Eisenhower Throws First Pitch at 1956 World Series Opening Ceremony
The page from the 1957 Sporting News Baseball Ball Guide highlights the ceremonial first pitch of the 1956 World Series between the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers. President Dwight D. Eisenhower is depicted preparing to throw the first ball, a traditional and symbolic act that marks the beginning of the championship series. Accompanying him are significant figures in baseball and politics, including Yankees manager Casey Stengel, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, and Eisenhower's son, Major John Eisenhower. To Eisenhower's left are prominent baseball personalities, such as Walter O'Malley, the president of the Dodgers, and Commissioner Ford Frick, alongside the Dodgers' manager, Walt Alston. This event captures the intersection of sports and politics in 1950s America, with the Yankees and Dodgers representing two of the era's most iconic franchises in a highly anticipated series.