Game 1

Lew Burdette vs. Kid Anderson

At Chicago, October 4^th, 1956

Baltimore	5	Boxscore
Chicago	6

Win	Dee Doucet
Loss	Bob Fogger
Save

The Orange Sox entered the ALCS having finished a full 20 games behind Chicago’s “Evil Empire,” which even at the tail end of its historic run was still the overpowering force of the American League. Their ace, Lew Burdette, kept Baltimore off the scoreboard for the first seven innings despite allowing several baserunners. Meanwhile, Chicago built a 2-0 lead on RBI hits from Hank Aaron and Jose Sprinz in the fourth and sixth innings.

In the eighth, Boots Christiensen and Greg Gagne opened the inning with back-to-back singles, putting runners on the corners. The Claymores went to Ken East, who promptly gave up an RBI single to Garth Brennan, and two batters later, a two-run double to Brain Harper. The hitting festival continued against Allan Schlueter, who gave up an RBI triple to Shane Lutz and an RBI single to opposing pitcher Kid Anderson. The five-run rally put Baltimore ahead 5-2.

Luey Larue lead off the eighth with a home run, cutting the lead to 5-3. In the ninth, against Vic Mayer, Stuffy McInnis reached second on an error by Garth Brennan. Mayer got a pair of outs, but then gave up a triple to Cuke Jackson to make it 5-4. But the game would’ve belonged to Baltimore had it not been for the next play, a comebacker to Mayer that Oscar Radke dropped, allowing Cuke Jackson to score the tying run. Finally, Mayer got the fifth out and retired the side.

After Doucet kept Baltimore quiet in the tenth, Leo Boggs lead off the bottom of the inning with a single against Bob Fogger. After reaching second with one out, Tim Laudner singled him home to win the game in dramatic fashion.

Game 2

Toots Wilson vs. Deacon Phillippe

At Chicago, October 5^th, 1956

Chicago leads 1 game to 0

Baltimore	7	Boxscore
Chicago	3

Win	Vic Mayer
Loss	Ken East
Save

The Claymores drew first blood, as Hank Aaron hit a solo blast in the second. Oscar Radke answered it in the fifth with a solo blast of his own. In the fifth, Phillippe allowed a pair of singles before retiring Toots Wilson and Ed Keefe, but then the Baltimore defense struck again, as Greg Gagne threw away the third out, allowing both runners to score. In the sixth, Gagne made up for it, hitting a two-out, two-run blast to tie the game at three.

After Phillippe stranded pairs of runners in the sixth, Vic Mayer stranded two more in the eighth. Then, in the ninth, with the game still tied, Ken East let the Claymores down again. After getting the first out, he allowed a walk and a single to put two on. He got the pinch hitter Brewer, but then gave up an RBI single to Mickey Walker. Schlueter relieved East, but was little better, walking Ty Anderson and then giving up a huge two-out, three-run double to AL MVP Boots Christensen, making it 7-3. Bob Fogger came on and set the Claymores down in order in the ninth, tying the series at one.

Game 3

Ed Carter vs. Babe Adams

At Baltimore, October 7^th, 1956

Series tied at 1

Chicago	3	Boxscore
Baltimore	4

Win	Jack Saverine
Loss	Otto Sanders
Save

In the first two games, no starter had managed to get a decision for either team—Game 3 wouldn’t change that.

The Claymores immediately got to Carter, as Cuke Jackson and Jeff Campusano drove home runs in the first. As Adams dominated the game, Chicago pushed the lead to 3-0 in the sixth on an Ed Keefe single.

Finally, with one out in the seventh, Garth Brennan got to Babe Adams, hitting a solo blast to make it 3-1. After wasting a leadoff double in the eighth, they came to bat in the ninth—against Ken East once again—still trailing 3-1. East got the first out, but then Brain Harper hit a solo home run, making it 3-2 Chicago. East then retired Harmon Killibrew, bringing up backup catcher Michael Brewer as a pinch hitter. Brewer came through, hitting a solo home run to tie the game at three. East left after being hammered in his third (and blowing his second) straight game, and Schlueter got the final out of the inning.

Both teams wasted opportunities in the tenth, as Chicago left a runner at second with one out and the Orange Sox wasted back-to-back leadoff singles. Chicago missed another chance in the twelfth, failing to score after Vince Martin opened the inning with a double. Finally, in the bottom of the twelfth inning, Ty Anderson hit a solo home run with two out, propelling the Orange Sox to a tremendous walk-off win and a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4

Bobbie Schantz vs. John Viox

At Baltimore, October 8^th, 1956

Baltimore leads 2 games to 1

Chicago	4	Boxscore
Baltimore	1

Win	John Viox
Loss	Bobbie Schantz
Save	Allen Schlueter

After Mike Gonzalez tripled with one-out in the first, Cuke Jackson brought him home with a sacrifice fly, putting Chicago ahead 1-0. Viox cruised through six, facing little trouble until Christensen and Gagne singled back-to-back to open the seventh inning. After walking Garth Brennan to load the bases, Oscar Radke tied the game with a sacrifice fly. Viox then walked Brain Harper to reload the bases, but managed a twin killing as Gagne was gunned down trying to score on a Shane Lutz fly out.

In the eighth, Chicago took the lead on a two-out RBI single by Gonzalez. Viox sandwiched two singles between three strikeouts in the bottom of the inning, and then Chicago extended their lead in the ninth, as Larue and Aaron hit back-to-back home runs against Vic Mayer. Allen Schlueter—appointed to closer after Ken East’s disastrous series—set the Orange Sox down to tie the series at two.

Game 5

Kid Anderson vs. Lew Burdette

At Baltimore, October 9^th, 1956

Series tied at 2

Chicago	6	Boxscore
Baltimore	7

Win	Tony Bessent
Loss	Dee Doucet
Save

Simply said, Game 5 was one of the finest games in Dale Murphy League history.

After Garth Brennan doubled to open the second, Oscar Radke hit a two-run blast to put Baltimore ahead. Brain Harper then singled, and after Kid Anderson bunted him to second with two out, Mickey Walker drove him home to make it 3-0.

Anderson sparkled early on, but finally got hit with a two-run bomb in the fourth by Hank Aaron, making it 3-2. In the sixth, Brian Harper singled home Garth Brennan to make it 4-2, but Chicago got that run back in the seventh when Jeff Campsuano doubled home Jose Sprinz. In the top of the eighth, still leading by one, Anderson allowed a walk and a single to open the inning. After a groundout moved the runners up, he struck out Amos Cooper for the second out, but then allowed a clutch two-out two-run single to Jose Sprinz, putting Chicago ahead 5-4. After Baltimore stranded a pair of runners in the eighth, Chicago picked up another run in the ninth to make it 6-4.

But in this series, the Chicago bullpen just couldn’t get it right.

Allen Schlueter came on to protect a two run lead, and promptly gave up a single to Mickey Walker, a double to Ty Anderson, and a two-run single to Boots Christensen to tie the game up with lightening speed.

After that, Baltimore’s bullpen kicked into high gear, keeping the mighty Claymores’ bats silent through five extra innings. Ed Ragland worked the tenth, Jack Saverine the eleventh and twelevf, and finally fifth starter Tony Bessent worked the thirteenth and fourteenth, the four of them allowing just one hit and one walk in five innings of relief. The Orange Sox blew enormous scoring opportunities in the 10^th and 12^th innings, but finally, in the fourteenth, Dennis Moret lifted a high, lazy fly ball that was deep enough to bring Oscar Radke home from third, giving the Orange Sox a dramatic win and mind-numbing 3-2 lead in the series.

Game 6

Toots Wilson vs. Deacon Phillippe

At Chicago, October 11^th, 1956

Baltimore	3	Boxscore
Chicago	0

Win	Deacon Phillippe
Loss	Toots Wilson
Save

Chicago fans likely expected that if there were a Game 6, it would be with a 3-2 lead. Instead, they were down 3-2, and about to be railroaded by “the Deek.”

After Greg Gagne put Baltimore ahead with a two-run shot in the first, Phillippe took over, dominating the Claymores’ mighty offense for most of the game. He scattered six hits and a walk, working out of a few small jams but facing little trouble overall. Brian Harper padded the lead with an RBI single in the fourth, and Phillippe needed no assistance in the ninth, as he set down the Claymores in order to complete the shutout and send the Orange Sox to their second World Series, and first since 1950.