1956 Baseball Season Highlights

The 1956 baseball season was a mixed bag of excitement, highs, and disappointments. While the 1956 World Series failed to sell-out in game five, and Jackie Robinson announced his retirement, the season still produced numerous historic moments, award winners, and a "perfect game" for Brooklyn Dodgers Pitcher Don Larsen.

Below, you will find more highlights from the 1956 baseball season:

  • The Yanks cop the 1956 American League flag by 9 games.
  • The Dodgers repeat in the National League, squeaking past Braves by 1 game.
  • Yankee Don Larsen pitches the only perfect game in World Series history in game five to put the Yankees up three games to two.
  • The Yanks win the 1956 World Series in seven games.
  • Brooklyn’s Clem Labine, normally a relief pitcher, beats the Yankees 1-0 in ten innings in game six of Series.
  • Yogi Berra tops all hitters in the Series with .360 BA and ten RBI.
  • Don Newcombe wins the 1956 National League MVP.
  • Newcombe also wins the first ever Cy Young Award (only one was given each year until 1967).
  • Mantle wins the Triple Crown, hitting .353 with 52 homers and 130 RBI.
  • The Reds hit 221 homers to set major league record (since broken).
  • Cincinnati fans stuff the ballot boxes; all the Reds regulars are voted All-Star starters. Commissioner Ford Frick disallows the vote and replaces some of the Reds with more deserving players.
  • Dale Long of the Pirates hits home runs in a record eight consecutive games.
  • The Reds’ Frank Robinson clubs 38 homers to tie the National League rookie record (also a major league record at the time).
  • Mantle is the first switch-hitter to lead a major league in batting since 1889.
  • Don Newcombe leads the majors in wins (27) and in win pct. (.794).
  • Milwaukee’s Hank Aaron wins the National League batting crown (.328).
  • Willie Mays tops the National League with 40 steals, most in the majors since 1944.
  • The 1956 National League wins the All-Star Game 7-3 at Washington.
  • On Sept. 21, the Yankees leave a major league record 20 men on base in the nine-inning game vs. Boston.
  • Jim Derrington of the White Sox, age 16, becomes the youngest pitcher in this century to start a game.
  • Carl Erskine of Brooklyn no-hits the Giants on May 12.
  • On May 26, three Reds pitchers throw a combined no-hitter vs. Milwaukee for nine innings, but lose 2-1 in 11 innings.
  • Boston’s Mel Parnell no-hits the White Sox on July 14.

See the next page for more highlights of the 1956 baseball season.

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