Remembering number 7

[soberdennis]

79 years ago today in Spavinaw, OK a baby boy was born.
His father knew from the start what the boy was destined to be. He named him after a Major League baseball player-Mickey Cochrane. (Although Cochrane's real name was Gordon. That didn't stop him from naming his son Mickey.)
When the New York press corps arrived at the Yankee camp in Phoenix in 1951, they were greeted by Yankee coach and great Bill Dickey. Dickey started ranting about this rookie so much that the reporters went to Casey Stengel and said "Dickey says you have another Cobb in camp."
The rookie eventually had some huge shoes to fill. He was eventually penciled in in Center Field to replace the soon to retire Joe Dimaggio.
But fill those shoes he did and quite well. For the next 18 years, Mickey Mantle roamed center field at Yankee Stadium.
He was noted for his tape meaure home runs. He hit a ball in Griffith Stadium in Washington that landed across the street. When someone got out a tape measure to measure it, it was figured at 585 ft from home plate. He also hit the longest homer in Yankee Stadium into the upper bleachers in center field and twice hit the facade in right field, coming within inches of being the first Major Leaguer to hit a fair ball out of Yankee Stadium
His greatest year was 1956. That year, he won the triple crown with .353, 52 homers, and 130 RBI. He was the last to lead all of the Majors in those three categories.
In 1961, he and teammate Roger Maris chased the most hallowed of baseball records, Babe Ruth's 60 home runs. But injuries cut Mantle's season short and he ended up with 54. Maris went on to break the record.
In 1964, he did break one of Ruth's records. In his 12th World Series, against Barney Shultz of the Cardinals, he hit his 16th World Series homer. He ended with 18.
My memory of Mick took a personal note on May 14, 1967. As a present for my 10th birthday, my Dad took me to Yankee Stadium for the first time. In the seventh inning with Stu Miller of the Orioles on the mound, Mantle hit his 500th homer to win the game. He became only the second Yankee to reach that magic mark after Ruth.
Mantle was arguably the greatest switch hitter of all time, even though Rose had more hits and Murray ended up with more homers.
He ended his career with 536 homers, at the time third all time behind Ruth and Mays, in 1968.
In August, 1969, the Yankees held Mickey Mantle Day. On that day, with representatives of all 12 pennant winners on hand, Mickey joined Ruth, Gehrig, and Dimaggio in having his number retired by the Yankees.
His plaque in Monument Park reads "A great teammate." You can't sum it up much better.
Along with long time teammate and friend Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantle took his rightful place in Cooperstown in 1974.
He was a great all around player, who could run, bunt, and field with the best of them. But an injury suffered in the 1951 World Series against the Giants would haunt him the rest of his career. He played many games in great pain.
He also developed an alcohol problem while playing. Later in life, he expressed regret that he did not take better care of his body.
Mickey Charles Mantle left us on August 13, 1995. He is gone, but will never be forgotten.
Happy Birthday Mick, wherever you are.

[RickD]

To the Mick! Happy Birthday!

[soberdennis]

Why was this thread closed? I am reopening it at least until I get an explanation.

[BobH]

Why was this thread closed? I am reopening it at least until I get an explanation.

Many thanks, dennis. I lived in South Florida as a boy and grew up there. I saw Mickey come through West Palm many times as it was the spring training home of the A's. Mick hit some rockets in old Connie Mack stadium there. I always remember how pleasant Mick was with that infectious smile of his. The kids loved him. One day, after a rather lackluster round of batting practice in the cage, he slammed his bat down on the plate in frustration. He turned that Louisville Slugger into toothpicks. I had never seen a bat shatter like that in those days. I know it's common now but back then it wasn't. Even the players around the cage were awed by it. Mick used a 36oz. bat, as I recall. In his day I doubt that there was another player in either league as strong as he was. He was a tremendous ballplayer and I really believe if had cared for himself better he would've been one of the absolute greatest of all time. He played 288 games in the last 2 years of his career and barely managed to bat around .240. I know he was 35 and 36 in those years but if had cared for himself I believe he would've done much better in those years. As it was, he ended his career below .300 life-time and that was well below his abilities as a player. He was a bonafide .300+ hitter and Hall of Famer in every category...possibly the most complete player to ever put on a uniform. He did it all.-BH

[soberdennis]

Many thanks, dennis. I lived in South Florida as a boy and grew up there. I saw Mickey come through West Palm many times as it was the spring training home of the A's. Mick hit some rockets in old Connie Mack stadium there. I always remember how pleasant Mick was with that infectious smile of his. The kids loved him. One day, after a rather lackluster round of batting practice in the cage, he slammed his bat down on the plate in frustration. He turned that Louisville Slugger into toothpicks. I had never seen a bat shatter like that in those days. I know it's common now but back then it wasn't. Even the players around the cage were awed by it. Mick used a 36oz. bat, as I recall. In his day I doubt that there was another player in either league as strong as he was. He was a tremendous ballplayer and I really believe if had cared for himself better he would've been one of the absolute greatest of all time. He played 288 games in the last 2 years of his career and barely managed to bat around .240. I know he was 35 and 36 in those years but if had cared for himself I believe he would've done much better in those years. As it was, he ended his career below .300 life-time and that was well below his abilities as a player. He was a bonafide .300+ hitter and Hall of Famer in every category...possibly the most complete player to ever put on a uniform. He did it all.-BH

I think a lot of players would be thrilled by a .298 lifetime BA, including some HOFers. But you're right. It probably would have been higher if he had taken better care of himself.
I wish I could have seen Mickey in his prime. As it was, he gave a 10 year old boy a great thrill near the end of his career.

[RickD]

No clue why this was closed. Maybe it was an accident.

I grew up after Mick was done, yet his shadow loomed large even to a child of the 70's/80's.