Mickey Mantle

October 20, 2024

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

Mickey Charles Mantle, born on October 20, 1931, is an American baseball player. Known as the Commerce Comet and the Mick, he is considered the most dangerous offensive center fielder in baseball history. He has won many MVPs and was an All-Star for most of his career. He had several other personal achievements. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1964 and the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. In 1999, he was named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. We are quite overjoyed to share his stories on his big day today!

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Mickey Charles Mantle

Nickname:

The Mick, The Commerce Comet

Birth date:

October 20, 1931

Death date:

August 13, 1995 (age 63)

Zodiac Sign:

Libra

Height:

5' 11"

Relationship Status:

Married

Net Worth:

$10 million

Background

Mickey Charles Mantle is widely regarded as baseball’s greatest offensive threat at center field. He played center field and first base for the New York Yankees during his Major League Baseball (MLB) career. He was on stage from 1951 to 1968. He was born on October 20, 1931, in Spavinaw, Oklahoma, to Lovell Mantle and Elvin Charles Mantle. His father was a lead miner. Mantle was a basketball, baseball, and football player at Commerce High School. He was a halfback in football and won a scholarship from the Oklahoma Sooners. In his second year, he was kicked in the left shin during football training and got osteomyelitis in his left ankle. This might have destroyed his sports career if it hadn’t been for the fast intervention that stopped the disease from spreading. His parents hurried him to Oklahoma Children’s Hospital, where he was given a penicillin injection to help him fight the infection. In 1949, he graduated from high school. In 1952, his father died of Hodgkin’s illness.

Mantle began his baseball career with the Baxter Springs Whiz Kids, a Kansas semi-pro team. Tom Greenwade signed him for the Yankees’ Class-D Independent Yankees in 1949. On June 30, 1949, at Shulthis Stadium, he hit his first professional home run. During his time with the Independence Yankees, he hit .313 on the season. Mantle took over as the starting center fielder for the 1952 season as DiMaggio announced his retirement the previous year. He would play that position full-time until 1965, when he switched to left field. In his first complete World Series in 1952, he became the Yankees’ hitting star, with his on-base percentage above .400 and a slugging percentage of more than .600. The rest is history, as his performance steadily improved while being plagued by ailments. He has won multiple titles and accomplished many things as a baseball player. Mantle retired from the game on March 1, 1969. He said goodbye at Yankee Stadium on June 8, 1969, on Mickey Mantle Day.

He married Merlyn Johnson in December 1951. They had four boys together. After years of drinking, Mantle developed liver cancer and died on August 13, 1995.

Career timeline

1949

The Stint at New York Yankees

Mantle makes his professional baseball debut with the New York Yankees minor league squad, playing shortstop for the first few games at Independence, Kansas.

1950

The Promotion

Mantle is promoted to the Western Association's Class-C Joplin Miners.

1952

Mantle Becomes a Starter

Mantle replaces DiMaggio as a midfielder after the latter’s retirement.

1956

The Golden Year for His Career

Mantle wins the Major League Most Valuable Player and retains the title.

1964

The Oklahoma Hall of Fame

The Mantle is inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.

1969

The End of an Era

Mantle announces his retirement on Mickey Mantle Day, on which he says goodbye at Yankee Stadium.

Why We Love Mickey Mantle

He is a Yankee Forever
Mantle was a true lover of the New York Yankees and will forever be one. He played his entire MLB career for the Yankees.
He admitted his faults
Mantle knew he had never really lived well; he made mistakes and did not fail to acknowledge them. A man who knew and admitted his mistakes.
He encourages everyone
It is about the game. Mantle was one of those guys who harbored no hatred toward any of his teammates and wanted them all to excel. His love for the game saw him through, and he humbled himself as a great team player, which earned him respect across the game. This includes those who did not like his beloved New York Yankees.

5 Surprising Facts

He suffered sexual abuse
Mantle was abused by a boy in the neighborhood and also by his half-sister who babysat him.
He was helped by Pat Summerall
Pat Summerall, a well-known sportscaster who had sought treatment for alcoholism himself, persuaded Mantle to seek help at the Betty Ford Clinic in 1994, and Mantle did so for a while.
He suffered anxiety attacks
He suffered from anxiety attacks and was once met by the paramedics at the airport when he was on his way home to Dallas from Florida.
He abused alcohol for 42 Years
He abused alcohol for 42 years, especially during his playing days, which in turn affected his memory.
He was seduced by his teacher
He was seduced by his teacher in high school and joked that the only way he graduated was by sleeping with his teachers.