1955 Boston Red Sox season

The 1955 Boston Red Sox season involved the Red Sox finishing 4th in the American League with a record of 84 wins and 70 losses.

Regular season

After finishing fourth — but 42 games behind the pennant-winning Cleveland Indians — in 1954, 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. Much of the improvement was ascribed to rookie manager Pinky Higgins, 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, Harry Agganis. Perhaps the most celebrated Boston-area athlete of the 20th century, the Lynn, Massachusetts, native had starred in football as the quarterback of the Boston University Terriers before signing a professional baseball contract with the Red Sox. He was batting .313 in 83 at bats on June 2 when he was initially taken ill with pneumonia. He died less than four weeks later, at 26, of a massive pulmonary embolism.

Season standings

Opening Day Line Up

10	Billy Goodman	2B
20	Eddie Joost	SS
26	Faye Throneberry	LF
4	Jackie Jensen	RF
8	Sammy White	C
3	Norm Zauchin	1B
12	Ted Lepcio	3B
37	Jimmy Piersall	CF
18	Frank Sullivan	P

Roster

Roster
Pitchers		Catchers Infielders		Outfielders		Manager Coaches

Player stats

Batting

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

Other batters

Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI

Starting pitchers

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO

Other pitchers

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA

Relief pitchers

Player	G	W	L	SV	ERA	SO

Farm system

• Class AAA: Louisville Colonels (American Association; Red Marion, manager)
• Class A: Montgomery Rebels (Sally League; Eddie Popowski and Fred Maguire, managers)
• Class B: Greensboro Patriots (Carolina League; Elmer Yoter, manager)
• Class C: San Jose Red Sox (California League; Sheriff Robinson, manager)
• Class D: Bluefield Blue-Grays (Appalachian League; Len Okrie, manager)
• Class D: Corning Red Sox (PONY League; Glenn Wright, manager)

References

• 1955 Boston Red Sox team page at Baseball Reference
• 1955 Boston Red Sox season at baseball-almanac.com