1956 Houston Buffalos Roster
Team Record: 96-58
Finished 1st in the TL
Manager: Harry Walker (96-58)
Affiliation: St. Louis Cardinals
Location: Houston, Texas
Ballpark: Busch Stadium
Attendance: 232,696, Avg. 3,022
Playoffs - Houston Buffalos 4 games, Tulsa Oilers 1
Finals - Houston Buffalos 4 games, Dallas Eagles 1
The Houston Buffalos of the Texas League ended the 1956 season with a record of 96 wins and 58 losses, finishing first in the TL.
The Buffalos topped the league with just 593 runs allowed. Houston scored 783 runs. Pidge Browne led the team with 29 home runs, while Russ Rac, Benny Valenzuela and Bobby Smith each walloped 15 or more, too. Bobby Smith drove in 109 runs. Herb Adams paced hitters with significant playing time by hitting .333. Bob Mabe paced the squad with 21 wins, and Ted Wieand and Tom Hughes added 15 or more victories also Billy Muffett recorded a 2.68 ERA, best among hurlers with significant time on the mound.
Players from the 1956 Houston Buffalos who spent time in the Majors during their careers included Bob Mabe, Bobby Smith, Rubén Amaro, Don Lassetter, Phil Clark, Ralph Beard, Bill Greason, Tom Patton, Tom Hughes, Herb Adams, Ted Wieand, Benny Valenzuela, Harry Walker, Marty Kutyna, Billy Muffett and Pidge Browne.
Harry Walker served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herb Adams | L | L | April 14, 1928 | 5'9" | 160 | Hollywood, CA US |
| Rubén Amaro | R | R | January 6, 1936 | 5'11" | 170 | Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas MX |
| Ralph Beard | R | R | February 11, 1929 | 6'5" | 200 | Cincinnati, OH US |
| Billy Joe Bowman | R | R | June 12, 1930 | 5'11" | 160 | |
| Pidge Browne | L | L | March 21, 1929 | 6'1" | 190 | Peekskill, NY US |
| Phil Clark | R | R | October 3, 1932 | 6'3" | 210 | Albany, GA US |
| Richard Czekaj | R | August 30, 1935 | 5'8" | 180 | Philadelphia, PA US | |
| Ray Dabek | R | R | January 8, 1927 | 5'10" | 185 | Buffalo, NY US |
| Bill Greason | R | R | September 3, 1924 | 5'10" | 170 | Atlanta, GA US |
| Harry Hoitsma | R | R | September 26, 1929 | 6'3" | 198 | |
| Tom Hughes | L | R | September 13, 1934 | 6'2" | 180 | Ancon, Canal Zone PA |
| Marty Kutyna | R | R | November 14, 1932 | 6'0" | 190 | Philadelphia, PA US |
| Don Lassetter | R | R | March 27, 1933 | 6'3" | 200 | Newnan, GA US |
| Bob Mabe | R | R | October 8, 1929 | 5'11" | 165 | Danville, VA US |
| Fred McAlister | R | R | March 1, 1928 | 6'1" | 185 | Lynchburg, VA US |
| Billy Muffett | R | R | September 21, 1930 | 6'1" | 198 | Hammond, IN US |
| Donald Mumm | L | L | 6'1" | 185 | ||
| Tom Patton | R | R | September 5, 1935 | 5'9" | 185 | Honey Brook, PA US |
| Howie Phillips | L | January 7, 1930 | 5'11" | 162 | ||
| Knowles Piercey | L | L | January 31, 1924 | 6'2" | 180 | Salt Lake City, UT US |
| Russ Rac | R | R | June 15, 1930 | 5'11" | 188 | Galveston, TX US |
| Robert Rand | R | 6'2" | 185 | |||
| Bobby Smith | R | R | May 28, 1934 | 5'11" | 180 | Hood River, OR US |
| George Storti | R | R | April 17, 1931 | 6'0" | 185 | Redding, CA US |
| Kelly Swift | R | R | May 6, 1922 | 6'3" | 190 | |
| Gerry Thomas | L | R | October 21, 1930 | 6'0" | 175 | Elon, VA US |
| Benny Valenzuela | R | R | June 2, 1933 | 5'10" | 175 | Los Mochis, Sinaloa MX |
| Harry Walker | L | R | September 22, 1918 | 6'2" | 175 | Pascagoula, MS US |
| Bob White | L | September 18, 1934 | 6'1" | 180 | Houston, TX US | |
| Ted Wieand | R | R | April 4, 1933 | 6'2" | 195 | Walnutport, PA 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.
