“The only thing I can do is play baseball. I have to play ball. It's the only thing I know.” (Mickey Mantle). On October 20, 1931 in Spavinaw, Oklahoma a legend was born named Mickey Charles Mantle. His mother was Lovell Mantle and his father was Elvin Charles Mantle, also known as ‘Mutt’. A former semi-pro baseball player, Mutt Mantle had such a strong love for baseball so he decided to name his first child after Detroit Tigers catcher Mickey Cochrane. Mickey was barely old enough to walk when he started to play baseball with his father. Mickey’s father believed that being a switch-hitter was the only way to do well in the majors/make it in the majors, so he taught him how to swing from both sides of the plate. Mickey would practice both right-handed and left-handed throws with his father, also his grandfather.
Mantle was a very active guy and was always on his feet doing some type of sport. He played baseball, basketball, and football at his high school in Commerce, Oklahoma. During one game his whole life was changed. He was kicked in the leg and developed osteomyelitis which is a bone disease that would later show up in his baseball career. Later in his life Mantle would grab the attention of New York Yankee scout Tom Greenwade, who signed him to a contract of $140 a week with a $1,500 signing bonus. Mickey arrived at the Yankees' minor league team in Independence, Kansas, in 1949 as a shortstop. After two years in the minor leagues, the Yankees invited him up to their major league training camp. He earned a place on the roster, and everyone began comparing him to the legend Babe Ruth (1895–1948) and other past Yankee legends. Only nineteen at the time and fresh out of high school, Mantle did not immediately live up to the hype and standards. He started to get involved slowly in his new position—right field—and was sent back down to the minor leagues. Mantle's struggles continued when, in 1952, his father died of Hodgkin's disease at the age of 39. Mickey was very close with his father and was distraught with the whole situation at hand. Slowly starting to recover from the tragedy Mantle was moved to center field when Joe DiMaggio (1914–1999) retired from the Yankees following the 1951 season. He began to adjust to the MLB, and in 1952 he batted .311 with 23 home runs and 87 RBIs. That season Mantle began to make himself known as one of baseball's best home-run hitters. “Somebody once asked me if I ever went up to the plate trying to hit a home run. I said "sure, every time".” (Mikey Mantle)
During one game against the Washington Senators, Mantle hit a ball out of Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. It measured to have been hit 565 feet, it is believed to be the longest home run ever to be hit. The New York Yankees won the World Series Mantle's first three seasons, from 1951 to 1953. During the 1952 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers, Mantle batted .345 with two home runs. In the 1953 Series, again against the Dodgers, he batted only .208 but hit two more home runs. Mantle's talents and charisma led the Yankees as they ruled baseball throughout the late 1950s. They won the American League pennant each year from 1955 to 1958, taking the World Series in 1956 and 1958. Mantle became a true legend in 1956 when he won baseball's Triple Crown, with a .353 batting average, 52 home runs, and 130 RBIs. He was also selected the American League's MVP. In 1957 he hit .365 and was again named the league MVP. Mantle's success on the field continued as the Yankees remained a strong threat in baseball well into the 1960s. Mantle continued to do well even though his legs hurt most of the time from the osteomyelitis and other injuries caused from the game. In 1962 Mantle was named American League MVP for the third time. Although the Yankees continued to win pennants, their days of glory were coming to an end. By 1965 the Yankees's great run was over. Mantle became unhappy with his pain and with his performance on the field. Mantle continued to play through the 1968 season; he announced his retirement in the spring of 1969. Mantle left the Yankees with many great achievements and he would go down in baseball history. In addition to hitting 536 home runs throughout his career, he led the American League in homers four times and was chosen as its most valuable player three times. He is one of only a few players to win a Triple Crown. He still holds the all-time record for home runs in World Series (18) as well as numerous other World Series records. Mantle was a true symbol of the Yankees and their greatness. In 1974 he was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot.
After retiring from baseball, Mantle opened a restaurant and worked in public relations for a casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Mantle met fans/signed autographs and played in golf tournaments. Later becoming a Yankee broadcaster because of his television experience. Mickey faced a lot of problems because of alcohol. Mantle had married Merlyn in the 1950s, and they had four sons. Mantle was absent for much of their childhood. Trying to manage post fame and alcoholism Mickey had a rough time. In 1994 Mantle learned that all the heavy drinking got him hepatitis and liver cancer. Although he received a liver transplant in June 1995, the cancer had spread to other organs, and Mantle died on August 13.