The 1923 Yankees beat the 1956 Yankees four games to two in their six game series. As a result, both teams have identical 45-39 records.
Game One was a pitching duel that went nine scoreless innings. After a Wally Pipp triple, Joe Dugan hit a walk-off single to give the '23 Yankees a 1-0 win. The '56 Yankees evened the series emphatically in Game Two with a 9-1 win. Enos Slaughter led the way, going 3-4 with a triple, homerun, three RBI, and three runs scored. The '23 Yankees retook the lead in the series with a 4-1 win in Game Three. Babe Ruth’s three-run homer made the difference in that one. Don Larsen helped even the series again with a three-hit shutout in a 4-0 Game Four win. The '23 Yankees won the final two games 4-3 and 5-4. Carl Mays had some sloppy outings in those two games but still racked up a win and three saves in the series.
Ruth’s average dropped to .390 with 31 homeruns, 81 RBI, 82 runs scored, and a 1.377 OPS. Whitey Witt is hitting .265 with 51 runs scored. Aaron Ward is hitting .249 with 50 RBI. Sam Jones and Waite Hoyt have ERAs below 3 at 2.92 and 2.54 respectively. Mays is now 2-5 with eight saves and a 5.02 ERA.
Mickey Mantle leads the '56 Yankees in hitting at .292 with 22 homeruns, 56 RBI, 65 runs scored, and a .939 OPS. Gil McDougald is hitting .275 with 52 runs scored. Bill Skowron is hitting .270 with 18 homeruns and 62 runs scored. Yogi Berra is hitting .266 with 13 homeruns, 66 RBI, and 57 runs scored. Hank Bauer has 12 homeruns and 51 RBI. Larsen’s shutout improved his record to 6-5 with a 3.61 ERA. The '56 Yankees also have two starters with ERAs under 3 with Johnny Kucks (2.94) and Whitey Ford (2.24). The '56 Yankees will face the 34-26 1951 Yankees in the next series.
