1956 World Series - New York Yankees Vs. Brooklyn Dodgers

In baseball, it happens every fall. Hearts flutter, blood pressure rises, excitement fills the air. It's World Series time, the premier event of the American sports scene. 1956 presents an encore performance by the same antagonists who fought it out in a thrilling seven-game series in 1955. The Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Yankees, managed by Walt Alston and Casey Stengel. Baseball is unchallenged as our great national game. No other sport can sustain the interest of the entire country for six long months and then rekindle it to climactic heights in a postseason series. From the tiniest little leaguer in a crossroads town to the number one citizen in the White House, pulses quicken as attention is turned to the struggle for baseball supremacy. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, despite a busy election year, finds time to attend the opening game of the 1956 series at Brooklyn. Manager Alston of Brooklyn introduces all the Dodgers to President Eisenhower, who had made a special request to shake hands with all the players. Next come the Yankees, introduced by Manager Stengel. Beginning their warm-ups down in the will hurl for the Dodgers. Sal staged a great comeback for Brooklyn, highlighting his 13 victories with a no-hitter September 25th. Going for the Yankees will be Ed Whitey Ford, the stocky southpaw, who won 19 games during the regular season. The capacity throng rises for the national anthem while the colors are raised. The umpires gather at the plate for a briefing on ground rules and a check of the lineup card. President Eisenhower tosses out the first ball to catcher Roy Campanella, safely clearing the heads of the battery of photographers with a perfect pitch. Campy promptly returns the ball to the president. Magli takes his warm-up throws. Hank Bauer steps to the plate and the series is underway. Bauer grounds out to Jackie Robinson for the first out of the game. Tina Slaughter slashes the ball down to Gil Hodges and it skids off his glove for a hit. That brings to the plate Mickey Mantle, winner of baseball's triple batting crown. He won the American League batting title. Let-in runs batted in and walloped a total of 52 home runs. Magli gets one strike on Mantle and there it goes over the right field fence across Bedford Avenue and deep into a parking lot. Slaughter scores ahead of Mantle and the Yankees have a quick two to nothing lead. In the last half of the second inning, Robinson gets the first hit of four. It's a homer into the left field stand. Hodges drops a pop fly single into short center. Furillo follows with a double to left center and Hodges races home to tie the score at two and two. With one out in the third inning, Reese of the Dodgers beats out a hit to deep short on which Gil McDougal makes a sparkling backhanded stop but his throw is too late. Snyder drops a single into center field. Gil Hodges smashes a home run into the left field lower deck. Reese and Snyder score ahead of him and the Dodgers lead five to two. With one out in the fourth inning, Martin hits Magli's first pitch into the left field seat and the Yankees reduce the lead. Magli pitching brilliantly still has his three-run lead going into the ninth. First up is Hank Bauer. Magli's baffling curveball. It's the tenth strikeout for the barber. Slaughter has given Magli a single to left. That brings up Mantle. On the second pitch, Mickey hits sharply to Junior Gilliam who starts a lightning double play and the Dodgers win six to three. Magli is mobbed by his mates and the crowd gives the amazing veteran an ovation. This time, however, the fans do not rush for the exit. They remain in their seats until President Eisenhower leaves. The president obviously enjoyed himself. For a few hours at least, he was able to leave behind the cares of state just as millions of other fans during the season escaped the stress and strain of their own lives by the relaxation of watching a ball game. It was a wonderful day for the Dodgers too. Magli the Magnificent, who had won the big ones for the Dodgers in the pen and stretch drive, came through once again. And there was great personal satisfaction for Magli since it was his first World Series victory after losing one while with the Giants. Adlai Stevenson, candidate for the presidency, interrupts his busy campaign through the East to visit Ebbets Field for the second game of the World Series. A distinguished spectator, Stevenson shows he's neutral by wearing both Dodger and Yankee caps. Another neutral is the commissioner of baseball with Mrs. Brick. Starting pitchers for game two are Don Larson and Don Newcomb. Newcomb, 27-game winner this season, will try to make it two straight for the Dodgers over the Yankees. The Yanks, after taking a one to nothing lead in the first inning, are on the march in the second. Larson's base hit brings in Billy Martin, who had singled and was sacrificed the second. And now it's two to nothing with one out. McDougald drives a hit to right and Larson pulls up at second. Enos Florida slaps the ground at a race and McDougald is forced at second while Larson takes third. Mickey Mantle's up. Newcomb, pitching carefully, walks the home run of 1956. Base is filled and Yogi Berra advances to the plate. Now the Brooklyn pitcher is in a spot. Newcomb's first pitch misses the plate. On the next one, Berra connects and the ball goes high and far over the right field wall. Four more runs, a six to nothing lead, and Yogi has hit the fifth grand slammer in World Series annals. It's a long, slow walk for Don Newcomb. That's a nice fat lead for Larson as Gil Hodges opens the Dodger half of the second with a single to right center. Joe Collins takes Sandy Amherst's grounder but waits. He drops the ball and there's no play at either base. It's his first World Series error. The bases are filled when Carl Furillo walks. Pampanella sends a sacrifice fly to slaughter and Hodges scores the Dodgers' first run. Dale Mitchell comes up to bat for Roebuck and Billy Martin takes his top foul. The bases are jammed again when Gilliam walks. Dengel calls for Johnny Cooks to get that third out. Rees, after hitting four fouls, singles to left, sending Amherst and Furillo across the plate. It's time for another pitching change. Dengel brings in Tommy Byrne, a southpaw, to face left hand hitting Duke Snyder. The Duke misses a wide curve but not this one. There it goes over the right center field screen and this game is tied six and six. It's Snyder's 10th series homer tying Joycing now. The Dodgers add a run in the third but the Yankees make it seven and seven in the fourth off Don Besant. It's Hodges up in the fifth against Morgan. Snyder and Robinson on base. Again it's a drive to left and Slaughter sprawls as the ball goes past him for a double. Now it's 11 to 7. Brooklyn's up in the eighth and Mickey McDermott is the Yankees' seventh pitcher, a World Series record for one club in a single game. Furillo singles to left. Bauer dropped Campanella's fly for an error. The runners move up when Besant sacrifices. Now the Yankee infield draws in for a possible play at the plate but Gilliam's sharp hit goes past Martin. In come Furillo and Campanella. Brooklyn 13, New York 7. It's the last chance for the Yankees as they come up in the ninth. Slaughter leads off with a single. Mantle flies to Snyder but Berra singles to center and Slaughter takes third. Collins forces Berra, Reese to Gilliam and Slaughter brings in the first Yankee runoff Besant since the fourth inning. Besant has his first World Series victory when Bauer flies to Gino Simoli. For the second straight game Brooklyn fans have something to cheer about. The World Series moves to Yankee Stadium for the third game. Walter O'Malley, president of the Brooklyn club, his wife and son are enjoying the situation immensely. Another happy group includes President Warren Giles of the National League and two members of his staff, Fred Flagg and Dave Grody. Brooklyn's two coaches, Billy Herman and Jake Pitler, who were so busy waving runners around the bases at Ebbets Field, hope the activity continues. Starting pitchers for the third game are Whitey Ford and Roger Craig. After a scoreless first inning Robinson walks to open the Brooklyn second. Hodges smashes the ball to deep short and both runners are safe when Robinson flies into second ahead of McDougall's throw. Urillo flies to Bauer and Robinson takes third. Campanella follows with a long drive to right field. Bauer slips as he starts for the ball but recovers and makes a sparkling catch in front of the Yankee bullpen and Robinson trots home to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. With one out in the Yankee half of the second, Martin drives the ball into the left field seat and the game is tied at 1-1. There is no further scoring threat until Reese trickles to right center with one. Schneider then sends Mantle deep for his 400-foot drive to center field. Reese has plenty of time to score and put Brooklyn back in the lead 2-1. With one out and Bauer on first following a single, Berra keeps the rally rolling with a single to right center and Bauer dashes to third. Slaughter is the next batter and works the push of Craig to a 3-1 count. Craig then makes one too good for Slaughter and he propels the ball into the right field stand scoring Bauer and Berra ahead of him and sending the Yankees out in front 4-2. Slaughter is given a hero's welcome by the Yankee bench and when he goes to the outfield to give him another special ovation. Guerrillo opens the ninth with a 400-foot smash to right center. He races past second base and is out at third when Martin throws a strike on a relay from Bauer. Carey tosses out Charlie Neal for the last out and the Yankees win 5-3. The fans depart talking about the ageless Slaughter and the excellent pitching of Whitey Ford who scattered eight hits for his fourth World Series victory. Sturdivant, 26-year-old right hander who helped the Yankees win the flag with a 16-8 record, will face the National League champion. Tom draws an experience World Series competitor 29-year-old Carl Erskine will be making his 10th appearance and seventh start. Officials of the New York Giants headed by President Horace Stoneham are here to watch the excitement. Also among today's crowd are Frank Lane, St. Louis Cardinals general manager and the club's field skipper Fred Hutchinson. Another who will be pulling for the Dodgers is Bob Carpenter, president of the Philadelphia Phil. Sturdivant holds the Dodgers safe in their first and now Hank Bauer faces Erskine in the Yankee half. Back goes Snyder for the drive 400 feet away, holding the ball as he scrawls. The Yanks have their first base runner when Collins doubles to the right field corner. Hodges takes Mantle's grounder and Erskine covers for the out. Collins moving over to third. There are two strikes on Berra when he slashes a single into the outfield after Reese makes a desperate dive for the ball. Collins comes in to give the Yankees a one to nothing lead. That's still the score when Snyder doubles off the right field wall at the sound of the fourth. The first hit off Sturdivant. After Robinson fouls out, Hodges drops a soft single to center scoring Snyder with a tying run. This makes it eight runs batted in for Gill, only one short of the World Series record. Mantle works Erskine for a pass at the start of the Yankee fourth. As Berra strikes out, Mickey steals second. With first base open, Erskine gives Slaughter an intentional pass, bringing booze from the Yankee fans. Strategy goes astray when Martin singles to left center, scoring Mantle and putting Slaughter on third. A sacrificed fly by Gill McDougal, the Snyder brings in Slaughter for a three to one Yankee edge. It's still Yankees three, Dodgers one, when McDougal moves to his left and whips out Hodges. Ed Roebuck faces Mantle at the start of the Yankee sixth. After looking at one pitch, the slugger pounds the next one into the center field deeper. His second homer of the series and seventh in postseason play. With Andy Carrion first after hitting a single off Don Drysdale in the New York seventh, Bauer wallops his first World Series homer, a shot into the lower left field seat. The Yankees lead six to one. It's the ninth inning. Robinson leads off with a double to deep left center. Following a strikeout by Hodges, Amaris walks. Sturtevant's in trouble after walking Burillo to load the bases with only one away. Campanella drops a single into left field and Robinson comes across the plate. Stengel talks to Sturtevant and gives him a pat and a vote of confidence. Randy Jackson bats for Drysdale and takes a third strike. The Dodgers' last hope is Gilliam, but he lifts a fly to mantle for the final out of the ball game. The 69,705 fans have seen the Yankees fight back to square the series in this fourth match. It's a big moment for Tom Sturtevant, who started his career as an infielder. Manager Bertie Tebbets and general manager Gabe Paul of Cincinnati are among the spectators at the fifth game, but they didn't miss by much having active roles themselves in the 1956 World Series. Phil Rizzuto, former Yankee shortstop, is engrossed in pre-game chatter with general manager Hank Greenberg of Cleveland. Before the game, Casey Stengel of the Yankees has an informal council of war with his fine staff of coaches, Bill Dickey, Frank Cressetti, and Jim Turner. The fifth game obviously is a big one with the series tied at two all, and Stengel would like to get the edge before the action returns to Brooklyn. He had success bringing back Ford for a second start following an early round knockout in Brooklyn, and he tries it again with Don Larson. For the Dodgers, it's once more the fabulous Sal Magli, winner of the opening game, as Alston tries to regain the advantage lost the past two days. Robinson leads off the Brooklyn second by whistling a terrific liner at Andy Carey. The ball caroms off his glove to McDougal, who scoops it up and throws Robbie out. Magli is even rougher than he was in the first game. He retires the first 11 men to face him. Next to challenge him is Mantle with two out in the fourth inning. Magli works carefully. The count reaches two and two, and then Mantle hammers the ball down the right field line and into the stands only a few feet fair. The Yankees lead one to nothing. Vera wraps a sizzling line at the center, and Duke Schneider races over and makes a sensational backhanded somersault catch, carrying the ball above the grass top. With one out in the Brooklyn fifth, Hodges rockets one of Larson's pitches to left center, and the drive looks good for extra bases. However, it's Mantle's turn for fielding brilliance as he overhauls the ball and makes a tremendous one-handed catch. Magli's first pitch is slapped into center field for a single by Carey in the sixth inning. Larson steps into the box and looks for a signal from third base coach Frank Cressetti. Larson lays down a sacrifice, and Carey moves to second. On Magli's second pitch, Bauer singles to left, and Carey scores to make it two to nothing for the Yankees. All attention by this time is being focused on Larson, and it isn't because of the strange sight he presents of pitching without a windup. Don hasn't permitted a hit, and no dodger has reached first base. He continues his pitching charm through the seventh, and now it's the eighth inning. Jackie Robinson is the first batter. With two strikes on him, Jackie bounces the ball to the box, and Larson tosses him out. Hodges is next. Larson begins with a called strike, and with a count one and two, Hodges lines to Carey. Then comes Amaris. For the third straight time, Larson starts with a called strike. On the second pitch, Amaris flies to mantle. There is no secret about Larson's no-hit pitch. He receives a deafening standing ovation from the crowd when he steps to the plate as the first Yankee batter in the eighth. But Magli still is conceding nothing. Larson strikes out. Bauer also goes down swinging on a back-breaking curve. Collins then takes his turn, and Magli also whiffs him to strike out the side. Now the stage is all Larson's, and a strange hush falls over the crowd as it realizes the overpowering drama of the situation. Never before has a pitcher hurled a no-hitter in a World Series, much less a perfect game. Larson is only three outs away. First man to face Larson in the ninth is Carl Fiorillo. The first pitch is a called strike. Fiorillo fouls the next one back into the screen. Ball one high. Another foul into the stand. Then still another. Fiorillo flies to Bauer. The second batter is Roy Campanella, another dangerous hitter. Crouching behind Yogi Berra at the plate is the most important man in the ballpark to Larson. That's the plate umpire, Dave Canelli. Every pitch is important now. Campanella fouls the first pitch down the left field line. Then Campy bounces the ball to Martin and is thrown out. Only one man now blocks Larson from the greatest pitching achievement of all time, and that man is Dale Mitchell, who comes to the plate to pinch hit for Magli. The first pitch is a ball high. Then a curve for a called strike. A swinging strike, and the count is one and two. Larson touches the rousing bag, takes his time, removes his cap. Another pitch is fouled off. Larson goes through the same cap-tugging and dirt-pawing maneuvers. He faces the batter again, and from behind the plate, umpire Canelli awaits the pitch with intense concentration. Here it comes. Mitchell starts to move the bat, checks the swing, and Canelli's arm goes up. Strike three, and with that fateful move, Canelli opens the door to the Hall of Fame for Larson. It also touches off one of the wildest player demonstrations the Yankees ever have staged. As the Yankees win two to nothing, and within a fraction of a second, Larson is surrounded by a seething mass of Yankees that gradually sweep him toward the clubhouse where Bedlam breaks loose. Larson's fantastic performance of retiring 27 men in succession hasn't been accomplished in the Major League since 1922. For Canelli, the game was a wonderful climax to an amazing 22-year career as a National League umpire in which he never missed an assignment in more than 3,400 games. Larson was lavish in his praise of his battery mate, Yogi Berra. Don pitched the perfect game, but Yogi also caught a perfect one. He turned in a brilliant job behind the plate. This World Series will be decided in Ebbets Field. Down three games to two, the Dodgers will battle to throw it into another deadlock. Brooklyn has beaten the Yankees five straight on this field, including three last year. The burden today is on Bob Turley, the fireballing right hander. He meets a tough opponent in Clem Labine, who comes out of the bullpen for the Dodgers' last-ditch stand. The American League office force from Chicago, headed by President Will Harridge with Earl Hilligan, service bureau director, is prepared to cheer another triumph by the Yankees. After Bauer opens with a single to center, Collins wraps to Gilliam, who starts a double play. Berra greets Labine with a single off the right field screen at the start of the Yankees' second. Gilliam comes in fast for Slaughter's roller and gets Berra's second with a backhand flip to Reese. It's still a scoreless battle as the Dodgers come up in the fifth. DiRillo strikes out. Turley's pitching without a windup. The Yankees' Campanella are a strikeout victim too. He whips Labine on three pitches, the eighth strikeout for Bob. Seventh inning is over and the battle is still scoreless when Campanella fans for the third time. It's the tenth strikeout for Turley. One is out in the New York 8 when Collins smashes a double off the scoreboard. Alston comes to the mound. Will Labine pitch to Mantle? No, he's giving Mickey an intentional pass. Berra sends a short fly to Snyder and the Dodgers breathe easier. Slaughter's roller is taken by Gilliam and the threat is over. It's great clutch pitching by the 30-year-old Labine. In the Brooklyn 8, Turley has two strikes on Labine when the pitcher doubles into the left field corner and it's only the third Dodger hit. Gilliam twice bunts foul. Then fans. Strikeouts are high for Yankee pitchers in World Series play. Mantle scoots over for Reese's fly. Then Stengel calls a strategy meeting for the dangerous Snyder at the plate. Brooklyn fans boo when the Duke is purposely passed. The Yankee crisis is over when Robinson hops to carry. The Yankees come to bat in the 10th. Only once before in series history have two teams gone into extra innings with neither having scored. Labine makes Turley a victim on strikes. Bauer sends a grounder to Reese for an easy out. Labine continues as Gilliam crosses out Collins to retire the Yankees. With one out in Brooklyn's 10th, Gilliam walks. Reese sacrifices. With first base open, the Yankees take no chances and pass Snyder. Robinson after a foul and a ball flashes a drive to left. The leap by Slaughter is in vain. Gilliam comes home in the single with a run which wins for the Dodgers one to nothing. Let's have another look at that play. It's a tough one for Turley to lose and a grand one for Labine to win. The crowd saw two great pitchers today and baseball drama at its best. Every game has its heroes. One of them certainly was Robinson who delivered the big hit and the other was Clem Labine with his great pitching skill. So tomorrow we'll tell the story. This is the day, a chilly one, October 10th, when the 1956 World Series champion will be crowned. Hundreds of reporters, photographers, and movie cameramen are in Ebbets Field for this seventh and deciding game between the Dodgers and the Yankees. A spectator for the entire series is Joe Cronin, general manager of the Boston Red Sox. 23-year-old Johnny Cooks, making his first series start, is the hope of the Yankees. For the Dodgers, it will be big Don Newcomb. And here are the men who have maintained the Yankee dynasty. Del Webb, George Weiss, Dan Topping, and Casey Stengel. Seven pennants in eight seasons for Casey and five World Series triumphs. There's the huddle at home plate and the Dodgers take the field for their rendezvous with destiny. Hank Bauer shoves off for the Yankees with a leadoff single in the first inning. Martin batting, Bauer steals second. Then Martin strikes out. Newcomb fans Mickey Mantle on a three and two pitch. The count is two strikes when Yogi Berra slams one down the right field line. His second homer of the series sends the Yankees out in front two to nothing. With one away in the Yankee third, Martin singles past Reese. Again, Mantle goes down swinging at Newcomb's blazing fastball. The Brooklyn pitcher gets two strikes on Berra. But Yogi connects and it's another homer over the right center wall. It's 10 runs batted in for Yogi, an all-time World Series record. The Yankees go ahead four to nothing. The start of the fourth inning and Elston Howard blasts a home run. Manager Alston calls for Don Besson to stop the Yankee sluggers. That's all for Newcomb. In the seventh, the Yanks still lead five to nothing. Roger Craig is the Brooklyn pitcher and Martin singles to left center. Mantle draws a walk and this brings up Berra. While Yogi is at bat, both runners advance in a wild pitch. The bases are filled when Berra has walked intentionally. No one out and Bill's scouring up. There goes the first pitch, a homer into the left field seat. That makes it nine to nothing. Series for the Yankees and it's the first time the same team has hit two grand slammers in the same series. Cooks goes into the ninth with a two hitter and a nine to nothing lead. Gilliam goes out on the ground at a scourer. Reese tries a surprise maneuver but Berra grabs in foul territory. Snyder drives a single to center. Robinson misses the third strike. He's with his nine to nothing crusher, have won their 17th World Series. The long struggle is over and it's a time of victorious madness for the Yankees who came back after losing the first two games. It was a great series, a series of surprises, a series of record-breaking slugging, of superlative pitching, topped by Don Larson's perfect game. For the second straight year, a seventh game was necessary to decide the champion in this 53rd World Series. A salute to the world champion Yankees and to the Dodgers, always a worthy opponent. A grand game again has reached its yearly climax, bringing thrills and enjoyment to millions at home and abroad, just as it will continue to do year after year.