The 1955 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 22nd playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 12, 1955, at Milwaukee County Stadium, the home of the Milwaukee Braves of the National League.
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Date | July 12, 1955 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Venue | Milwaukee County Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
City | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Managers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Attendance | 45,643 – Time of Game: 3:17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Television | NBC Sports | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
TV announcers | Mel Allen and Al Helfer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Radio | Mutual | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Radio announcers | Bob Neal and Earl Gillespie | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The National League overcame a five-run deficit to defeat the American League, 6–5, in this edition of the midsummer classic. Stan Musial led off the bottom of the 12th inning by drilling a home run to deep right field on the first pitch from Frank Sullivan, pulling off one of the greatest victories in All-Star Game history.
The National League began their comeback in the bottom of the seventh inning. Willie Mays led off the frame with a single off Whitey Ford, and after two outs, Hank Aaron walked and Johnny Logan singled to drive home Mays and make it a 5–1 game. Next batter Stan Lopata reached base on an error, and Aaron scored the second run off the inning before the third out was made.
With two outs in the eight inning, Mays, Ted Kluszewski and Randy Jackson hit consecutive singles for a run, and Ford was replaced by Sullivan. Aaron greeted him with an RBI single scoring Kluszewski to knot the game at 5–5.
The American League quickly took the lead in the top of the first inning when Harvey Kuenn and Nellie Fox hit consecutive singles against Robin Roberts, with Kuenn advancing to third base from first and later scoring on a wild pitch. Then Ted Williams walked and Mickey Mantle hit a three-run home run, before Roberts recorded his first out. In the sixth inning, Mickey Vernon grounded out to drive home Yogi Berra to give the American League a five-run cushion.
In the ninth inning, Joe Nuxhall and Sullivan matched strikeouts as the All-Star Game went into extra innings for only the second time since 1950, which turned out to be the first year the game went more than nine innings.
The contest remained tied until the 12th inning, when Gene Conley struck out all three AL batters he faced. Then came the walk-off by Musial, which was his fourth homer in All-Star games, breaking a tie with Ted Williams and Ralph Kiner.
It was the fifth victory for the National League in the last six All-Star games, even though the American League still held a 13–9 overall advantage.
American League | National League | |||||
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Player | Team | Pos | Player | Team | Pos | |
Harvey Kuenn | Detroit Tigers | SS | Red Schoendienst | St. Louis Cardinals | 2B | |
Nellie Fox | Chicago White Sox | 2B | Del Ennis | Philadelphia Phillies | LF | |
Ted Williams | Boston Red Sox | LF | Duke Snider | Brooklyn Dodgers | CF | |
Mickey Mantle | New York Yankees | CF | Ted Kluszewski | Cincinnati Redlegs | 1B | |
Yogi Berra | New York Yankees | C | Eddie Mathews | Milwaukee Braves | 3B | |
Al Kaline | Detroit Tigers | RF | Don Mueller | New York Giants | RF | |
Mickey Vernon | Washington Senators | 1B | Ernie Banks | Chicago Cubs | SS | |
Jim Finigan | Kansas City Athletics | 3B | Del Crandall | Milwaukee Braves | C | |
Billy Pierce | Chicago White Sox | P | Robin Roberts | Philadelphia Phillies | P |
Players in italics have since been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
1955 American League All-Star Game roster | |||||||||
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Pitchers
Catchers
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Infielders
Outfielders
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Manager
Coaches * = Did not play |
1955 National League All-Star Game roster | |||||||||
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Pitchers
Catchers
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Infielders
Outfielders
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Manager Coaches
* = Did not play |
Position | Umpire |
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Home Plate | Al Barlick (NL) |
First Base | Hank Soar (AL) |
Second Base | Dusty Boggess (NL) |
Third Base | Bill Summers (AL) |
Left Field | Frank Secory (NL) |
Right Field | Ed Runge (AL) |
Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | R | H | E | ||||||||||||||||||
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American League | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
National League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1x | 6 | 13 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||
WP: Conley LP: Sullivan Home runs: AL: Mantle NL: Musial |
How the runs scored | |||||
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Team | Inning | Play | AL | NL | |
AL | 1st | Kuenn scored on a wild pitch; Mantle homered, Fox and Williams scored | 4 | 0 | |
AL | 6th | Vernon grounded out, Berra scored | 5 | 0 | |
NL | 7th | Logan singled, Mays scored, Aaron to third; Lopata safe on error, Aaron scored | 5 | 2 | |
NL | 9th | Jackson singled, Mays scored, Kluszewski to third; Aaron singled, Kluszewski and Jackson scored | 5 | 5 | |
NL | 12th | Musial homered to right | 5 | 6 |
Play-by-play at Retrosheet