl Furillo
.361 Duke Snider
.333 Don Zimmer
.314 Roy Campanella
.297 Gil Hodges
.289 Jackie Robinson
.263 Sandy Amoros
.244 Jim Gilliam
.160 Pee Wee Reese

Continuing Coverage of the 1955 Dodgers

The Sports Time Traveler will continue following the Dodgers day-by-day in 1955 and report to you whenever there is something so compelling I just have to come back to the present and share it.

NOTE from the present time

The Dodgers’ record of 10 consecutive wins to start the season stood for 26 years until it was surpassed by the 1981 Oakland A’s.

A year after the A’s big start, the Braves won the current record of 13 straight to start the 1982 season. That record was tied by the 1987 Brewers and the 2023 Rays.

But none of the teams that surpassed the Dodgers’ streak ever had to face the defending World Series champions. The Dodgers beat the 1954 World Series champion Giants in the 2nd and 3rd games of the season.

I’d love to hear your comments.