The Brooklyn Dodgers ace Sal Maglie delivers the first pitch of the 1956 World Series to the Yankees Hank Bauer. The Niagara Falls native would get Bauer to ground out to third baseman Jackie Robinson for the first out of the game, but then things would go downhill for Maglie in the inning. The next hitter up in Enos Slaughter would single and then Mickey Mantle would follow would a two-run home run to give the Yanks an early lead.
But the defending World Champs would storm back on home runs by Robinson (solo shot) and Gil Hodges (three-run homer), both off New York starter Whitey Ford, to take a 5-2 lead by the third inning. Both teams would swap runs in the fourth inning and from there Maglie held court by shutting down the Yankees the rest of the way for a 6-3 complete game win.
But repeating as champs was not in the cards for Dem Bums as the Yankees, highlighted by a Don Larsen perfect game in Game Five, would come back from a 0-2 series deficit to capture the crown in seven games. Larsen would also capture the MVP award and Yogi Berra would hit .360, smack three home runs and knock in ten runs to help the Yankees win their 17th World Series title.
Also in the photo is Dodgers catcher Roy Campanella and umpire Babe Pinelli.
