1956 Mobile Bears Roster
Team Record: 82-73
Finished 3rd in the SA
Manager: Jo-Jo White (82-73)
Affiliation: Cleveland Indians
Location: Mobile, Alabama
Ballpark: Hartwell Field
Attendance: 81,727, Avg. 1,055
Playoffs - Memphis Chicks 4 games, Mobile Bears 3
The Mobile Bears of the Southern Association ended the 1956 season with a record of 82 wins and 73 losses, finishing third in the SA.
The Bears paced the circuit with just 688 runs allowed. Mobile scored 715 runs. Gordy Coleman led hitters with significant playing time with a .316 average. Gene Lary topped the team with 19 wins, while Bill Dailey added 15 or more wins, too Bill Dailey recorded a 3.18 ERA, tops among regular hurlers.
Members of the 1956 Mobile Bears who played in Major League Baseball during their careers were Walt Kellner, Gordy Coleman, Bill Dailey, Dick Brown, Hank Izquierdo, Carl Thomas, Bud Hardin, Ray Coleman, Bob Cain, Rod Graber, Pete Milne, Chris Kitsos and Don Minnick.
Jo-Jo White served as manager.Click on column headings to sort.
| Player | Bats | Throws | Birth Date | Height | Weight | Hometown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ted Bartz | R | December 1, 1925 | 6'3" | 185 | Detroit, MI US | |
| Dick Brown | R | R | January 17, 1935 | 6'2" | 176 | Shinnston, WV US |
| Bob Cain | L | L | October 16, 1924 | 6'0" | 165 | Longford, KS US |
| Norm Camp | R | R | June 19, 1928 | 5'11" | 185 | West Salem, OH US |
| Gordy Coleman | L | R | July 5, 1934 | 6'3" | 215 | Rockville, MD US |
| Ray Coleman | L | R | June 4, 1922 | 5'11" | 170 | Dunsmuir, CA US |
| Bill Dailey | R | R | March 13, 1935 | 6'3" | 185 | Arlington, VA US |
| Billy Darden | R | R | July 27, 1926 | 6'4" | 190 | |
| Billy Joe Davidson | L | L | May 5, 1933 | 6'3" | 210 | Marion, NC US |
| Rod Graber | L | L | June 20, 1930 | 5'11" | 175 | Massillon, OH US |
| Lavern Grace | L | R | September 12, 1932 | 5'11" | 174 | Gorham, IL US |
| Bud Hardin | R | R | June 14, 1922 | 5'10" | 165 | Shelby, NC US |
| Hank Izquierdo | R | R | March 20, 1931 | 5'11" | 175 | Matanzas, Matanzas CU |
| Steve Jankowski | R | R | November 15, 1932 | 5'11" | 185 | |
| Walt Kellner | R | R | April 26, 1929 | 6'0" | 200 | Tucson, AZ US |
| Chris Kitsos | S | R | February 11, 1928 | 5'9" | 165 | New York, NY US |
| Gene Lary | R | R | January 5, 1934 | 6'1" | 175 | Northport, AL US |
| Donald McGinnis | R | 6'2" | 200 | |||
| Pete Milne | L | R | April 10, 1925 | 6'1" | 180 | Mobile, AL US |
| Don Minnick | R | R | April 14, 1931 | 6'3" | 195 | Lynchburg, VA US |
| Donald Nance | R | R | 6'2" | 195 | ||
| Bob Prentice | R | August 12, 1928 | 6'0" | 180 | ||
| Ben Smyth | R | R | April 28, 1930 | 6'3" | 185 | |
| Al Stringer | R | R | June 6, 1924 | 6'0" | 170 | |
| Carl Thomas | R | R | May 28, 1932 | 6'5" | 245 | Minneapolis, MN US |
| Jim Tolleson | R | September 20, 1930 | 6'0" | 180 | ||
| Bob Van Eman | L | L | October 19, 1923 | 6'1" | 180 | New Castle, PA US |
| Jack Waters | R | R | December 6, 1932 | 5'11" | 168 | |
| Bob Yanen | R | R | 6'0" | 175 |
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.
