International baseball competition held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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.
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 [ja ] , 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
Results
Final standings
See also
References
Bibliography
Governing bodies National teams Competitions
Awards & honors
Hosted events Related articles
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