1956 in baseball

Year in baseball
this year = 1956

Champions

Major League Baseball

*World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers (4-3); Don Larsen, MVP
*All-Star Game, July 10 at Griffith Stadium: National League, 7-3

Other champions

*Caribbean World Series: Cienfuegos (Cuba)
*College World Series: Minnesota
*Japan Series: Nishitetsu Lions over Yomiuri Giants (4-2)
*Little League World Series: Lions Hondo, Roswell, New Mexico

Awards and honors

*Most Valuable Player
**National League - Don Newcombe, Brooklyn Dodgers
**American League - Mickey Mantle, New York Yankees
*First Cy Young Award: Don Newcombe, Brooklyn Dodgers
*Rookie Of The Year
**National League - Frank Robinson, Cincinnati Reds
**American League - Luis Aparicio, Chicago White Sox

Major League Baseball Statistical Leaders

National League final standings

Events

January-March

April-June

*May 2 - At Wrigley Field, the New York Giants defeat the Chicago Cubs, 6-5, in a 17-inning game in which 48 players see action—25 Giants and 23 Cubs. Chicago's Don Hoak sets a National League record by striking out six times in the game, which also features a record 11 intentional walks, including two each to the Giants' Willie Mays and Wes Westrum and the Cubs' Ernie Banks.

*May 12 - Carl Erskine tosses the second no-hitter of his career as the Brooklyn Dodgers blank the New York Giants, 3-0.

*May 30 - Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees narrowly misses hitting the first home run ever hit completely out of Yankee Stadium. In Game One of a doubleheader against the Washington Senators, Mantle, batting left-handed against Pedro Ramos, hits a towering drive above the level of the stadium roof. However, a stiff wind cuts down the ball, which strikes the right-field facade, 18 inches above the level of the roof.

*June 21 - Jack Harshman of the Chicago White Sox defeats Connie Johnson of the Baltimore Orioles 1-0 in a game in which both pitchers throw a 1-hitter.

July-September

*July 10 - At Griffith Stadium, home of the Washington Senators, the National League topped the American League, 7-3, in the All-Star Game. Willie Mays, Stan Musial, Ted Williams, and Mickey Mantle all hit home runs.

*July 14 - Boston Red Sox pitcher Mel Parnell pitches a no-hitter in the Red Sox's 4-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

*September 25 - Brooklyn Dodgers hurler Sal Maglie pitches a 5-0 no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies.

*September 30 - Chicago White Sox pitcher Jim Derrington becomes the youngest pitcher in modern history to start a game. He loses to the Kansas City Athletics, 7-6, at the age of 16 years and 10 months.

October-December

*October 8 - New York Yankees pitcher Don Larsen pitches a perfect game in Game 5 of the World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers, in a 2-0 victory. It is only the fourth perfect game since 1900 and sixth in the history of Major League Baseball. To date it remains the only no-hitter, and only perfect game, in baseball post-season history.

*October 9 - The Dodgers bounce back. Brooklyn's Clem Labine comes out of the bullpen to pitch a 1-0 victory for the Dodgers in Game 6 of the World Series. Yankee Enos Slaughter misjudges Jackie Robinson's fly ball, and Jim Gilliam scores from second base; it turned out to be Robinson's last major league hit. The series is tied at 3 games apiece.

*October 10 - The New York Yankees defeat the Brooklyn Dodgers, 9-0, in Game 7 of the World Series to win their seventeenth World Championship, four games to three. Yogi Berra hits a pair of 2-run home runs and Bill Skowron hits a grand slam. Don Newcombe takes the loss, his fourth in Series competition. It was the last World Series game being played at Brooklyn's Ebbets Field. Yankees pitcher Don Larson is named Most Valuable Player.

*October 25 - Chicago White Sox manager Marty Marion resigns. Al Lopez is the new manager.

Births

January-February

*January 10 - Dan Rohn
*January 12 - Chuck Porter
*January 15 - Rance Mulliniks
*January 15 - Jerry Narron
*January 25 - Dale Mohorcic
*February 1 - Geoff Combe
*February 2 - Manny Sarmiento
*February 4 - Chris Bando
*February 9 - Mookie Wilson
*February 12 - Brian Denman
*February 14 - Dave Dravecky
*February 22 - Joe Lefebvre
*February 24 - Eddie Murray
*February 25 - Ed Lynch

March-April

*March 12 - Dale Murphy
*March 14 - Butch Wynegar
*March 16 - Juan Espino
*March 17 - Rick Lisi
*March 17 - Tim Lollar
*March 17 - Rod Scurry
*March 21 - Mike Darr
*March 23 - Ron Johnson
*March 24 - Garry Templeton
*March 27 - Dave Hostetler
*March 30 - Jack Lazorko
*April 4 - Tom Herr
*April 12 - Jose Alvarez
*April 14 - Bobby Sprowl
*April 22 - Moose Haas
*April 22 - Dave Schmidt
*April 26 - Tim Tolman

May-June

*May 4 - Ubaldo Heredia
*May 4 - Ken Oberkfell
*May 5 - Ron Oester
*May 18 - Jim Farr
*May 19 - Luis Salazar
*May 19 - Eric Show
*May 22 - Mark Brouhard
*May 27 - Mark Clear
*May 28 - Randy Martz
*May 30 - Mike LaCoss
*June 3 - Julio Valdez
*June 4 - Terry Kennedy
*June 10 - Brad Gulden
*June 15 - Lance Parrish
*June 21 - Rick Sutcliffe
*June 24 - George Vukovich
*July 25 - Dave Patterson
*June 29 - Pedro Guerrero
*July 31 - Gordie Pladson

July-August

*July 5 - Rick Lancellotti
*July 8 - Terry Puhl
*July 11 - Joey McLaughlin
*July 12 - Bryan Clark
*July 12 - Mario Soto
*July 13 - Bill Caudill
*July 18 - Butch Edge
*July 18 - Razor Shines
*July 22 - Scott Sanderson
*August 2 - Derek Botelho
*August 2 - Roger Lafrancois
*August 5 - Dave Edler
*August 5 - Dave Rozema
*August 8 - Cliff Speck
*August 19 - Ron Roenicke
*August 19 - Kevin Saucier
*August 20 - Joel Finch
*August 21 - John Henry Johnson
*August 22 - Paul Molitor
*August 24 - Tony Bernazard
*August 26 - George Bjorkman
*August 30 - Scott Brown
*August 30 - Roger Erickson

eptember-October

*September 12 - Cholly Naranjo
*September 12 - Mark Thurmond
*September 15 - John Pacella
*September 17 - Thad Bosley
*September 24 - Hubie Brooks
*October 1 - Vance Law
*October 2 - Jeff Doyle
*October 3 - Bob Kearney
*October 4 - Charlie Leibrandt
*October 7 - Rudy Law
*October 8 - Jeff Lahti
*October 12 - Steve Shirley
*October 22 - Frank DiPino
*October 23 - Luis Silverio
*October 24 - Gary Serum
*October 25 - Andy McGaffigan

November-December

*November 1 - Gary Redus
*November 3 - Bob Welch
*November 11 - Jeff Byrd
*November 12 - Jody Davis
*November 19 - Dickie Noles
*November 26 - Bob Walk
*November 29 - Rick Anderson
*November 29 - Joe Price
*November 30 - Dave Engle
*December 1 - Tom Filer
*December 4 - Barbaro Garbey
*December 7 - Ozzie Virgil
*December 12 - Steve Farr
*December 13 - Dale Berra
*December 16 - Rick Sofield
*December 19 - Stan Cliburn
*December 19 - Stew Cliburn
*December 19 - Tom Lawless
*December 25 - Wallace Johnson
*December 25 - Charlie Lea
*December 29 - Dave Ford

Deaths

*January 4 - John Beckwith, 55, star infielder of the Negro Leagues
*January 23 - Billy Evans, 71, American League umpire from 1906 to 1927, later the general manager of the Indians and Tigers
*February 8 - Long Tom Hughes, 77, pitcher for the Chicago Orphans at the turn of the XX century and one of the first World Series pitchers ever, in 1903, with the Boston Americans
*February 8 - Connie Mack, 93, Hall of Fame manager of the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901 to 1950, retiring with a record 3,731 victories
*February 25 - Jack Lewis, 72, second baseman for the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh Rebels between 1911 and 1915
*April 18 - John Heydler, 86, National League president from 1918 to 1934
*May 6 - Harry Ostdiek, 75, catcher who played for the Cleveland Naps (1904) and Boston Red Sox (1908)
*May 26 - Al Simmons, 54, Hall of Fame outfielder who batted a career .334 and was named the AL's MVP in 1929 by "The Sporting News"
*June 2 - Denny Sullivan, 73, center fielder for the Washington Senators, Boston Red Sox/Americans and Cleveland Naps between 1905 and 1909
*September 22 - Jesse Tannehill, 82, 6-time winner of 20 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox
*October 13 - George Dumont, 60, pitcher for the Washington Senators and Boston Red Sox between 1915 and 1919
*October 30 - Dick Midkiff, 42, pitcher for the 1938 Boston Red Sox
*November 22 - Roy Carlyle, 55, outfielder for the Washington Senators, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees in the 1920s
*November 30 - John Shea, 59, pitcher for the 1928 Boston Red Sox
*December 27 - Hob Hiller, 63, infielder for the Boston Red Sox in the early 1920s