The Yankees became Mickey Mantle's team with these four pennants. During these four seasons Mantle led the American League (AL) in home runs 1955 (also triples), 1956 and 1958; Mantle would lead a fourth and final time in 1960 and hit 54 HR in 1961. In 1956 Mantle also led in BA and RBI, the triple crown. Yankee AL MVP 1955-1958:
1955: Yogi Berra (also 1951, 1954)
1956: Mantle
1957: Mantle (also 1962)
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| Mickey Mantle 1957 Unknown author, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons |
All four World Series went the maximum seven games, the only time the WS went the max in four consecutive years. The closest was three but not with one team in all three: 1924-1926, 1945-1947, 1971-1973, 1985-1987. A 4-3 WS is pretty much a coin flip and that's how the Yankees did, splitting 2-2.
| Year (Bold=Pennant) | C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | LF | CF | RF | DH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 (97-57, 34.9 oWAR) | Howard (0.5) | Skowron (4.6) | Richardson (0.6) | Boyer (2.5) | Kubek (3.9) | Lopez (1.8) | Mantle (6.4) | Maris (7.5) | |
| 1959 (79-75, 22.8 oWAR) | Berra (3.9) | Skowron (1.9) | Richardson (2.1) | Lopez (2.1) | Kubek (2.3) | Siebern (0.8) | Mantle (6.6) | Bauer (-0.4) | |
| 1958 (92-62, 38.5 oWAR) | Berra (3.2) | Skowron (1.8) | McDougald (3.0) | Carey (3.2) | Kubek (2.7) | Siebern (4.8) | Mantle (8.7) | Bauer (2.7) | |
| 1957 (98-56, 31.0 oWAR) | Berra (3.0) | Skowron (3.1) | Richardson (0.2) | Carey (0.8) | McDougald (5.8) | Howard (-0.8) | Mantle (11.3) | Bauer (1.9) | |
| 1956 (97-57, 32.9 oWAR) | Berra (6.2) | Skowron (4.3) | Martin (1.3) | Carey (-0.1) | McDougald (5.1) | Howard (-0.5) | Mantle (11.2) | Bauer (1.6) | |
| 1955 (96-58, 34.5 oWAR) | Berra (4.5) | Skowron (1.7) | McDougald (5.1) | Carey (1.6) | Hunter (0.9) | Noren (1.3) | Mantle (9.5) | Bauer (5.3) | |
| 1954 (103-51, 33.6 oWAR) | Berra (5.3) | Collins (2.8) | McDougald (4.0) | Carey (3.2) | Rizzuto (0.1) | Woodling (0.8) | Mantle (6.9) | Bauer (3.1) |
In 1957 Hall of Fame left hander Whitey Ford pitched only 129 innings in 24 games, 17 of which Ford started. In the WS against the Milwaukee Braves Ford started two games: 1-1, 1.16 ERA in 16 innings.
Berra remained the starting catcher through 1959, replaced by Elston Howard. On pennant winning teams in the 1950s Gil McDougald started at third, second and he replaced Hall of Fame shortstop Phil Rizzuto for 1956 and 1957. In 1958 McDougald returned to second as Tony Kubek took over at short and in 1959 McDougald was replaced at second by Bobby Richardson.
In game five of the 1956 WS Don Larsen pitched a perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Like Yogi Berra, right fielder Hank Bauer hit very poorly in his early WS but both played in so many WS that they eventually became known as clutch. Bauer still holds the WS record of a 17 game hitting streak: all seven games in 1956 and 1957, plus the first three in 1958. Bauer hit a home run in each of those first three 1958 WS games plus a fourth in game 6: four home runs in one WS for the Old Marine!
Yogi did not strike out in 93 consecutive World Series at bats. Sunday, October 5, 2014
From Sunday, October 7, 1956 to Saturday, October 7, 1961 (ages 31.4 to 36.4) Yogi Berra did not strike out: in 93 consecutive at bats (AB) (including a SF in 1958) and 105 (106?) plate appearances (PA) in 26 World Series games...
he faced faced Cy Young winners Don Newcombe (1956), Warren Spahn, the 1957 CY winner, (1957 and 1958) and Vern Law (1960), plus Lew Burdette (1957 and 1958) who won three complete games in 1957 in which he allowed only two runs and struck out 13 in his 27 innings.
Game 4 1956 WS at Yankee Stadium: Yogi in his second PA against Dodger starting pitcher Carl Erskine in the 3rd and the game tied 1-1: Yogi struck out as Mickey Mantle stole second following a walk. Did Mantle’s steal attempt induce Yogi to swing at a bad pitch? ...
Game 3 1961 WS at Crosley Field Cincinnati: Yogi struck out against Reds pitcher Bob Purkey in a 3-2 Yankee win.
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In the 1956 WS Berra hit three HR (all off Don Newcombe (Cy Young award winner), two in game 7) with 10 RBI. In 1956 Berra SO only that one time against Erskine.
Mantle was injured and had only 10 PA in 1955; his replacement was Irv Noren who had one single in 16 AB and hit into 4 DP. Mantle hit these number of HR in these four WS: 1, 3, 1, 2.
In 1958 the Yankees were down in games 3-1 but came back to win the WS behind clutch pitching by Bob Turley, 21-7 in the regular season and Cy Young award winner as best pitcher in both AL and NL.
60 years since 61 in 61: second of five consecutive pennants; end of the old Yankee dynasty. Saturday, January 2, 2021
Three consecutive pennants 1903-2020. Four. FIVE! Tuesday, January 5, 2021
Four consecutive World Series championships: Yankees 1936,1937,1938,1939. Sunday, January 10, 2021
Five consecutive World Series championships: Yankees 1949,1950,1951,1952,1953. Sunday, January 24, 2021
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