1956 Boston Red Sox season

1956 Boston Red Sox
Major League affiliations
American League (since 1901)
Location
Fenway Park (since 1912)
Boston, Massachusetts (since 1901)
Other information
Owner(s)	Tom Yawkey
General manager(s)	Joe Cronin
Manager(s)	Pinky Higgins
Local television	WBZ-TV, Ch. 4 and WNAC-TV, Ch. 7
Local radio	WHDH-AM 850 (Curt Gowdy, Bob Murphy)
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The 1956 Boston Red Sox season involved the Red Sox finishing 4th in the American League with a record of 84 wins and 70 losses.

Offseason

• November 8, 1955: Karl Olson, Dick Brodowski, Tex Clevenger, Neil Chrisley, and Al Curtis (minors) were traded by the Red Sox to the Washington Senators for Mickey Vernon, Bob Porterfield, Johnny Schmitz, and Tom Umphlett.^[1]
• November 27, 1955: Ed Mayer was drafted from the Red Sox by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1955 minor league draft.^[2]

Regular season

Season standings

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

Record vs. opponents

1956 American League Records Sources:
Team	BAL	BOS	CWS	CLE	DET	KC	NYY	WSH
Baltimore	—	6–16	9–13	5–17	13–9	15–7	9–13	12–10
Boston	16–6	—	14–8	13–9–1	12–10	12–10	8–14	9–13
Chicago	13–9	8–14	—	15–7	13–9	14–8	9–13	13–9
Cleveland	17–5	9–13–1	7–15	—	11–11	17–5	10–12	17–5
Detroit	9–13	10–12	9–13	11–11	—	16–6	12–10	15–7–1
Kansas City	7–15	10–12	8–14	5–17	6–16	—	4–18	12–10
New York	13–9	14–8	13–9	12–10	10–12	18–4	—	17–5
Washington	10–12	13–9	9–13	5–17	7–15–1	10–12	5–17	—

Opening Day lineup

10	Billy Goodman	2B
11	Frank Malzone	3B
9	Ted Williams	LF
4	Jackie Jensen	RF
6	Mickey Vernon	1B
37	Jimmy Piersall	CF
24	Don Buddin	SS
22	Sammy White	C
18	Frank Sullivan	P

Roster

1956 Boston Red Sox
Roster
Pitchers 40 Frank Baumann 23 Tom Brewer 14 Ike Delock 16 Harry Dorish 28 Tom Hurd 19 Leo Kiely 29 Rudy Minarcin 15 Willard Nixon 17 Mel Parnell 20 Bob Porterfield 21 Johnny Schmitz 39 Dave Sisler 18 Frank Sullivan 27 George Susce		Catchers  8 Pete Daley 22 Sammy White Infielders  2 Milt Bolling 24 Don Buddin  7 Billy Consolo 10 Billy Goodman 35 Billy Klaus 12 Ted Lepcio 11 Frank Malzone 24 Gene Mauch  6 Mickey Vernon  3 Norm Zauchin		Outfielders 25 Dick Gernert  4 Jackie Jensen 37 Jimmy Piersall 38 Gene Stephens 26 Faye Throneberry  9 Ted Williams Other batters  1 Grady Hatton 20 Marty Keough		Manager  5 Pinky Higgins Coaches 32 Del Baker 31 Jack Burns 33 Dave Ferriss 30 Mickey Owen 34 Paul Schreiber

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Pos	Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI
1B	Vernon, MickeyMickey Vernon	119	403	125	.310	15	84

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in

Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
Porterfield, BobBob Porterfield	25	126	3	12	5.14	53

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts

Player	G	W	L	SV	ERA	SO
Baumann, FrankFrank Baumann	7	2	1	0	3.28	18

Farm system

Level	Team	League	Manager
Open	San Francisco Seals	Pacific Coast League	Eddie Joost and Joe Gordon
AA	Oklahoma City Indians	Texas League	Rudy Laskowski, Ray Cash and Jodie Beeler
A	Albany Senators	Eastern League	Sheriff Robinson
B	Greensboro Patriots	Carolina League	Eddie Popowski
C	San Jose JoSox	California League	Dick Whitman
D	Lafayette Red Sox	Midwest League	Len Okrie
D	Lexington Red Sox	Nebraska State League	Danny Doyle
D	Corning Red Sox	PONY League	Elmer Yoter

^[3]

Notes

1. Mickey Vernon at Baseball-Reference
2. Ed Mayer at Baseball-Reference
3. Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 2nd edition. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 2007

References

• 1956 Boston Red Sox team at Baseball-Reference
• 1956 Boston Red Sox season at baseball-almanac.com