| Mickey Mantle ''Biography'' (Part 3 of 3) |
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| Even with his history of injuries, which was to haunt him throughout his career, few players have ever accomplished what Mickey accomplished. During his career with the Yankees Mickey played more games as a Yankee than any other player (2,401), won three Most Valuable Player awards ('56, '57 and '62), won baseball's Triple Crown in 1956 with a .353 batting average, 52 homers and 130 rbi (leading the major leagues in all three categories), and hit 536 career home runs, third highest when he retired and the most ever by a switch-hitter. Mickey appeared in 12 World Series during his first 14 years with the Yankees, winning seven World Championships. His 18 home runs, 42 runs, 40 rbi and 43 bases on balls are still World Series records. No one in the history of the game has hit the ball farther than Mickey Mantle. His 565-foot home run hit at Griffith Stadium in Washington on April 17, 1953 is the home run that coined the term "tape measure home run." It's listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest home run ever measured. Guinness also notes that Mickey's 643-foot homer hit at Detroit's Tiger Stadium on September 10, 1960 is the longest home run measured "mathematically after the fact." But neither of those home runs is Mickey's longest. In an exhibition game at the University of Southern California during his rookie spring training in 1951 Mickey walloped a 656-foot shot left-handed that left Bovard Field and crossed an adjacent football field. It may be the longest home run in history. It was also his second monster homer of the game. He also hit a ball right-handed that cleared the left-field wall and landed on top of a three-story house well over 500 feet away. As Mickey's teammate and close friend Billy Martin put it, "No man in the history of baseball had as much power as Mickey Mantle. No man. When you're talking about Mickey Mantle - it's an altogether different level. Separates the men from the boys." Mickey is one of the most popular players to ever play the game. After he retired from baseball on March 1, 1969 he may have become even more popular with fans. Everywhere he went his presence generated tremendous excitement, to the point that he rarely had any time to himself. He worked as a broadcaster for Sports Channel in New York for a number of years. His restaurant at 42 Central Park South, Mickey Mantle's, is one of the most popular eateries in New York. His baseball cards have become astonishingly valuable. Recently his rookie card sold in excess of $50,000. His autograph is one of the best known and most sought after in sports. He wrote several books about his life and experiences as a ballplayer, including his 1985 best-seller, The Mick. His autobiographical documentary film, Mickey Mantle: The American Dream Comes To Life�, was a BILLBOARD Magazine national best-seller two years in a row, has won numerous awards and is widely considered the best sports portrayal ever made. It has been called, "The best baseball video ever made" by numerous publications including the NY Daily News, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Today Show, Larry King Live, The Roy Firestone Show, and many others. Whenever it is shown on Public Television it generates high ratings. In addition there is a new expanded edition of the video, The Lost Stories Special Edition, that includes a bonus hour of never-before-released Mickey stories that complement and complete the original program. It more than doubles the program's content. An annual Mickey Mantle Photo Calendar � Fact Book is also published. It has literally hundreds of daily entries, one for every day of the year, including photos, stats, facts, quotes and a Mickey Quiz. Each month also has a feature photo suitable for framing. Simply put, Mickey is one of the most beloved figures in history. In 1993 Mickey was admitted to the Betty Ford Center for alcohol rehabilitation. During his stay Mickey received more mail than anyone in the history of the center. Afterward he spread the message of the ills of drug and alcohol abuse to kids, appearing on a number of television programs to speak about his experiences. In 1994 Mickey received a liver transplant at Baylor University Hospital in Dallas. He formed the Mickey Mantle Foundation to raise awareness of the importance of becoming an organ donor. Sadly, during the transplant surgery it was discovered that Mickey had contracted inoperable cancer. He died at Baylor University Hospital on August 13, 1995 at the age of 63. He is survived by his wife Merlyn and three of his sons: Mickey Jr., David and Danny. All are active in the Mickey Mantle Foundation. The Mickey Mantle legend lives on through his foundation, his film, the memories he left, and in the hearts of his fans everywhere. I am proud to say he was my friend. |
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