1956 Major League Baseball season
| 1956 MLB season | |
|---|---|
| League | American League (AL) National League (NL) |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | Regular season:
|
| Number of games | 154 |
| Number of teams | 16 (8 per league) |
| TV partner(s) | NBC, CBS |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | AL: Mickey Mantle (NYY) NL: Don Newcombe (BKN) |
| AL champions | New York Yankees |
| AL runners-up | Cleveland Indians |
| NL champions | Brooklyn Dodgers |
| NL runners-up | Milwaukee Braves |
| World Series | |
| Champions | New York Yankees |
| Runners-up | Brooklyn Dodgers |
| World Series MVP | Don Larsen (NYY) |
The 1956 major league baseball season began on April 17, 1956. The regular season ended on September 30, with the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees as the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. In a rematch of the previous season, the postseason began with Game 1 of the 53rd World Series on October 3 and ended with Game 7 on October 10. The series is notable for Yankees pitcher Don Larsen's perfect game in Game 5. In the seventh iteration of this Subway Series World Series matchup (and a rematch of the previous year), the Yankees defeated the Dodgers, four games to three, capturing their 17th championship in franchise history, since their previous in 1953. This would be the final Subway Series matchup between the two teams, as the next World Series between the two in 1963 would see a relocated Dodgers franchise in Los Angeles, California. Going into the season, the defending World Series champions were the Brooklyn Dodgers from the 1955 season.
The 23rd Major League Baseball All-Star Game was held on July 10 at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C., home of the Washington Senators. The National League won, 7–3.
Schedule
The 1956 schedule consisted of 154 games for all teams in the American League and National League, each of which had eight teams. Each team was scheduled to play 22 games against the other seven teams of their respective league. This continued the format put in place since the 1904 season (except for 1919) and would be used until 1961 in the American League and 1962 in the National League.
Opening Day took place on April 17, featuring all sixteen teams, the first time since 1954. The final day of the regular season was on September 30, which also saw all sixteen teams play, continuing the trend from the previous season. This was the first time since 1950 that all sixteen teams played their first and last games on the same days. The World Series took place between October 3 and October 10.
Rule changes
The 1956 season saw the following rule changes:
- In an effort to speed up the pace of play, the American League limited the number of times a nonplayer (such as the manager or coaches) could visit the pitcher's mound to one, per each pitcher. A second visit would necessitate the removal of the pitcher.[1]
- The National League required that batting helmets must be worn by all hitters.[1]
Teams
Standings
American League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | 97 | 57 | .630 | — | 49–28 | 48–29 |
| Cleveland Indians | 88 | 66 | .571 | 9 | 46–31 | 42–35 |
| Chicago White Sox | 85 | 69 | .552 | 12 | 46–31 | 39–38 |
| Boston Red Sox | 84 | 70 | .545 | 13 | 43–34 | 41–36 |
| Detroit Tigers | 82 | 72 | .532 | 15 | 37–40 | 45–32 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 69 | 85 | .448 | 28 | 41–36 | 28–49 |
| Washington Senators | 59 | 95 | .383 | 38 | 32–45 | 27–50 |
| Kansas City Athletics | 52 | 102 | .338 | 45 | 22–55 | 30–47 |
National League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 93 | 61 | .604 | — | 52–25 | 41–36 |
| Milwaukee Braves | 92 | 62 | .597 | 1 | 47–29 | 45–33 |
| Cincinnati Redlegs | 91 | 63 | .591 | 2 | 51–26 | 40–37 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 76 | 78 | .494 | 17 | 43–34 | 33–44 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 71 | 83 | .461 | 22 | 40–37 | 31–46 |
| New York Giants | 67 | 87 | .435 | 26 | 37–40 | 30–47 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 66 | 88 | .429 | 27 | 35–43 | 31–45 |
| Chicago Cubs | 60 | 94 | .390 | 33 | 39–38 | 21–56 |
Postseason
The postseason began on October 3 and ended on October 10 with the New York Yankees defeating the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1956 World Series in seven games.
Bracket
| World Series | ||||
| AL | New York Yankees | 4 | ||
| NL | Brooklyn Dodgers | 3 | ||
Managerial changes
Off-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager |
|---|---|---|
| New York Giants | Leo Durocher | Bill Rigney |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | Fred Haney | Bobby Bragan |
| St. Louis Cardinals | Harry Walker | Fred Hutchinson |
In-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Braves | Charlie Grimm | Fred Haney |
League leaders
American League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Mickey Mantle1 (NYY) | .353 |
| OPS | Mickey Mantle (NYY) | 1.169 |
| HR | Mickey Mantle1 (NYY) | 52 |
| RBI | Mickey Mantle1 (NYY) | 130 |
| R | Mickey Mantle (NYY) | 132 |
| H | Harvey Kuenn (DET) | 196 |
| SB | Luis Aparicio (CWS) | 21 |
1 American League Triple Crown batting winner
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Frank Lary (DET) | 21 |
| L | Art Ditmar (KC) | 22 |
| ERA | Whitey Ford (NYY) | 2.47 |
| K | Herb Score (CLE) | 263 |
| IP | Frank Lary (DET) | 294.0 |
| SV | George Zuverink (BAL) | 16 |
| WHIP | Dick Donovan (CWS) | 1.155 |
National League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Hank Aaron (MIL) | .328 |
| OPS | Duke Snider (BKN) | .997 |
| HR | Duke Snider (BKN) | 43 |
| RBI | Stan Musial (STL) | 109 |
| R | Frank Robinson (CIN) | 122 |
| H | Hank Aaron (MIL) | 200 |
| SB | Willie Mays (NYG) | 40 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Don Newcombe (BKN) | 27 |
| L | Ron Kline (PIT) Robin Roberts (PHI) |
18 |
| ERA | Lew Burdette (MIL) | 2.70 |
| K | Sam Jones (CHC) | 176 |
| IP | Bob Friend (PIT) | 314.1 |
| SV | Clem Labine (BKN) | 19 |
| WHIP | Don Newcombe (BKN) | 0.989 |
Milestones
Batters
- Mickey Mantle (NYY):
- Won the Major League Triple Crown by leading both leagues in batting average (.353), home runs (52), and runs batted in (130).
Pitchers
Perfect games
- Don Larsen (NYY)
- Pitched the sixth perfect game in Major League history and the first in franchise history on October 8, in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. It remains the only perfect game in World Series history. Larsen threw 97 pitches, 71 for strikes, and struck out seven in the 2–0 victory.
No-hitters
- Carl Erskine (BKN):
- Erskine threw the 12th no-hitter in franchise history, and the first since 1952 (when Erskine threw his first no-hitter), by defeating the New York Giants 3–0 on May 12. Erskine threw 102 pitches, 66 of them for strikes, while walking two and striking out three.[7]
- Mel Parnell (BOS):
- Parnell threw the 11th no-hitter in franchise history, and the first since 1923, by defeating the Chicago White Sox 4–0 on July 14. Parnell walked two and struck out 4.[8]
- Sal Maglie (BKN):
- Maglie threw the 13th no-hitter in franchise history, and the Dodgers' second of the season, by defeating the Philadelphia Phillies 5–0 on September 25. Maglie threw 110 pitches, 71 of them for strikes, while walking two and striking out three.[9]
Other pitching accomplishments
- On June 21, Jack Harshman of the Chicago White Sox defeats Connie Johnson of the Baltimore Orioles 1–0, at Comiskey Park in which both pitchers throw matching one-hitters. This game was only the third double one-hitter thrown in the modern era (since 1901).[10]
Miscellaneous
- New York Yankees:
- Set a Major League record by leaving 20 players on base on September 21 against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.[11]
- Umpire Ed Rommel was the first umpire to wear glasses in a Major League game on April 18. The game was played between the New York Yankees and the Washington Senators.[12]
- December 6–8 – Major League owners meet in Chicago. Cleveland general manager and minority-owner Hank Greenberg proposed implementing limited interleague play beginning in 1958. Under Greenberg's proposal, each team would continue to play 154-games in a season, 126 of which would be within their league, and 28 against the eight clubs in the other league. The interleague games would all be played during a period immediately following the All-Star Game. The proposal was not adopted.[13]
Awards and honors
Regular season
| Baseball Writers' Association of America Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| BBWAA Award | National League | American League |
| Rookie of the Year | Frank Robinson (CIN) | Luis Aparicio (CWS) |
| Cy Young Award | — | Don Newcombe (BKN) |
| Most Valuable Player | Don Newcombe (BKN) | Mickey Mantle (NYY) |
| Babe Ruth Award (World Series MVP) |
— | Don Larsen (NYY) |
Other awards
| The Sporting News Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Award | National League | American League |
| Player of the Year[14] | — | Mickey Mantle (NYY) |
| Pitcher of the Year[15] | Don Newcombe (BKN) | Billy Pierce (CWS) |
| Rookie of the Year[16] | Frank Robinson (CIN) | Luis Aparicio (CWS) |
| Manager of the Year[17] | Birdie Tebbetts (CIN) | — |
| Executive of the Year[18] | Gabe Paul (CIN) | — |
Baseball Hall of Fame
Home field attendance
| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Braves[19] | 92 | 8.2% | 2,046,331 | 2.0% | 26,576 |
| New York Yankees[20] | 97 | 1.0% | 1,491,784 | 0.1% | 19,374 |
| Brooklyn Dodgers[21] | 93 | −5.1% | 1,213,562 | 17.4% | 15,761 |
| Boston Red Sox[22] | 84 | 0.0% | 1,137,158 | −5.5% | 14,579 |
| Cincinnati Redlegs[23] | 91 | 21.3% | 1,125,928 | 62.3% | 14,622 |
| Detroit Tigers[24] | 82 | 3.8% | 1,051,182 | −11.1% | 13,477 |
| St. Louis Cardinals[25] | 76 | 11.8% | 1,029,773 | 21.3% | 13,202 |
| Kansas City Athletics[26] | 52 | −17.5% | 1,015,154 | −27.1% | 13,184 |
| Chicago White Sox[27] | 85 | −6.6% | 1,000,090 | −14.9% | 12,988 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates[28] | 66 | 10.0% | 949,878 | 102.4% | 12,178 |
| Philadelphia Phillies[29] | 71 | −7.8% | 934,798 | 1.3% | 12,140 |
| Baltimore Orioles[30] | 69 | 21.1% | 901,201 | 5.8% | 11,704 |
| Cleveland Indians[31] | 88 | −5.4% | 865,467 | −29.2% | 11,240 |
| Chicago Cubs[32] | 60 | −16.7% | 720,118 | −17.8% | 9,001 |
| New York Giants[33] | 67 | −16.3% | 629,179 | −23.7% | 8,171 |
| Washington Senators[34] | 59 | 11.3% | 431,647 | 1.5% | 5,606 |
Television coverage
CBS aired the Saturday Game of the Week for the second consecutive year. The All-Star Game and World Series aired on NBC.
Retired numbers
- Bob Feller had his No. 19 retired by the Cleveland Indians on December 28. This was the first number retired by the team.
See also
References
- ^ a b Voiss, Dale. "1955 Winter Meetings: Majors and Minors Clash Over Money – Society for American Baseball Research". Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ "1956 Major League Managers". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
- ^ "1956 American League Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
- ^ "1956 American League Pitching Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
- ^ "1956 National League Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
- ^ "1956 National League Pitching Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
- ^ "New York Giants vs Brooklyn Dodgers Box Score: May 12, 1956". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
- ^ "Chicago White Sox vs Boston Red Sox Box Score: July 14, 1956". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
- ^ "Philadelphia Phillies vs Brooklyn Dodgers Box Score: September 25, 1956". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved December 17, 2024.
- ^ "June 21, 1956 boxscore of double one-hitter from Baseball Reference". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
- ^ "Left on Base – Team Records in a Game". baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved June 6, 2012.
- ^ Great Baseball Feats, Facts and Figures, 2008 Edition, p.43, David Nemec and Scott Flatow, A Signet Book, Penguin Group, New York, ISBN 978-0-451-22363-0
- ^ Drebinger, John (December 6, 1956). "Player limit, Interleague Games Top Issues on Majors' Agenda". New York Times. Retrieved October 2, 2009.
- ^ "Major League Player of the Year Award by The Sporting News | Baseball Almanac". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
- ^ "Pitcher of the Year Award by The Sporting News | Baseball Almanac". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
- ^ "Rookie of the Year Award by The Sporting News | Baseball Almanac". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
- ^ "Manager of the Year Award by The Sporting News | Baseball Almanac". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
- ^ "MLB Executive of the Year Award | Baseball Almanac". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
- ^ "Atlanta Braves Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "New York Yankees Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Los Angeles Dodgers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Boston Red Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Cincinnati Reds Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Detroit Tigers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "St. Louis Cardinals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Chicago White Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Pittsburgh Pirates Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Philadelphia Phillies Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Baltimore Orioles Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Cleveland Indians Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Chicago Cubs Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "San Francisco Giants Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
- ^ "Minnesota Twins Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved September 8, 2020.