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 College World Series: Minnesota Japan Series: Nishitetsu Lions over Yomiuri Giants (4–2) Little League World Series: Lions Hondo, Roswell, New Mexico Global World Series: United States
Winter Leagues 1956 Caribbean Series: Elefantes de Cienfuegos Cuban League: Elefantes de Cienfuegos Dominican Republic League: Leones del Escogido Mexican Pacific League: Tomateros de Culiacán Panamanian League: Chesterfield Smokers Puerto Rican League: Criollos de Caguas Venezuelan League: Industriales de Valencia
Awards and honors Baseball Hall of Fame Hank Greenberg Joe Cronin Most Valuable Player Don Newcombe (BRO, National) Mickey Mantle (NYY, American) First Cy Young Award: Don Newcombe (BRO) Rookie of the Year Frank Robinson (CIN, National) Luis Aparicio (CWS, American)
Statistical leaders American LeagueNational League Stat Player Total Player Total AVG Mickey Mantle1 (NYY) .353 Hank Aaron (MIL) .328 HR Mickey Mantle1 (NYY) 52 Duke Snider (BRO) 43 RBI Mickey Mantle1 (NYY) 130 Stan Musial (STL) 109 W Frank Lary (DET) 21 Don Newcombe (BRO) 27 ERA Whitey Ford (NYY) 2.47 Lew Burdette (MIL) 2.70 K Herb Score (CLE) 263 Sam Jones (CHC) 176 1 American League Triple Crown batting winner
Major league baseball final standings American League final standings
National League final standings
Nippon Professional Baseball final standings Central League final standings Central League G W L T Pct. GBYomiuri Giants 130 82 44 4 .646 —Osaka Tigers 130 79 50 1 .612 4.5Chunichi Dragons 130 74 56 0 .569 10.0Kokutetsu Swallows 130 61 65 4 .485 21.0Hiroshima Carp 130 45 82 3 .358 27.5Taiyo Whales 130 43 87 0 .331 41.0
Pacific League final standings Pacific League G W L T Pct. GBNishitetsu Lions 154 96 51 7 .646 —Nankai Hawks 154 96 52 6 .643 0.5Hankyu Braves 154 88 64 2 .578 10.5Mainichi Orions 154 84 66 4 .558 13.5Kintetsu Pearls 154 68 82 4 .455 29.5Toei Flyers 154 58 92 4 .390 39.5Daiei Stars 154 57 94 3 .380 41.0Takahashi Unions 154 52 98 4 .351 45.5
Events January January 26 – Slugger Hank Greenberg and hard-hitting shortstop Joe Cronin are elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame; Greenberg captures 85 percent of this year's Cooperstown vote, Cronin 78.8%. January 27 – In an ominous development for Upper Manhattan's venerable stadium, the Polo Grounds, its longtime autumn tenant, the New York Football Giants of the NFL, announce a ten-year agreement to play their games at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx. The "startling" announcement "freshens speculation" that the "Baseball Giants" will soon abandon the Polo Grounds as well—perhaps also sharing Yankee Stadium or even moving to Minneapolis. The land on which the stadium sits is expected to be redeveloped into housing by its owners, the Coogan Estate. January 31 – The Cincinnati Redlegs make the first multi-player trade of 1956, sending pitcher Jackie Collum to the St. Louis Cardinals for hurler Brooks Lawrence and infielder Sonny Senerchia. Lawrence will win his first 13 decisions of 1956—he won't be defeated until July 21—and 19 games overall, and be selected to the National League All-Star team.
February
February 6 – Supporting the Wagner–Cashmore plan to build a $30-million downtown Brooklyn sports center, announced in August 1955, Brooklyn Dodgers owner Walter O'Malley promises to buy $4 million worth of bonds. February 8 The baseball world mourns Hall-of-Fame manager Connie Mack, following his death at age 93 in Philadelphia. Mack holds the all-time managerial records for MLB games managed (7,755), won (3,731) and lost (3,948). His Philadelphia Athletics won nine American League pennants and five World Series. (See Deaths entry for this date below.) The defending American League champion New York Yankees acquire talented but erratic left-hander Mickey McDermott from the Washington Senators in a seven-player trade. In the deal, the Yanks also receive infielder Bobby Kline; in return, Washington gets pitcher Bob Wiesler, catcher Lou Berberet, infielder Herb Plews and outfielders Dick Tettelbach and Whitey Herzog (as a "PTBNL"). A one-time 18-game winner, McDermott will struggle (2–6, 4.24 ERA) in his only year as a Yankee. The Boston Red Sox purchase the contract of shortstop Pumpsie Green, 22, from the Stockton Ports of the Class C California League and assign him to the Albany Senators of the Class A Eastern League. On July 21, 1959, Green will be the first Black player to appear in an official game for the Red Sox. February 15 – Cuba, represented by Cienfuegos, wins the eighth Caribbean Series, defeating Puerto Rico 4–2 and capturing its fifth win against one defeat in this year's tournament. Two Cuban hurlers who spend summers with the Washington Senators, right-handers Pedro Ramos and Camilo Pascual, go a combined 4–0 in the competition; catcher Ray Noble hits .400 and is named Series MVP. February 25 — The legendary Kansas City Monarchs are sold by Tom Baird to Negro leagues entrepreneur Ted Rasberry, who retains the team's full name but moves their operations to Grand Rapids, Michigan. After the arrival of the MLB Kansas City Athletics in 1955, the Monarchs were able to secure only two home dates at their longtime home, Blues Stadium, and faced an untenable rent increase. Rasberry will keep the Monarchs alive into 1965 as a full-time barnstorming team before they disband.
February 27 – The Class B Piedmont League disbands after 37 years in operation.
March March 2 – The Brooklyn Dodgers sell the contract of left-handed pitcher Tommy Lasorda to the Kansas City Athletics. Although a mainstay for the Dodgers' Triple-A Montreal Royals farm team, Lasorda, 28, has appeared in only eight games for Brooklyn in 1954–1955. After an 18-game trial with the 1956 Athletics and a brief stint in the New York Yankees' system, Lasorda will return to the Dodgers' organization in May 1957 and eventually become their Baseball Hall of Fame manager in September 1976. March 3 – In an effort to keep the New York Giants in Manhattan, borough president Hulan Jack proposes a new, 110,000-seat stadium over the New York Central railroad tracks on a 470,000-foot site stretching from 60th to 72nd streets on Manhattan's West Side. March 30 – The Chicago Cubs trade Hank Sauer to the St. Louis Cardinals for Pete Whisenant in an all-outfielder transaction. Sauer, 39, slugged 198 home runs in 6½ years as a Cub, and was elected National League MVP.
April April 9 – The Milwaukee Braves trade first baseman George Crowe to the Cincinnati Redlegs for outfielder Bob "Hurricane" Hazle and pitcher Corky Valentine (PTBNL). April 10 – The proposed new stadium project for Manhattan's West Side gains traction when New York Giants owner Horace Stoneham offers initial support for the plan outlined by borough president Hulan Jack. The massive stadium—which will seat 110,000 and sit on stilts located above New York Central Railroad yards—currently is estimated to cost $20 million, with no public financing required. April 17 – Opening Day in Major League Baseball sees a full slate of eight games. In the traditional Presidential Opener at Griffith Stadium, the New York Yankees humble the Washington Senators 10–4 behind two home runs from Mickey Mantle and one from Yogi Berra. In the National League's traditional opener at Crosley Field, the visiting St. Louis Cardinals top the Cincinnati Redlegs 4–2, with Stan Musial's two-run, ninth-inning blast off Joe Nuxhall sealing the Redbird victory. April 19 – The defending World Series champion Brooklyn Dodgers play the first of seven 1956 home games at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City, New Jersey—a gambit devised by owner Walter O'Malley to pressure New York City officials to support his plan to build a new stadium to replace the Dodgers' 43-year-old Flatbush ballpark, Ebbets Field. On a cold and windy day, they defeat the Philadelphia Phillies, 5–4 in ten innings, before 12,124 fans. April 21 – At Municipal Stadium, Art Ditmar throws a one-hitter and his lowly Kansas City Athletics erupt for a 13-hit, 13-run second inning en route to a 15–1 thrashing of the Chicago White Sox. Earl Battey's fourth-inning single is the ChiSox' only safety, and the run off Ditmar is unearned."Kansas City Athletics 15, Chicago White Sox 1." Retrosheet box score (April 21, 1956). Ditmar's is the first of four one-hitters to be hurled in the majors this season."Top Individual Performances of 1956" at Retrosheet. April 22 – The Philadelphia Phillies manage just three hits, but one of them is a three-run home run by Ted Kazanski, as Robin Roberts wins, 3–1, over Johnny Antonelli and the New York Giants. April 26 – Alfonso "Chico" Carrasquel goes 2-for-4, including a grand slam home run, and drives home a career-high seven runs, to guide the Cleveland Indians to a crushing 14–2 victory over the Kansas City Athletics. Early Wynn pitches a nine-strikeout, four-hit complete game to earn the victory. April 29 – Del Ennis' infield single with one out in the first inning is the only hit allowed by Ramón Monzant of the New York Giants, as the Venezuelan right-hander shuts down the Philadelphia Phillies, 8–1, at Polo Grounds."New York Giants 8, Philadelphia Phillies 1." Retrosheet box score (April 29, 1956).
May May 2 – At Wrigley Field, the New York Giants defeat the Chicago Cubs, 6–5, in a 17-inning game (the National League's longest game by innings this season). Forty-eight 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. Chicago reliever Jim Brosnan, the losing pitcher, issues four intentional passes in two innings of work."New York Giants 6, Chicago Cubs 5 (17 innings)." Retrosheet box score (May 2, 1956)."Top Team Performances of 1956" at Retrosheet. May 11 – Five pitchers are involved in the five-player trade between the 5–13 Philadelphia Phillies and 13–6 St. Louis Cardinals. The scuffling Phils send right-handers Murry Dickson and Herm Wehmeier to the high-flying Cards for southpaw Harvey Haddix and righties Ben Flowers and Stu Miller. May 12 – Carl Erskine tosses the second no-hitter of his career as the Brooklyn Dodgers blank the Giants, 3–0, at Ebbets Field. His first no-hitter came on June 19, against the Chicago Cubs, also at Ebbets Field. May 14 The St. Louis Cardinals deal shortstop Solly Hemus, 33, to the Philadelphia Phillies for infielder Bobby Morgan. Hemus writes a letter to August A. Busch Jr. expressing his pride at having been a Cardinal that impresses the St. Louis owner so much, he decides, in September 1958, to reacquire Hemus and make him his player-manager. The Brooklyn Dodgers sell the contract of right-hander Billy Loes to the Baltimore Orioles for $20,000. Only 26, Loes has been plagued by inconsistency during his six years as a Dodger. May 15 – Brooklyn acquires 39-year-old right-hander Sal "The Barber" Maglie from the Cleveland Indians. Once despised as an infamous "headhunter" as the ace starting pitcher of the arch-rival New York Giants, Maglie will help pitch the 1956 Dodgers to the National League pennant. May 17 – In one of general manager "Frantic" Frank Lane's worst trades, the St. Louis Cardinals deal outfielder and National League Rookie of the Year Bill Virdon to the Pittsburgh Pirates for pitcher Dick Littlefield and outfielder Bobby Del Greco. Virdon will patrol center field in Pittsburgh for almost a decade, win a Gold Glove and a World Series ring.
May 19 – Dale Long, first baseman of the Pittsburgh Pirates, hits his seventh home run of 1956 in the eighth inning of a 7–4 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. The two-run blast is the first of Long's MLB-record eight home runs in eight consecutive games.