1956 Cincinnati Redlegs season


The 1956 Cincinnati Redlegs season consisted of the Redlegs finishing in third place in the National League with a record of 91–63, two games behind the NL Champion Brooklyn Dodgers. The Redlegs were managed by Birdie Tebbetts and played their home games at Crosley Field, where they drew 1,125,928 fans, third-most in their league.

Offseason

The Redlegs were in first place at mid-season and stayed in the pennant race until the last day of the season, ending up with a 91–63 record, two games behind the Brooklyn Dodgers. For his efforts, the Baseball Writers' Association of America voted Birdie Tebbetts as the 1956 Manager of the Year.
The 1956 Redlegs tied the National League and MLB record for home runs in a season, hitting 221 over 155 regular-season games. Three Redlegs hit more than 35 homers, with Frank Robinson establishing a record for rookies; Wally Post and Ted Kluszewski were the others. Gus Bell and Ed Bailey came within reach of the 30-home-run mark, Bailey in only 383 at bats. The mark stood until, when the New York Yankees hit 240 homers in the first year of the modern 162-game schedule.
On Sunday, June 24, following a doubleheader sweep of the Brooklyn Dodgers, eleven Redlegs players appeared on the panel quiz show What's My Line?.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Notable transactions

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
PosPlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
C118383115.3002875
1B138517156.30235102
2B154632180.285241
SS150479126.263362
3B130407104.2561566
LF152572166.2903883
CF150603176.2922984
RF143539134.2493683

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
PlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
9022963.2751239
7714034.243016
7714436.2501023
8013941.295822
405312.22625
71194.21101
10174.23512
18111.09100
573.42902
751.20000
1340.00000
320.00000
720.00000
510.00000
100---00
100---00

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGIPWLERASO
3721112114.0986
44200.213113.72120
834.2235.1916

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGIPWLERASO
49218.219103.9996
45177.211114.0586
38171823.8455
2983.2432.3754
1969.1301.9547
1127244.674
619016.6310

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGWLSVERASO
64145173.4017
323224.5227
200012.001
100018.000
10000.001

Farm system

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Douglas