HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICKEY MANTLE

Today is Mickey Mantle’s birthday. Mantle is probably one of the most popular New York Yankees ever, and it’s probably because the baby boomer generation saw one of the greatest home run hitters during their youth and passed on some pretty amazing stories about the Mick to their children. Us, in turn, pass the stories of the Mick to our children and when my 9 year old talks about Mickey Mantle, it’s almost like folklore. It’s funny how it works, but there is no doubt, Mickey Mantle was one of the greatest hitters ever.

Obviously, if you read Bleeding Yankee Blue, you know I’m 40 and I’ve never seen Mickey Mantle play one inning or have 1 at bat. But the stories about Mickey Mantle are historic. My father told me about the baseball that the Mick hit that hit the top of the facade and how it was documented. Of course, we went to the library and there it was. I remember being hooked at that point and for my birthday one year, my dad bought me a 1968 Topps Mickey Mantle. At the time, I didn’t care that it was one of the last original baseball cards issued of the Mick, to me, it was awesome and to this day, it’s still my favorite card.

Mickey Mantle was born and named after his father’s favorite player, Mickey Cochrane. That’s a fact. His dad saw something in his son at an early age and believed in him, even when Mickey didn’t believe in himself. The best story I’ve ever heard about Mickey Mantle was when he was struggling trying to work his way through the Yankee system and he called his father to pick him up. He didn’t want to do baseball anymore, it was wearing on him. His father showed up and started packing his bag. Mickey said “What are you doing?” His father told him that he was packing up his stuff because he was a quitter. A little reverse psychology I guess because it lit a fire under his ass. Mickey decided to stick around and well… the rest is history I guess. I'm kind of para-phrasing here but I read it in Mickey Mantle: American Prodigal Son and it's all there. A terrific read, you should check it out. Mickey had some of the most amazing years of his lifetime in baseball after that short struggle and his career was truly great.

His wife and children to this day speak fondly of their father and husband and have never shied away from his problems with drinking and women. The best part is Mickey Mantle still lives on to this day. A few years back Topps baseball Cards released a series of Mickey Mantle cards in the look of the current Topps look as well as reprints of the originals.

Now my 9 year old son owns his own Mickey Mantle cards and it’s one of the best moves Topps has ever made. Great idea... Kudos Topps!

Mickey Mantle’s an icon, a Yankee Icon and an American Icon and he will never be forgotten. So, this posts for you Mick… Happy Birthday. You made a ton of people smile in your lifetime and even after life and the line keeps moving. There’s a 9 year old in New Jersey right now that thinks you’re “da bomb”, and I think that’s pretty damn neat and I’m sure you would too.

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