Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees hits a pair of tape measure home runs against Camilo Pascual at Griffith Stadium

Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees hits a pair of tape measure home runs against Camilo Pascual at Griffith Stadium

ByThis Day in Baseball

On April 17, 1956, Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees hits a pair of tape measure home runs against Camilo Pascual at Griffith Stadium. Both long balls are estimated at over 500 feet. The Yankees and Washington Senators combine for six home runs in a 10-4 Opening Day victory for the Bombers. @ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF90YWdzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6InBvc3RfdGFnIn19@

Three future Hall of Famers make their major league debuts on April 17 – Don Drysdale, Frank Robinson and Luis Aparicio

Three future Hall of Famers make their major league debuts on April 17 – Don Drysdale, Frank Robinson and Luis Aparicio

ByThis Day in Baseball

On April 17, 1956, three future Hall of Famers make their major league debuts. Luis Aparicio of the Chicago White Sox, Don Drysdale of the Brooklyn Dodgers and Frank Robinson of the Cincinnati Reds play the first games of their brilliant careers. The 19 year old Drysdale pitches 1 inning of scoreless relief vs Philadelphia….

Willie Mays Autographed Picture - 8x10

“The Catch”, Part 2. A year and a half after one of baseball’s most celebrated moments, Willie Mays again robs Vic Wertz again

ByTom

1956 – “The Catch”, Part 2. A year and a half after one of baseball’s most celebrated moments, Willie Mays again robs Vic Wertz. New York Times beat writer Louis Effrat reports: “Those who saw Willie Mays of the Giants rob Vic Wertz of the Indians in the first game of the 1954 World Series should have seen what the Say Hey Kid did to the same man today. The occasion was a Cactus League expedition, which the Tribe won, 10 – 5. With the Giants five runs behind in the 5th inning, Willie ran from center to right center and reached a spot 400 feet away from home plate a fraction of a second before the ball would have hit the wall. Mays caught the ball in his gloved hand and cushioned his crash against the fence with his other hand. He lost his cap but held tightly to the ball for the third out. There were two Indians aboard, so Mays’ catch blocked a couple of runs.”

Two Triples and one Triple Play, courtesy of Roberto Clemente and Eddie O’Brien 

Two Triples and one Triple Play, courtesy of Roberto Clemente and Eddie O’Brien 

ByTom

1956 – Two Triples and one Triple Play, courtesy of Roberto Clemente and Eddie O’Brien respectively. These, along with the first home runs of the spring for Frank Thomas and Jack Shepard, are the highlights of Pittsburgh’s exhibition win over Detroit, a somewhat slovenly 10 – 5 affair. For sheer novelty, O’Brien’s spectacularly unsuccessful 6th-inning sacrifice attempt is hard to top. Les Biederman of the Pittsburgh Press reports: “O’Brien tried to bunt but popped the ball to pitcher Bill Black, who threw to first and the relay went to second base in time for the first triple play of the exhibition season.” Going from the ridiculous to the sublime, there’s Clemente, who, in Fort Myers as in Forbes Field, has quickly established himself as the fan favorite. By far the most incendiary of today’s highlights are Clemente’s two two-run triples. “Clemente brought down the house when he twice tripled with two aboard,” writes Biederman, “and the 1,289 fans gave him the glad hand.”

Mickey Mantle blasts a spring training homerun and Stan Musial contends, “no home run has ever cleared my head by as much as long as I can remember.”

Mickey Mantle blasts a spring training homerun and Stan Musial contends, “no home run has ever cleared my head by as much as long as I can remember.”

ByTom

1956 – At Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg there are no maybes about it as Mickey Mantle hits a Grapefruit League pitch from Larry Jackson over the left field wall into the bay. The Yankees top the Cardinals, 4 – 3. Stan Musial contends, “no home run has ever cleared my head by as much as long as I can remember.” Mantle will hit another at Al Lang Field on March 20th off Bob Mabe that also lands in the water, and will clock a 500-foot shot in Miami four days later against the Dodgers.

Roberto Clemente hits Pittsburgh’s inaugural dinger of spring training in an in-house affair

Roberto Clemente hits Pittsburgh’s inaugural dinger of spring training in an in-house affair

ByThis Day in Baseball

1956 – Pirates second-year man Roberto Clemente hits Pittsburgh’s inaugural dinger of spring training in an in-house affair, coached by two key figures in Clemente’s career: “Roberto Clemente slammed three hits today,” reports the Associated Press, “including the first homer by a Pittsburgh Pirate, as the ‘Sukeforths’ defeated the ‘Murtaughs’ 9 – 3 in an intra-squad game.”

The Players Association accept the owners’ decisions on minimum pay and the World Series television agreement

ByTom

1956 – The Players Association accept the owners’ decisions on minimum pay and the World Series television agreement. They seek workman’s compensation coverage. The PA rehire J.M. Lewis as their representative.