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Top 10 Astonishing Facts about Mickey Mantle

Mickey Charles Mantle was born Oct. 20, 1931, in Spavinaw, Okla, he was also referred to by the moniker Commerce Comet because he grew up in Commerce, Okla.

He is regarded by many pundits as the greatest offensive threat centre fielder in the history of baseball.

Mantle is also regarded as the greatest switch hitter and one of the best sluggers in the history of the game.

He played as a centre fielder and first baseman for the Major League Baseball (MLB) club New York Yankees where he spent his entire career, playing from 1951 to 1968.

He could flat out play. In almost two decades in the majors, as a centre fielder and first baseman, he compiled a lifetime OPS+ of 172.

That ranks him the sixth-best of all time. His combination of power and discipline is a rare thing, even today.

He had several other personal accomplishments. 

Mickey Mantle was a fascinating sports figure in American history but he also had personal demons that haunted him his entire life.

Here are some facts about Mantle.

1. Mickey Mantle鈥檚 Glove Sold for More than a Picasso Painting

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In a 1999 Sotheby鈥檚 auction the actor and comedian Billy Crystal paid that price for a gamer sporting the ultra-rare spiral H-Web from sometime in the 1960s.

Comedian Billy Crystal, a New Yorker and big Yankee and Mantle fan, outbid former Yankee pitcher David Wells to acquire one of Mantle鈥檚 used baseball gloves for $239,000.

Crystal claims he values it more highly than a Picasso painting that he owns.

Furthermore, a near mint 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card fetched $268,664, twice the previous record for a card in that condition.

For vintage card and memorabilia collectors, he remains the most popular athlete, post-World War II perhaps all-time, after Babe Ruth. 

2.  Doctors Wanted to Amputate Mickey Mantle鈥檚 Leg in High School

Mickey Mantle attended Commerce High School, where he played basketball, baseball, and football.

With football, he played halfback and received a football scholarship from the Oklahoma Sooners. 

Mickey Mantle was severely injured when he was kicked in the left shin during football practice in his first year and developed osteomyelitis (potentially fatal bone disease) in the left ankle.

This nearly ended his entire athletic career but for the quick intervention that prevented the infection from spreading.

His parents rushed him to the Oklahoma Children鈥檚 Hospital where doctors gave him options of amputation or 8 shots a day penicillin regimen to curtail the infection. They chose the latter.

The injuries dogged his baseball playing career from high school until retirement.

His 18-year professional career was full of various degrees of injuries and applying thick wraps on both knees became a pre-match routine.

3. Mickey Mantle Suffered Sexual Abuse

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In a startling book released earlier this decade called  The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the End of America鈥檚 Childhood,  writer Jane Leavy writes about interviews with Mantle鈥檚 wife, girlfriend and other friends.

From the interviews, it is revealed Mantle admitted to being sexually abused by a half-sister who babysat him while his parents were kicking it at barn dances.

He told another friend that a neighbourhood boy also molested him more than once.

4. Mickey Mantle was Seduced by his Teacher

According to Leavy鈥檚 book, Mantle鈥檚 wife 鈥� Merilyn 鈥� said he was seduced by a teacher in high school.

He later took her to meet his roommates while playing baseball in the minors.

He also joked with Merilyn that he only got through high school by sleeping with his teachers. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the only way I was able to graduate,鈥� he said, according to Leavy.

It is argued that may be the above instances of sexual abuse are the root cause of his self-destructive behaviour.

5.  Mickey Mantle Played his Entire Professional Baseball Career for the Yankees

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Prior to the 1951 season of the MLB, Mickey Charles Mantle had the chance to train with the Yankees at the instructional camp.

He put up an impressive performance therefore, Yankees manager Casey Stengel promoted him to the major league as a right fielder. 

Mickey Mantle had a tough start, and after some slumps, he was sent to the Kansas City Blues, the Yankees’ top farm team.

Still underperforming, he nearly gave up, but his father encouraged him to continue, and that was just what mantle needed to get back to his feet.

His stay at Kansas City saw him hit .361 with 11 homers and 50 RBIs. The Yankees recalled him and he was given the No. 7 shirt.

Mantle played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951鈥�1968) with the New York Yankees as a centre fielder, right fielder, and first baseman.

6. The Amazing Mickey Mantle Stats and Records

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Mickey Mantle made an all-time World Series record with 18 home runs, 42 runs scored and 40 runs batted in (RBI).

He won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in three seasons: 1956, and 1957.

Mantle鈥檚 two biggest years were in 1956 and 1957. In 1956, he hit .353 with 52 home runs and 130 RBI. He followed up that amazing season by hitting .365 in 1957, with 34 home runs and 94 RBI.

He also earned a league-leading 146 walks he actually led the league in walks five times. In addition to the 1957 season, they were in 1955, 1958, 1961 and 1962.

With his outstanding performance, he became the highest-paid player in baseball after signing a $75,000 contract with the Yankees on January 16, 1961.

Mickey Charles Mantle retired from the game on March 1, 1969. His farewell speech was on “Mickey Mantle Day,” June 8, 1969, in Yankee Stadium.

7.  Mickey Mantle Abused Alcohol

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According to Mantle, he started abusing alcohol in the early 1950s. He described having what he called the 鈥淏reakfast of Champions鈥� in the morning, essentially a shot of brandy with Kahlua and cream.

Mantle confessed to drinking blenders full of alcohol with teammate Billy Martin in New York City during his playing days.

He said the drinking eventually affected his memory so badly that he had little memory of Martin鈥檚 wedding in 1988, even though he was the best man.

Then a famous sportscaster Summerall convinced Mantle to go to the Betty Ford Clinic in 1994 to seek help.

Mantle did and remained sober for the brief time he lived afterwards.

Unfortunately, his damaged liver eventually failed him, and despite a transplant, he died in 1995. His wife, who hadn鈥檛 lived with him for 15 years, was by his side.

8. Mantle Worked as a Baseball Commentator Post Professional Career

In 1969, Mickey Mantle joined Tony Kubek and Curt Gowdy on NBC as a part-time colour commentator for baseball coverage.

He also worked as a part-time TV commentator for the Montreal Expos in 1972. He also made some investments that turned out to be bad.

In 1988 he opened the Mickey Mantle鈥檚 Restaurant and Sports Bar in New York at 42 Central Park South (59th Street), which was very popular.

9. Mickey Mantle and Merlyn Johnson Never Divorced

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Mickey Mantle married Merlyn Johnson on December 24, 1951, in Commerce Oklahoma. The couple had four sons Mickey Jr. (1953鈥�2000), David (born 1955), Billy (1957鈥�94) and Danny (born 1960).

They never formally divorced despite separating in 1980.

Mantle had carried on affairs for years, according to Leavy (author of his biography), and his biggest relationship was with his agent, Greer Johnson. They lived together after Merilyn left.

 Mantle died on August 13, 1995, at Baylor University Medical Center due to alcohol-related liver damage.

His wife, who hadn鈥檛 lived with him for 15 years, was by his side.

10. The Baseball Fraternity Held Mickey in High Regard.

Mickey Mantle’s plaque in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Photo by Beyond My Ken –

On Mickey Mantle Day ( June 8, 1969) at Yankee Stadium  Mickey Mantle鈥檚 shirt Number 7 was retired.

Mickey Mantle’s bronze plaque is hung on the centre field wall near the monuments to Miller Huggins, Babe Ruth, and Lou Gehrig.

He was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1964 and into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.

In 1999, he was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

His chosen vices inevitably affected his career and put his health in jeopardy, but not before he had made a name for himself as one of the best players of Major League Baseball of all time.

 鈥淗e often joked following his career, 鈥業f I knew I was going to live this long, I鈥檇 have taken better care of myself.鈥欌�� (Newsmakers)

Mantle had many amazing accomplishments one of which being that he had almost become the first and only player to date to hit an out-of-the-park at Yankee Stadium; he also came within 6 home runs of beating Babe Ruth鈥檚 record of 60 home runs in one season.

 Almost every year of his career, he led the league in home runs. Sadly, his career and life ultimately were cut short because of his lifestyle of drinking and partying.

All in all his place in the world of baseball is cast in stone.