Damn Yankees by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview

Damn Yankees

Page 139

There was not much of a pennant race in the American League in 1956, with the Yankees leading from the second week of the season onwards. With little suspense as to the team's standing, much attention turned to Mantle's batting, as he made a serious run at Babe Ruth's record of 60 home runs in a season, finishing with 52, and won the Triple Crown. On August 25th, Old Timers' Day, Stengel and Weiss met with the little used, declining, and ageing Rizzuto, the last of the "McCarthy Yankees" and released him from the team so they could acquire Enos Slaughter.

The World Series that year was again against the Dodgers, who

won the first two games at Ebbets Field. Stengel lectured the team before Game 3 at Yankee Stadium and the team responded with a victory in Games 3 and 4. For Game 5, Stengel pitched Don Larsen, who had been knocked out of Game 2. Larsen responded with a perfect game, the only one in major league postseason

history. Larsen, a big, off speed artist, stated that his control was never as good as it was that day. The Dodgers won Game 6 as the Series returned to Ebbets Field. Many expected Whitey Ford to start Game 7, but Stengel chose Johnny Kucks, an 18 game winner that season who had been used twice in relief in the Series. Kucks threw a three hit shutout as the Yankees won the championship, 9–0, Stengel's sixth as their manager.