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Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle
When Mantle was originally signed by the Yankees, he was a shortstop.
Outfielder
Born: October 20, 1931(1931-10-20)
Spavinaw, Oklahoma
Died: August 13, 1995 (aged 63)
Dallas, Texas
Batted: Switch Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 17, 1951
for the New York Yankees
Final game
September 28, 1968
for the New York Yankees
Career statistics
Batting average     . Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in Baseball farthest from the batter Events 1740 - Maria Theresa takes the throne of Austria. France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Spavinaw is a town in Mayes County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 563 at the 2000 census. Events 3114 BC - According to the Lounsbury correlation the start of the Maya calendar. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Events 69 - After the First Battle of Bedriacum, Vitellius becomes Roman Emperor. Headline Event of the Year Baseball's Shot Heard 'Round the World gives the New York Giants the National League Pennant in the third game of a best-of-three-games The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. Events 48 BC - Pompey the Great is assassinated on orders of King Ptolemy of Egypt after landing in Egypt. The Year of the Pitcher In Major League Baseball, the trend throughout the 1960s was of increased pitching dominance caused by enforcing a larger strike zone (top of armpit The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively 298
Home runs     536
Hits     2,415
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Elected     1974
Vote     88. In Baseball statistics, a hit (denoted by H) sometimes called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. Headline Event of the Year Baseball's Shot Heard 'Round the World gives the New York Giants the National League Pennant in the third game of a best-of-three-games The Year of the Pitcher In Major League Baseball, the trend throughout the 1960s was of increased pitching dominance caused by enforcing a larger strike zone (top of armpit The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the "Midsummer Classic" is an annual Baseball game between players from the National League For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation. The 1951 World Series matched the two-time defending champion New York Yankees against the New York Giants, who had won the National League pennant The 1952 World Series featured the three-time defending champion New York Yankees beating the Brooklyn Dodgers in seven games The 1953 World Series matched the four-time defending champion New York Yankees against the Brooklyn Dodgers in a rematch of the 1952 Series. The 1956 World Series of Major League Baseball was played between the New York Yankees (representing the American League) and the defending champion The 1958 World Series was a rematch of the 1957 Series, with the New York Yankees beating the defending champion Milwaukee Braves in seven games for The 1961 World Series matched the New York Yankees (109-53 against the Cincinnati Reds (93-61 with the Yankees winning in 5 games to earn their 19th championship The 1962 World Series matched the defending champion New York Yankees against the San Francisco Giants, who had won their first NL pennant since moving For the award given to amateur boxers see Golden Gloves. In American Baseball, the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to The Most Valuable Player Award (commonly known as the MVP award is an annual award given to one outstanding player in each league of Major League Baseball. For other uses of this term see Triple crown In Baseball, the Triple Crown refers to A batter who (at season's end leads The Hutch Award is a Major League Baseball award given to an active player who best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire to win The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. Champions Major League Baseball 1974 World Series: Oakland Athletics over Los Angeles Dodgers (4-1 Rollie Fingers 2% (first ballot)

Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995) was an American baseball player who was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. Events 1740 - Maria Theresa takes the throne of Austria. France, Prussia, Bavaria and Saxony Year 1931 ( MCMXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 3114 BC - According to the Lounsbury correlation the start of the Maya calendar. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each

He played his entire 18-year major-league professional career for the New York Yankees, winning 3 American League MVP titles and playing for 16 All-Star teams. The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. The Most Valuable Player Award (commonly known as the MVP award is an annual award given to one outstanding player in each league of Major League Baseball. The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the "Midsummer Classic" is an annual Baseball game between players from the National League Mantle played on 12 pennant winners and 7 World Championship clubs. He still holds the records for most World Series home runs (18), RBIs (40), runs (42), walks (43), extra-base hits (26), and total bases (123). For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation.

Contents

Youth

Mickey Mantle was born in Spavinaw, Oklahoma. Spavinaw is a town in Mayes County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 563 at the 2000 census. He was named in honor of Mickey Cochrane(given name Gordon Cochrane), the Hall of Fame catcher from the Philadelphia Athletics, by his father, who was an amateur player and fervent fan. Gordon Stanley "Mickey" Cochrane ( April 6, 1903 – June 28, 1962) was a Catcher and manager in Major League According to the book Mickey Mantle: America's Prodigal Son, by Tony Castro, in later life, Mickey expressed relief that his father had not known this (Cochrane's true first name), as he would have hated to be named Gordon. Mantle always spoke warmly of his father, and said he was the bravest man he ever knew. "No boy ever loved his father more," he said. His father died of cancer at the age of 39, just as his son was starting his career. Mantle said one of the great heartaches of his life was that he never told his father he loved him.

When Mantle was four years old, the family moved to the nearby town of Commerce, Oklahoma. Commerce is a city in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States. Mantle was an all-around athlete at Commerce High School, playing basketball as well as football (he was offered a football scholarship by the University of Oklahoma) in addition to his first love, baseball. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with University of Oklahoma, abbreviated OU, is a Coeducational public Research university located in the U Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each His football playing nearly ended his athletic career, and indeed his life. Kicked in the shin during a game, Mantle's leg soon became infected with osteomyelitis, a crippling disease that would have been incurable just a few years earlier. An infection is the detrimental Colonization of a host Organism by a foreign Species. Osteomyelitis is an Infection of Bone or Bone marrow, usually caused by Pyogenic Bacteria or Mycobacteria. A midnight ride to Tulsa, Oklahoma, enabled Mantle to be treated with newly available penicillin, saving his leg from amputation. Penicillin (sometimes abbreviated PCN or pen) is a group of Beta-lactam antibiotics used in the treatment of Bacterial Infections Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma or Surgery. He suffered from the effects of the disease for the rest of his life, and it probably led to many other injuries that hampered his accomplishments. Additionally, Mantle's osteomyelitic condition exempted him from military service, which caused him to become very unpopular with fans, as his earliest days in baseball coincided with the Korean War (though he was still selected as an all-star the year his medical exemption was given, and was known as the "fastest man to first base. Military service in its simplest sense is service by an individual or group in an Army or other military organization whether as a chosen job or as a result of an involuntary The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the ")

Professional career

His first semi-professional team was the Baxter Springs (Kan. ) Whiz Kids. In 1948, Yankees' scout Tom Greenwade came to Baxter Springs to watch Mickey's teammate, third baseman Billy Johnson, in a Whiz Kids game. During the game Mickey hit two homers, one righty and one lefty, into a river well past the ballpark's fences. Greenwade wanted to sign Mickey on the spot but, upon finding out that he was only 16 and still in high school, told him he would come back to sign him with the Yankees on his graduation day in 1949. Good to his word, Greenwade was there right on schedule, signing Mickey to a minor-league contract with the Yankees Class D team in Independence, Kan. Mickey signed for $400 to play the remainder of the season with an $1,100 signing bonus. Tom Greenwade was quoted in the press release announcing Mickey's signing as saying that Mickey was the best prospect he'd ever seen. Because of his blinding speed, he was dubbed "The Commerce Comet. " Mantle also played for the Yankee's farm club the "Joplin Miners" in Joplin, Missouri. He would later invest in a Holiday Inn motel in that city, with his name attached to it. Holiday Inn is a Brand name applied to Hotels within the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG

On arrival at the Yankees April 17, 1951, he became the regular right fielder (playing only a few games at shortstop and third base in 1952 to 1955). Position description Outfielders must cover large distances so speed instincts and quickness to react to the ball are key A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in Baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of Speaking of his prized rookie, Yankees manager Casey Stengel told SPORT magazine (June 1951) that, "He's got more natural power from both sides than anybody I ever saw. SPORT magazine was the original major general interest American sports magazine " Joe DiMaggio, in his final season, called Mantle, "the greatest prospect I can remember. Joseph Paul DiMaggio, born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio Jr ( November 25, 1914 &ndash March 8, 1999) nicknamed Joltin' Joe " In his first game with the Yankees, Mantle wore uniform #6. In his first World Series Game, October 4, 1951, the Yankees were pitted against the Giants for what was Willie Mays's first World Series Game as well. Willie Howard Mays Jr (born May 6 1931 is a retired American Baseball player who played the majority of his career with the New York and San Francisco Giants

Mantle moved to center field in 1952, replacing Joe DiMaggio, who retired at the end of the 1951 season after one year playing alongside Mantle in the Yankees outfield. Joseph Paul DiMaggio, born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio Jr ( November 25, 1914 &ndash March 8, 1999) nicknamed Joltin' Joe He played center field until 1967, when he was moved to first base. First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a Baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run Among Mantle's many accomplishments are all-time World Series records for home runs (18), runs scored (42), and runs batted in (40). For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation.

Mantle also hit some of the longest home runs in Major League history. On September 10, 1960, he hit a ball left-handed that cleared the right-field roof at Tiger Stadium in Detroit and, based on where it was found, was estimated years later by historian Mark Gallagher to have traveled 565 feet (196 m). Events 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul meet in the Council of Agde. Tiger Stadium (formerly Navin Field then Briggs Stadium is a Stadium located in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan. Another Mantle homer, this one hit right-handed off Chuck Stobbs at Griffith Stadium in Washington on April 17, 1953, was measured by Yankees traveling secretary Red Patterson (hence the term "tape-measure home run") to have traveled 565 feet (172 m). Charles Klein Stobbs (born July 2, 1929 in Wheeling West Virginia, died July 11, 2008 in Sarasota Florida was a Major Griffith Stadium was a Sports Stadium that stood in Washington D Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Events 69 - After the First Battle of Bedriacum, Vitellius becomes Roman Emperor. Though it is apparent that they are actually the distances where the balls ended up after bouncing several times [1], there is no doubt that they both landed more than 500 feet (152 m) from home plate. At least twice Mantle hit balls off the third-deck facade at Yankee Stadium, nearly becoming the only player (other than Negro Leagues star Josh Gibson) to hit a fair ball out of the stadium during a game. Joshua Gibson ( December 21, 1911 - January 20, 1947) was an American Catcher in On May 22, 1963, against Kansas City's Bill Fischer, Mantle hit a ball that fellow players and fans claimed was still rising when it hit the 110-foot high facade, then caromed back onto the playing field. It was later estimated by some that the ball could have traveled 620 feet had it not been impeded by the ornate and distinctive facade. While physicists might question those estimates, on August 12, 1964, he hit one whose distance was undoubted: a center field drive that cleared the 22-foot batter's eye screen, beyond the 461-foot marker at the Stadium. The batter's eye (short for batter's eye screen) is a solid-colored usually dark area beyond the center field wall of a baseball stadium that is the visual

Although he was a feared power hitter from either side of the plate, Mantle considered himself a better right-handed hitter even though he had more home runs from the left side of the plate: 372 left-handed, 164 right-handed. [2] That was due to Mantle having batted left-handed much more often, as the large majority of pitchers are right-handed. In addition, many of his left-handed home runs were struck at Yankee Stadium, a park that much friendlier to left-handed hitters than to right-handed hitters. The original Yankee Stadium is a Stadium located in The Bronx in New York City. When Mantle played for the Yankees, the distance to the right-field foul pole stood at a mere 296 feet (90 m), with markers in the power alleys of 344 and 407, while the left-field power alley ranged from 402 to 457 feet (139 m) from the plate.

In 1956, Mantle won the Hickok Belt as top professional athlete of the year. The S Rae Hickok Belt was a trophy awarded to the top professional athlete of the year This was his "favorite summer," a year that saw him win the Triple Crown, leading the majors with a . For other uses of this term see Triple crown In Baseball, the Triple Crown refers to A batter who (at season's end leads 353 batting average, 52 HR and 130 RBI on the way to his first of three MVP awards. Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively Though the American League Triple Crown has been won twice since then, Mantle remains the last man to win the Major League Triple Crown. The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in

Also in 1956, Mantle made a (talking) cameo appearance in a song recorded by Teresa Brewer, "I Love Mickey", which extolled Mantle's power hitting. Teresa Brewer ( May 7, 1931 &ndash October 17, 2007) was an American pop and jazz Singer who was one of the most popular The song was included in one of the Baseball's Greatest Hits CD's. Baseball's Greatest Hits is the name of two different CD collections of songs and other recordings connected with Baseball, released in the early 1990s

Mantle may have been even more dominant in 1957, leading the league in runs and walks, batting a career-high . 365 (second in the league to Ted Williams' . Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams ( August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002) also nicknamed The Kid, the Splendid Splinter 388), and hitting into a league-low five double plays. Mantle reached base more times than he made outs (319 to 312), one of two seasons in which he achieved the feat.

On January 16, 1961, Mantle became the highest-paid baseball player by signing a $75,000 contract. Events 27 BC - The title Augustus is bestowed upon Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian by the Roman Senate. DiMaggio, Hank Greenberg and Ted Williams, who had just retired, had been paid over $100,000 in a season, and Ruth had a peak salary of $80,000. Henry Benjamin "Hank" Greenberg ( January 1, 1911, New York New York – September 4, 1986) nicknamed "Hammerin' Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams ( August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002) also nicknamed The Kid, the Splendid Splinter But Mantle became the highest-paid active player of his time.

During the 1961 season, Mantle and teammate Roger Maris chased Babe Ruth's single season home-run record. Roger Eugene Maris ( September 10 1934 &ndash December 14 1985) was an American Right fielder in Major League Baseball Five years earlier, in 1956, Mantle had challenged Ruth's record for most of the season and the New York press had been protective of Ruth on that occasion also. News is any new information or information on Current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or Word of mouth When Mantle finally fell short, finishing with 52, there seemed to be a collective sigh of relief from the New York traditionalists. Nor had the New York press been all that kind to Mantle in his early years with the team: he struck out frequently, was injury-prone, was a "true hick" from Oklahoma, and was perceived as being distinctly inferior to his predecessor in center field, Joe DiMaggio. Oklahoma ( is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. Joseph Paul DiMaggio, born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio Jr ( November 25, 1914 &ndash March 8, 1999) nicknamed Joltin' Joe Over the course of time, however, Mantle (with a little help from his teammate Whitey Ford, a native of New York's Borough of Queens) had gotten better at "schmoozing" with the New York media, and had gained the favor of the press. Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford (born October 21, 1926) is a former Major League Baseball Pitcher who spent his entire 18-year career This was a talent that Maris, a blunt-spoken upper-Midwesterner, was never willing or able to cultivate; as a result, he wore the "surly" jacket for his duration with the Yankees. So as 1961 progressed, the Yanks were now "Mickey Mantle's team" and Maris was ostracized as the "outsider," and "not a true Yankee. " The press seemed to root for Mantle and to belittle Maris. But Mantle was felled by an abscessed hip late in the season, leaving Maris to break the record.

In game three, bottom of the ninth inning of the 1964 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Mickey Mantle blasted Barney Schultz's first pitch into the upper right field stands at Yankee Stadium, which won the game for the Yankees, 2-1. The 1964 World Series pitted the National League champion St Louis Cardinals against the American League champion New York Yankees, with The St Louis Cardinals (also referred to as "the Cards " or "the Redbirds " are a professional Baseball team based in St That "walk-off" home run is one of the most dramatic made by Mantle in his career.

Retirement

Mantle announced his retirement on March 1, 1969, and in 1974, as soon as he was eligible, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame; his uniform number 7 was retired by the Yankees. Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant (He had briefly worn uniform number 6, as a continuation of Babe Ruth's 3, Lou Gehrig's 4, and Joe DiMaggio's 5, in 1951, but his poor performance led to his temporary demotion to a minor league in mid-season. George Herman Ruth Jr (February 6 1895 &ndash August 16 1948 also popularly known as " Babe " " The Bambino " and " The Sultan of Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig ( June 19 1903  – June 2 1941) born Ludwig Heinrich Gehrig, was an American Joseph Paul DiMaggio, born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio Jr ( November 25, 1914 &ndash March 8, 1999) nicknamed Joltin' Joe Minor leagues are professional Sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports When he returned, Bobby Brown, who had worn number 6 before Mantle, had reclaimed it, so Mantle was given number 7 by Yankees longtime equipment manager, Pete Sheehy. For other uses see Bobby Brown Robert William Brown, MD (born October 25 1924 ) When he retired, the Mick was third on the all-time home run list with 536.

Despite being among the best-paid players of the pre-free agency era, Mantle was a poor businessman, having made several bad investments. His lifestyle would be restored to one of luxury, and his hold on his fans raised to an amazing level, by his position of leadership in the sports memorabilia craze that swept the USA beginning in the 1980s. A souvenir (from French, for memory) memento or keepsake is an object a traveler brings home for the memories associated with Mantle was a prize guest at any baseball card show, commanding fees far in excess of any other player for his appearances and autographs. (Castro 2002:252-253) This popularity continues long after his death, as Mantle-related items far outsell those of any other player except possibly Babe Ruth, whose items, due to the distance of years, now exist in far smaller quantities.

Despite the failure of Mickey Mantle's Country Cookin' restaurants in the early 1970s, Mickey Mantle's Restaurant & Sports Bar opened in New York at 42 Central Park South (59th Street) in 1988. It became one of New York's most popular restaurants, and his original Yankee Stadium Monument Park plaque is displayed at the front entrance. The original Yankee Stadium is a Stadium located in The Bronx in New York City. Mantle let others run the business operations, but made frequent appearances.

In 1983, Mantle worked at the Claridge Resort and Casino in Atlantic City, N. A casino is in the modern sense of the word a facility that houses and accommodates certain types of Gambling activities J. , as a greeter and community representative. Most of his activities were representing the Claridge in golf tournaments and other charity events. Mantle was suspended from baseball by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn on the grounds that any affiliation with gambling is grounds for being placed on the "permanently ineligible" list. The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball. Bowie Kent Kuhn (October 28 1926 &ndash March 15 2007 was an American Lawyer and sports administrator who served as the 5th commissioner of Major League Baseball Kuhn warned Mantle before he accepted the position that he would have to place him on the list if he went to work there. Hall of Famer Willie Mays, who had also taken a similar position, had already had action taken against him. A hall of fame (sometimes HOF) is a type of Museum established for any a field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field Willie Howard Mays Jr (born May 6 1931 is a retired American Baseball player who played the majority of his career with the New York and San Francisco Giants Mantle accepted the position, regardless, as he felt the rule was "stupid. " He was reinstated on March 18, 1985, by Kuhn's successor, Peter Ueberroth. Events 37 - The Roman Senate annuls Tiberius ' will and proclaims Caligula emperor Peter Victor Ueberroth (born September 2, 1937) is an American executive

Injuries

Mickey Mantle's career was fraught with injury. Beginning in high school he accumulated both acute and chronic bone and cartilage injuries in his legs. Applying thick wraps to both of his knees became a pre-game ritual, and by the end of his career simply swinging a bat caused him to fall to one knee in pain. Baseball scholars often ponder "what if" he had not been injured, and he was able to lead a healthy career. [3] [4]

As a 19 year old rookie in his first World Series, Mantle tore the cartilage in his right knee on a pop fly by Willie Mays while playing right field. The 1951 World Series matched the two-time defending champion New York Yankees against the New York Giants, who had won the National League pennant Willie Howard Mays Jr (born May 6 1931 is a retired American Baseball player who played the majority of his career with the New York and San Francisco Giants Joe DiMaggio, in the last year of his career, was playing center field. Mays' pop-up was hit to deep right center, and as both Mantle and DiMaggio converged to make the catch, DiMaggio called for it at the last second, causing Mantle to suddenly stop short as his cleats caught a drainage cover in the outfield grass. His knee twisted awkwardly and he instantly fell. Witnesses say it looked "like he had been shot. " He was carried off the field on a stretcher and spent the rest of the World Series watching from the hospital. [5]

Troubled family

On December 23, 1951, he married Merlyn Johnson in their hometown of Commerce, Oklahoma; they had four sons. Events 962 - Byzantine-Arab Wars: Under the future Emperor Nicephorus Phocas, Byzantine troops stormed the city Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January Commerce is a city in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States. In an autobiography, Mantle said he married Merlyn not because he loved her, but because his domineering father told him to. While his drinking became public knowledge during his lifetime, the press kept his many marital infidelities quiet.

The couple's four sons were Mickey Jr. (born in 1953), David (1955), Billy (1957, whom Mickey named for Billy Martin, his best friend among his Yankee teammates) and Danny (1960). Alfred Manuel "Billy" Martin Jr ( May 16 1928 &ndash December 25 1989) was an American Second baseman and Like Mickey, Merlyn and the sons all became alcoholics, and Billy developed Hodgkin's disease as several previous Mantle men had. Hodgkin's lymphoma, also known as Hodgkin's disease is a type of Lymphoma first described by Thomas Hodgkin in 1832 This led to him developing a dependence on prescription painkillers.

Mickey Mantle has four grandchildren. Mickey Jr. had a daughter, Mallory. David and his wife Marla have a daughter, Marilyn. Danny and his wife Kay have a son, Will, and a daughter, Chloe. Danny and Will played a father and son watching Mickey (played by Thomas Jane) hit a home run in the 2001 film "61*. Thomas Jane (born February 22, 1969) is an American Actor, known for his roles in the 1999 film Deep Blue Sea, the 61* is an American Baseball movie, made for HBO, directed by Billy Crystal and written by Hank Steinberg. "

Mickey and Merlyn had been separated for 15 years when he died, but neither ever filed for divorce. Mantle lived with his agent, Greer Johnson. Johnson was taken to federal court in November 1997 by the Mantle family to stop her from auctioning many of Mantle's personal items, including a lock of hair, a neck brace and expired credit cards. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Hair is a keratinised protein filament that grows through the epidermis from follicles deep within the Dermis. A credit card is part of a system of Payments named after the small Plastic card issued to users of the system

During the final years of his life, Mantle purchased a luxury condominium on Lake Oconee near Greensboro, Georgia, near Greer Johnson's home, and frequently stayed there for months at a time. Lake Oconee is a man-made lake in central Georgia on the Oconee River near Greensboro and Eatonton. Greensboro is a city in Greene County, Georgia, United States. He occasionally attended the local Methodist church, and sometimes ate Sunday dinner with members of the congregation. He was well-liked by the citizens of Greensboro, and seemed to like them in return. This was probably because the town respected Mantle's privacy, refusing either to talk about their famous neighbor to outsiders or to direct fans to his home. In one interview, Mickey stated that the people of Greensboro had "gone out of their way to make me feel welcome, and I've found something there I haven't enjoyed since I was a kid. "

Mantle's last days

Well before he finally sought treatment for alcoholism, Mantle admitted that his hard living had hurt his playing and his family. His rationale was that the men in his family had all died young, so he expected to die young as well. "I'm not gonna be cheated," he would say. As the years passed, and he realized he had outlived the men in his family — not realizing that working in mines and inhaling lead and zinc dust aided Hodgkin's and other cancers as much as heredity did — he frequently used a line popularized by football legend Bobby Layne, a Dallas neighbor and friend of Mantle's who also died in part due to alcohol abuse: "If I'd known I was gonna live this long, I'd have taken a lot better care of myself. Characteristics Lead has a dull luster and is a dense, Ductile, very soft highly Zinc (ˈzɪŋk from Zink is a Metallic Chemical element with the symbol Zn and Atomic number 30 Robert Lawrence Layne ( December 19 1926 &ndash December 1 1986) was born in Santa Anna Texas, USA "

Mantle's wife and sons all completed treatment for alcoholism, and told him he needed to do the same. He checked into the Betty Ford Clinic on January 7, 1994, after being told by a doctor that his liver was so badly damaged, "Your next drink could be your last. The Betty Ford Center is a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center for adults in Rancho Mirage California, United States, co-founded by former U Events 1325 - Alfonso IV becomes King of Portugal. 1558 - France takes Calais, the last continental Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) The liver is a vital organ in the human body and is present in Vertebrates and some other animals " Also helping Mantle to make the decision to go to the Betty Ford Clinic was Pat Summerall, a sportscaster who had played for the New York Giants football team while they played at Yankee Stadium, and was now a recovering alcoholic and a member of the same Dallas-area country club as Mantle. The Betty Ford Center is a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center for adults in Rancho Mirage California, United States, co-founded by former U George Allen "Pat" Summerall (born May 10, 1930 in Lake City, Florida) is a former American football player and well-known The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York City suburb of East Rutherford New Jersey. The original Yankee Stadium is a Stadium located in The Bronx in New York City.

Shortly after completing treatment, his son Billy died on March 12, at age 36, of heart trouble, brought on by years of substance abuse. Events 538 - Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving Substance abuse is the overindulgence in and dependence of a Drug or other chemical leading to effects that are detrimental to the individual's physical and mental health Despite the fears of those who knew him that this tragedy would send him back to drinking, he remained sober. Mickey Jr. later died of liver cancer on December 20, 2000, at age 47. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC also called hepatoma) is a primary malignancy (cancer of the Liver. Events 69 - Vespasian, formerly a general under Nero, enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Danny later battled prostate cancer.

Mantle spoke with great remorse of his drinking in a 1994 Sports Illustrated cover story. Sports Illustrated is an American Sports Magazine owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. [1] He said that he was telling the same old stories, and realizing how much of them involved himself and others being drunk, and he decided they weren't funny anymore. He admitted he had often been cruel and hurtful to family, friends and fans because of his alcoholism, and sought to make amends. He became a born-again Christian because of his former teammate Bobby Richardson, an ordained Baptist minister who shared his faith with him. Robert Clinton "Bobby" Richardson (born August 19 1935, in Sumter South Carolina) is a former Second baseman in Major League Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. After the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995, he joined with fellow Oklahoman and Yankee legend Bobby Murcer to raise money for the victims. The Alfred P Murrah Federal Building was a United States Federal Government complex located at 200 N Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the US state of Oklahoma. Events 1012 - Martyrdom of Alphege in Greenwich London. 1529 - At the Second Diet of Speyer Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Bobby Ray Murcer ( May 20 1946 – July 12 2008) was an American Major League Baseball Outfielder who played

Mantle received a liver transplant at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, on June 8, 1995, after his liver had been damaged by years of chronic alcoholism, cirrhosis and hepatitis C. Liver transplantation or hepatic transplantation is the replacement of a diseased Liver with a healthy liver Allograft. Baylor University Medical Center (BUMC is located at 3500 Gaston Avenue in east Dallas, Texas ( USA) Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Alcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions Cirrhosis is a consequence of chronic Liver Disease characterized by replacement of liver tissue by fibrous Scar tissue as well as regenerative Hepatitis C is a blood-borne infectious disease that is caused by the Hepatitis C virus ( HCV) affecting the Liver. In July, he had recovered enough to deliver a press conference at Baylor, and noted that many fans had looked to him as a role model. The term role model was introduced by Robert K Merton. Merton says that individuals compare themselves with "reference groups" of people who occupy the social "This is a role model: Don't be like me," he said. He also established the Mickey Mantle Foundation to raise awareness for organ donations. Soon, he was back in the hospital, where it was found that his liver cancer spread throughout his body. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC also called hepatoma) is a primary malignancy (cancer of the Liver. Metastasis ( Greek: displacement μετά=next + στάσις=placement, plural metastases) sometimes abbreviated mets,

Mantle died on August 13, 1995, at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. Events 3114 BC - According to the Lounsbury correlation the start of the Maya calendar. Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Baylor University Medical Center (BUMC is located at 3500 Gaston Avenue in east Dallas, Texas ( USA) During the first Yankee home game after Mantle's death, Eddie Layton played "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" on the Hammond organ at Yankee Stadium because Mickey had once told him it was his favorite song. Edward M Layton ( October 10 1925 – December 26 2004) played the organ at " Over the Rainbow " (sometimes mistakenly known as "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is a Song with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E The Hammond organ is an electric organ which was invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company The Yankees played the rest of the season with black mourning bands topped by a small number 7 on their left sleeves.

Mantle was interred in the Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery in Dallas. Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery is located at 7405 W In eulogizing Mantle, sportscaster Bob Costas described him as "a fragile hero to whom we had an emotional attachment so strong and lasting that it defied logic. Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas (born March 22, 1952) is a Sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s " Costas added: "In the last year of his life, Mickey Mantle, always so hard on himself, finally came to accept and appreciate the distinction between a role model and a hero. A hero (from Greek grc ἥρως hērōs) in Greek mythology and Folklore, was originally a Demigod, the offspring of a mortal and The first, he often was not. The second, he always will be. And, in the end, people got it. "[2]

Honors

Mickey Mantle's number 7 was retired by the New York Yankees in 1969

On Mickey Mantle Day, June 8, 1969, in addition to the retirement of his uniform number 7, Mantle was given a plaque that would hang on the center field wall at Yankee Stadium, near the monuments to Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Miller Huggins. The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable George Herman Ruth Jr (February 6 1895 &ndash August 16 1948 also popularly known as " Babe " " The Bambino " and " The Sultan of Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig ( June 19 1903  – June 2 1941) born Ludwig Heinrich Gehrig, was an American Miller James Huggins ( March 27, 1879 &ndash September 25, 1929) nicknamed "Mighty Mite" was a Baseball player and The plaque was given to him by Joe DiMaggio, and Mantle then gave DiMaggio a similar plaque, telling the crowd, "His should be just a little bit higher than mine. Joseph Paul DiMaggio, born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio Jr ( November 25, 1914 &ndash March 8, 1999) nicknamed Joltin' Joe " When Yankee Stadium was reopened in 1976 following its renovation, the plaques and monuments were moved to Monument Park, behind the left-center field fence. Shortly before his death, Mantle videotaped a message to be played on Old-Timers' Day, which he was too ill to attend. He said, "When I die, I wanted on my tombstone, 'A great teammate. ' But I didn't think it would be this soon. " The words were indeed carved on the plaque marking his resting place at the family mausoleum in Dallas. On August 25, 1996, about a year after his death, Mantle's Monument Park plaque was replaced with a monument, bearing the words "A great teammate" and keeping a phrase that had been included on the original plaque: "A magnificent Yankee who left a legacy of unequaled courage. Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the "

Mantle and former teammate Whitey Ford were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame together in 1974, Mantle in his first year of eligibility, Ford in his second. Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford (born October 21, 1926) is a former Major League Baseball Pitcher who spent his entire 18-year career

Beginning in 1997, the Topps Baseball Card company retired the card #7 in its base sets in tribute to Mantle, whose career was taking off just as Topps began producing baseball cards. Mantle's cards, especially his 1952 Topps card, are extremely popular and valuable among card collectors. Though Topps un-retired the #7 in 2006, the number is reserved for cards of Mantle, remade with each year's design.

In 1999, "The Sporting News" placed Mantle at 17th on its list "The 100 Greatest Baseball Players. Sporting News (previously The Sporting News, and known colloquially as TSN) is an American -based Sports " That same year, he was one of 100 nominees for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team, and was chosen by fan balloting as one of the team's outfielders. In 1999 MasterCard sponsored the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. ESPN's "SportsCentury" series that ran in 1999 ranked him No. ESPN, originally an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an American Cable television network dedicated to 37 on its "50 Greatest Athletes" series.

In 2006, Mantle was featured on a United States postage stamp [6]. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A postage stamp is an adhesive paper evidence of pre-paying a fee for postal services The stamp is one of a series of four honoring baseball sluggers, the others being Mel Ott, Roy Campanella and Hank Greenberg. Melvin Thomas "Mel" Ott ( March 2, 1909 – November 21, 1958) nicknamed "Master Melvin" was a Major League Baseball Roy Campanella ( November 19, 1921 – June 26, 1993) nicknamed " Campy " was an American Baseball Henry Benjamin "Hank" Greenberg ( January 1, 1911, New York New York – September 4, 1986) nicknamed "Hammerin'

Career statistics

  • Ranks 19th on MLB All-Time On-base percentage List (. 421)
  • Ranks 25th on MLB All-Time Slugging Percentage List (. 557)
  • Ranks 13th on MLB All-Time OPS List (. 977)
  • Ranks 74th on MLB All-Time Game List (2,401)
  • Ranks 76th on MLB All-Time Plate Appearances List (9,909)
  • Ranks 27th on MLB All-Time Runs List (1,677)
  • Ranks 37th on MLB All-Time Total Bases List (4,511)
  • Ranks 13th on MLB All-Time Home Runs List (536)
  • Ranks 46th on MLB All-Time RBI List (1,509)
  • Ranks 7th on MLB All-Time Walks List (1,733)
  • Ranks 18th on MLB All-Time Runs Created List (2,038)
  • Ranks 9th on MLB All-Time Adjusted Batting Runs List (862)
  • Ranks 10th on MLB All-Time Batting Wins List (85. 3)
  • Ranks 40th on MLB All-Time Extra-Base Hits List (952)
  • Ranks 29th on MLB All-Time Times on Base List (4,161)
  • Ranks 7th on MLB All-Time Offensive Win % List (. 803)
  • Ranks 66th on MLB All-Time Intentional Walks List (126)
  • Ranks 14th on MLB All-Time At Bats per Home Run List (15. 1)

Awards and Achievements

  • AL MVP (1956, 1957, & 1962)
  • AL Triple Crown (1956)
  • AL Gold Glove winner in (1962)
  • 16-time AL All-Star (1952-1965, 1967, 1968)
  • Led AL in OPS 6 times (1952, 1955-56, 1960, 1962 and 1964)
  • Led AL in Runs Created 7 times (1952 and 1955-60)
  • Led AL in Adjusted Batting Runs 9 times (1952, 1955-60, 1962 and 1964)
  • Led AL in Batting Wins 9 times (1952, 1955-60, 1962 and 1964)
  • Led AL in Extra-Base Hits 3 times (1952 and 1955-56)
  • Led AL in Offensive Win % 7 times (1952, 1955-56, 1958, 1960, 1962 and 1964)
  • Led AL in Runs 6 times (1954, 1956-58 and 1960-61)
  • Led AL in On-base percentage 3 times (1955, 1962 and 1964)
  • Led AL in Slugging Percentage 4 times (1955, 1956, 1961 and 1962)
  • Led AL in Home Runs 4 times (1955-56, 1958 and 1960)
  • Led AL in Walks 5 times (1955, 1957-58 and 1961-62)
  • Led AL in Triples (11) in 1955
  • Led AL in Batting Average (. The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in The Most Valuable Player Award (commonly known as the MVP award is an annual award given to one outstanding player in each league of Major League Baseball. For other uses of this term see Triple crown In Baseball, the Triple Crown refers to A batter who (at season's end leads 353) and RBI (130) in 1956
  • Led AL in Total Bases 3 times (1956, 1958 and 1960)
  • Led AL in Times on Base 3 times (1956-58)
  • Led AL in At Bats per Home Run in 1956 (10. 3) and 1961 (9. 5)
  • Led AL in Intentional Walks in 1958 (13) and 1964 (18)

See also

References

  1. ^ "I Was Killing Myself – My Life As An Alcoholic"
  2. ^ The Mick website

External links

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