1956 Final Standings

American League:

New York Yankees 97-57, .630 .... Cleveland Indians 88-66, .571 9 GB .... Chicago White Sox 85-69, .552 12 GB .... Boston Red Sox 84-70, .545 13 GB .... Detroit Tigers 82-72, .532 15 GB .... Baltimore Orioles 69-85, .448 28 GB .... Washington Senators 59-95, .383 38 GB .... Kansas City Athletics 52-102, .338 45 GB

National League:

Brooklyn Dodgers 93-61, .604 .... Milwaukee Braves 92-62, .597 1 GB .... Cincinnati Reds 91-63, .591 2 GB .... St. Louis Cardinals 76-78, .494 17 GB .... Philadelphia Phillies 71-83, .461 22 GB .... New York Giants 67-87, .435 26 GB .... Pittsburgh Pirates 66-88, .429 27 GB .... Chicago Cubs 60-94, .390 33 GB

The New York Yankees defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1956 World Series, winning 4 games to 3

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I'm Not Going Fishing With You!

Early Wynn was one of baseball's "nice-guys, tough-guys". He was always willing to help his teammates, his friends and very pleasant to his fans. He was always willing to sign autographs and was a just a top-of-the line good-guy. But to opposing players, he ranked as a "tough son-of-a-gun". Mickey Mantle once said, "Early Wynn was so mean he'd knock you down in the dugout". Opposing hitters will always remember Wynn for the way he established himself with inside fastballs. One time, when Wynn was pitching for the Indians, he invited Red Sox's slugger Ted Williams to go fishing in the Everglades. Williams, an ardent fisherman declined by saving, "No hitter ever would go into the Everglades with a pitcher like you. His body might never be found." Once while pitching a game in 1956, Wynn was hit in the jaw by a hard line drive. He refused to come out of the game immediately. When he finally did leave, he needed 16 stitches and lost seven of his lower teeth. Early Wynn won 300 lifetime games with only 244 loses, pitched from 1939-1963. Wynn won 20 or more games in five different seasons and was voted into the Hall of Fame in 1972. Baseballhistorian.com Personal Memories - Green Boxes

 

American League 1956 Batting Leaders Mickey Mantle assaulted American League pitchers in 1956, winning the coveted 'Triple Crown' - by leading the league in batting average, home runs and RBIs Batting Leaders -American League - 1956 Mickey Mantle, New York Yankees .353 ..... Ted Williams, Boston Red Sox .345 ..... Harvey Kuenn, Detroit Tigers .332 ..... Charlie Maxwell, Detroit .326 ..... Bob Nieman, Baltimore Orioles .320 ..... Minnie Minoso, Chicago White Sox .316 ..... Jackie Jensen, Boston Red Sox .315 ..... Al Kaline, Detroit .314 ..... Gil McDougald, Yankees .311 ..... Pete Runnels, Washington Senators .310 ..... Vic Power, Kansas City A's .309 ..... Ray Boone, Detroit .308 ..... Bill 'Moose' Skowron, Yankees .308 ..... Yogi Berra, Yankees .298

There'll never be another Willie Mays!

According to baseballhistorian.com - Search Engine - Willie Mays, even after all these years, still ranks in the top percentage of fans searching our site for their favorite players. Here's what 'The Sporting News' reported about 'Wonderful Willie Mays' - 1998 Edition - 'Baseball's Greatest Players' 'He might have been as close to baseball perfection as we'll ever get. And from the moment you walked into the stadium and took your seat, through the final out of every game, your eyes, by sheer magnetic force, were drawn to the youthful smile, the boundless enthusiasm and the graceful athleticism of Willie Mays. The 'Say Hey Kid,' the former New York and San Francisco star who set the lofty standard by which center fielders will forever be judged, could dominate a game in ways beyond comprehension. Baseball lore is filled with accounts of incredible Mays catches and throws. He seemed to enjoy showcasing his daring baserunning ability for national audiences in a record-tying 24 All-Star Games. He was a career .302 hitter who could break up a pitching duel with an opposite-field bloop single. Or his powerful arms and sculpted 5-11 body could drive the ball out of any National League ballpark. Mays made an indelible stamp on the record books with 3,283 hits and 660 home runs (third highest total). But memories somehow gravitate toward the graceful ease with which he made difficult defensive plays look easy and the head-to-the-outfield acceleration around second base on a ball into the gap. Mays appeared to be in perpetual motion - even when standing still. And that energy level and enthusiasm might have been his greatest weapon. Mays used it to mesmerize fans for 22 major league seasons, from his rookie 1951 campaign with the New York Giants to his 1973 finale with the New York Mets. His love for baseball never wavered, and neither did the impact he had on the game. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 'There'll be another regular Giants' center fielder some day. But Never another Willie Mays," said Barry Bonds in 1990... in an article for 'The Sporting News'

Home Runs Duke Snider 407 Life-Time Home Runs, Left-handed Batter

Edwin Donald Snider, another Hall of Famer the electorate took its time certifying, waited 11 years for Cooperstown recognition in 1980. Whatever caused the delay, it couldn't been his home runs stats. He clouted 407 homers in 16 seasons with the Dodgers in Brooklyn and Los Angeles, the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants. Known as The Duke during his glory years at Ebbets Field, he pounded 389 homers for the Dodgers and although he hasn't swung a bat for them since 1962, that figure still stands as the club's all-time home run record, likewise his 1,271 RBIs. A flawless centerfielder, Snider, along with Ralph Kiner, is the only National Leaguer to hit 40 or more homers for five straight seasons. He had a high of 46 in 1956 in Brooklyn. Duke appeared in six World Series and poled 11 homers. Twice he had a four-homer Series, against the Yankees in 1952 and again in 1955. His .336 batting average in 1953 was his highest, and his lifetime average is .295. In recent years he was a broadcaster for the Montreal Expos. from 'The Home Run Book' by Topps Baseball Card Co. 1981-Edition