1955 – Lefty Bill Wight of the Orioles gives up five runs in the 1st and then no-hits his former Indian teammates for eight innings. He loses, 5 – 1.
A telegram sent to Brooklyn president Walter O’Malley by the Patchogue Chamber of Commerce offers the team “thirty acres or more of dry flat land in open country in the heart of Long Island’s densest Dodger fan concentration.” The village’s attempt to attract the fleeing franchise to the south shore of Suffolk County will not materialize, and the club, after exploring many different venues as an alternative to Ebbets Field, will leave the East Coast in 1958 to play in Los Angeles.
Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente, tit for tat. Having had his birthday thunder stolen by Clemente earlier this year, Mays returns the favor, or tries to. The game actually comes one day after Clemente’s birthday. the Giants’Mays hits a solo homer in the 3rd to put Pittsburgh in a 2 – 0 hole, but Clemente then contributes a big blow to a decisive three-run rally that puts Pittsburgh ahead to stay. This time, while not a 430-foot triple over Mays’s head, it’s a similarly-sized blast – “a tremendous wallop,” to quote the Pittsburgh Press, “over the left-center wall.”
Robin Roberts of the Phils defeats Don Newcombe of the Dodgers, 3 – 2, to become the first 20-game winner of the year.
At Sportsman’s Park, Braves starting pitcher Warren Spahn hits a home run and a triple in his 12-1 complete-game victory over the Redbirds. The crafty left-hander, who will hit 35 homers in his 21-year career, has now homered in every National League stadium.
1955 – Cardinals manager Harry Walker pulls a shift by moving P Tom Poholsky to LF and bringing in lefty Luis Arroyo to face slugger Ted Kluszewski of the Redlegs. Big Klu foils the manager by homering. The Cards rally to win anyway, 5 – 4.
Ernie Banks hits three home runs in a game for the first of four times in his career when the Cubs outslug the Pirates, 11-10 at Wrigley Field. The Chicago first baseman accomplishes the feat off three different Buc hurlers, going deep off Lino Donoso in the first, connecting in the fourth off Max Surkont, and adding a two-run blast in the eighth off Dick Littlefield to give the team the lead for good.
Frank Lary of the Tigers beats Washington, 3 – 0 on a 2-hitter.
With his record at 18-1, the Dodgers’ Don Newcombe loses a 1 – 0 game to the Cubs’ Sam Jones.
“Mr. Cub” Ernie Banks hits his 4th grand slam of the season, tying the major league record, as Bob Rush bests the Pirates, 12 – 4.
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