1956 Global World Series
International baseball competition held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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The 1956 Global World Series was the second edition of the Global World Series, an international baseball tournament organized by the International Baseball Congress in the mid-1950s. It was held in Milwaukee from September 7 to 13, 1956.
| |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Teams | 8 |
| Defending champions |  United States |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  United States |
| Runners-up |  Hawaii |
| Third place |  Japan |
| Fourth place |  Mexico |
Background
The Global World Series emerged as an alternative tournament to the Amateur World Series (AWS), the internationally sanctioned baseball world championship, which was last held in 1953, and would not be held again until 1961.[1][2] While the AWS was strictly for amateurs and did not allow professional baseball players, the Global World Series was organized by the semi-professional National Baseball Congress (NBC), under the auspices of NBC President Ray Dumont and former Major League Baseball Commissioner Happy Chandler.[3][4] The first edition of the tournament was held in 1955, with the United States (represented by a semi-pro club from Wichita, Kansas) taking the gold medal.[3]
Participants
The 1956 United States squad was represented by the Allen Dairymen, a semi-pro team from Fort Wayne, Indiana. The team included two players with Negro league experience: John Kennedy, who would soon become the first African American to play for the Philadelphia Phillies, and Wilmer Fields, an all-star with the Homestead Grays. It also included Don Pavletich, a future catcher for the Cincinnati Reds.[3][5]
Japan was represented by the Yokohama Nippon Oil club, which won the 1956 intercity baseball tournament. The team, managed by Keiichiro Masuyama, was captained by outfielder Tokichiro Ishii and included pitcher Motoshi Fujita, a future player and manager of the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball.[6] Yu Hanai, billed in American media as "the Babe Ruth of Japan", would go on to play with the Nishitetsu Lions of NPB.[3][7]
The Canadian representatives were the North Battleford Beavers, champions of the Western Canada League; the team was led by player-manager Emile Francis, best known as a professional ice hockey coach and former player.[8][9][10] Hawaii was again represented by the Honolulu Red Sox, managed by Lawrence Kunihisa. One pitcher, John Sardinha, would later play two seasons in Japan with the Nankai Hawks.[3][11]
The other national teams were true all-star selections.[3] Carlos "Petaca" Rodríguez was on the Colombian team.[12] The Netherlands national team, winners of the 1956 European Baseball Championship, were managed by Henk Keulemans and headlined by pitchers Jan Smidt and Han Urbanus.[13] Puerto Rico included Félix Torres, recently of the Reds system, who would later play with the Los Angeles Angels.[14]
Venue
| Milwaukee, Wisconsin | |
|---|---|
| Milwaukee County Stadium | |
| Capacity: 15,000 | |
 |
Results
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | RF | RA | RD | PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States (H) |
5 | 4 | 1 | 29 | 12 | +17 | .800 |
| 2 | Hawaii |
6 | 4 | 2 | 27 | 13 | +14 | .667 |
| 3 | Japan |
5 | 3 | 2 | 19 | 18 | +1 | .600 |
| 4 | Mexico |
4 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 26 | −13 | .500 |
| 5 |  Puerto Rico |
3 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 12 | +7 | .333 |
| 6 |  Colombia |
3 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 12 | +2 | .333 |
| 7 |  Canada |
2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 15 | −10 | .000 |
| 8 |  Netherlands |
2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 21 | −18 | .000 |
| September 7, 1956 8:00 (UTC-6) |
Canada |
4–5 | Japan |
Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee |
| September 8, 1956 13:00 (UTC-6) |
Hawaii |
3–5 | United States |
Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee |
| September 8, 1956 18:00 (UTC-6) |
Netherlands |
2–14 (F/7) | Puerto Rico |
Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee |
| September 8, 1956 | Mexico |
8–5 | Colombia |
Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee |
| September 9, 1956 13:00 (UTC-6) |
Colombia |
7–1 | Netherlands |
Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee |
| September 9, 1956 | Hawaii |
10–1 (F/8) | Canada |
Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee |
| September 9, 1956 18:00 (UTC-6) |
United States |
6–2 | Puerto Rico |
Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee |
| September 9, 1956 | Japan |
5–0 | Mexico |
Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee |
| September 10, 1956 12:30 (UTC-6) |
Japan |
6–3 | United States |
Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee |
| September 10, 1956 18:00 (UTC-6) |
Puerto Rico |
3–4 | Mexico |
Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee |
| September 10, 1956 | Colombia |
2–3 | Hawaii |
Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee |
| September 11, 1956 18:00 (UTC-6) |
Mexico |
1–13 (F/6) | United States |
Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee |
| September 11, 1956 | Hawaii |
2–0 | Japan |
Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee |
| September 11, 1956 18:00 (UTC-6) |
Japan |
3–9 | Hawaii |
Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee |
| September 11, 1956 18:00 (UTC-6) |
United States |
2–0 | Hawaii |
Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee |
Final standings
| Rk | Team | W | L | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States |
4 | 1 |  | |||
| 2 | Hawaii |
4 | 2 |  | |||
| 3 | Japan |
3 | 2 |  | |||
| Eliminated after four games | |||||||
| 4 | Mexico |
2 | 2 | ||||
| Eliminated after three games | |||||||
| 5 | Puerto Rico |
1 | 2 | ||||
| 6 | Colombia |
1 | 2 | ||||
| Eliminated after two games | |||||||
| 7 | Canada |
0 | 2 | ||||
| 8 | Netherlands |
0 | 2 | ||||
Honors and awards
All-Star team
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Catchers | Pete Stammen |
| Minoru Miyahara | |
| Infielders | Olin Smith |
| Miguel Fernández | |
| Shin Yogi | |
| Art Stone | |
| John Kennedy | |
| Tsune Watanabe | |
| Ace Robinson | |
| Outfielders | Larry Kamishima |
| Charles Huwer | |
| Wilmer Fields | |
| Yasusuke Obuchi | |
| Carlos Bustos | |
| Pitchers | Pete Olson |
| Motoji Fujita | |
| John Sardinha | |
| Walter Wherry | |
| Len Kasparovitch | |
| Manager | John Braden |
Source: [15]