[10] Mantle and former teammate Whitey Ford were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame together in 1974, Mantle's first year of eligibility, Ford's second.[81]. Mantle made an appearance in the music video for "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" by Paul Simon in 1988. 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 643 feet (196m). Mickey Mantle Height, Weight & Measurements At 64 years old, Mickey Mantle height is 6' (1.83 m) . When Mantle finally fell short, finishing with 52, many of the traditionalists were relieved. [71], Mantle died at 2:10a.m. on August 13, 1995 at Baylor University Medical Center with his wife at his side, five months after his mother had died at age 91. [9], Mantle was born on October 20, 1931, in Spavinaw, Oklahoma, the son of Lovell (ne Richardson) Mantle (19041995)[10] and Elvin Charles "Mutt" Mantle (19121952). On Aug. 9, the hospital said the cancer had spread to his abdomen. Mantles first baseball contract in 1951 paid him $5,000. In the 1961 season, the press appeared to view the Yankees as Mantle's team, with Maris often belittled and ostracized as an outsider and not a true Yankee. Mantle began his professional career in baseball in Kansas with the semi-professional Baxter Springs Whiz Kids. Of his fear of dying early, he once said: "I'll never get a pension. A 1952 Topps Mikey Mantle card with a 9.5 grade more than doubled the all-time record for a sports card, selling for $12.6 million. In spite of short foul pole dimension of 296 feet (90m) to left and 301 feet (92m) to right in original Yankee Stadium, Mantle gained no advantage there as his stroke both left and right-handed drove balls there to power alleys of 344' to 407' and 402' to 457' feet (139m) from the plate. The 1952 Mantle rookie card, which was in mint. Roy Clark sang and played "Yesterday, When I Was Young". You can come back to Oklahoma and work the mines with me. [10] Mickey Mantle's salary for the 1951 season was $7,500. Mickey Mantle played 18 seasons. His batting average in mid-season had climbed as high as .392. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Mickey Mantle Jr., who struggled with the expectations accompanying the son of a baseball icon and the travails that afflicted his family far from the public eye, died Wednesday at a hospital in Dallas. Meanwhile, you might be wondering how card trading is still a thing nowadays. He is the only player in history to hit 150 home runs from both sides of the plate. The Powerful Symbol Of a Yankee Dynasty. I see I raised a coward instead. He remembered what his doctor told him then: "Your liver is still working, but it has healed itself so many times that before long you're just going to have one big scab for a liver. [62][47] His father died of Hodgkin's disease at age 40 in 1952, and his grandfather also died young of the same disease. As the years passed, Mantle frequently used a line popularized by football legend Bobby Layne, a Dallas neighbor and friend who also died in part from alcohol abuse: "If I'd known I was gonna live this long, I'd have taken a lot better care of myself. "Jack Antonoff's Shadow of the City Festival Showcases N.J. Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports. He played the rest of his career with a torn ACL. "[19] Bill Dickey called Mantle "the greatest prospect I've seen in my time. Mantle won the Triple Crown in 1956, when he led the major leagues in batting average (.353), home runs (52), and runs batted in (RBI) (130). [29] On June 5, he tried to prevent a home run by Brooks Robinson in Baltimore when his shoe spikes were caught in the center field chain-link fence as he leaped against the fence for the ball and was coming down. Excellent. How much did Mickey Mantle weigh when playing? Mantle's parents drove him at midnight to Oklahoma City, where he was treated at the children's hospital with the newly available penicillin, which reduced the infection and saved his leg from amputation. [27] 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. Because of these comparatively low numbers, he took a salary cut of 10,000 dollars, down to 60,000 dollars. Mantle broke many records and made many accomplishments throughout his career. Mantle was named in honor of Mickey Cochrane, a Hall of Fame catcher in baseball. Mantle reached base more times than he made outs (319 to 312), one of two seasons in which he achieved the feat. Two Armed Forces physicals were ordered, including a highly publicized exam on November 4, 1952, which was brought on by his All-Star selection, that ended in a final rejection. On August 12, 1964, he hit one whose distance was undoubted: a center field drive that cleared the 22-foot (6.7m) batter's eye screen, some 75' beyond the 461-foot (141m) marker at the Stadium. In 1994, he checked into the Betty Ford Clinic, where doctors diagnosed him with cirrhosis, hepatitis, and cancer of the liver. Mantle began attending school there and was an all-around athlete at Commerce High School. He even got me out of the commencement exercises so I could play ball because he was thinking of signing me for the Yankees. "When I graduated from high school in 1949, Greenwade showed up again. Mickey Mantle was an American professional baseball player who had a net worth of $10 million at the time of his death. But I still didn't have it in my head that I was a good major league ballplayer. He died on August 13, 1995, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX. "Once, they operated on my shoulder and tied the tendons together. His strength as a hitter became legendary. Please reorganize this content to explain the subject's impact on popular culture. Mantle let others run the business but made frequent appearances. Hall of Famer Willie Mays, who had taken a similar position, had already had action taken against him. I mean, she sewed them right on me. The Daily News reported it as a 502-foot homer. How old is Joe DiMaggio? He hit often, he hit deep and he did it from both sides of the plate better than anyone else. Mickey and his team have already made an enormous impact by increasing the awareness of organ donation. After an impressive spring training, Yankees manager Casey Stengel decided to promote Mantle to the majors as a right fielder instead of sending him to the minors. Adjusted for inflation, he earned approximately $9 million. He was a center fielder who was a switch-hitter and threw right handed. 1959 was the first of four consecutive seasons that two All-Star games were played and Mantle played in seven of these games. Mantle's monument now stands at the current Monument Park. [53], In 1992, Mantle wrote My Favorite Summer 1956 about his 1956 season.[54]. 7, he led the team through 14 years of the greatest success any baseball team has known before he endured four more years of decline. [10], Mantle was called up to the Yankees after 40 games with Kansas City, this time wearing uniform #7. This would be the first of many injuries that would plague Mantle's 18-year long career. Mantle is 60 years old and white-headed with a familiar face. Two months into the 1951 season, Manager Casey Stengel sent Mantle down to the Yankees' top farm team in Kansas City because he was striking out too much. Mantle was hospitalized with an abscessed hip resulting from a flu shot that he had received late in the season, leaving Maris to break the record (he finished with 61). After the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995, Mantle joined with fellow Oklahoman and Yankee Bobby Murcer to raise money for the victims. Some now call this his last home run at Yankee Stadium. He was well-liked by the citizens of Greensboro, and seemed to like them in return. In fact, if it weren't for the injuries that nagged him, he might've been able to contend for GOAT status. Some felt that his fame had permitted him to receive a donor liver in just one day,[69] bypassing patients who had been waiting much longer. 7/5/1957-Washington, DC: New York Yankee slugger Mickey Mantle (via Getty). Mantle's cards, especially his 1952 Topps rookie card, are extremely popular and valuable among card collectors. 37 in its "50 Greatest Athletes" series. Mickey Mantle: The Definitive Story (MLB Baseball Sports Documentary)The almost mythic career of Yankee slugger Mickey Mantle is the subject of this acclaime. He was 63. His father, Elvin, nicknamed Mutt, worked in the zinc mines. In 1949, he received a draft-examine notice and was about to be drafted by the US Army but failed the physical exam and was rejected as unqualified and was given a 4-F deferment for any military service.[22][23]. After the 1966 season, Mantle was moved to first base, with Joe Pepitone taking his place in the outfield. God gave me a body and the ability to play baseball. Mays's fly was hit to shallow center, and as Mantle came over to back up DiMaggio, Mantle's spikes caught a drainage cover in the outfield grass. The following year, he became the highest-paid player in baseball by signing a $75,000 contract, which was incredibly high at the time. 1952 Bowman Mickey Mantle Yankees Card #101 HOF - Certified SGC 1. Long after the cheers faded, so did Mantle, although he revived his image as a kind of fallen hero who carried his afflictions with grace and humor. They give a damn now.". In 2019, the #7 card was issued to Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres. While his drinking became public knowledge during his lifetime, the press kept quiet about his many marital infidelities. "[18], After a brief slump, Mantle was sent down to the Yankees' top farm team, the Kansas City Blues. "Years later, we were sitting around the dining room at the Yankees' ball park in Fort Lauderdale, and they had this oilcloth on the table, and Mickey said: 'This is what we used to have in our kitchen at home. He was a huge star, but he never treated you like he was better than you. Like Mickey, Merlyn and three of their sons became alcoholics,[56] and Billy developed Hodgkin's disease, as had several previous men in Mantle's family. And down in Baltimore in 1963, Slick was pitching one night and Brooks Robinson hit a home run over the center-field fence. Mickey Mantle, with his death Sunday at 63, passes from these pages forever and becomes the property . He was named the league's most valuable player in 1956, 1957 and 1962. Mickey Mantle was an American skilled baseball participant who had a I still didn't have a lot of confidence. Mickey Mantle is a member of Baseball Player Age, Biography and Wiki Net worth: $10 million Some Mickey Mantle images About Legendary New York Yankee who hit 536 career home runs, was named American League MVP three times, and led the AL in home runs four times and batting average once. How much was Mickey Mantles net worth at the time of his death? Mickey Mantle was born in Spavinaw, Oklahoma in October 1931 and passed away in August 1995. He is in 10th place in number of bases-empty bunt singles for his career, with 80 in only 148 at-bats. [66][67][68] In July, he had recovered enough to deliver a press conference at Baylor, and addressed fans that had looked to him as a role model. Overall, he hit slightly more home runs away (270) than home (266). He was survived by his wife, Merlyn (Johnson) Mantle, and three sons: David, Danny and Mickey Jr. His fourth son, Billy, had earlier died of Hodgkins disease. He sought treatment for alcoholism in 1994 when he checked in to the Betty Ford Clinic. Mantle received the transplant at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas on June 8, 1995. He was also honored with the Hickok Belt as the top American professional athlete of 1956. In that season, he also hit another long home run at Yankee Stadium to left-center field that was reported to have traveled 502 feet. But I didn't think it would be this soon." Mantle was born on October 20, 1931 in Spavinaw, Oklahoma to parents Lovell and Elvin "Mutt" Mantle. (His batting average closed 61 points lower than the previous year). Mantle was not entirely discreet about them, and at his retirement ceremony in 1969, he brought his mistress along with his wife. Talent". Mantle was the uncle of actor and musician Kelly Mantle. While we work diligently to ensure that our numbers are as accurate as possible, unless otherwise indicated they are only estimates. The home run was his 16th in a World Series, breaking Babe Ruth's record of 15. Due to his parents' quick action in driving him to a hospital in Oklahoma City, his leg was saved from amputation. He won the Western Association batting title and was then invited to the Yankees instructional camp before the 1951 season. I was 16 years old then, and my brothers and me would play ball out in the yard or out back in one of the fields. And then came the era of Mantle. Signed photos and Perez Steele cards are valued between $250 and $300. His football playing nearly ended his athletic career. [citation needed] The 1958 season started slowly for Mantle; the first half saw him at the .274 mark, as a shoulder injury from a collision with Braves' Red Schoendienst in the 1957 World Series left him with permanent struggles in his uppercut from the left side. 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. [10] Mantle hit .313 for the Independence Yankees. The Yankees and Mantle were slowed by injuries during the 1965 season, and they finished in sixth place, 25 games behind the Minnesota Twins. The former ballplayer attributed his poor. David Mantle was recently walking in New York City when a passer-by said something odd. He did, however, regain his status, hitting .330 in the second half of 1958, and leading his team back to the Series. "TELEVISION: Summerall's Struggle with Alcohol" (, "THE DEATH OF A HERO; Mantle's Cancer 'Most Aggressive' His Doctors Had Seen", "Sports of The Times; Mickey Mantle's Cancer", "Questions Are Raised On Mantle Transplant", "Mickey Mantle, Great Yankee Slugger, Dies at 63", "Merlyn Mantle, widow of Mickey, dies at 77", "Cheers, Tears Ring For Mantle As Uniform No. He always talked about his love for the game. During the final years of his life, Mantle purchased a condominium on Lake Oconee near Greensboro, Georgia, near Greer Johnson's home, and frequently stayed there for months at a time. All net worths are calculated using data drawn from public sources. How many seasons did Mickey Mantle play? I had everything and I just . [52] In 1983, he worked at the Claridge Resort and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey as a greeter and community representative. On December 23, 1951, Mantle married Merlyn Johnson (19322009) in Picher, Oklahoma; they had four sons. He is best known for setting a new MLB single-season home run record with 61 home runs in 1961. Mickey Mantle was an American professional baseball player who had a net worth of $10 million at the time of his death. Mantle was one of the best players and sluggers of all time, and is regarded by many as the greatest switch hitter in baseball history. Roger Maris Net Worth. [24][35], Mantle announced his retirement at the age of 37 on March 1, 1969. Mantle became a Christian when his former teammate Bobby Richardson, a Baptist, shared his faith with him. He had his first drink at the age of 19. Interestingly, the games best player at the time never tried to renegotiate a better deal after the 1963 season. In 1962, he became the highest-paid player in baseball with a $90,000 per year contract. You see, when you have a prairie fire, if you don't clean out a 10-yard spot around a telephone pole, it will burn the telephone pole out, and it will cost you a lot of money. Then my dad got me a job cleaning out the area around telephone poles. On May 14, 1967, Mantle became the sixth member of the 500 home run club. During the 1961 season, Mantle and teammate Roger Maris, known as the M&M Boys, chased Babe Ruth's 1927 single-season home run record. He is the only player to win a league Triple Crown as a switch hitter. "I was still in high school and we were living out near Commerce in 1948, and we didn't have a hell of a lot. During his final season in 1968, he still managed to hit 18 home runs. You're the best we've got.' The team played the rest of the season with black mourning bands topped by a number 7 on their left sleeves. It was originally purchased for $50,000 in 1991. His rationale was that the men in his family had all died young, so he expected to die young as well. Martin died in a one-vehicle accident on Christmas night 1989. His knee twisted awkwardly and he instantly fell. He continued to be a solid player for the Yankees over the next few years and had his breakout season in 1956. 2023 Celebrity Net Worth / All Rights Reserved. Gone were the days of $3 autographs. Mickey attended Commerce High School and was an all-around athlete. As a teammate, he never complained about his injuries and always tried to lead by example. The couple had four children together during the course of their marriage. His on-base percentage was .400, for the year. Mantle was one of the greatest offensive threats in baseball history and is considered to be one of the best baseball players of all time. Mickey Mantle was born in Spavinaw, Oklahoma in October 1931. [55] In an autobiography, Mantle said that he had married Merlyn not out of love, but because he was told to by his domineering father. People chose instead to remember his baseball feats, unforgettably part of the heroic character he portrayed. In 2020, the #7 card was issued to right fielder Aaron Judge. The first, he often was not. All combined, Mantle earned $1.12 million during his career. But it finally became a nightmare that undermined his life. Last edited on 28 February 2023, at 23:52, Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Awards, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery, Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year, List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle, List of Major League Baseball retired numbers, List of Major League Baseball home run records, List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders, List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders, List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders, List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders, List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders, List of Major League Baseball career total bases leaders, List of Major League Baseball batting champions, List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual runs scored leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders, List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise, "Longest Home Run Ever Hit by Baseball Almanac", "On what would have been his 80th birthday, Mickey Mantle's World Series home run record still stands", "New York 500 Home Run Club Mickey Mantle Yankees", Elven Charles "Mutt" Mantle + Lovell Velma Richardson PhpGedView, "Mickey Mantle Minor League Statistics and History", "Dickey Calls Mickey Mantle Best Prospect He Ever Saw", "Talkin' Matt Wieters and the concept of hype, with Bill James", "All-time and Single-Season World Series Batting Leaders Baseball-Reference.com", "Stunned Mantle Again Named 'Most Valuable', "Mickey Mantle 1961 Back in Time: January 1961 Photos SI Vault", "MANTLE'S HOMER SUBDUES A'S, 8-7; Clout in 11th Almost Clears Stadium--Two-Out Drive in 9th Ties Yankees", "July 9, 1963: Mays leads NL stars in return to single All-Star Game - Society for American Baseball Research", "Yanks' Woes of '08 Eerily Similar to '65", "Flashback: When Texas Opened the 8th Wonder of the World", "Midsummer Classics: Celebrating MLB's All-Star Game", "Jeter adds games played to his Yanks records", "Mickey Mantle Almost Gave Up Switch-Hitting in 1960", "Mickey Mantle Career Home Runs Baseball-Reference.com", "The Lantern 19 May 1969 Ohio State University Newspaper Archives", "Yankees' Old-Timers' Day never gets old | Newsday", "Mickey Mantle Society for American Baseball Research", "Mickey Mantle Strikes Out, Then Hits a Homer", "Merlyn Mantle, widow of Yankee icon Mickey Mantle, succumbs to Alzheimer's disease at age 77", "Brett Favre, Tiger Woods, Sports Bad Boys Couldn't Touch Mickey Mantle", "Mickey Mantle's Nephew Has 2 Gay-Themed Plays in Chicago", "Sandomir, Richard. He was the anchor of the team for 18 seasons, first in center field and later, when his knees couldn't take the stress anymore, at first base. August 14, 1995. [citation needed] He outlived all the men in his family by several years. For the upcoming All-Star Game in Denver, a gem-mint. After an impressive spring training, the Yankees manager decided to promote Mantle to the major league team as a right fielder. Mantle's off-field behavior is the subject of the book The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the End of America's Childhood, written in 2010 by sports journalist Jane Leavy. I was the best man at Martin's wedding in 1988, and I can hardly remember being there." His annual salary was around $7,500 during his rookie year in 1951 and during his final playing years, his annual salary was estimated to around $ 100,000. All Truth Of Leland Chapman's Wife - Jamie . Deducting for bounces,[5] there is no doubt that both landed well over 500 feet (152m) from home plate. I think I hit two more home runs that night. In one interview, Mantle 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.". I was nothing. A Mickey Mantle baseball card sold for a record-smashing $12.6 million Sunday, the highest price ever paid for a piece of sports memorabilia. [10] Stengel, speaking to SPORT, stated "He's got more natural power from both sides than anybody I ever saw. Ford, his ally on and off the field for years, remembered how shy and inarticulate the young Mantle seemed when he reported. "He struck out only 1,500 times. Mantle played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951-1968) with the New York Yankees Mickey Mantle was an American professional baseball player. He showed a certain amount of humility and never let the stardom go to his head. He died in Texas in 1995. Wearing No. He was selected an AL All-Star again, but as a reserve player, and he did not make the 28-player team for the second and last time because of an injury. Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Commerce Comet" and "the Mick",[1] was an American professional baseball player. Mickey Mantle, 63, the superstar slugging center fielder of the New York Yankees of the 1950s and 1960s whose baseball feats and golden good looks made him an American legend, died of liver cancer yesterday at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. He is a celebrity Baseball player. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. In 1974, Mantle was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He played in 2,401 games and went to bat 8,102 times -- more than any other Yankee -- and delivered 2,415 hits for a .298 batting average. This was the first of numerous injuries that plagued his 18-year career with the Yankees. Fairchild's poetry celebrates gritty lives in small towns", "Catch me if you can(2002) - You know why the yankees always win? In the second game of the 1951 World Series, New York Giants rookie Willie Mays hit a fly ball to right-center field. The ball park was right beside the road, and he was on his way to watch some guy play in another town. "Then in the World Series in 1951," Mantle said, "I tripped on the water-main sprinkler in the outfield while I was holding back so DiMaggio could catch a ball that Willie Mays hit, and I twisted my knee and got torn ligaments. History Colorado and the Rockies baseball club are putting on display your PSA 10 Topps 1952 Mickey Mantle and some spectacular memorabilia from your collection across the street from Coors Field from July 10 through July 18th where the All Star Game is being held. He spent his final two careers in the major leagues playing first base. [12] Mantle spoke warmly of his father and said that he was the bravest man whom he had ever known. ", In the end, though, he had a more poignant message. [66] 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. [10], Mantle began his professional baseball career in Kansas with the semi-professional Baxter Springs Whiz Kids. I jumped up and tried to catch it, and got my foot caught in the wire mesh on the fence, and that time I broke my foot about halfway up.".