1956 Denver Bears Roster
Team Record: 87-67
Finished 2nd in the AA
Manager: Ralph Houk (87-67)
Affiliation: New York Yankees
Location: Denver, Colorado
Ballpark: Mile High Stadium
Attendance: 368,305, Avg. 4,783
Playoffs - Denver Bears 4 games, Omaha Cardinals 2
Finals - Indianapolis Indians 4 games, Denver Bears 0
The Denver Bears of the American Association ended the 1956 season with a record of 87 wins and 67 losses, finishing second in the AA.
The Bears scored 935 runs, most in the league. Denver gave up 869 runs, most in the circuit.
Players from the 1956 Denver Bears who spent time in Major League Baseball during their careers included Moe Burtschy, Darrell Johnson, Bobby Richardson, Norm Siebern, Hal Rice, Wally Burnette, Tony Kubek, Cal Neeman, Mike Blyzka, Bob Martyn, Ralph Houk, Moe Thacker, Johnny Kucab, Bobby Kline, Zeke Bella, Marv Throneberry, Jack Urban, Mark Freeman, Woodie Held, Jim Fridley, Carlos Paula, Dick Tettelbach, Tom Lasorda and Ralph Terry.
Ralph Houk served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zeke Bella | R | L | August 23, 1930 | 5'11" | 185 | Greenwich, CT US |
| Mike Blyzka | R | R | December 25, 1928 | 5'11" | 190 | Hamtramck, MI US |
| Wally Burnette | R | R | June 20, 1929 | 6'0" | 178 | Blairs, VA US |
| Moe Burtschy | R | R | April 18, 1922 | 6'3" | 208 | Cincinnati, OH US |
| Jimmy DePalo | R | R | August 12, 1932 | 6'2" | 195 | |
| Mark Freeman | R | R | December 7, 1930 | 6'4" | 220 | Memphis, TN US |
| Jim Fridley | R | R | September 6, 1924 | 6'2" | 205 | Phillippi, WV US |
| Charles Garmon | R | R | 6'4" | 205 | ||
| Gene Hassell | L | R | June 15, 1928 | 5'8" | 155 | Rivermines, MO US |
| Woodie Held | R | R | March 25, 1932 | 5'10" | 167 | Sacramento, CA US |
| Ralph Houk | R | R | August 9, 1919 | 5'11" | 193 | Lawrence, KS US |
| Darrell Johnson | R | R | August 25, 1928 | 6'1" | 180 | Horace, NE US |
| Jim Kite | L | L | July 12, 1931 | 5'11" | 178 | |
| Bobby Kline | R | R | January 27, 1929 | 6'0" | 179 | St. Petersburg, FL US |
| Tony Kubek | L | R | October 12, 1935 | 6'3" | 190 | Milwaukee, WI US |
| Johnny Kucab | R | R | December 17, 1919 | 6'2" | 185 | Olyphant, PA US |
| Tom Lasorda | L | L | September 22, 1927 | 5'10" | 175 | Norristown, PA US |
| George Maier | R | L | September 4, 1932 | 6'0" | 185 | |
| Bob Martyn | L | R | August 15, 1930 | 6'0" | 176 | Weiser, ID US |
| Tom McDonald | L | R | December 6, 1931 | 5'11" | 180 | Dorchester, MA US |
| Cal Neeman | R | R | February 18, 1929 | 6'1" | 192 | Valmeyer, IL US |
| Carlos Paula | R | R | November 28, 1927 | 6'3" | 195 | La Habana, La Habana CU |
| Hal Rice | L | R | February 11, 1924 | 6'1" | 195 | Morganette, WV US |
| Bobby Richardson | R | R | August 19, 1935 | 5'9" | 170 | Sumter, SC US |
| Jim Russell | L | L | December 25, 1931 | 5'11" | 175 | Los Angeles, Ca US |
| Norm Siebern | L | R | July 26, 1933 | 6'2" | 200 | St. Louis, MO US |
| Ralph Terry | R | R | January 9, 1936 | 6'3" | 195 | Big Cabin, OK US |
| Dick Tettelbach | R | R | June 26, 1929 | 6'0" | 195 | New Haven, CT US |
| Moe Thacker | R | R | May 21, 1934 | 6'3" | 205 | Louisville, KY US |
| Marv Throneberry | L | L | September 2, 1933 | 6'1" | 190 | Collierville, TN US |
| Jack Urban | R | R | December 5, 1928 | 5'8" | 155 | Omaha, NE US |
Average attendance is based upon the number of actual home dates where known (most leagues from 1992 and later). Where the number of home dates is not known, the average is calculated using half the team's total games.
