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. 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. He is 17th in on-base percentage. [10] In 1948, Yankees scout Tom Greenwade came to Baxter Springs to watch Mantle's teammate, third baseman Willard "Billy" Johnson. Babe Ruth (AP Photo) . 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. Page 369): The son of a miner from Oklahoma, Mantle was led to baseball at an early age by his father. All rights reserved. This was the first of numerous injuries that plagued his 18-year career with the Yankees. Join Baseball Almanac as we take a look at some additional numbers of interest as they relate to the most prolific switch hitter in baseball history: .421 - Mickey Mantle finished his career with a .421 on-base percentage, the Major League record for highest on-base percentage by a switch hitter in a career. Willie Mays had a .301 average over his career. He was of at least partial English ancestry; his great-grandfather George Mantle left Brierley Hill, in England's Black Country, in 1848. Pride of October: What It Was to Be Young and a Yankee. Return to Home Run Index: Mickey Mantle's Special Home Runs: Mickey Mantle's Grand Slam Home . From 1959 through 1962, two All-Star Games were played each of those years, and The Commerce Comet was sent to all eight of those Midsummer Classics! In 1957, Mantle had a career high .521 OBP, the Major League record for highest on-base percentage by a switch hitter in a single season. 10/10/64: Mickey Mantle takes Barney Schultz deep, giving the Yankees the Game 3 win with a walk-off home runCheck out http://m.mlb.com/video for our full ar. The team played the rest of the season with black mourning bands topped by a number 7 on their left sleeves. In the second game of the 1951 World Series, New York Giants rookie Willie Mays hit a fly ball to right-center field. Or write about sports? His football playing nearly ended his athletic career. From 1959 through 1962, two All-Star Games were played each of those years, and The Commerce Comet was sent to all eight of those Midsummer Classics! [10] During a slump, Mantle called his father to tell him he wanted to quit baseball. Where what happened yesterday is being preserved today. No player, except Mantle himself, was featured in a regular set on card number seven until the release of the 2017 Topps Baseball Card set. In 1956, Mantle had a career high .705 slugging average, the Major League record for highest slugging average by a switch hitter in a single season. [10] Mickey Mantle's salary for the 1951 season was $7,500. In 2006, Mantle was featured on a United States postage stamp,[85] one of a series of four including fellow baseball legends Mel Ott, Roy Campanella, and Hank Greenberg. [Answer], 2017 - Mickey Mantle passed away in 1995, prompting Topps Baseball Cards to "retire" #7 in their base card sets (excluding inserts). Aberback, Brian (September 7, 2017). July 10, 1956, Griffith Stadium, Washington - Pitcher Warren Spahn. If you find this type of "free" data useful please consider [6] He hit 536 career home runs, batted .300 or more ten times, and is the career leader (tied with Jim Thome) in walk-off home runs, with 13: 12 in the regular season and one in the postseason. A statue of Mantle is located at Mickey Mantle Plaza at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, the home stadium of the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers, 2 South Mickey Mantle Drive in Oklahoma City. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 1:07PM. [49], Although he was among the best-paid players of the pre-free-agency era, Mantle was a poor businessman and did not invest well. He also had an excellent .984 fielding percentage when playing center field. August 13, 1995 Mantle was a prized guest at baseball-card shows, commanding fees far in excess of those of any other player for his appearances and autographs. Mantle homered off 224 different pitchers during his career, connected most often while batting third in the lineup, and drove in 859 total runs when he went deep! Madden, Bill. [citation needed], Joe DiMaggio retired from baseball following the 1951 World Series. [10] Stengel, speaking to SPORT, stated "He's got more natural power from both sides than anybody I ever saw. Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden Game Sports. in Spavinaw, OK He was selected an All-Star for the eleventh consecutive season and played in the first game,[3] but because of a recurrence of an old injury, he did not play in the second game. Dave Kingman has power. MLB held two All-Star Games from 1959 through 1962. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less. During this time, Mantle lived with his agent Greer Johnson. Mantle, who was born in Spavinaw, Oklahoma,. Also, twelve of Mantle's 536 career regular season home runs were walk-offs, tying Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, and Stan Musial. [66], Mantle's popularity led to controversy over his liver transplant. Much of the play-by-play, game results, and transaction information both shown and used to create certain data sets was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by RetroSheet. Who did Topps select? [10] However, Mantle struggled defensively at shortstop.[10]. [33], Mantle hit .237 with 18 home runs and 54 RBI during his final season in 1968. (National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum) 1. Maris hit 26. [Answer], 3 - Mickey Mantle was not just incredibly strong, but he was also incredibly fast. [Mickey Mantle Quotes], Mickey 'The Commerce Comet' Mantle Autograph on a 1983 Donruss Hall of Fame Heroes Baseball Card (#43), Mickey Mantle Miscellaneous Items of Interest. Following a two-year stint in the minors for the Independence (KS) Yankees, Mantle was promoted to the big league club as a right fielder in 1951. . Not one Yankee player since Mantle, has hit three inside the park home runs in the same season! [10] He was selected an "All-Star" for the first time and made the AL team, but did not play in the five-inning All-Star game that had Boston Red Sox Dom DiMaggio at center field. Mickey Mantle Memories and Memorabilia. Mantle had his breakout season in 1956 after showing progressive improvement each of his first five years. Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. [47] Joe Collins, who played with him from 1951 through 1957, recalled that "Mickey was the type of guy who cared about you as a person. Deducting for bounces,[5] there is no doubt that both landed well over 500 feet (152m) from home plate. In the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 3 of the 1964 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Mantle hit Barney Schultz's first pitch into the right field stands at Yankee Stadium, which won the game for the Yankees 21. [Answer], 110.2 - Mickey Mantle finished his career with a Wins Above Replacement (WAR) of 110.2. the highest in baseball history by a switch hitting position player. 52 - Mickey Mantle hit 52 home runs in 1956, a total that led every hitter from both leagues. The Mick,The Commerce Comet,Muscles are nicknames for Mickey Mantle. [Answer]. For every 100 at bats, Mantle grounded into 1.40 double plays, one of the lowest marks in history. [82] Topps unretired the #7 in 2006 to use exclusively for cards of Mantle in the current year's design. Mantle served as a part-time color commentator on NBC's baseball coverage in 1969, teaming with Curt Gowdy and Tony Kubek to call some Game of the Week telecasts as well as that year's All-Star Game. With 37 homers, he was now a home run hitter, not just an all-around player with tremendous power. Some now call this his last home run at Yankee Stadium. Mantle was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1974. [23][24] Mantle had high hopes that 1953 would be a breakout year but his momentum was stopped by an injury. [10], Mantle began his professional baseball career in Kansas with the semi-professional Baxter Springs Whiz Kids. 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]. [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]. "Jack Antonoff's Shadow of the City Festival Showcases N.J. He spent his final two seasons at first base. That means I played seven years without ever hitting the ball." Mantle returned to the hospital in late July, and the cancer was found to have spread throughout his body. [16] Mantle hit his first professional home run on June 30, 1949, at Shulthis Stadium. Mantle had a .298 batting average with 2,415 hits, 536 home runs, 1,509 runs batted in, and 1,676 runs scored. In both 1953 and 1961, he hit into only two double plays, over the course of 1,186 plate appearances. Rookie Status: The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. How is that possible? During his eighteen-year career in the majors, Mantle won AL MVP three times and earned a spot on 20 All-Star teams. [79], In 1969, Mantle received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.[80]. ", 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). You figure a ballplayer will average about 500 at-bats a season. [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. 54 - Mickey Mantle hit 54 home runs in 1961, the Major League record for most home runs in a single season by a switch-hitter. Mantle hit some of the longest home runs in Major League history. 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. Separates the men from the boys." 1959 was the first of four consecutive seasons that two All-Star games were played and Mantle played in seven of these games. You can work back down there." In January 1959, the New York Times reported Mantle sought a contract raise to 85,000 dollars but he settled for 70,000. [Answer], 3 - Mickey Mantle was not just incredibly strong, but he was also incredibly fast. [44] Dr. Stephen Haas, medical director for the National Football League Players Association, has speculated that Mantle tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during the incident and played the rest of his career without having it properly treated since ACLs could not be repaired with the surgical techniques available in that era. [76] The plaque was officially presented to Mantle by Joe DiMaggio. If you have additional information on these homers, you can mail Bruce at 2130 Martha Washington Rd, Clarkrange, TN 38553. And, in the end, people got it. "[47] Also displaying a sense of humor, he enjoyed playing practical jokes on his teammates. "[66] Costas continued: "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. [10] As a teenager, Mantle rooted for the St. Louis Cardinals. inDallas,TX, Buried: In 1957, Mantle had a career high .521 OBP, the Major League record for highest on-base percentage by a switch hitter in a single season. The Mickey Mantle All-Star stats seen below include his All-Star year-by-year hitting stats, All-Star fielding stats, and All-Star pitching stats (where applicable). [10], Mantle was called up to the Yankees after 40 games with Kansas City, this time wearing uniform #7. His second homer, also hit left-handed, was a high, opposite-field drive that easily cleared the left-field wall. His original Yankee Stadium Monument Park plaque is displayed at the front entrance. Who did Topps select? 146 - Mickey Mantle was walked 146 times in 1957, the most bases on balls awarded a switch-hitter during a single season in Major League history. In 1958, The Mick hit an inside the park home run on May 9, 1958, another on May 20, 1958, and a third on June 5, 1958. Copyright 1999- 1 September 2000. 1961 Home Run Race Mickey Mantle & Roger Maris Day-By-Day Scorecard. He is in 10th place in number of bases-empty bunt singles for his career, with 80 in only 148 at-bats. How many home runs did Willie Mays have? (His batting average closed 61 points lower than the previous year). Author. 7 - Mickey Mantle wore #6 when he made his big league debut with the Bronx Bombers, changed to #7, and on Mickey Mantle Day, at Yankee Stadium, June 8, 1969, The Mick's #7 was retired and he was a given a bronze plaque to be hung on the center field wall near the monuments to Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Miller Huggins. You figure a ballplayer will average about 500 at-bats a season. "[47][63], Mantle's wife and sons all completed treatment for alcoholism and told him that he needed to do the same. Part of the Baseball Almanac Family, Last-Modified: December 4, 2022 5:28 AM EST. (Voted by BBWAA on 322/365 ballots) He has spent considerable time researching the actual facts surrounding each of these mammoth home runs. On May 22, 1963, Mickey Mantle of the Yankees hit perhaps his most impressive home run. 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. Willie Mays played for 4 teams; the Birmingham Black Barons, New York Giants, San Francisco Giants and New York Mets. [78] When Yankee Stadium was reopened in 1976 following its renovation, the plaques and monuments were moved to a newly created Monument Park behind the left-center field fence,[78] which has since been replaced by a new Monument Park at the current Yankee Stadium, which opened in 2009. In 1998, The Sporting News placed Mantle at 17th on its list of baseball's 100 greatest players. Centerfielder and First Baseman, Born: He was selected an All-Star as the starting center fielder, but for the first time he could not make the 25-man roster because of the foot injury. "Sixty! [Answer] Or 1967? Click Here to learn more about it. The Daily News reported it as a 502-foot homer. He could also move with lightening speed running the bases and in the outfield, especially in his early years. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. The season was bad for the Yankees, too, as they finished third. His biographical data, year-by-year hitting stats, fielding stats, pitching stats (where applicable), career totals, uniform numbers, salary data and miscellaneous items-of-interest are presented by Baseball Almanac on this comprehensive Mickey Mantle baseball stats page. vs. BOS 1 AB, 0 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less. With two outs in the ninth, Bob Lemon comes on to relieve Johnny Allen with the score 4-4. Copyright 1999- Frank Robinson tied them next, but all four were passed in 2012, when a player became the first with thirteen walk-offs. document.write(update); He occasionally attended the local Methodist church, and sometimes ate Sunday dinner with members of the congregation. Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Commerce Comet" and "the Mick",[1] was an American professional baseball player. Greenwade returned in 1949, after Mantle's high school graduation, to sign Mantle to a minor league contract. 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. 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. Mantle won his second consecutive MVP in 1957[25] behind league leads in runs and walks, a career-high .365 batting average (second to Ted Williams's .388), and hitting into a league-low five double plays. The first main series #7 card not issued to Mantle or a Yankee was to shortstop Orlando Arcia of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2021. Did you know that when Mick, his nickname, made his big league debut on April 17, 1951, he became the first Commerce High School (Commerce, Oklahoma) graduate to play in the majors? The home run was his 16th in a World Series, breaking Babe Ruth's record of 15. [24][35], Mantle announced his retirement at the age of 37 on March 1, 1969. He hit one over the right center field roof at Briggs Stadium, which is said to have traveled 643 feet. Runs in 1956, a total that led every hitter from both.... Retirement at the front entrance closed 61 points lower than the previous year.... 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