Did you know that when Mickey Mantle was growing up he hated the New York Yankees. Yes that is right, even though Mickey Mantle spent his whole career playing for the Yankees he didn't like them; when he was younger he liked the Cardinals. Mickey Mantle's early life was hard his family was poor and he was constantly getting injured playing football. Mickey Mantle's career was very successful but it didn't come without hard work. He spent many late nights with his dad learning how to play baseball. Mickey had many accomplishments in his 18 year career but one of his greatest accomplishment was his wife and four sons. Through hard work and determination Mickey Mantle became a great man and a great baseball player
Early Life and Family
Mickey
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Mantle's early life was hard ,he was constantly getting injured playing football but his family was there to always help him. Before Mickey was born, his dad, Elvin Clark Mantle, worked in the zinc mines in Spavinaw, Oklahoma. Mickey Mantle was born on October 20, 1931 in Spavinaw, Oklahoma (Mantle, Gluck 5). His father, a die hard baseball fan, named Mickey after his favorite baseball player Mickey Cochran a famous catcher( Mickey) Mickey had two younger brothers Roy and Ray who he loved to make do things that he didn't want to do. He loved to play baseball with his younger brothers and would make them run after the baseballs he hit. Mickey spent a lot of time playing baseball so his only friends where some of the kids he played baseball with. His two best friends where Leroy Bennett and Nick Ferguson. They loved to adventure and act like they were famous baseball players ( Mantle Gluck 15 ). Mickey wasn't the best in school but he got good enough grades to pass. During the summer he played a lot of baseball and wasn't home a lot because he would always be traveling ( Mantle Gluck 20 ). Mantle was very mischievous he got into a lot of trouble with his friends and would sometimes call 911, say his house was on fire, and hop on the back of a fire truck just to get a ride home ( Mantle Gluck 24). Mantle would wait for his dad to get out of the mines to practice baseball and they would spend hours working on switch hitting and fielding ground balls. His grandpa and dad would teach him to switch hit by his grandpa throwing left handed too him with Mickey batting lefty and his dad would throw to him right handed with Mickey batting righty. Once Mickey got older he began to work in the mines with his dad to build up strength so he could throw farther and hit the ball harder. Once he got into high school he began to play basketball and football as well as baseball. His nickname in high school was “The Commerce Comet” because he was so fast ( Mickey…Retires). His mom and dad worked a lot just to get Mickey and his siblings what they need and where still poor. All of them lived in a one room house together and in the winter it got really cold because they didn't have a heater. Career Mickey Mantle didn't just magically become good at baseball over night, he worked hard and spent many long days working to become the fast, switch hitting baseball player he was. Mickey Mantle's dad and grandpa taught him to be a switch hitter from an early age even though Mickey hated hitting lefty. Mickey grew up playing baseball with his friends on different teams so he could get the skill he needed to get into the majors(Mantle Gluck 10). When Mickey was young he played on a sandlot team that would only play on Sundays so people could come out to watch. This is where he met his longtime friends Leroy Bennett and . He also played on a team called the Wiz Kids witch traveled a lot. For one game they went all the way to St. Louis. This might not seem far for us but if you live in Commerce, Ohio it is a long ride in a mustang convertible (Mantle Gluck 15). Mickey was drafted by the Yankees right out of high school and played in the minors for two years and eventually the majors. Mickey was 19 when he joined the majors and his 1st game was in 1951( ).During his first few seasons he worked in the mines with his dad to earn extra money for him and his wife( Mantle Gluck 50). Unfortunately he had osteomyelitis, a bone disease which causes the bone or bone marrow to swell. He didn't have many problems with it until in game two of the World Series where he was running to catch a ball and tripped over an exposed sprinkler head and severely injured his knee. Some of his teammates said it sounded like a knuckle popping but a lot louder( Mickey). Mickey had outstanding stats during his first twelve seasons he stole 133 bases and during his first 14 seasons he won 12 world series. He also threw out one the fastest baseball players ever, Jackie Robinson, and second all the way from deep center field(David). Mickey also continued to switch hit in the majors and still holds the record for longest home run ever hit in Yankee stadium, a whopping 536 foot home run. Mickey ended his career with 536 home runs in 18 years and three MVP awards. He also won the triple crown in 1956 with 52 home runs , 130 RBIs, and a .353 batting average. Accomplishments and Later Years Mickey had many great accomplishments in his 18 year career but his greatest accomplishment was his wife and four sons.
Mickey Mantle retired in 1969 and he said it was the saddest day in his life(David 71). One of his accomplishments was the first home run in Yankees stadium to go over he black screen( David 70). He had 5 inside the park home runs in his 18 year career, 536 hrs in 8102 at bats, scored 1677 times, and his all time batting average ws .298( David 76). Mick had won 12 world series in just 14 seasons and 133 bases in his first twelve seasons(David 71). In 1967 he was moved to first base after his career started to decline due to more injuries and old age. 1968 would be Mickey's last season and he retired in 1969 (Mickey...Retires).Mickey's wife was Merlyn Johnson Mantle, together they had four sons David , Danny, Mickey Jr. and Bill(Mickey). Mickey taught all of his sons to play baseball and have fun together(Mantle Gluck 140 After Mickey retired he became a restaurant owner and a television commentator (Mickey). But after a few years of this he began to drink and sunk into alcoholism (David 71). After years of this he was entered into the Betty Ford Clinic in 1994. Here he was diagnosed with cirrhosis, hepatitis ,and liver cancer. Then a year later in 1995 he got a liver transplant that almost saved his life. Later that year on August 13 1995 he dies of a heart attack in Dallas Texas. He was lived on by his wife Merlyn and his three sons David Danny and Mickey Jr. His fourth son Billy died a year before him in 1994 of Hodgkin's disease a cancer that affects a part of your immune system called the lymphatic
system(Mickey). Mickey Mantle was a great man and a great baseball player. His early life was hard but he managed to make it to the majors and have a successful career. He had some troubles after baseball and died younger than he should have but he will forever live on in our hearts.
Danny always stood up for Holling (92). Mickey Mantle was in his town and everyone wanted to go see him, but he had to do the Shakespeare play so Holling couldn't go. Holling finished his play on time so he tried to rush to meet him. He ran and ran till he got to the bus stop.
As the decade opened up with the year 1950, the Yankees were celebrating an American League Pennant and a World Series victory from the previous year. It was apparent in 1950 that the team had not taken too much time off as the team posted a 98-56 regular season record, winning their second straight Pennant and a trip to the World Series where they would match up against the Philadelphia Phillies. In 1950, the Phillies were known as the Whiz kids because of their youth and amazing talent, but in the series against the Yankees they were swept in 4 games thanks to Joe DiMaggio- a legend in Major League baseball- and Phil Rizzuto- a shortstop who would enjoy one of his most productive seasons as well as the honor of earning American League MVP. Whitey Ford, a rookie pitcher for the Yanks, also enjoyed a stand out career, winning all 9 of his starts and losing only one game in relief. (Baseball History)
Babe Ruth. Hank Aaron. Nolan Ryan. Cal Ripken Jr. These outstanding Major League Baseball players deservedly earned their spot in baseball’s Hall of Fame. Hank Aaron held the league’s home run record with 755 for 33 years, until it was broken by Barry Bonds at the height of the steroid era (Andy). Aaron has never been accused of steroid use; however, Bonds has. Nolan Ryan can be found at the top of the all-time strikeout list, but Roger Clemens is not far behind. Once again, the former has never been proven to have been on steroids, while the latter was found guilty. It is not fair to the players who achieved their greatness on their own merit to be surpassed, or even grouped alongside, those who cheated the game. The Hall of Fame needs to
The differences between black and white players has been going on for a long time since the early 1920’s. The players have always been at each other since the Negro Leagues have been around. There were two players that made the transition from the Negro Leagues to the Majors and those players were Satchel Paige and Jackie Robinson. Most people know of Robinson more than Paige because of the Brooklyn Dodgers recruiting him from Kansas City Monarchs. Satchel Paige was a pitcher from the Kansas City Monarchs like Robinson but he was recruited to the Cleveland Indians at the time. Paige has changed baseball today because he has shown new ways to pitch, broke the racial barrier with Robinson, and was an influence on many players in todays day.
“In 1946, there were sixteen Major League Baseball teams, with a total of 400 players on their rosters, every one of the players was white. But when opening day came in 1947, that number dropped to 399, and one man stood apart. (42 2:30)” Jack Roosevelt “Jackie” Robinson made his Major League Baseball debut on April 15, 1947, as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Making Jackie Robinson the first African-American to play Major League Baseball (MLB). Jackie’s transition from the Negro Leagues to MLB was not an easy one. As a player, he transitioned very well, but it was Robinson’s teammates, Dodgers fans, the opposing teams and their fans that tested Jackie every chance they got, some hotels even prohibited the Dodgers to stay in their establishments
Since then he has led his team to five world series titles and become the team captain. He is known for his good looks and quiet confidence. He is still playing shortstop for the Yankee’s today and never stops improving. More world series titles are seen in his future.
Look for something positive in each day, even if some days you have to look a little harder. Lou Gehrig, an exceptional baseball player for the New York Yankees from 1923-1939, conveys his positivity and accepting the manner in his farewell speech given at the Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939, announcing his retirement. Two weeks prior his farewell speech, Gehrig was diagnosed with ALS disease that eventually destroyed and demolished his muscular structure and his career. Lou Gehrig stood in the field as friends, family, fans and colleagues listened intently to the compelling farewell speech. To further conclude, Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech, “The Luckiest Man,” revealed not only Lou Gehrig’s accepting and positive manner but also his exceptional use of rhetorical devices.
There are various people in the world who are very influential in many different ways. The people who are influential are the people who inspire people to not give up, people who stand up for what they believe in, and people who overcome difficult things in their life. One of those people is the man who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball, Jackie Robinson. Jackie Robinson is influential because of his accomplishments, courageousness, and also his ability to stay strong and fight for his rights.
Albert Pujols said, “Baseball was an outlet for him to be able to do that, and he had some special talent to go through what he did and still set an example for others. You cannot replace it.”
Breaking the Racial Barrier in Baseball Although Jackie Robinson was not the best African-American baseball player of his time, his attitude and ability to handle racist harassment led the way for the rest of his race to play Major League Baseball, amongst other sports. Being accepted into professional sports also helped African-Americans become more easily accepted into other aspects of life. Jackie's impact in the world for the black population is enormous. According to Jessie Jackson, "A champion wins a World Series or an Olympic event and is hoisted on the shoulders of the fans.
Throughout the course of American history, there have been copious amounts of famous speeches, spoken by many different people. From political figures to sports players; these people have provided deep thoughts and great insights about who they are and the world we live in today. Being a sports enthusiast, a memorable speech comes to my mind. Lou Gehrig’s “farewell speech”, given on July 4th, 1939, to more than 62,000 fans at New York City’s Yankee Stadium, has become a cornerstone in the history of baseball in America. Lou Gehrig is considered one of the most under-rated sports players of all time. Gehrig played in the same era with greats like Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio. In Fact, Gehrig played on the same team and actually batted behind Ruth and DiMaggio. Gehrig’s nickname is the “Iron Horse,” which came about with Gehrig’s amazing consecutive games played streak. Gehrig played in 2,130 consecutive games, which stood as the consecutive games record until just recently broken by Cal Ripken, Jr. Gehrig died in 1941, at the age of 37. Though many famous speeches have been spoken throughout time, Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech has remained one of the most memorable speeches of all time, due to the way he captivated his fans with the use of rhetoric.
Babe Ruth is still a very well-known person in history today, even almost one-hundred years later. He did not only change the way people viewed negro baseball leagues, but he also gained a large reputation for his ability to play baseball, obviously due to his amazing abilities. Ruth’s ability to play was almost impossibly good, in fact, he was even titled “athlete of the century” for his ability. With that ability and power that he had once he won, he would become a
“It ain’t braggin’ if you can back it up.” –Dizzy Dean. Dizzy Dean lived up to his famous quote throughout his baseball career. He had a daring character, and never backed down from a challenge. He was known as nonchalant, and boastful man. He did whatever he wanted and did not care about the consequences. Dean was not the most intelligent man, although he was very witty and always had sly remarks. He was an interesting character, and Robert Gregory defines him in great detail in his biography, Diz: The Story of Dizzy Dean and Baseball During the Great Depression.
rotten start” in life; he spent his childhood days on the streets and piers of
If you have ever met me, or know me, you would know that I love sports, and you would know my favorite sport of all time is baseball, and that my favorite sports team is Boston Red Sox. I am what you call a die-hard Red Sox fan; you can compare me as Red Sox fan to actor Jimmy Fallon’s character in the movie, Fever Pitch. My strong love for the Red Sox comes from my step-dad Phil. Phil has always been like a second father to me since he and my mom got together, back in early 2000s. Phil is always trying to teach and help me learn from my mistakes, and I have made my share of them. Nevertheless, I also cherish the moments I spend with him at Red Sox games. The experiences I have at Red Sox games are moments in my life, I will never forget, that I will always remember, One game in particular I most remember is my first Red Sox game at Fenway Park.