In 1950, the year before he arrived, the Yankees won the Series again. His job mostly involved representing the Claridge in golf tournaments and at other charity events, but Mantle was suspended from baseball by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn because any affiliation with gambling was viewed as grounds for placement on the "permanently ineligible" list. (Another story says, he was badly injured playing touch football, at home, in the late summer of that year). ", But that's not how he was remembered by teammates. [citation needed] Another Mantle homer, hit right-handed off Chuck Stobbs at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. on April 17, 1953, was measured by Yankees traveling secretary Red Patterson (hence the term "tape-measure home run") to have traveled 565 feet (172m). The cause was complications of cancer, his family said. 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. 37 in its "50 Greatest Athletes" series. Mantle returned to the hospital in late July, and the cancer was found to have spread throughout his body. Mantle gave a similar plaque to DiMaggio, telling the huge crowd in Yankee Stadium, "Joe DiMaggio's deserves to be higher. I won't live long enough." A settlement was reached allowing for the sale of some of Mantle's belongings for approximately $500,000. [10] [23][24] Mantle had high hopes that 1953 would be a breakout year but his momentum was stopped by an injury. Music! He received a liver transplant soon afterward. Trip Back to Minors In First Year in Majors. Mantle was interred in the Mantle Family Mausoleum, located in the St. Matthew Section of the Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery in Dallas. It also was perhaps his only "called shot", as he told on-deck hitter Elston Howard, "he might as well return to the dugout this game is over!" Mickey Mantle passed away on August 13, 1995 at 63 years old. He continued to be a solid player for the Yankees over the next few years and had his breakout season in 1956. Mantle was able to hit for both average and power,[4] especially tape-measure home runs,[5] a term that was born when a play-by-play caller reacted to one of Mantle's 1953 home runs. Mickey Mantle weighed 195 lbs (88 kg) when playing. He is in 10th place in number of bases-empty bunt singles for his career, with 80 in only 148 at-bats. [26] Mantle made the AL All-Star team as a reserve player in 1959, as his numbers had tailed off from previous seasons, he was used as a pinch runner for Baltimore Orioles catcher Gus Triandos and replacement right fielder for Cleveland Indians Rocky Colavito in the first game with Detroit Tigers Al Kaline playing the center field position. The town respected Mantle's privacy, refusing either to talk about him to outsiders or to direct fans to his home. The internet stared in awe as the sports memorabilia sold for a whopping $5.2 million. Mantle played center field full-time for the Yankees until 1965, when he was moved to left field. 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]. At Mantle's funeral, Eddie Layton played "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" on the Hammond organ because Mickey had once told him that it was his favorite song. He missed several weeks, so his numbers were modest but respectable, especially with 92 RBIs. A year later, Mantle received a liver transplant, but on August 13, 1995, he died of a heart attack at the age of 63. [65] He said that he was telling the same old stories, and realizing how many of them involved being drunk, including at least one drunk-driving accident, he decided they were not funny any more. August 14, 1995. While these facts are widely known, here are some not so popular ones you may not know about. Fairchild's poetry celebrates gritty lives in small towns", "Catch me if you can(2002) - You know why the yankees always win? Mantle was invited to the Yankees instructional camp before the 1951 season. Mickey Mantle was an American professional baseball player who had a net worth of $10 million at the time of his death. In 1952, Mantle played his first complete World Series and became a hitting star for the team with an on-base percentage above .400 and a slugging percentage above .600. Mickey Mantle 1959 Topps Baseball Card #10. [79], In 1969, Mantle received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.[80]. We welcome all corrections and feedback using the button below. The ball went over the center field fence, which was 460 feet from home plate. He brought a lot of Oklahoma with him to New York and never really changed. In 1974 Mantle was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot. He could drag a bunt, too, with runaway speed, and he played his role with a kind of all-American sense of destiny. People chose instead to remember his baseball feats, unforgettably part of the heroic character he portrayed. Mantle was the uncle of actor and musician Kelly Mantle. Beginning in 1997, the Topps Baseball Card company retired card #7 in its baseball flagship sets in tribute to Mantle, whose career was taking off just as Topps began producing them. Due to his parents' quick action in driving him to a hospital in Oklahoma City, his leg was saved from amputation. In getting out of DiMaggio's way, Mantle tripped over an exposed drain pipe and severely injured his right knee. A decades-old, mint-condition Mickey Mantle baseball card could break a record at auction. While we work diligently to ensure that our numbers are as accurate as possible, unless otherwise indicated they are only estimates. Mickey Mantle was born in Spavinaw, Oklahoma in October 1931. [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. Mantle began playing with the Kansas City Blues, the Yankees' top farm team. "This is a role model: Don't be like me," a frail Mantle said. How old is Joe DiMaggio? As a teammate, he never complained about his injuries and always tried to lead by example. 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. Mantle became the highest-paid active player of his time. Mickey Mantle, the most powerful switch-hitter in baseball history and the successor to Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio as the symbol of the long reign of the New York Yankees, died of cancer. [73], After Mantle's death, his family pursued a federal lawsuit against Greer Johnson, his agent and live-in aide during the last decade of his life, to prohibit her from auctioning many of Mantle's personal items, including a lock of hair, a neck brace, and expired credit cards. Signed mid-to-late 1950s Topps cards (excluding All-Star cards) sell for $1,000 to $2,000. [72] He was 63 years old. Mickey Mantle (born October 20, 1931) is famous for being baseball player. He was born on October 20, 1931, in Spavinaw, Oklahoma. [citation needed], Joe DiMaggio retired from baseball following the 1951 World Series. Mantles success individually helped contribute to a very successful run for the Yankees. "[18], After a brief slump, Mantle was sent down to the Yankees' top farm team, the Kansas City Blues. 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. He hit 344 doubles, 72 triples and 536 home runs (373 left-handed, 163 right-handed), and he knocked in 1,509 runs. But he pulled his car over and stopped and watched us play. He is the only player to win a league Triple Crown as a switch hitter. 7/5/1957-Washington, DC: New York Yankee slugger Mickey Mantle (via Getty). Early Baseball Lessons From Both Sides of Plate. The first main series #7 card not issued to Mantle or a Yankee was to shortstop Orlando Arcia of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2021. [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). In the 1930's, they won five pennants and five World Series. [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. I was the best man at Martin's wedding in 1988, and I can hardly remember being there." Mickey Mantle (1951) Mantle as a 19-year-old rookie Mantle baseball card Mantle was invited to the Yankees instructional camp before the 1951 season. Mantle's top salary was $100,000, which he reached for the 1963 season. "I thought you were dead.". Mantle was just 63 years old at the time of his death. 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. MLB held two All-Star Games from 1959 through 1962. [10] Mantle hit .313 for the Independence Yankees. Mantle's #7 was retired by the New York Yankees and he was named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. 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. 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. [40] His 372 to-164 home run disparity was due to Mantle having batted left-handed much more often, as the large majority of pitchers are right-handed. 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 spent his final two seasons at first base. In 1962, Mantle batted .321 in 121 games. In 2017, Topps began including #7 cards in its main sets again, with Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez the first player other than Mickey Mantle to appear in the #7 slot since 1995. In 1974 Mantle was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot. [51], Mantle worked as a customer-relations representative for the Dallas Reserve Life Insurance Company. Through all the adversity, he exhibited a quiet but shrewd wit that he often unfurled in a down-home Oklahoma drawl. God gave me a body and the ability to play baseball. In the second game of the 1951 World Series, New York Giants rookie Willie Mays hit a fly ball to right-center field. 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. Madden, Bill. 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. On Aug. 9, the hospital said the cancer had spread to his abdomen. . Although he underwent a liver transplant in June of 1995, the cancer had spread to most of his internal organs and Mantle died on August 13, 1995. ". Mantle began attending school there and was an all-around athlete at Commerce High School. Mickey Mantle Original 1969 Topps Baseball Card #500. See the article in its original context from. Interestingly, the games best player at the time never tried to renegotiate a better deal after the 1963 season. Witnesses say it looked "like he had been shot." 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. He was assigned the #6 uniform, which signified that he was expected to become the next star of the team, as Babe Ruth had worn #3, Lou Gehrig had worn #4, and Joe DiMaggio had worn #5. Mantle desired to be remembered as a stellar teammate. Recently, he had been suffering from anemia, a side effect of aggressive chemotherapy treatment, and had been receiving blood transfusions. Mantle won three American League MVP Awards and was a four time AL home run leader and one time AL RBI leader. However, Mantle stole the show after hitting three home runs. On July 28, he re-entered Baylor Medical Center for treatment of cancerous spots in his right lung. "No, I'm still alive," Mantle responded. Mutt drove to Independence, Kansas, and convinced Mantle to keep playing. On May 22, Mantle hit a line-drive home run off the third-tier facade at Yankee Stadium, the closest that any hitter had come to hitting a fair ball out of the park. He hit often, he hit deep and he did it from both sides of the plate better than anyone else. After an impressive spring training, the Yankees manager decided to promote Mantle to the major league team as a right fielder. He is 17th in on-base percentage. That amount combined with his restaurant business and endorsements deals after he retired, Mantles net worth was $10 million when he died in 1995. I still didn't have a lot of confidence. Is Mickey Mantle in the Hall of Fame? After Page Six reported that the Yankee legend once slipped a female journalist a greeting card mid-interview that read "Wanna f- k?," we're told that he also once thew up while having sex with Angie Dickinson. He played halfback and Oklahoma offered him a football scholarship. 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. He was 63 years old. And after years of drinking and carousing with Whitey Ford and Billy Martin as his chief running mates, he joked, "If I knew I was going to live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself. Beginning in high school, he suffered both acute and chronic injuries to bones and cartilage in his legs. "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. 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. Baseball scholars often ponder "what if" had he not been injured, and had been able to lead a healthy career. He stayed in the minors for 40 games, returned to New York and closed his rookie season hitting .267 with 13 home runs in 96 games. Those words were carved on the plaque marking his resting place at the family mausoleum in Dallas. Agent and companion of Mickey Mantle. But I didn't think it would be this soon." For the upcoming All-Star Game in Denver, a gem-mint. | Movieclip(2) |", "Tom Russell's Talents Still Shine Through", "Mantle, Yanks' Rookie, Loses Duel With Sun", "Mickey Mantle Inherits Baseball's Biggest Job", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mickey_Mantle&oldid=1142182139, September 28,1968,for theNew York Yankees, 1956 - Mantle made a (talking) cameo appearance in, 1962 - Mantle and Maris starred as themselves in the film, 1988 - Mantle appeared in the official video for, 1993 and 1996 - References are made to Mantle in the sitcom, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 23:52. Mickey Mantle is one of the greatest baseball players ever. During his final season in 1968, he still managed to hit 18 home runs. The 1959 season was another frustrating situation; this time the first half of his season was good and his second-half comparatively bad. Also helping Mantle decide to enter the clinic was sportscaster Pat Summerall, who had played for the New York Giants football team at Yankee Stadium, by then a recovering alcoholic and a member of Mantle's Dallas-area country club. [36] When he retired, Mantle was third on the all-time home-run list with 536,[34] and he was the Yankees' all-time leader in games played with 2,401, a record that would be broken by Derek Jeter on August 29, 2011.[37]. The next was arguably his first great year, as he concluded with 37 home runs and a .306 batting average. [43][44], As a 19-year-old rookie playing right field in his first World Series, Mantle tore the cartilage in his right knee on a fly ball hit by Willie Mays. ", Said Gene Woodling, who played in the outfield beside Mantle for four seasons: "What can you say about Mickey after you say he was one of the greatest?" ", Mantle was assigned uniform #6, signifying the expectation that he would become the next Yankees star, following Babe Ruth (#3), Lou Gehrig (#4) and Joe DiMaggio (#5). DETAILS BELOW. He was also honored with the Hickok Belt as the top American professional athlete of 1956. After adjusting for inflation, he earned around $9 million from his various contracts. 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. This was the first of numerous injuries that plagued his 18-year career with the Yankees. Mantle's original plaque, along with DiMaggio's, are now on display at the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center, with the DiMaggio plaque still hung higher than Mantle's. He also hit 26 home runs and recorded 136 runs batted in. When Mantle was four years old, his family moved to Commerce, Oklahoma, where his father worked in lead and zinc mines. In 1998, The Sporting News placed Mantle at 17th on its list of baseball's 100 greatest players. Former New York Yankees star Mickey Mantle dies of liver cancer at the age of 63. It was that year, also, he was timed running from home plate to first base in 3.1 seconds, considered outstanding for a heavy hitter. Mantle reached base more times than he made outs (319 to 312), one of two seasons in which he achieved the feat. [62][47] His father died of Hodgkin's disease at age 40 in 1952, and his grandfather also died young of the same disease. Three years later, and again in 1963, batting left-handed each time, he smashed a ball into the third deck, within a few feet of the peak of the facade in right field in Yankee Stadium, and no one has come closer to driving a fair ball out of the park. Aberback, Brian (September 7, 2017). 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. After a brief slump, he began dominating games and was called up to the Yankees after 40 games with Kansas City. Mantle made an appearance in the music video for "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" by Paul Simon in 1988. His life in baseball and afterward was the pith and marrow of a basic . Mantle disclosed later that he had not married Johnson out of love but rather because his father told him to. (His batting average closed 61 points lower than the previous year). He was a center fielder who was a switch hitter and threw right handed. After the 1966 season, Mantle was moved to first base, with Joe Pepitone taking his place in the outfield. During Game 5 of the 1956 World SeriesDon Larsen's perfect game against the Brooklyn DodgersMantle kept the perfect game alive by making a running catch of a deep fly ball off the bat of Gil Hodges, and provided the first of the two runs the Yankees would score with a fourth-inning home run off Brooklyn starter Sal Maglie. He was 84. Mickey and his team have already made an enormous impact by increasing the awareness of organ donation. 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. Due to his popularity, he often appeared in a variety of documentaries and sports videos. They might just be worth eight figures at auction. Because of these comparatively low numbers, he took a salary cut of 10,000 dollars, down to 60,000 dollars. [61] Before Mantle sought treatment for alcoholism, he admitted that his hard living had hurt both his playing and his family. "Then Ralph Houk came along and changed my whole idea of thinking about myself. That amount combined with his restaurant business and endorsements deals after he retired, Mantle's net worth was $10 million when he died in 1995. He said, "When I die, I wanted on my tombstone, 'A great teammate.' In 2020, the #7 card was issued to right fielder Aaron Judge.