THE INJURY THAT CHANGED MICKEY MANTLE'S CAREER

In the fifth inning of Game 2 of the 1951 World Series, a seemingly routine fly ball to right-center field brought together three of New York’s greatest centerfielders in a moment that would change baseball history. Giants rookie Willie Mays hit the ball, sending Yankees veteran Joe DiMaggio, in his final season, and rookie Mickey Mantle, in his 98th major league game, on a collision course.

Yankees manager Casey Stengel had given Mantle simple instructions: "Go for everything." As the ball descended, DiMaggio and Mantle converged. It was a moment where the old guard and the future met, with the game hanging in the balance.

Mantle later described the scene to Jane Leavy in The Last Boy: "I was running as hard as I could. At that point in time, I could outrun anybody. I ran over to catch it as Casey had told me to. Just as I was getting ready to put my glove up, I heard him say, ‘I got it.’ Well, shit, you don’t want to run into Joe DiMaggio in center field in Yankee Stadium. I slammed on my brakes."

Unfortunately, Mantle’s cleat caught on a drain cover in the outfield, a piece of plywood with a rubber coating. His legs went out from under him, and he crumpled to the ground, motionless, his right leg twisted awkwardly beneath him. DiMaggio made the catch and quickly turned to see Mantle lying in pain.

Kneeling beside him, DiMaggio placed a reassuring hand on Mantle’s shoulder, but the damage was done. Mantle was carried off on a stretcher, the initial diagnosis pointing to a torn ligament. Over time, the injury would be described in varying terms, from torn cartilage to torn tendons.

DiMaggio later reflected on the incident: "I said, ‘Go ahead, Mickey. You take it.’ I called out to him as we converged... Luckily, I was close enough to make the catch." Mantle, however, never publicly blamed DiMaggio for the incident. His wife, Merlyn Mantle, once remarked, "He had his own opinion, but he never said it. He ruined his career."

This tragic accident wasn’t the fault of any one player. It was a freak occurrence that left a lasting impact on Mantle's career. Though his achievements were legendary, one can’t help but wonder how much greater they might have been had that injury never occurred.

Mickey Mantle’s 1951 injury is a stark reminder of how one moment can forever alter the course of a player’s destiny.

--Alvin Izzo
BYB Yankee History Contributor

WILLIE MAYS DEAD

He was one of the greatest baseball players ever.  Today we find out that Willie Mays had died at the age of 93.

ESPN writes:

"Mays, whose unmatched collection of skills made him the greatest center fielder who ever lived, died Tuesday afternoon at the age of 93, the San Francisco Giants announced.

"My father has passed away peacefully and among loved ones," Michael Mays said in a statement released by the Giants. "I want to thank you all from the bottom of my broken heart for the unwavering love you have shown him over the years. You have been his life's blood."

Mays was a negro league player with the Birmingham Black Barons and came to the major leagues to become the ultimate baseball player.  He was super talented and loved by all. It's a sad day.  

Willie, may you rest in peace.

SPECULATION REVEALS TOE INJURY TO JUDGE WILL BENCH HIM

Just when you thought everything was right in Yankeeland, a bum toe may sideline Aaron Judge. Now look, this injury appeared to take place on Saturday when Judge ran into the wall at Dodgers Stadium.  

A great catch, but let's be honest, everyone is suggesting it's in the top 10 with Willie May's over the head catch back in the 1954 World Series.  THAT was a great catch. Guys catching balls before running into shit? That's been done before.

So the logic here is that the wall couldn’t hold Judge in the field of play (like it is meant to) so they award Muncy an extra base for something Judge couldn’t control pic.twitter.com/ohKgx4mJK1

— Dom (@BronxBmbrz) June 4, 2023

Judge ran into a wall after the ball was caught. While it's very noble of him to finish the play and be a total stud, it reminds me of the Jeter catch when he flew into the stands. He caught the ball, but the momentum catapulted him into the stands after the fact.  Even Jeets admits that.

Same with Judge. It's dangerous if anything, and that's what happened to Judge, he got hurt. You applaud the effort but blame momentum on the injury.  Anyway, enough about my grouchy nature today. The bottom line is Judge may be out.

NJ.com writes:

"...fans, are holding their breath. They are waiting for some concrete news on Aaron Judge’s right big toe. It could potentially be fractured, in which case he could be out for a while. For now, we all wait for the results of the imaging. He suffered the injury in that majestic running catch late in Saturday’s game against the Dodgers, a play that helped secure a valuable victory. If, however, the toe is broken, Judge could be looking at several weeks on the shelf.

Asked if he’s worried about going on the injured list, he said: “I really don’t care at this point. If I’m on it, I’m on it.”

The Yankees will definitely see a hole in their lineup without Judge. The Yankees have been hot, so this is a concern for sure.  At the same time, there are wonders that can be done with a toe these days. After all, it will be sore, black and blue, but it's not like you can do much for a toe. If wrapped properly, the guy could play, we just have to see.

Cross your fingers Yankeeland, let's hope the Captain will be OK.

Let me also state that I in no way am disparaging our captain. There is no one I want in the lineup more than Aaron Judge. Let's just keep it real, however.  "Spectacular", "Greatest ever" and "unmatched" are not words I'd describe when talking about Judge crashing into the Dodgers Stadium wall on that catch this past weekend. It was fantastic however and I tip my cap for that. I just want this guy to be OK and back in the Yankee lineup.

And now we wait.

I LIKED THE NEW YORK CHRIS MULLIN... NOT THE CALIFORNIA ONE

I feel like the San Francisco Giants are trying way too hard and it's going to backfire. Am I wrong? Maybe, but I doubt it.  

So far, they had a "productive meeting" with Aaron Judge, Joc Pederson goes on Twitter and looks like a fan boy photoshopping a Giants uniform on the guy, Steph Curry is kissing the guy's ass and now Chris Mullin comes out of the woodwork and tries to convince Aaron Judge that he needs to play in San Francisco. What's next, Gavin Newsom and Willie Mays take a Trolley Bus tour with the guy, eat crab with him at the pier and swim to Alcatraz together? It's beginning to get annoying.

Back in the day Chris Mullion was one of my favorite college basketball players. The competition between Mullin and Patrick Ewing at Georgetown was awesome.   Mullin went on to play for the Golden State Warriors and I would catch some games when he'd play the Knicks.  Never a huge basketball fan, but I did like the way Mullin played.

Now I read this guy is all over Aaron Judge and it makes me change my view of this guy.  I guess when you go West Coast, you drop the East Coast all together.  Mullin wants no part of New York anymore and is trying to entice Judge to come to San Francisco. Come on, man!

Giants Baseball Insider on Fan Nation writes:

"Listen it's time to come to the Bay Area Aaron Judge. All rise! Let's go," Mullin said. "Oracle Park is a beautiful place to play. You're going to win championships here. Just look at what Steph Curry's doing here. The Bay Area is a forgiving place. You put up a career year. You hit 62 home runs, and they're giving you the Bronx cheer in the playoffs. Time to go man. Come back home."

Mullin was born and raised in New York. 

I just vomited in my mouth. 

I hope Judge is smart enough to see that this is all a little overwhelming now. Try hards.  It's like going to a car dealership and trying to find the right car. You like what you see, and the salesmen are nice and not too annoying, but you wanna go to the big dealership across the street just because you're curious.

So you go, and you like their cars too, but you don't want to be oversold.  And then you are... and the salesmen are annoying, and they are asking you "What do I have to do to get you in this vehicle!"  And they tell you that they'll throw in this, and they will throw in that. Sooner or later you feel like you're being played. You look at them and realize they are overwhelming, handsy car salesmen.  You say, "Screw this" and you go back to the first dealership, find the right car, feel comfy there and get exactly what you want with no BS.  

Let's hope Judge goes back to that first dealership across the street... you know the one... the Yankees.

THE ONLY THING THAT ROB MANFRED HAS DONE RIGHT!

 It's about damn time... and it's a great day in baseball!

Major League Baseball is doing what they should have done years ago, recognize black athletes before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. The New York Times writes:

"On Wednesday, Major League Baseball took one of its biggest steps to redress past racial wrongs: It formally recognized several of the Negro leagues as on par with the American and National leagues, a distinction that will alter the official record books to acknowledge a quality of competition that the long-excluded players never doubted.

Photo of Larry LeGrande

With the change, more than 3,400 players from seven distinct Negro leagues that operated between 1920 and 1948 will be recognized as major leaguers. And the statistical records will be updated.

“All of us who love baseball have long known that the Negro Leagues produced many of our game’s best players, innovations and triumphs against a backdrop of injustice,” Rob Manfred, the commissioner of Major League Baseball, said in a statement."

So what does it mean for players that came in to the major leagues? Well... they get their Negro League stats added to their MLB stats.  The Times writes:

"Records for some of the game’s biggest stars will receive at least mild adjustments. The Hall of Famer Willie Mays, for example, is likely to be credited with 17 more hits, though no home runs, from his time with the Birmingham Black Barons in 1948. 

Photo of : John Henry "Pop" Lloyd

That would bring his career total, including hits from his time with the Giants and the Mets, to 3,300. The actual adjustments will be made after a review of available data by the Elias Sports Bureau, keeper of Major League Baseball’s official statistics."

and ESPN writes:

Photo of Josh Gibson

"...Monte Irvin's big league batting average should climb over .300, and Satchel Paige might add nearly 150 victories to his total.

Josh Gibson, the greatest of all Negro League sluggers, might just wind up with a major league record too."

It's just an incredible breakthrough and something important for humanity. I am so happy about this learning about 10 years about the Negro Leagues and all these incredible players. It's amazing!!!

REFLECTING ON BASEBALL

What is both surprising and delightful is that spectators are allowed, and even expected, to join in the vocal part of the game.... There is no reason why the field should not try to put the batsman off his stroke at the critical moment by neatly timed disparagements of his wife's fidelity and his mother's respectability.

~George Bernard Shaw

From poetry and lyrics to movies and plays, baseball can be found in popular culture almost anywhere you look. Even people that think they don't know anything, everyone knows a little something.

Everybody in the country knows who Babe Ruth was. Derek Jeter's name is as well known as many Presidents. It's an amazing part of our culture.

So many things in our everyday lives refer to baseball in some way. If you fail to do something and you struck out, you need to learn from it. If you go out in the real world and try to achieve something big, like nailing an interview or making a big sales deal, it can be equated to swinging for the fences. Recently I asked a salesman how much something cost me... he told me "here's the ballpark figure...". Sometimes you "go to bat for somebody".  Sometimes you make a mistake in life, and someone will tell you "hey, this time you struck out. Get them next time."  Hell, we even refer to our sex lives in terms of baseball. Who out there remembers the first time they got to first base?

I see great things in baseball. It's our game — the American game. It will take our people out-of-doors, fill them with oxygen, give them a larger physical stoicism. Tend to relieve us from being a nervous, dyspeptic set. Repair these losses, and be a blessing to us.

~Walt Whitman

Today I was sitting around watching Baseball by Ken Burns. If you've never seen it, I highly recommend it. It really got me thinking, what are the effects of baseball on America? I started looking around the Internet and found this article from 1981 from the New York Times. It was written just before the strike.

"WARS couldn't stop major league baseball, the Depression couldn't stop major league baseball; it seems the only thing that could is major league baseball itself. By the very threat of the players' strike, the idea that the great stadia would be empty this summer - and the crack of bat against ball merely an echo in the mind - gives pause to reflect on baseball and its meaning in the warp and woof of life."

Now, I was 8 years old at the time of that strike. I still remember how lost I felt that summer and the void it created. If it felt like that to a little kid, can you imagine how it felt to the country? 

With the smell of grass in the air and the excitement of the upcoming season, I ask: What does baseball mean to you?

I leave you now to read one of my favorite poems.

Baseball is grass, chalk, and dirt displayed the same yet differently

In every park that has ever heard the words play ball.

Baseball is a passion that bonds and divides all those who know it.

Baseball is a pair of hands stained with newsprint,

A set of eyes squinting to read a boxscore,

A brow creased in an attempt to recreate a three-hour game

From an inch square block of type.

Baseball is the hat I wear to mow the lawn.

Baseball is a simple game of catch

and the never-ending search for the perfect knuckleball.

Baseball is Willie vs Mickey, Gibson vs Koufax, and Buddy Biancalana vs the odds.

Baseball links Kansan and Missourian, American and Japanese,

But most of all father and son.

Baseball is the scent of spring,

The unmistakable sound of a double down the line,

And the face of a 10-year-old emerging from a pile of bodies

With a worthless yet priceless foul ball.

Baseball is a language of very simple words that tell unbelievably magic tales.

Baseball is three brothers in the same uniform on the same team for one brief summer

Captured forever in a black and white photo on a table by the couch.

Baseball is a glove on a shelf, oiled and tightly wrapped,

Slumbering through the stark winter months.

Baseball is a breast pocket bulging with a transistor radio.

Baseball is the reason there are transistor radios.

Baseball is a voice in a box describing men you've never met,

In a place you've never been,

Doing things you'll never have the chance to do.

Baseball is a dream that you never really give up on.

Baseball is precious.

Baseball is timeless.

Baseball is forever.

- Greg Hall

--Michael Carnesi
BYB Writer

YOGI BERRA'S MEDAL OF FREEDOM AWARD COMES TOO LATE

It happened.  It finally happened!  Yogi Berra is to get the President Medal of Freedom award.  According to NJ.com, it happened:

"Berra will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously, the White House announced Monday...Berra was one of 17 people to receive the award. the nation;s highest civilian honor. Another was Willie Mays, a Hall of Fame center fielder for the New York and San Francisco Giants who finished his career in the 1973 World Series for Berra's Mets. Mays once played for the Giants' farm team in Trenton."

Now obviously the honor is very special and we here at Bleeding Yankee Blue are thrilled that the Berra family can celebrate this high honor.  You know what would have made it more special? If Yogi Berra were alive to receive it.  That my friends is extremely disappointing.

(In Photo: Lindsay Berra)
When talk first began about the idea of Berra being considered for the award by his granddaughter Lindsay Berra, we immediately knew it was the right thing to do. Fans then signed a petition and things caught fire, and rightly so... Yogi was an American War Hero, an American Icon, Champion with the New York Yankees... bottom line, it's a no brainer.  But procedure and red tape sometimes takes too long, and throughout the waiting... Mr. Berra passed away.   It's personally sad for me, that's all.

That being said, I am happy it's happening... all of us Yankee fans are.  I just wish it could have happened sooner, that's all.

Congrats to the Berra family. No doubt Yogi's in heaven saying something like, "If I knew there was cake, I would have stuck around." 

That wasn't a Yogism... I made it up, to honor the great Yogi Berra.

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HEY BUD! WHERE DO WE SEND THE 'THANK YOU' CARD?

I’ve stated more than a few times that I truly feel former MLB Commissioner Bud Selig is as guilty as any player in the “Steroid Era”.  It’s clearly apparent that the man turned a blind eye to the USE OF THE JUICE to put money in the Bank of Baseball.  That’s all there is to it.  That’s the end of the story.  Bud is gone and good riddance to him.  He was an absolute ego-maniacal windbag, and the game is better off without him.

When it comes to ARod I am of two minds.  I root for him, because he plays for the New York Yankees.  I hope he makes good on the chance to salvage his career…that he is currently doing with flying colors.  I want to like the man, because I’ve always loved his game.  He is a pure talent.  Alex was born to play the game the way Mantle, Mays, Williams and Robinson were.  He never needed the pharmaceutical assistance.  Alex was a Cooperstown sure thing.  It saddens me to know he will never be there.

On the other hand I am often mad at Rodriguez for the way he would carry himself and the things he did to cover his ass.  Alex was always ALEX 1st…then the rest of ya.  He never seemed sincere when complementing others and told lie after lie as if he believed them…and maybe he did.

I feel that ARod was absolutely crucified by Bud and his evil regime because he refused to kneel at the Alter of Selig.  Alex thumbed his nose at the hypocrisy the Baseball Brass was operating under.  They wanted to clean up the game AFTER their pockets were lined.  Alex also wasn’t “Papi-ular”. It was apparent that fans outside the New York area pretty much universally despised Rodriguez.  What a convenient scapegoat for the Commissioner.  He used ARod as Public Enemy #1 and you could see how personal it was.  They did as many shady things to take Alex down as Alex did to save his image.  And then down came the longest suspension is the game’s history.  After some threats to fight it, ARod took his medicine and disappeared from sight.

So now it’s 2015.  Bud is gone and ARod is back…in a big way.  I guess we sort of owe the Mouth for Milwaukee backhanded thanks.  The year off did wonders for the aging Rodriguez.  It allowed his hips and knees to heal up.  It gave him time to figure out what is important to him.  It let Alex remember what it is to just be a baseball player again.  Now I could thank Bud…but I won’t.  His intention was to hurt Alex and drive him from the game.  Well, Bud, you creepy, old sack of wrinkles, the jokes on you.  You are finally out of the picture and Alex is helping his team win every time he steps on the field.  He is a mentor in the clubhouse and actually seems to be comfortable in his own skin.  The curse became a blessing and Rodriguez is finding he has baseball left in the tank.

Keep it up, Alex.  You haven’t always done it right, but at least you told Bud to go to the hot spot south of purgatory.  Swing away, #13.

** THIS IS FOR YOU, BUD!  FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY IRISH HEART! Because you, yes you…you sir are…well, tell ‘em Denis!”




 
--Mike O'Hara
Senior "Features" Writer
Twitter: @mikeyoh21



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CREEPIEST. SELFIE. EVER.

Selfies can be fun, but I don't do selfies and I don't particularly like them.  Neither does our buddy Clay Rapada.  I know that because he and I had a discussion once about how he was a man of his word and would take a picture of himself in our BYB shirt... but the selfie thing was 'weird'.

All good man, he's a stand up guy.

Now comes word that Barry Bonds took a selfie with baseball legend Willie Mays.

Yes he sleep. #SayHey Willie Mays and yes I sleep next to him. I am so proud to have the best God Father in the world. 😀❤️⚾️ I Love you and everything that you have done for me and my family Willie.

A photo posted by Barry L Bonds (@blbonds25) on Jul 13, 2015 at 11:51pm PDT

Um.... ok then.  I don't get it.

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WHEN BYB'S RIGHT ABOUT AROD, WE REMIND YOU

I like to toot my own horn... especially when charity is involved and especially when the Yankees look good doing it.

As you know from numerous articles BYB has written, we know Alex Rodriguez messed up big time, but he also paid his punishment, being suspended for the entire 2014 baseball season.  He came back a new man and is contributing this season.  The haters have gone into hiding, and baseball appears to be back and happy again in the Bronx.

Earlier in the season, the report was that the Yankees would suggest NOT paying out Alex's milestone money when he hit his home run passing Willie Mays.  I called that despicable.  In fact, I wrote in NOT PAYING AROD FOR HIS MILESTONE LOOKS BAD FOR THE YANKEES, "...I would be simply 'outraged' that the Yankees wouldn't allow me to take my reward and give it all away to an inner city charity of even to a school in Miami to build a baseball field for under-privileged kids. I'd make it hard on the Yankees, because the Yanks shouldn't be withholding anything."

I meant it. Alex doesn't need the money, he should have it directed toward charity.  If the Yankees weren't going to pay, if I was Alex Rodriguez, I would consider that war.. and I would embarrass them at every turn insinuating that "the Yanks needed to help others with it, but they didn't want to."  Alex took the high road... higher than I would have taken.  Alex was smart. He said nothing, and instead, chatted with the Yankees and negotiated his way to get that money to work... not for him... but for others.

In the end, Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees came up with a deal that I totally applaud.  According to MLB:

"Mr. Rodriguez and the Yankees have agreed that a total of $3.5 million in charitable contributions will be made by the Club, with $1 million going to the following charities that have long enjoyed the support of one or both: the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, the Boys & Girls Club of Tampa, and Pitch In For Baseball; and $2.5 million going to the MLB Urban Youth Foundation, which will use the money to further programs and initiatives aimed at increasing youth participation in baseball, particularly in urban areas.  Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. will determine the initiatives to be supported by the $2.5 million contribution after consulting with Mr. Rodriguez, and taking into consideration the focus of Mr. Rodriguez’s past charitable contributions.

Neither party will have any further comment on the specific terms of the agreement and both look forward to focusing their energies on winning another championship for Yankees fans."

This my friends is wonderful.  I especially love the parallels between our piece which came out in April... and this press release released by MLB.  It just goes to show that great minds think alike, and BYB has it's finger on the pulse.  How do I know that?

This:

@BleednYankeeBlu I just got a tweet from MLB that the @Yankees are donating $3.5m to charity regarding Alex's bonus money

— Joanie Giammarino (@Joangyankee) July 3, 2015

@BleednYankeeBlu @Yankees As always!

— Joanie Giammarino (@Joangyankee) July 3, 2015

I love our audience.



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THERE IS A WAY THE YANKEES WILL HAVE TO PAY AROD

It seems like the fate of Alex Rodriguez is once again in the hands of Fredric Horowitz.

When the Yankees and ARod signed the infamous contract, it included several incentives for marketable milestones. A part of the contract states that the Yankees get to decide whether or not a milestone is considered "marketable." Casey wrote about ARod and the marketability of his milestones in the Bronx and how not paying ARod would look bad on the Yankees. The Yankees believe that the suspension, and the involvement with PED's make the milestone unmarketable. Brian Cashman has said that the Yankees are not obligated to pay him.

Now it seems that Horowitz will ultimately decide whether or not the Yankees have to make the payment. Horowitz, who was the arbitrator responsible for the Biogenesis hearing, and who lowered the original 221 game suspension to 162 games, is familiar with both the Yankees and ARod. Hal Steinbrenner agrees that if there is an obligation, on the organizations part, they will meet it. 

"I will say that, as with every other contract, if there's any contractual obligations on our end, we're going to meet them. It's no different than any other contract."

The players union has also stated that they would be willing to aid ARod, if he chose to put up a fight for the money. So far, ARod has remained tight lipped on the whole thing.

Here's the thing, before the season started, it was easy to assume that tying and passing Mays would not be marketable for the Yankees. I mean, how much could they possibly hope to benefit from it? ARod had never been very liked in the Bronx. His career here was met with more boo's and jeers than anything else. After the year long suspension, most of us assumed that he would have little to no support. That was not the case. Yankees fans have flocked to the stadium and have cheered for ARod when he tied and passed the record. Fans provide that, like Casey wrote, "Tying Willie Mays is kind of a big deal, juice or no juice."

Horowitz will now have the job of deciding if the Yankees have been within reason to deny ARod the $6 million in bonus money that he's earned. We'll wait and see, but if I were ARod, I wouldn't say a single word on the subject until after the decision is made. 

--Erica Morales BYB Senior Writer 
Twitter: @e_morales1804

  


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YANKS WIN & AROD PASSES MAYS

 Alex Rodriguez and his 661st home run is significant. Willie Mays has always been one of those "greatest players" and everyone knows the name.  Now though, Alex has passed him in home runs. It's pretty amazing if you think about it.  You know, it's funny how the Yankees don't find Alex marketable.  He's the poster child for "righting wrongs" and you'd almost think they'd try to promote him that way and throw him $6 million.  I know, at this point the Yanks aren't interested in that, and Alex doesn't seem to care... it's just fascinating to me how a player and team can bicker so much, yet, need to play with each other.  They're stuck. I guess the Yanks don't trust him... believe me, I get it. Anyway, I'm rambling...

The Yankees won on power and confidence tonight.  Oh yeah, and some decent pitching too.

Nathan Eovaldi went 5.2 innings. He gave up 6 hits and only 3 runs.  After that, the pen didn't give up another run and the Yankee offense helped keep the Yanks in it.  It was a perfect combination tonight.

In the first, Alex Rodriguez sacrificed home 1 run. Then Mark Teixeira singled knocking in Brett Gardner. In the 3rd, Alex homered. 

Then in the bottom of the 5th, Mark Teixeira doubled knocking in that extra run we needed.  It was right about there that BYB writer, Mike O'Hara tweeted this:

Yes, Tex, I get it. You can still play and I'm a jerk. @BleednYankeeBlu

— Mike O'Hara (@mikeyoh21) May 8, 2015

Pretty funny considering he's not a huge fan of Mark Teixeira.  Gotta love the honesty here at BYB. Damn, this is fun.

Anyway, the Yankees won and I like that.  Sleep well.

Final: Yankees 4 - Orioles 3

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