1 His Alcoholism Ruined His Family Mickey Mantle Interview by Bob Costas Mantle believed that alcoholism ran on his mother's side of the family. He broke his foot and did not play again until August 4, when he hit a pinch-hit home run against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. January 24, 2023 by Maame Akua Owusuwaa. In 1950, Mantle was promoted to the Class-C Joplin Miners of the Western Association. We welcome all corrections and feedback using the button below. Throughout his life, Mantle had been a heavy drinker. In 1958, he had a salary of $65,000 and was a leading earner from the salary. His football playing nearly ended his athletic career. And from 1960-64, with the addition of Roger Maris, they won five pennants and two World Series. "Years later, we were sitting around the dining room at the Yankees' ball park in Fort Lauderdale, and they had this oilcloth on the table, and Mickey said: 'This is what we used to have in our kitchen at home. On June 8, Mantle underwent a transplant operation to replace a liver ravaged by cancer, hepatitis and cirrhosis. [65] He said that he was telling the same old stories, and realizing how many of them involved being drunk, including at least one drunk-driving accident, he decided they were not funny any more. Mickey Mantle Original 1969 Topps Baseball Card #500. When he was a sophomore, he was kicked in the left shin during football practice which resulted in him developing osteomyelitis, an infectious disease. ', "Damn Yankees: A Washington Fan's Fantasy", "Fanfares for the Common Man: B.H. That's how I signed with the Yankees.". Mickey attended Commerce High School and was an all-around athlete. | Movieclip(2) |", "Tom Russell's Talents Still Shine Through", "Mantle, Yanks' Rookie, Loses Duel With Sun", "Mickey Mantle Inherits Baseball's Biggest Job", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mickey_Mantle&oldid=1142182139, September 28,1968,for theNew York Yankees, 1956 - Mantle made a (talking) cameo appearance in, 1962 - Mantle and Maris starred as themselves in the film, 1988 - Mantle appeared in the official video for, 1993 and 1996 - References are made to Mantle in the sitcom, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 23:52. Mantle was named in honor of Mickey Cochrane, a Hall of Fame catcher in baseball. This story originally appeared in the Aug. 21, 1995 issue of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED. His rationale was that the men in his family had all died young, so he expected to die young as well. However, Mantle stole the show after hitting three home runs. The Cardinals won the World Series in seven games. He did, however, regain his status, hitting .330 in the second half of 1958, and leading his team back to the Series. He was of at least partial English ancestry; his great-grandfather George Mantle left Brierley Hill, in England's Black Country, in 1848. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Music! Mickey Mantle, with his death Sunday at 63, passes from these pages forever and becomes the property . He received a liver transplant soon afterward. Kuhn warned Mantle before he accepted the position that he would be placed on the list if he took the job. He hit one over the right center field roof at Briggs Stadium, which is said to have traveled 643 feet. I won't live long enough." He spent his final two careers in the major leagues playing first base. Mantle hit some of the longest home runs in Major League history. He was born on October 20, 1931, in Spavinaw, Oklahoma. You can come back to Oklahoma and work the mines with me. Maris did not follow suit, and many in the press viewed him as surly. He has the third highest career OPS+ among MLB players who played the majority of their career after 1950, behind only Barry Bonds and Mike Trout. Mickey Jr. later died of liver cancer on December 20, 2000 at age 47. And when it got cold, the draft would raise the linoleum up at the ends.' He hit 13 home runs in 96 games. Target's new Fine'ry perfumes have designer dupes you need to know about Target's new Fine'ry perfumes have designer dupes you need to know about; The 7 best home saunas of 2023, with expert tips . His on-base percentage at one point, reached .537. During the final years of his life, Mantle lived in a condo on Lake Oconee near Greensboro, Georgia. [23][24] Mantle had high hopes that 1953 would be a breakout year but his momentum was stopped by an injury. In 1948, Yankees scout Tom Greenwade came to Baxter Springs to observe one of Mantle's teammates. Mickey Mantle was quite the charmer, it seems. He was separated from Merlyn, his wife of 43 years, although they remained friendly. "When I was a kid," Mantle remembered a few years after he retired, "I used to work in the mines with my dad for $35 a week. His strength as a hitter became legendary. [39] In roughly 25% of his total at-bats he hit .330 right-handed to .281 left. Mickey Mantle was an American professional baseball player who had a net worth of $10 million at the time of his death. In the 1961 season, the press appeared to view the Yankees as Mantle's team, with Maris often belittled and ostracized as an outsider and not a true Yankee. He is 17th in on-base percentage. "TELEVISION: Summerall's Struggle with Alcohol" (, "THE DEATH OF A HERO; Mantle's Cancer 'Most Aggressive' His Doctors Had Seen", "Sports of The Times; Mickey Mantle's Cancer", "Questions Are Raised On Mantle Transplant", "Mickey Mantle, Great Yankee Slugger, Dies at 63", "Merlyn Mantle, widow of Mickey, dies at 77", "Cheers, Tears Ring For Mantle As Uniform No. They might just be worth eight figures at auction. . In 1974 Mantle was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot. Yankees slugger who was named American League MVP in 1960 and 1961 and beat out Mickey Mantle for Babe Ruth's home run record in 1961. At the time, doctors said he would die within two to three weeks if he did not receive a new organ. [13], When Mantle was four years old, his family moved to the nearby town of Commerce, Oklahoma, where his father worked in lead and zinc mines. After an impressive spring training, Yankees manager Casey Stengel decided to promote Mantle to the majors as a right . Mantle's #7 was retired by the New York Yankees and he was named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Just those two pairs of pastel slacks and that blue sports coat that he wore every place. Mantle is 16th all-time in home runs per at-bats. With Mantle established in the lineup, they won the pennant seven times and the Series five times in the next eight years. Not known Mickey Mantle Salary Detail. [58] Excerpts from the book have been published in Sports Illustrated. [31] Mantle hit .255 with 19 home runs and 46 RBI in 361 plate appearances. Mantle was invited to the Yankees instructional camp before the 1951 season. After the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995, Mantle joined with fellow Oklahoman and Yankee Bobby Murcer to raise money for the victims. He was 47. ". Among his many accomplishments are all-time World Series records for home runs (18), runs scored (42), and runs batted in (40).[21]. On December 23 1951, Mantle married Merlyn Johnson in Picher, Oklahoma. 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. [16] Mantle hit his first professional home run on June 30, 1949, at Shulthis Stadium. The Old Man really helped me a lot. liver cancer [citation needed] He outlived all the men in his family by several years. "I was still in high school and we were living out near Commerce in 1948, and we didn't have a hell of a lot. Mantle played for the New York Yankees his entire Major League Baseball career from 1951 to 1968. Key points: Mickey Mantle played for the New York Yankees between 1951 and 1968, winning seven World Series titles The 1952 card, considered to be in near perfect condition, was bought for $US50,000 in 1991 Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. His wife is Merlyn Mantle (23 December 1951 - 13 August 1995) ( his death) ( 4 children) Mickey Mantle Net Worth His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. "[47] Also displaying a sense of humor, he enjoyed playing practical jokes on his teammates. Signed photos and Perez Steele cards are valued between $250 and $300. [citation needed] The 1958 season started slowly for Mantle; the first half saw him at the .274 mark, as a shoulder injury from a collision with Braves' Red Schoendienst in the 1957 World Series left him with permanent struggles in his uppercut from the left side. 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. 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. Mantle finished with 54 home runs while leading the American league in runs scored and walks. He also hit his second All-Star Game home run that season. In 1956, he hit three home runs in the World Series, three more in the 1960 Series and three more in the 1964 Series, running his total to 18 and breaking Ruth's record. Mantle had an estimated net worth of $10 million. 1952 Mickey Mantle baseball card gets police escort (NCD) (NCD) DENVER It's known as the Holy Grail of post-World War II baseball cards. And at the request of his son Danny and Pat Summerall, the former football player and current television broadcaster, he checked into the Betty Ford Center in 1994. I'm not going to lie to you: The next drink you take may be your last.". A 1952 Topps Mikey Mantle card with a 9.5 grade more than doubled the all-time record for a sports card, selling for $12.6 million. Mickey's wallet was also getting thicker. Mantle is 60 years old and white-headed with a familiar face. Mantle let others run the business but made frequent appearances. In fact, if it weren't for the injuries that nagged him, he might've been able to contend for GOAT status. There was no next drink, Mantle said. I did it 1,710 times.". How many seasons did Mickey Mantle play? Beginning in high school, he suffered both acute and chronic injuries to bones and cartilage in his legs. When he arrived, he started packing his son's clothes and, according to Mantle's memory, said "I thought I raised a man. The home run was his 16th in a World Series, breaking Babe Ruth's record of 15. He had his first drink at the age of 19. [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. "No, I'm still alive," Mantle responded. His wife, Merlyn, and son David were at his bedside. [66] In eulogizing Mantle, sportscaster Bob Costas described him as "a fragile hero to whom we had an emotional attachment so strong and lasting that it defied logic. David Mantle was recently walking in New York City when a passer-by said something odd. [82][87][88] This card is sometimes erroneously referred to as Mantle's rookie card, though Mantle had in fact appeared in the 1951 Bowman Baseball set. [10] As a teenager, Mantle rooted for the St. Louis Cardinals. 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. Roger Eugene Maris (September 10, 1934 - December 14, 1985) was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Mickey Mantle was born in Spavinaw, Oklahoma in October 1931 and passed away in August 1995. His annual salary was around $7,500 during his rookie year in 1951 and during his final playing years, his annual salary was estimated to around $ 100,000. [7] He was an All-Star for 16 seasons, playing in 16 of the 20 All-Star Games that were played during his career. You see, when you have a prairie fire, if you don't clean out a 10-yard spot around a telephone pole, it will burn the telephone pole out, and it will cost you a lot of money. Mickey Mantle, 63, the superstar slugging center fielder of the New York Yankees of the 1950s and 1960s whose baseball feats and golden good looks made him an American legend, died of liver cancer yesterday at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. A Mickey Mantle baseball card from 1952 sold for a jaw-dropping $12,600,000 early Sunday morning, according to a news release from Heritage. He acknowledged that some of them were self-inflicted, especially drinking, a habit that had seemed harmless enough when crowds were cheering and he was playing and hitting home runs despite an occasional hangover. Wearing No. He was the anchor of the team for 18 seasons, first in center field and later, when his knees couldn't take the stress anymore, at first base. [10] In 1948, Yankees scout Tom Greenwade came to Baxter Springs to watch Mantle's teammate, third baseman Willard "Billy" Johnson. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. His son David was also present. In 1956, he hit 16 home runs in May. Despite the fears of those who knew him that this tragedy would send him back to drinking, Mantle remained sober. "Mick was never a contrived person, he was a genuine person. Music! Mickey Mantle's Life Path Number is 8 as per numerology. And then came the era of Mantle. 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. Long after the cheers faded, so did Mantle, although he revived his image as a kind of fallen hero who carried his afflictions with grace and humor. While Mantle was a hero on the field, he had his own struggles off of it battling alcoholism much of his life. Madden, Bill. While these facts are widely known, here are some not so popular ones you may not know about. That amount combined with his restaurant business and endorsements deals after he retired, Mantles net worth was $10 million when he died in 1995. He played his entire 18-year major-league professional career for the New York Yankees, winning 3 American League MVP titles and playing for 16 All-Star teams. To inaugurate the Astrodome, the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium, the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees played an exhibition game on April 9, 1965. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Gone were the days of $3 autographs. He also hit 26 home runs and recorded 136 runs batted in. Mantle was born on October 20, 1931 in Spavinaw, Oklahoma to parents Lovell and Elvin "Mutt" Mantle. By then, he reported, he was living in a steady haze induced by all-day and all-night drinking. 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. [66] Doctors observed that it was among the most aggressive cancers that they had ever treated, attributing the antirejection drugs administered to Mantle for his liver transplant with helping the cancer spread so quickly. Talent". [82] Topps unretired the #7 in 2006 to use exclusively for cards of Mantle in the current year's design. I see I raised a coward instead. Full body measurements, dress & shoe size will be updated soon. In the 1940's, they won five pennants and four Series. In January 1959, the New York Times reported Mantle sought a contract raise to 85,000 dollars but he settled for 70,000. . Mantle was the uncle of actor and musician Kelly Mantle. Described by him as his "favorite summer", his major league-leading .353 batting average, 52 home runs, and 130 runs batted in brought home both the Triple Crown and first of three Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Awards. In the 1960 season, he hit what is still believed to be the longest home run in history. Recently, he had been suffering from anemia, a side effect of aggressive chemotherapy treatment, and had been receiving blood transfusions. However, during the second game of the 1951 World Series, he tripped over a drain pipe and severely injured his right night. He missed several weeks, so his numbers were modest but respectable, especially with 92 RBIs. In 1974 Mantle was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot. [51], Mantle worked as a customer-relations representative for the Dallas Reserve Life Insurance Company. Withdrew 33 personal items belonging to Mantle's before a 1997 auction after his widow Merlyn Mantle filed suit. In 2020, the #7 card was issued to right fielder Aaron Judge. But he was also a part-time baseball player who had such a passion for the game that he named his son in honor of Mickey Cochrane, the great catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics and player-manager for the Detroit Tigers. He played halfback and Oklahoma offered him a football scholarship. Over the course of time, however, Mantle (with a little help from his teammate Whitey Ford, a native of Queens) had learned to deal with the New York media and had gained the favor of the press. 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. In 1974, Mantle was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Due to his parents' quick action in driving him to a hospital in Oklahoma City, his leg was saved from amputation. Mickey Mantle Jr., who struggled with the expectations accompanying the son of a baseball icon and the travails that afflicted his family far from the public eye, died Wednesday at a hospital in Dallas. Mantle was just 63 years old at the time of his death. In 1949, he received a draft-examine notice and was about to be drafted by the US Army but failed the physical exam and was rejected as unqualified and was given a 4-F deferment for any military service.[22][23]. Mantles first baseball contract in 1951 paid him $5,000. "[18], After a brief slump, Mantle was sent down to the Yankees' top farm team, the Kansas City Blues. In 1995, doctors discovered that Mantle's liver had been damaged by cirrhosis, hepatitis C, and liver cancer. He was the storybook star with the storybook name, Mickey, or simply Mick, or Slick to Martin and Ford, who were also known as Slick to one another. He had the highest stolen-base percentage in history at the time of his retirement. In the 1920's, they won six American League pennants and three World Series. Mantle's signature is valued at $100 to $125. The Daily News reported it as a 502-foot homer. It's unbelievable. "Everywhere I go," he said, "guys come up and shake hands and say, 'Good job, Mick.' Because of these comparatively low numbers, he took a salary cut of 10,000 dollars, down to 60,000 dollars. Mickey Mantle, the most powerful switch-hitter in baseball history and the successor to Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio as the symbol of the long reign of the New York Yankees, died of cancer. [41], Mantle was also one of the best bunters for base hits of all time. Roger Maris Net Worth. Mantle's parents drove him at midnight to Oklahoma City, where he was treated at the children's hospital with the newly available penicillin, which reduced the infection and saved his leg from amputation. I still didn't have a lot of confidence. Mantle hit the park's first home run. During his 18-year career with the Yankees, the switch-hitting slugger hit 536 home runs and was voted the AL Most Valuable Player three times (195657, 1962). [66], Mantle's popularity led to controversy over his liver transplant. [62][47] His father died of Hodgkin's disease at age 40 in 1952, and his grandfather also died young of the same disease. Not till Houk came along and told me, 'You are going to be my leader. Alex Rodriguez Has Finally Gotten His Last Paycheck From The MLB How Much Did He Make. Mickey Mantle was one of the greatest players in MLB history for nearly two decades with the New York Yankees. During the 1957 World Series, Milwaukee Braves second baseman Red Schoendienst fell on Mantle's left shoulder in a collision at second base. Mickey Mantle was an American skilled baseball participant who had a 1969 Topps #500 Mickey Mantle UER VGEX X2696604. It was later estimated by some that the ball could have traveled 504 feet (154m)[38] had it not been blocked by the ornate and distinctive facade. Mantle, who said he was "bred to play baseball," traveled from the dirt-poor fields of Oklahoma to reach Yankee Stadium in the 1950's and, after his retirement in March 1969, the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of the superstars of the second half of the 20th century. Mickey Mantle played his first game for the New York Yankees in 1951, replacing the legendary Joe DiMaggio in center field. I think I hit two more home runs that night. In 1960, he Mantle hit was is still believed to be the longest home run in history. It was that year, also, he was timed running from home plate to first base in 3.1 seconds, considered outstanding for a heavy hitter. The ball went over the center field fence, which was 460 feet from home plate. [72] He was 63 years old. [50], After the failure of Mickey Mantle's Country Cookin' restaurants in the early 1970s, the popular Mickey Mantle's Restaurant & Sports Bar opened in New York at 42 Central Park South (59th Street) in 1988. He held the all-time World Series records for home runs, runs scored, and runs batted. His willingness to take lesser amounts than other players proves that baseball was Mantles passion, and he was just happy to get paid to do it. 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." Mickey Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mickey Mantle net worth: Mickey Mantle was an American professional baseball player who had a net worth of $10 million. Not only that, but in their championship year of 1961, Mantle and Maris provided a seasonlong drama in their chase of Ruth's home run record; Mantle, sidelined by an abscessed hip, dropped out in mid-September with 54, while Maris finished with a record 61. This is based on data from the 2016 book The New York Times Best Seller List for Books About Money - published annually by the New York Times Magazine. Mickey Mantle's Net Worth: $3.5 Million Age, Height & Body Measurements Mickey Mantle has been died on Aug 13, 1995 ( age 63). Mickey Mantle weighed 195 lbs (88 kg) when playing. How much was Mickey Mantles net worth at the time of his death? Mickey Mantle is a member of Baseball Player Age, Biography and Wiki Net worth: $10 million Some Mickey Mantle images About Legendary New York Yankee who hit 536 career home runs, was named American League MVP three times, and led the AL in home runs four times and batting average once. You're the best we've got.' [27] DiMaggio, Hank Greenberg, and Ted Williams, who had just retired, had been paid over $100,000 in a season, and Ruth had a peak salary of $80,000. "[47][63], Mantle's wife and sons all completed treatment for alcoholism and told him that he needed to do the same. Mantle was so insecure that he remembered later how he had ducked DiMaggio, even though he was playing his final season in center field and Mantle, who had been converted from shortstop to the outfield, was playing alongside him in right. [17] In 1950, Mantle was promoted to the Class-C Joplin Miners of the Western Association. He commanded the biggest stage in sports as the center fielder for the most successful team in baseball, and he did it at a time when New York was blessed with three great center fielders renowned as "Willie, Mickey and the Duke," home run hitters who captivated the public in the 1950's as the leaders of memorable teams: Willie Mays of the Giants, Mantle of the Yankees and Duke Snider of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Who is Mickey Mantle Dating? His knee twisted awkwardly and he instantly fell. Mantle broke many records and made many accomplishments throughout his career. Although his injury affected his upper cut from the right side, it still can be said he was not injured in 1958. [10] Mantle hit .313 for the Independence Yankees. [24][35], Mantle announced his retirement at the age of 37 on March 1, 1969. [57] He batted left-handed hitting while Simon pitched left-handed. Mickey Mantle (born October 20, 1931) is famous for being baseball player. He occasionally attended the local Methodist church, and sometimes ate Sunday dinner with members of the congregation. [34] He was selected an AL All-Star and pinch-hit at the All-Star Game on July 11. Mantle moved to center field following the 1951 season and the retirement of Joe DiMaggio.