1955 Baltimore Orioles season

Did You Know?

• Billy Cox refused to report to the Cleveland Indians after being traded on June 15, 1955.
• The Orioles sent $15,000 to the Cleveland Indians as compensation for Billy Cox's refusal to report.
• Dave Philley was selected off waivers by the Orioles from the Cleveland Indians on July 2, 1955.

Offseason

In late 1954, the Orioles made a 17-player swap with the New York Yankees, sending away most of the notable former St. Louis Browns still on the roster. The trade did not make the team much better in the short run, but it helped the franchise build a separate identity from its Browns past. The Orioles sent Don Larsen, Billy Hunter, Bob Turley, and future considerations to the Yankees for Gene Woodling, Harry Byrd, Jim McDonald, Hal Smith, Gus Triandos, Willy Miranda, and future considerations.

The deal was finalized on December 1, when the Yankees added Bill Miller, Kal Segrist, Don Leppert, and minor leaguer Ted Del Guercio, while the Orioles sent Mike Blyzka, Darrell Johnson, Jim Fridley, and Dick Kryhoski to New York. Unlike other relocated teams of the 1950s, such as the Dodgers and Giants, which kept their names and a link to their past, the Browns were renamed when they moved to Baltimore, creating a clear break. On December 6, the Orioles traded Bob Chakales, Jim Brideweser, and Clint Courtney to the Chicago White Sox for Don Ferrarese, Don Johnson, Matt Batts, and Fred Marsh.

On December 13, they sent minor leaguers Harry Schwegeman and Johnny Jancse plus $50,000 to the Brooklyn Dodgers for Billy Cox and Preacher Roe.