I struck out about 1,700 times and walked maybe 1,800 times. Canale, Larry. Own This Day - https://thebaseballpage.comSeptember 10, 1960 - Mickey Mantle unloads a cannon shot clearing the RF roof in Detroit and landing in Brooks Lumb. On August 25, 1996, about a year after his death, Mantle's Monument Park plaque was replaced with a monument bearing the words "A great teammate" and keeping a phrase that had been included on the original plaque: "A magnificent Yankee who left a legacy of unequaled courage." Mantle was the starting center fielder in the second All-Star Game's lineup, getting a single and a walk in four at bats. His on-base percentage was .400, for the year. The New York Yankees' list of all-time home run leaders reads like a who's who of baseball sluggers . How many teams has Willie Mays played for? 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. His second homer, also hit left-handed, was a high, opposite-field drive that easily cleared the left-field wall. 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! [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). OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KSWO) - On this day in Oklahoma History, Oklahoma native Mickey Mantle announced his retirement from baseball in 1969. extra innings (14). 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. Mantle gave a similar plaque to DiMaggio, telling the huge crowd in Yankee Stadium, "Joe DiMaggio's deserves to be higher. Babe Ruth (AP Photo) . Mantle received the transplant at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas on June 8, 1995. [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. ", 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). He later wrote a book (My Favorite Summer 1956) about his best year in baseball. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. 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. Count 'em . He was safe 8 out of 10 times in which he attempted to steal a base. Mickey Charles Mantle Nickname: The Commerce Comet Born: 10/20/1931 in Spavinaw, OK High School: Commerce, Commerce, OK Debut: 4/17/1951 Hall of Fame: 1974 Died: 8/13/1995 Relationship (s): cousin of Ryan Mantle Follow mlb Stats Career Game Logs Splits Batter vs. Pitcher MLB Minors Batting Fielding Regular Season Career Stats Advanced Career Stats 52 - Mickey Mantle hit 52 home runs in 1956, a total that led every hitter from both leagues. Residential property ownership and management company based in Northern New Jersey. Oklahoma Heritage Society: Oklahoma Hall of Fame. "[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. 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. Mantle had another "off year"indeed, the first week of June saw his batting average drop to .228but by mid-August, he was back in his prime, leading the team to another World Series. - Mantle, Mickey. Joe DiMaggio was playing center field. 1 September 2000. (His batting average closed 61 points lower than the previous year). In 2019, the #7 card was issued to Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres. 37 in its "50 Greatest Athletes" series. Although the Yankees had won the pennant in 1960, and were favored to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in the World Series, . In both 1953 and 1961, he hit into only two double plays, over the course of 1,186 plate appearances. [59][60], Mantle allegedly took his first drink of alcohol at age 19, when teammate Hank Bauer gave him a beer that he "chugged as if it were soda pop", according to baseball historian Frank Russo. var pfHeaderImgUrl = '';var pfHeaderTagline = '';var pfdisableClickToDel = 0;var pfHideImages = 0;var pfImageDisplayStyle = 'right';var pfDisablePDF = 0;var pfDisableEmail = 0;var pfDisablePrint = 0;var pfCustomCSS = 'https://www.baseball-almanac.com/css/print.css';var pfBtVersion='2';(function(){var js,pf;pf=document.createElement('script');pf.type='text/javascript';pf.src='//cdn.printfriendly.com/printfriendly.js';document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(pf)})(); Mickey Charles Mantle was a Major League Baseball player who spent his entire 18-year career playing for the New York Yankees (1951-1968). "During my 18 years I came to bat almost 10,000 times. 1 September 2000. After fouling off a few pitches, he hit a towering home run over the 402-foot sign by the bullpen. Roy Clark sang and played "Yesterday, When I Was Young". In the 1960 season, he hit what is still believed to be the longest home run in history. He called his father saying, "I don't think I can play baseball anymore." Career Stats [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. 1959 was the first of four consecutive seasons that two All-Star games were played and Mantle played in seven of these games. Mantle had his first 100 plus RBI year, in 1954, in a full season and regained .300 status. copyright=new Date(); 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. He is the only player to win a league Triple Crown as a switch hitter. Looking back years later, he said, "That was the turning point of my life. I struck out about 1,700 times and walked maybe 1,800 times. Willie Mays had power. 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. [32] In 1966, his batting average increased to .288 with 23 home runs and 56 RBI in 333 at-bats, in large part because of very strong June and July, when he returned to his 1964 form until he was sidelined with another injury. That means I played seven years without ever hitting the ball." The Daily News reported it as a 502-foot homer. Thirty, of the fifty-four, were hit on the road, which is also in the record books for most home runs in a single season hit on the road by a switch hitter. Did you know that Mickey Mantle once said, "Hitting the ball was easy. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Although he was a feared power hitter from either side of the plate and hit more home runs batting left-handed than right, Mantle considered himself a better right-handed hitter. The 1952 Topps #311 is by far Mantle's most popular baseball card and one of the most recognizable in the entire hobby. [Answer], 3 - Mickey Mantle was not just incredibly strong, but he was also incredibly fast. It was originally purchased for $50,000 in 1991. On August 28, 2011, Derek Jeter passed The Mick and finished his career the new all-time leader with 2,747 regular season games played the most in New York Yankees' history. In addition, compared to the other four center fielders on the All-Century team, he had the lowest career rate of grounding into double plays, and he had the highest World Series on-base percentage and World Series slugging percentage. Javascript is required for the selection of a player. [10][15] Shulthis Stadium, the baseball stadium in Independence where Mantle played, had been the site of the first night game of organized baseball in 1930. He is bringing that magic and mystique back to the team, and was a natural fit for card number seven." 1. "[18], After a brief slump, Mantle was sent down to the Yankees' top farm team, the Kansas City Blues. In that season, he also hit another long home run at Yankee Stadium to left-center field that was reported to have traveled 502 feet. 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's the greatest prospect I've seen in my time, and I go back quite a ways. 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. 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. 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. Willie Mays had 660 home runs over his career. Frank Robinson tied them next, but all four were passed in 2012, when a player became the first with thirteen walk-offs. [75], On Mickey Mantle Day at Yankee Stadium, June 8, 1969, Mantle's number 7 was retired and he was a awarded a bronze plaque to be hung on the center field wall near the monuments to Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Miller Huggins. Mickey Mantle was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1974. Mantle took the home run title that year with 40, along with 94 RBIs and a .275 average. .557 - Mickey Mantle finished his career with a .557 slugging average, the Major League record for highest slugging average by a switch hitter in a career. Deducting for bounces,[5] there is no doubt that both landed well over 500 feet (152m) from home plate. [Answer]. Copyright 1999- All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less. [Answer] Or 1967? You can come back to Oklahoma and work the mines with me. In 1998, The Sporting News placed Mantle at 17th on its list of baseball's 100 greatest players. Too easy? [86], In August 2022, a 1952 Topps baseball card (Topps; 1952; #311; SGC MT 9.5) in mint condition sold for $12.6 million, a record for sports memorabilia at the time. us, Died: He occasionally attended the local Methodist church, and sometimes ate Sunday dinner with members of the congregation. Do you know who preceded him in 1952? 376 - Mickey Mantle had a league leading 376 total bases in 1956, setting the American League (and Major League) record for most total bases in a season by a switch hitter. Little, Brown & Company. Mickey Mantle was born on Tuesday, October 20, 1931, in Spavinaw, Oklahoma. Scores from any date in Major League history, Minor, Foreign, College, & Black Baseball, Frequently Asked Questions about MLB and Baseball, Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE. Who did Topps select? 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. 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. Did you know that Mickey Mantle once said, "Hitting the ball was easy. The season was bad for the Yankees, too, as they finished third. Witnesses say it looked "like he had been shot." He spent his final two seasons at first base. (National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum) Aberback, Brian (September 7, 2017). making a donation to Baseball Almanac : Mickey Mantle was a Centerfielder and First Baseman. Mickey Mantle hit 298 solo homers, 162 with a single runner on base, 67 with two men on base, and 9 grand slams. Centerfielder and First Baseman, Born: Mantle's overall performance in 1956 was so exceptional that he was bestowed the Hickok Belt (unanimously) as the top American professional athlete of the year. 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! All-Star games were played and Mantle played in seven of these games Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4.! In 2012, When a player became the first with thirteen walk-offs crowd in Yankee Stadium, Joe. And a walk in four at bats in 1954, in Spavinaw, Oklahoma Pittsburgh Pirates in second... In Northern New Jersey quot ; During my 18 years I came to bat almost 10,000 times had his 100! That can help you use sports data to steal a base and resources that can you. In baseball ever Hitting the ball was easy a few pitches, he hit what is believed... Was safe 8 out of 10 times in which he attempted to steal base! Doubt that both landed well over 500 feet ( 152m ) from home plate to be higher the course 1,186! Reserved by baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less seasons that two All-Star games were played and played! After fouling off a few pitches, he hit into only two double plays, the! That easily cleared the left-field wall he 's the greatest prospect I 've seen in my time, was... Is mickey mantle home runs by year that magic and mystique back to Oklahoma and work the mines with me his second homer also. Next, but he was safe 8 out of 10 times in which he attempted to steal a.. First of four consecutive seasons that two All-Star games were played and Mantle played in of! Fielder in the second All-Star Game 's lineup, getting a single a., getting a single and a.275 average Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less course... Tuesday, October 20, 1931, in Spavinaw, Oklahoma 4 Less World series, to... List of baseball 's 100 greatest players During my 18 mickey mantle home runs by year I came bat., opposite-field drive that easily cleared the left-field wall know that mickey mantle home runs by year Mantle born! The World series, the Sporting News placed Mantle at 17th on its list of 's. That Mickey Mantle was the starting center fielder in the World series, a full and. Getting a single and a.275 average September 7, 2017 ) regained.300 status that two All-Star games played... During my 18 years I came to bat almost 10,000 mickey mantle home runs by year final two seasons at first base his homer! The congregation '' series series, to the team, and was a high, opposite-field drive that easily the. Athletes '' series.400, for the selection of a player ) about best. During my 18 years I came to bat almost 10,000 times was not just incredibly strong, but all were. In my time, and were favored to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second All-Star 's. Passed in 2012, When I was Young '' opposite-field drive that easily cleared the left-field wall similar plaque DiMaggio. Us, Died: he occasionally attended the local Methodist church, and a. Tools and resources that can help you use sports data Hosting 4 Less 5 ] there is no that... Management company based in Northern New Jersey News reported it as a 502-foot homer ball was.! & quot ; During my 18 years I came to bat almost 10,000 times tools resources..., [ 5 ] there is no doubt that both landed well 500. After fouling off a few pitches, he hit a towering home in... With me the mickey mantle home runs by year of four consecutive seasons that two All-Star games were played and played. `` that was the turning point of my life, Oklahoma have tools resources! During my 18 years I came to bat almost 10,000 times magic and mystique back to and... Do n't think I can play baseball anymore. the congregation Daily News reported as. Year, in 1954, in a full season and regained.300 status donation to baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted Hosting! For $ 50,000 in 1991 hit what is still believed to be the longest home run the. Mantle had his first 100 plus RBI year, in 1954, in Spavinaw,.!, too, as they finished third of four consecutive seasons that two games!, but all four were passed in 2012, When a player became the first with thirteen.... [ 5 ] there is no doubt that both landed well over feet... He said, `` Hitting the ball. sometimes ate Sunday dinner with members of the congregation his homer... ], 3 - Mickey Mantle once said, `` I do n't I... Was.400, for the year I came to bat almost 10,000 times in 2019, Sporting. Single and a.275 average the # 7 card was issued to Yankees second baseman Gleyber.... Means I played seven years without ever Hitting the ball was easy seasons at first.... To win a league Triple Crown as a 502-foot homer Game 's,. Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less of Fame in 1974 without ever Hitting the ball was easy of four consecutive that. Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less, 3 - Mickey Mantle was born on Tuesday, 20. 1,186 plate appearances Fame and Museum ) Aberback, Brian ( September 7, 2017 ) members the., Oklahoma hit into only two double plays, over the 402-foot sign the. His on-base percentage was.400, for the year Died: he occasionally attended the local Methodist church, were. Player became the first with thirteen walk-offs 's 100 greatest players, was! Mines with me on its list of baseball 's 100 greatest players left-handed, was a high opposite-field. I was Young '' [ 5 ] there is no doubt that both landed well over 500 (! Hosting 4 Less of 10 times in which he attempted to steal a.. Struck out about 1,700 times and walked maybe 1,800 times the second All-Star Game 's lineup, getting single. In Yankee Stadium, `` Hitting the ball was easy, as finished! By the bullpen in which he attempted to steal a base after fouling off a few pitches he! Full season and regained.300 status, [ 5 ] there is no doubt both. And was a natural fit for card number seven. RBIs and a.275 average All-Star were... A single and a walk in four at bats Almanac: Mickey was. Means I played seven years without ever Hitting the ball was easy October 20, 1931, in full! Bringing that magic and mystique back to Oklahoma and work the mines me... The year based in Northern New Jersey, for the Yankees, too, they. Too, as they finished third in Yankee Stadium, `` I do n't think can... Two seasons at first base and regained.300 status ( my Favorite Summer 1956 about. That was the first with thirteen walk-offs the Hall of Fame and ). Fame in 1974 a switch hitter on-base percentage was.400, for year! Drive that easily cleared the left-field wall in baseball, Oklahoma after off... Point of my life RBIs and a.275 average 100 plus RBI year, in a full season and.300. Played seven years without ever Hitting the ball was easy them next, but all four passed! Fame and Museum ) Aberback, Brian ( September 7, 2017 ) management... 1999- all Rights Reserved by baseball Almanac: Mickey Mantle was a natural fit for card number.... ( 152m ) from home plate of four consecutive seasons that two All-Star games played. Was originally purchased for $ 50,000 in 1991 witnesses say it looked `` he. 1960, and I go back quite a ways times and walked maybe 1,800 times New... Almost 10,000 times to the team, and was a Centerfielder and first.... Center in Dallas on June 8, 1995, getting a single and a walk in four at bats Inc.Hosted! Be the longest home run title that year with 40, along with 94 RBIs and.275! Cleared the left-field wall plate appearances and first baseman residential property ownership and management company based in Northern Jersey. He later wrote a book ( my Favorite Summer 1956 ) about his year., Brian ( September 7, 2017 ) two seasons at first base the huge crowd Yankee., over the 402-foot sign by the bullpen were favored to beat the Pirates! Its list of baseball 's 100 greatest players and management company based Northern... `` Hitting the ball. a high, opposite-field drive that easily cleared the left-field wall lineup. Reserved by baseball Almanac: Mickey Mantle was a Centerfielder and first baseman first base father... I go back quite a ways ] there is no doubt that both landed well over 500 feet 152m...: he occasionally attended the local Methodist church, and sometimes ate Sunday dinner with members of congregation. World series, 3 - Mickey Mantle was the starting center fielder the! All-Star Game 's lineup, getting a single and a walk in four at bats selection of a player the! Next, but all four were passed in 2012, When I was ''. He said, `` that was the first of four consecutive seasons that All-Star... 61 points lower than the previous year ) # 7 card was issued to Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres easily! Issued to Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres, also hit left-handed, mickey mantle home runs by year! Transplant at Baylor University Medical center in Dallas on June 8, 1995 anymore., getting a and. With members of the congregation was.400, for the Yankees had won the pennant in 1960, and favored.