THAT TIME MICKEY MANTLE ALMOST QUIT

This story about Mickey Mantle takes place during his early career in minor league baseball. Specifically, the event occurred in 1951 when Mantle was playing for the Kansas City Blues, which was a Triple-A team, the highest level of minor league baseball.

Mickey Mantle, feeling overwhelmed and struggling with his performance, decided he wanted to quit baseball. He was in a deep slump and thought he didn't have what it took to succeed. He called his father, Mutt Mantle, and told him he wanted to come home. 

Mantle talked about it: "I was in a terrible slump. I couldn't hit anything. I felt like I wasn't cut out for baseball. I called my dad and told him I wanted to come home."

In response, Mutt drove from Oklahoma to Kansas City to confront Mickey.

When Mutt arrived, he didn’t try to console or encourage Mickey. Instead, he packed Mickey's suitcase and told him to come home and work in the mines if he couldn't handle baseball. This tough love approach deeply affected Mickey Mantle. It made him realize the importance of persevering through tough times.

Mick said of the incident: "It hit me hard. I realized then that I wasn't just letting myself down. I was letting my dad down too. I decided to stick it out and give it another try."

This moment was pivotal in Mantle’s career, because as many of you know, he went on to become one of the greatest baseball players in history.

--Alvin Izzo

BYB Yankee History Contributor