Dodgers Shortstop Pee Wee Reese Counts Down The Wins To A Perfect Season
Brooklyn, NY – The undefeated Brooklyn Dodgers tonight equaled the Major League record of nine consecutive games won at the start of a season, by defeating Philadelphia 3 to 2. The only remaining member of the 1940 Dodger team which also won its first nine games of the season, captain Pee Wee Reese, prepares to draw a line through number 146 after tonight’s win. Looking on is Walt Alston. The mark was first set by the Giants in 1918 and the St. Louis Browns also won their first nine in 1944. photo: International News Photo – Herb Scharfman 4/20/1955
The Brooklyn Dodgers would go on to set a new record winning their tenth consecutive game the following day, beating Philadelphia 14-4. The Dodgers finally lost a game on April 22 to The New York Giants.
1955 was going to be the Dodgers year. In a 154 game season, they won 98 games, the National League pennant and their first World Series.
The Oakland Athletics would set a new record with 11 consecutive wins to start a season in 1981.
The current record of 13 consecutive wins to begin a season is shared among three teams; the 1982 Atlanta Braves, the 1987 Milwaukee Brewers. and the 2023 Tampa Bay Rays. Winning streaks at the beginning of the season do not usually translate into world championships. None of these other teams won the World Series the year of their streak.
