I know Mickey Mantle never reached his full potential because of injuries and lifestyle. But in my book he will always be the greatest ballplayer I ever saw. In their prime, Mays may have been better defensively but nobody was as exciting as Mickey when it came to offense.
@@jaysantos11 I guess it depends on when you were born and who you followed. Rickey was very exciting and was a potent offensive force. He was known for his base stealing and offense. His outfield arm wasn't his strong point. I think if you were around when Mantle was in his prime you'd notice a big difference. When Mantle played, base stealing wasn't a big deal in those days, It started being a big deal when Maury Wills of the Dodgers stole 104 bases in 1962, Mantle was timed at 3.1 seconds from home to first batting lefthanded. That might still be the record. Regardless , you're entitled to your opinion and it was a good choice.
I still remember the first time I heard the Name Mickey Mantle. I was a young boy in the early 60's growing up in rocket city (Cocoa Beach, Fl.). I played sandlot football 365 days a year and had not yet become interested in baseball. I was heading out the front door to go play football and my Dad was watching a baseball game. As I walked past the TV set I watched a center fielder streak into the frame and make a sliding/diving catch. I asked my Dad, Wow who is that? My Dad answered, That's Mickey Mantle and you should have seen him run when he had two good legs! After that I was an instant #7 fan. I truly believe had he not tripped on that sprinkler head he would be viewed as and have the numbers to be called the greatest ball player ever. I would go further and postulate had he not been playing in excruciating pain for so many years that his drinking would not have become so damaging to him either. Yet he never complained or made excuses
I remember when he and Roger Maris were challenging each other for home run leader not only on TV but I would listen it on radio During the World Series my junior high school was played on TV in the auditorium in 1961
In my view, Mantle is a top-10 player all-time. His peak is second only to Bonds in the post-integration era. He had 110 fWAR and bWAR in fewer than 10k PAs. Three seasons he had a waaWL% above .555, which is an all-time great season, each time eclipsing 10 WAR. He’s at worst a top-10 hitter, and I have him as the sixth-best. He was so, so, so good already, and had he not torn his ACL and been more mature, I think he could have been the GOAT.
I was a massive Mickey Mantle fan growing up, even though I was born over a decade after he last played. I initially thought it was funny that a baseball player had the same name as Mickey Mouse, but the more I read about his life and his career the more I came to respect his life and appreciate his career. I also used him as a reverse role model of sorts and stayed away from alcohol because I saw the way alcohol affected his body. He always said his greatest regret in the game was swinging for the fences so much that he ended up with a career average of .298. Of course it was his luck that his last year came in the Year of the Pitcher of 1968, when his .237/.385/.398 was still good for a 143 OPS+. It helped that he had more walks than hits that year.
His 145 wRC+ in 1968 was good for the 13th best in the league (Tied with Roberto Clemente). Had more efficient evaluation concepts existed then, he could have kept playing. Instead, he unfortunately thought he wasn't good anymore.
I read Tony Castro's book on him and it was very heartbreaking. His mistress was basically his caretaker due to how much alcohol he consumed, he got completely swindled by the Yankees scout(gave him a $1500 signing bonus while offering Jim Baumer, who played 18 total MLB games, $50000), and worst of all, his sister SA'd him when he was a child. Thankfully he cleaned up many of his sins and things people inadvertently learned from him toward the end of his life. What separates Mantle from Trout, Griffey, and even Mays in my opinion is that he was _the_ guy. America needed someone after the war to obsess over and here came the humble kid from the South that just so happened to destroy baseballs. He was more of a poster child and character in many people's eyes, purely based on his power, success, and looks, compared to Willie Mays, who everybody grew to love for his charisma, energy, and friendliness on and off the field(which also became incredibly important for African American acceptance in general at the time). It really is incredible that he was able to have such a successful career with all the baggage he carried. Great video depicting his story
@@dtice69Im pretty sure he meant you can't use what happened to you as a child as an excuse to be a POS adult. (I'm NOT talking about the Mick!) I love Mantle, im only talking in general. To many people nowadays use every excuse they can think of to be to justify being a useless turd.
I knew Mantle had issues with his knees. I didn't know it was a torn ACL which I know couldn't be repaired back then. It couldn't be repaired in 1977 either since that is when I tore my ACL and had to live with it. The vicissitudes of life and their downstream effects. I first saw him in Yankee Stadium in 1959 at the age of 5 and was so excited to see him play.
Agreed. Mick’s peak was unmatched as far as all around ability on a baseball field. And it’s kind of cool because Mantle’s hardest hit ball also leaves a lot to the imagination and is one of the biggest WHAT IFs in history. That facade shot off Bill Fischer in 1963… Who knows how far that ball was going to travel had it not his that old Yankee Stadium facade.
My mom knew Mickey, his dad and my grandfather worked together in mines, in Commerce. My aunt was, um, deflowered by Mickey, as were many girls. What is amazing, to me, is he was able to develop into such an amazing athlete in such a small town. My dad was from NYC and my mom would visit with Mickey and she finally went to a Yankees game. She read magazines while fans got mad this woman wasn't paying attention. My dad said Mom never realized how big a player Mickey was, she just tried get him to stop drinking, Mickeys dad was a drinker. As kids we knew him but that was well as after he retired. My grandpa was proud because he knew him as a little kid.
Good morning ....saw the Mick play many times at the old yankee stadium....he was brilliant but he did not take care of himself and he knew it....strong unbelievably strong........where did he get the nick name "THE MICK"From??? After the 1952 world series it came from Jackie ROBINSON...Mickey was one of the greatest of the greatest....number 7 Mickey Mantle
Man I wish I could go back in time and watch that shot Mick hit in 1963 off Bill Fischer off the right field facade. Had to have been one of the most majestic shots in history. Game winner too. A lot of legendary power hitters hit in that old Yankee stadium but none matched that shot. Mickey did that kind of stuff without a strength training regiment or *supplements* of any kind. The REAL life Natural. Rest In Heaven #7
Mantle, like Foxx, Joe D and Gehrig didn't play long enough to pile up the career totals like Mays, Aaron, Pujols. But when you measure how effective he was in the Plate Apperances he had he was among the top 5 of all time. This effective measure of how much a player contributed to wins and runs is a far better way to compare players. All time, Mantle took far fewer Plate Apperances (PA) in his career to generate wins, runs and total bases than either Mays or Aaron. So while injuries kepts his career short (retired at age 36) and his career totals low, he was among the top 5 players of all time in terms of his offensive effectiveness at the Plate. Meaning, it took him far fewer plate appearances than say Mays or Aaron to contribute to a teams runs, wins, or generate total bases (the basics of baseball). These are his career rankings (among retired players), fewest PA per Situational Wins (4th), fewest PA per Adjusted Batting Runs (6th), fewest PA per Bases Out Runs Added (5th), fewest PA per Runs Created (7th), fewest PA per Total Bases+Walks (7th), fewest PA to generate 1 Offensive WAR (5th), and fewest PA per Wins Probability (4). Mantle's rankings in these categories is the real measure of his greatness and how much he contributed when he cam to bat. He was one of the greatest 5-7 hitters of all time. Only Ruth, Williams, Gehrig, Bonds, Hornsby, and Foxx where his equal or better in some of these categories.
Mickey MANTLE was the greatest player i have ever seen and iam 76 yrs old.He hit the longest hr of all time won many WS. He WAS MY FAVORITE PLAYER OF ALL TIME AND STILL IS TODAY.
i grew up in the 60's and as far as i was concerned, and with the kids on my block, Mickey Mantle was the greatest. i was a devout fan during his last years, and pinned my hopes of a continued Yankee dynasty on Bobby Murcer. but it didnt materialize - it must have been tough on Bobby that people expected him to be the "new Mantle", just as it was for Mantle to be the "new Dimaggio". it was an amazing time to watch Boog Powell, Harmon Killebrew, Frank Howard, Al Kaline - and, Mantle topped them all. my yankee and baseball fandom ended with Thurman Munson's passing. somehow, the game to me was never the same.
Well I’m 40 and have watched a decent amount of baseball over the years. Played a bit myself too. And Prime Mantle is the best talent the game has seen. Whether some admit to it or not. 3.1 seconds from home to first base and 500 plus foot home runs while not ever touching weights or SUPPLEMENTS. Imagine Mickey coming up today with a diet, strength training program, film study and hitting the tightly stitched baseballs of today with the high quality maple bats… Lol! He’d dwarf Shohei’s best shots. 😂😂
He was an amazing player despite all the injuries he suffered throughout his career. IMHO - his ACL injury in 1951 permanently altered his career and greatly hindered his production - which makes his career after even more remarkable. He was unfairly treated by the media during his career and he never seemed to understand why he was a god to so many, as he just viewed himself as just another guy. Super heartbreaking to see him at the end of his life, telling everyone he wasn’t a role model.
That ACL injury was the fault of Joe D. He should have called for the ball early and Mickey would have pulled up. And Joe was a 1st class jerk as well.
I read Jane Levy's book. I blame DiMaggio for his early knee injury. He was jelous of the kid from Oklahoma, my home state. My grandpa lives in Spavinaw where he was born. Got to see thehouse before the tore it down.
DiMaggio was known to be a private person and relatively uncommunicative. He was cordial to Mantle but not close. While DiMaggio respected Mantle's playing ability, he did not respect how Mantle failed to take care of himself and squandered some of his talents.
Mantle hit more tape measure HRs than anybody that ever played. Forget about the one he hit in Washinton griffith park, their were longer HRs than that one that he hit. Read the book explosion by Mark Gallager about all of Mantles HRs.
That shot Mick hit off Bill Fischer in 1963 off the facade is like something out of The Natural. Game winner and it leaves a lot to the imagination too considering it was still going upward when it struck. I’ve heard other players say the ball almost bounced back to the infield it hit the facade so hard. Lol! Let that sink in.
I remember watching Monday night baseball with Tony Kubek and Howard Cosell. The game was in Detroit . Kubeck told Cosell that if Mantle played his home games here instead of Yankee Stadium he would have hit one thousand home runs. Cosell said you have to be kidding and Kubeck replied I am dead serious.
Kubek is wrong. Mantle hit 266 at home and 277 away. About even. Yankee Stadium didn’t hurt his totals because he usually batted left handed and Yankee Stadium is friendly to power hitters who hit lefty.
Mickey Mantle not only was the greatest switch hitter but I'd put him ahead of Willie Mays in terms of the greatest player ever. Mays was an overall better fielder but Mantle wasn't bad either. His speed is unequaled. Mickey's arm was better than Mays, too so, other than the power angle, yeah, Mickey Mantle was an overall better player than Willie Mays.
@@syourke3 Mantle hit so many HRs to left and right center at the stadium, not too many pulled down the lines..I saw him clear the batters eye in CF at the 461 FT sign, 502 FT measured.
@@johnsrous1616 I'm sorry, I absolutely disagree. Here are numbers that support my opinion. For beginners,compare the peak seasons of Mantle and Mays. Frankly, there's no comparison. Mays led the NL in homers 4 times and led the NL in stolen bases 4 times. Mays had a WAR over 10, 6 times. From 1954-1966, his WAR was the best in MLB, at 124.1, followed by Aaron at 96.4, and Mantle at 90.0. Mantle and Gehrig combined had 5. He had 6 seasons of 40 or more homers, throughout his career, he led the league in Hits, Runs, Homers, Triples, Stolen Bases, Average, On Base Pct, Slugging, Total Bases, and Walks. He also won 12 Gold Gloves (in the first 7 years of his career there was no Gold Glove award). In 1957, he became the first player to have 20 or more in each of these categories, when he racked up 26 doubles, 20 triples, 35 homers, and 38 stolen bases. His .407 on-base percentage and .626 slugging percentage that season. His career numbers are unmatchable, and because of being drafted into the Army, he played in only 34 games in '52 and missed the entire '53 season. I was lucky enough to watch Mays in over 200 games at Seals Stadium and Candlestick Park while growing up. Nobody enjoyed baseball as much as him, and in my mind, nobody played the game as well as he did. Much has been said about Mantle homering while having a hangover. When Mays hit 4-homers against the Braves in one game, he was sick from food poisoning from the night before.
He was so great but if he had not injured and stayed away from the booze he would have been the greatest that ever played. I seen him play in person at a spring training game back in 1963. I was a big Yankee fan.
Saw Mickey play at Cominskey Park against the White Sox. Fastest runner ever from home to first. He hit a smash to the shortstop batting righty and was out by half a step. He covered more ground in center field than anyone. In batting practice he hit a ball over the roof batting lefty. Greatest player ever in my opinion!
My pet theory is that if Lou Gehrig had lived, Mantle would have broken Ruth's home run record. Reasoning: Gehrig, the original Yankee captain, was liked and respected by management and fellow players. He probably plays into the mid forties, then becomes a coach being groomed to be Joe McCarthy's successor. This makes him manager instead of Casey Stengel when Mantle comes up. Which has two major positive effects on Mantle's career. One, Gehrig is much more respected by Joe DiMaggio than Stengel was, Gehrig could have convinced Joe D that there was no shame in playing first base (after all, Gehrig was the best who ever did it). Which means the 1951 World Series injury doesn't happen. Second, much of Mantle's drinking problems stemmed from the fact that Stengel rode him hard. Gehrig is an entirely different personality, I picture his response to Mantle's partying more along the lines of "I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed." which may have been more effective. Your projection of 721 home runs in 1973 sounds about right. Hank Aaron still would have ultimately ended up with the record, and since he wouldn't have gotten there first, the experience probably would have been a lot more pleasant for him. Also, if Mantle breaks Ruth's single season record instead of Roger Maris, Maris probably ends up with a better career, the stress of 1961 took a lot out of him. This scenario does come at a price for Yankee fans, though. I'm not sure anyone but Casey Stengel sees the potential of a certain awkward-looking young catcher in the late forties.
@@nicholasschroeder3678 Well, no, I just said that Mantle would have been better off. The Yankees as a team may not have been. One, as I said, Yogi Berra might not have gotten an opportunity. Also, Gehrig's managerial style would most likely have resembled McCarthy, which means a set lineup every night, whereas Stengel mastered the art of platooning when he had bad teams, and was better suited to the '50s Yankees personnel. The Yankees had too much talent and resources for Gehrig to not win some World Series, but would he have won seven, especially if he didn't have Berra? That's questionable at best. So if it seems like I've slighted Stengel, that wasn't the intention. Thanks for the feedback.
@@big8dog887 I guess it's hard to really picture Stengel, with his wizened face and warped grammar, as something of a wizard, but I think he was one as a manager. Yeah, his teams were stacked with talent, but you just don't win that many Series without a strong man at the helm. You're right around Berra, and perhaps right about his handling of Mantle. But Gehrig as manager is a total what if: he seems to have all the right qualities, but--ironically in this case--the only HOF quality player who became a great manager that I can think of is Berra. I guess John McGraw was both. Am I missing any? Joe Torre was a very solid player...One last point, and I'm sorry if it seems I'm nitpicking (you make great points and interesting arguments), Ruth would undoubtedly have exceeded 800 home runs had his first 5 years not been spent as a dead ball pitcher. And had he taken better care of himself, 900 isn't unrealistic. On the other hand, he got very lucky in really never suffering injuries. But GOAT athletes are all lucky that way, and in many other ways. Being fat and out of shape didn't hurt his eye/hand or bat speed.
@@nicholasschroeder3678 I found three HOF players who won the World Series as bench (non-playing) managers: Red Schoendienst, Gil Hodges, and Bob Lemon. As for Ruth, the counter to the "if he hadn't been a pitcher" argument is that, as a hitter he struck out a lot by the standards of the time. Since he was a pitcher early on, this was no big deal, it was to be expected. But if he had come up as an outfielder, this would have been deemed unacceptable, the big swings would have been coached out of him. Which means fewer, not more home runs. With his God-given hand-eye coordination, though, he might have challenged Cobb's hit record.
Mick was and still is my idol. I managed to buy a 1961 Topps baseball card of him, as well as a 1958 Roger Maris Rookie card and a few other momentos of those two that I will keep until I die. Baseball will never be like it was in those days....I hate the Yankees, but man those Murderers Row guys, and the M&M boys, with Mr. Ford the Chairman, Boyer and all those guys, what a team back then.
The statement, _'..he is my all time favorite player!!!!'_ suffices i.e., it stands on its own as it renders the preface, _'In my view'_ superfluously evident
The thing is Mickey never was 100 percent in his prime, he blew out his knee in his rookie year, and what rookie is fully formed? He played the rest of his career probably 60-80 percent of what he could've been. Still great.
Mantle is GOAT if he did not get hurt early in his career AND did not drink himself to death. If he played 23 healthy years, his numbers are off the chart.
Bone disease from HS football incident and knee/leg thing from incident where DiMaggio didn't yield to Mickey (it was Mantle's ball to catch). Joe was good but, IMO, an A-hole. I agree Mantle plays healthy and his numbers would have been significantly more impressive.
In a way, mantle is as Butkus in the nfl. They rarely played without nagging or worse injuries. However, game after game they gave everything they had and that everything they had was well above everybody else for the most part.
I say the same thing about Bobby Orr as well. Image if Mantle and Orr where 100% healthy. Out of both career's Orr had one season of full health And mantle got hurt at 19. It's amazing you can still make A case that they are still the Greatest players of all time In there respected sport.
I think a video of the same kind about Sandy Koufax could be very interesting, if he didn't have his injuries, he could well have exceeded 400 strikeouts in a season or have more no hitters or even more than one perfect game !
Mantle was extremely popular and well known in NYC even before his Triple Crown year of 1956. In 1953, at age 21, after only two years in the majors, he was a mystery guest on What's My Line, "mystery" meaning the panel had to wear masks while attempting to guess his profession, otherwise they would easily recognize him.
I watched Mickey Mantle once, at the 1967 All-Star game at Anaheim Stadium, in the twilight of his career. A year later I had a MM Little League bat, which I still have. MM had an aura as he strode to the plate at the Bog-A. That was the longest All-Star game ever, 15 innings, 2-1 NL. Factoid: There's a 5.8 rated rock climb named Mickey Mantle at Tahquitz Rock/Suicide Rock near Idyllwild, CA which has 3 mantle moves on the first pitch.
2:41 -- Imagine if his dad didn't go all tough love on him and Mantle did decide to quit and never look back? Never mind baseball, how much different would the baseball CARD hobby be without Mantle? I mean Mickey has always been the top dog of the hobby pretty much since the beginning, especially his iconic 1952 Topps (which contrary to popular belief is NOT his rookie card; that in fact is his 1951 Bowman)?
I am 81 yrs old, played little league several years, and American Legion ball for 2 years, batted against some who were pros a year or two later. Naturally, I saw the great Mick play many games. Without any doubt at all, he WAS the best SWITCH HITTER EVER, to date. He could have been even better, especially in running bases and working in the outfield, IF he hadn't injured his leg, which he suffered with for so long. Too, he could have been better, had he not become so much a friend with Billy Martin. I read that Mickey's dad taught him to be a switch hitter, by pitching to him right handed, while Mick batted right, and his grandfather pitching to him left handed, while Mick batted left hand. Resulting in the best switch hitter to date. Mick said he thought he was born to play baseball. With a father like he had, training him since being a little boy, I can understand why he would have said something like that. Late in life, Mick said that had he known everything he now knew, that he would not have done all the drinking, partying, etc., with his best friend, Billy Martin. I think that Mickey was so excited and happy to play baseball, which he truly loved, for money, and so young, that he was just vulnerable to somebody like Billy Martin, being such a good friend with him. With some of us, things look differently as we age, and review in our minds our life choices.
Without the 1951 injury, he may have served time in the military, so his homerun total may not have made him the second member of the 700 club. However, it would lead to the possibility that both he and Maris would have 61 or more homeruns in 1961 (he was injured that year and still would up with 54), and he still could have reached the 650 homerun mark. It is amazing to think of what someone that great could have done if healthy for his entire career.
His biggest problem by far was the bottle. Just look at the history of known alcoholics. Their skills are eroded between age 32 - 33 they are not productive it their late 30's. Had he not left the bottle alone, 650 homeruns were in reach for him.
Cool video yeah i made the same argument about Mantle all the pains he suffered the drinking womanizing and everything he was an amazing player no doubt. I like how you averaged out how much time he missed and what his numbers would have been. And I complain about the pains I got now and what he went through to play 18 years of MLB on one leg.
Mickey was the most exciting power hitter of his era. Even in his declining years, he was still capable of slugging a monster shot, and that anticipation was always present every time he stepped up to the plate. How good might he have been? As it was, in my book, he was good enough.
Mickey Mantle what a name for a baseball player! Speculation, and conjecture aside. He was great!! You’re asking for the impossible. He fought through problems and adversities. Humans are flawed. Machines don’t play baseball humans do
Correction: The Yankees did not win the 1955 World Series. That was the Brooklyn Dodgers, their first and only World Series that they would win while based in Brooklyn. I think you had confused 1951-1953 (Since he was involved in the 1951 World Series before his injury) with 1952-2953, 1955.
Mickey Mantle should have won that 1958 MVP, beat him in every statistical category except for rbis, due to Mantle being walked more than anybody. Oh by the way, the Yankees won the WS that year while the Red Sox finished 3rd. If he would have stayed healthy, and stayed away from the alcohol and the fast life in NYC, then you're looking at a 700 hr/ 500 sb guy with those 7 rings, so yea, GOAT easily. I would compare Mantle with Mays because they both entered the league in 1951 and they were both centerfielders. But if you cut off Mays last 4 or 5 seasons and end his career after the 1968 season which is when Mantle ended his career, Mays still has better numbers. So even if Mays's career was over after the 1968 season, Mays still has more home runs, rbi. hits, runs, sb, and average than Mantle (including missing 2 seasons due to military service). Mantle should have had at least 4 more years or playing, but the injuries really hurt his longevity. Mantle had the greatest raw talent to ever enter the league, (faster and stronger than anyone) and achieved more team success. He definitely got walked more, due to the lack of protection. On a side note, doesn't Christian McCaffrey look a little like a young Mantle. While growing up on the farm when he was a kid, Mantle's father threw right handed to him while he hit left handed, and Mantle's uncle threw to him left handed while he hit right handed.
I grew up watching 80s and 90s baseball and Griffey was always my favorite player and although I never got to see Mantle play he was the only player in my opinion as talented as Jr. Both careers cut short and both would have hit 800 homers easy!
I've always thought he was only slightly lesser a player than Mays, not quite as good a CF. May's power was less spectacular but 660 is 660. And Mays was a little smarter. A writer for the SF Chronicle the length of his time in San Francisco said he never saw Mays make an incorrect play. Only player I definitely put ahead of Mays is Ruth, pretty much because of Ruth's pitching. It's really hard to do these ratings. Where do you rank a Williams, maybe "the Greatest hitter who ever lived" but except for playing the Monster a suck fielder? Pitchers vs. position players. Guys who missed time due to WWII. Short careers (thinking of the guy at the beginning of this clip). The only thing I know for sure is that Joe DiMaggio was never "the greatest living baseball player" (he insisted on being introduced as that).
And Mays basically missed two seasons due to the Korean Conflict, and we know that Ted Williams missed around five years because of military duty. So 660 probably would have been 720ish if not for war. And yes, the guy you would compare Mantle with is Mays because they both entered the league in 1951 and they were both centerfielders. But if you cut off Mays last 4 or 5 seasons and end his career after the 1968 season which is when Mantle ended his career, Mays still has better numbers. So even if Mays's career was over after the 1968 season, Mays still has more home runs, rbi. hits, runs, sb, and average than Mantle (including missing 2 seasons due to military service). Mantle should have had at least 4 more years or playing, but the injuries really hurt his longevity. Mantle had the greatest raw talent to ever enter the league, and achieved more team success. He definitely got walked more, due to the lack of protection. I think Joe DiMaggio was was a better all around player than Williams, but Williams obviously being a better hitter. But we know DiMaggio missed three season due to military service as well. DiMaggio also was on the better team playing with Gehrig three seasons and Mantle one season. The Yankees won a world series in 1943 without DiMaggio.
Not to rain on the Mick parade, but Ruth very likely would have had 800+ homers had he not spent his early 20s as a pitcher in the dead ball era. That said, the guy did not take good care of himself either, but he got lucky in not having any serious injuries, and was just one of those fat guys you see from time to time with fantastic natural strength and hand/eye. Unique...The choice of Mozart's 40th is kinda bizarre.
There are 5 guys who could have had 800 hrs if not for the what ifs. 1. Ruth had he not been a pitcher and just being an outfielder. 2. Pujos if he just stayed a Cardinal in St. Louis and not been a .255 hitter with the Angels 3. Griffey Jr. had he not gotten hurt with injuries and stayed in Seattle. 4. Alex Rodriguez had he not been suspended 211 games and then not being picked up. 5. Bonds if he didn't get injured in 2005 and missing time due to 94/95 strike stoppages. Mays would have been the 2nd home run king had he not miss almost two seasons due to military duty.
That 20-time All Star stuff needs context. From 1959 through 1963, the All-Star Game was a double-header. For some weird reason, baseball insists on counting them separately. Reduce his totals accordingly.
He's the greatest all around athlete to ever play the game. Basically Bo Jackson but with a lot more baseball skills. In the 50s. I really don't think you need a what if scenario to appreciate him. It's just too bad he couldn't see that himself and kept battling all those demons.
If you look at the out field markers where played yankee stadium had 4 400 plus markers candlestick had 1 410 marker yankee stadium was appx 43.3 times larger than camdlestick.its confirmed he mantle hit 15 to 18 balls just short of the 457 and 461 markers.if he played in candlestick those misses would have cleared the deepest out field of candlestick.people talk about other career nu. But the park in yankee stadium he lost many many homers.arron in 1958 and killerbrew in1961 both said how do you play in such a large stadium? 😅
I was fortunate to watch Mantle's entire career. Many were radio broadcasts. But in the 50s, the morning papers broke down every game. Much more detail than today's internet. Anyway here is the truth. Ruth remains the GOAT. I never saw him play, though he was still living when I was a kid. But a great many announcers and players did. Mantle is the second greatest in ability, and the best I ever saw play. Yes, I watch all the time today. Mantle was a 6 tool player. He was one of the best ever fielding centerfielders. He and my other all time favorite, the Say Hey Kid, are the best I've seen. He was the fastest player in his lifetime, maybe ever. Nobody except Ruth hit the ball farther. Even though the fences are shorter and the ball has been super up multiple times since 1968. I've yet to see a better clutch hitter. Could he have been even greater, without injuries? Yes. But he was the GOAT, excluding only the Babe. Seeing is believing.
I love Mantle, and when I was a kid, I was one of my heroes, even though I hated the Yankees. But to speculate on what might have been is pointless. What might Mays have accomplished or Ted Williams had they not lost their prime years through military service? Also, I think it's pretty clear that Mays was a better defensive player than either Mantle or Williams. Still, Mantle was, in spite of his injuries and lifestyle, one of the greatest players of all time, but maybe not the greatest.
I still think Babe Ruth is the greatest ever and probably will always be the G.O.A.T. but strong cases can be made for Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle. Throw in the " What If " factor and all these guys are even better.
I remember watching him when he first came up In 1951. Saw him many times growing up. They talk about these 400 plus hrs. Nothing compared to what he did.
After losing Mutt in 1953 Casey Stengel became a father figure for him but Casey could drink even more than The Mick. When Stengel published his personal All Star Team he omitted Mantle, from whom he had great expectations but ended up being his biggest disappointment.
Im 76 now l seen alot of ballplayers Mantle was the best player l ever saw and the greatest power hitter,a better question is not how good he could have been but how good was he
Mantle was a great player and man. look at what he did in his final years. He told kids he was not a role model and that was the only time I disagreed with him. He was not one of the greatest players of all time, he was the GREATEST of all time. R.I.P., GOAT. ⚾
In july 17 th 1961 against baltmore maris and mantle both hit homers after the 5fh inning it rained that plus mantle hit the foul pool now that is called the fair pool.in short maris should be crited with 62 homers and mantle with 56 homers maris and mantles july stats should be corrected.
He retired at 36 years old, losing at least 4 or 5 seasons at the end of his career. The injuries and his drinking cost his lifetime totals dearly. Would he have hit 700 homeruns and challenged Ruth's mark? Probably not but we will never know.
Had he left the bottle alone , 650 homerun 's was well with in reach, inspired of the injury. Had he stayed healthy, he could have lost two years to the draft. The history of alcoholic is that they don't age well, 32 -33 they are usually done, or just hanging on because of their name.
Mickey was definitely one of my favorites. Here you can see Willie Mays vs Mickey Mantle in Home Run Derby in 1959. ua-cam.com/video/HaxrzW3aSrc/v-deo.html
I'm 73 years old; Mickey Mantle is, without a doubt, the best ballplayer EVER to put on the uniform. B
Well, I'm 74 years old and, in my opinion, even healthy, he would not have been the player that Willie Mays was.
I agree. He would be my number one pick.
TY Cobb
I know Mickey Mantle never reached his full potential because of injuries and lifestyle. But in my book he will always be the greatest ballplayer I ever saw. In their prime, Mays may have been better defensively but nobody was as exciting as Mickey when it came to offense.
it was rickey henderson for me
@@jaysantos11 I guess it depends on when you were born and who you followed. Rickey was very exciting and was a potent offensive force. He was known for his base stealing and offense. His outfield arm wasn't his strong point. I think if you were around when Mantle was in his prime you'd notice a big difference. When Mantle played, base stealing wasn't a big deal in those days, It started being a big deal when Maury Wills of the Dodgers stole 104 bases in 1962, Mantle was timed at 3.1 seconds from home to first batting lefthanded. That might still be the record. Regardless , you're entitled to your opinion and it was a good choice.
you dont know what you are talking about..
And yet, as a young guy he was an outstanding defender also.
No one was better than Mickey at his best. “He’s got more speed than any slugger and more slug than any speedster” - Casey Stengel
The Mick is probably my favorite Yankee of all time. Wish I could have seen him play. Awesome video man keep up the dope work.
In my opinion still a top 10 player of all time even with the injuries
UK Baseball fan here: don't lament what could have been, just celebrate what was because The Mick was absolutely incredible
I still remember the first time I heard the Name Mickey Mantle. I was a young boy in the early 60's growing up in rocket city (Cocoa Beach, Fl.). I played sandlot football 365 days a year and had not yet become interested in baseball. I was heading out the front door to go play football and my Dad was watching a baseball game. As I walked past the TV set I watched a center fielder streak into the frame and make a sliding/diving catch. I asked my Dad, Wow who is that? My Dad answered, That's Mickey Mantle and you should have seen him run when he had two good legs! After that I was an instant #7 fan. I truly believe had he not tripped on that sprinkler head he would be viewed as and have the numbers to be called the greatest ball player ever. I would go further and postulate had he not been playing in excruciating pain for so many years that his drinking would not have become so damaging to him either. Yet he never complained or made excuses
9:30 those World Series records he has will never be broken
@breadandcircuses8127 my bad
agreed
Mick had the skills to have been baseball greatest player..
I remember when he and Roger Maris were challenging each other for home run leader not only on TV but I would listen it on radio During the World Series my junior high school was played on TV in the auditorium in 1961
In my view, Mantle is a top-10 player all-time. His peak is second only to Bonds in the post-integration era. He had 110 fWAR and bWAR in fewer than 10k PAs. Three seasons he had a waaWL% above .555, which is an all-time great season, each time eclipsing 10 WAR. He’s at worst a top-10 hitter, and I have him as the sixth-best. He was so, so, so good already, and had he not torn his ACL and been more mature, I think he could have been the GOAT.
No doubt. He would of been the HR king by a mile.
Post integration, like when blacks started playing?
@@chrislewis5069yes that’s what post integration means
Where do you have plujos... bc here me out first 10 year stats plujos is by far and away the greatest hitter of all time
@@hoppy23
Agreed.
I was a massive Mickey Mantle fan growing up, even though I was born over a decade after he last played. I initially thought it was funny that a baseball player had the same name as Mickey Mouse, but the more I read about his life and his career the more I came to respect his life and appreciate his career. I also used him as a reverse role model of sorts and stayed away from alcohol because I saw the way alcohol affected his body. He always said his greatest regret in the game was swinging for the fences so much that he ended up with a career average of .298. Of course it was his luck that his last year came in the Year of the Pitcher of 1968, when his .237/.385/.398 was still good for a 143 OPS+. It helped that he had more walks than hits that year.
There was a Mantle lithograph hanging on my bedroom wall for basically most of my childhood. I was born in the mid 70’s.
His 145 wRC+ in 1968 was good for the 13th best in the league (Tied with Roberto Clemente). Had more efficient evaluation concepts existed then, he could have kept playing. Instead, he unfortunately thought he wasn't good anymore.
I read Tony Castro's book on him and it was very heartbreaking. His mistress was basically his caretaker due to how much alcohol he consumed, he got completely swindled by the Yankees scout(gave him a $1500 signing bonus while offering Jim Baumer, who played 18 total MLB games, $50000), and worst of all, his sister SA'd him when he was a child. Thankfully he cleaned up many of his sins and things people inadvertently learned from him toward the end of his life.
What separates Mantle from Trout, Griffey, and even Mays in my opinion is that he was _the_ guy. America needed someone after the war to obsess over and here came the humble kid from the South that just so happened to destroy baseballs. He was more of a poster child and character in many people's eyes, purely based on his power, success, and looks, compared to Willie Mays, who everybody grew to love for his charisma, energy, and friendliness on and off the field(which also became incredibly important for African American acceptance in general at the time).
It really is incredible that he was able to have such a successful career with all the baggage he carried. Great video depicting his story
what happens to people as kids doesnt dicate any part of their adult lives.
@@nomercyinc6783 LOL, bullshit!
Which book did you read ??
@@raymonbristol9628 Mantle: The Best There Ever Was
@@dtice69Im pretty sure he meant you can't use what happened to you as a child as an excuse to be a POS adult. (I'm NOT talking about the Mick!) I love Mantle, im only talking in general. To many people nowadays use every excuse they can think of to be to justify being a useless turd.
I knew Mantle had issues with his knees. I didn't know it was a torn ACL which I know couldn't be repaired back then. It couldn't be repaired in 1977 either since that is when I tore my ACL and had to live with it. The vicissitudes of life and their downstream effects. I first saw him in Yankee Stadium in 1959 at the age of 5 and was so excited to see him play.
Hypotheticals and what ifs make good fodder for sports talk. All of that aside, Mantle is already one of the greatest players to play baseball.
Agreed. Mick’s peak was unmatched as far as all around ability on a baseball field. And it’s kind of cool because Mantle’s hardest hit ball also leaves a lot to the imagination and is one of the biggest WHAT IFs in history. That facade shot off Bill Fischer in 1963… Who knows how far that ball was going to travel had it not his that old Yankee Stadium facade.
Mantle played basically his entire career with a Torn ACL. Something to think about.
when did that happen?
@@jackielynch64883:18 1951 WS. Caught his spikes in a drain in the outfield chafing a fly ball.
My mom knew Mickey, his dad and my grandfather worked together in mines, in Commerce. My aunt was, um, deflowered by Mickey, as were many girls. What is amazing, to me, is he was able to develop into such an amazing athlete in such a small town.
My dad was from NYC and my mom would visit with Mickey and she finally went to a Yankees game. She read magazines while fans got mad this woman wasn't paying attention. My dad said Mom never realized how big a player Mickey was, she just tried get him to stop drinking, Mickeys dad was a drinker. As kids we knew him but that was well as after he retired. My grandpa was proud because he knew him as a little kid.
Good morning ....saw the Mick play many times at the old yankee stadium....he was brilliant but he did not take care of himself and he knew it....strong unbelievably strong........where did he get the nick name "THE MICK"From??? After the 1952 world series it came from Jackie ROBINSON...Mickey was one of the greatest of the greatest....number 7 Mickey Mantle
Man I wish I could go back in time and watch that shot Mick hit in 1963 off Bill Fischer off the right field facade. Had to have been one of the most majestic shots in history. Game winner too. A lot of legendary power hitters hit in that old Yankee stadium but none matched that shot. Mickey did that kind of stuff without a strength training regiment or *supplements* of any kind. The REAL life Natural.
Rest In Heaven #7
@@jimclaus1576 saw that shot off of Bill Fischer on WPIX CHANNEL 11..THE announcer was the scooter....he said "HOLY COW!!".Peace my brorher Jim
Love Mantle my favorite player by far .
Mantle, like Foxx, Joe D and Gehrig didn't play long enough to pile up the career totals like Mays, Aaron, Pujols. But when you measure how effective he was in the Plate Apperances he had he was among the top 5 of all time. This effective measure of how much a player contributed to wins and runs is a far better way to compare players. All time, Mantle took far fewer Plate Apperances (PA) in his career to generate wins, runs and total bases than either Mays or Aaron. So while injuries kepts his career short (retired at age 36) and his career totals low, he was among the top 5 players of all time in terms of his offensive effectiveness at the Plate. Meaning, it took him far fewer plate appearances than say Mays or Aaron to contribute to a teams runs, wins, or generate total bases (the basics of baseball). These are his career rankings (among retired players), fewest PA per Situational Wins (4th), fewest PA per Adjusted Batting Runs (6th), fewest PA per Bases Out Runs Added (5th), fewest PA per Runs Created (7th), fewest PA per Total Bases+Walks (7th), fewest PA to generate 1 Offensive WAR (5th), and fewest PA per Wins Probability (4). Mantle's rankings in these categories is the real measure of his greatness and how much he contributed when he cam to bat. He was one of the greatest 5-7 hitters of all time. Only Ruth, Williams, Gehrig, Bonds, Hornsby, and Foxx where his equal or better in some of these categories.
Very nice work on the video
Mickey MANTLE was the greatest player i have ever seen and iam 76 yrs old.He hit the longest hr of all time won many WS. He WAS MY FAVORITE PLAYER OF ALL TIME AND STILL IS TODAY.
i grew up in the 60's and as far as i was concerned, and with the kids on my block, Mickey Mantle was the greatest. i was a devout fan during his last years, and pinned my hopes of a continued Yankee dynasty on Bobby Murcer. but it didnt materialize - it must have been tough on Bobby that people expected him to be the "new Mantle", just as it was for Mantle to be the "new Dimaggio". it was an amazing time to watch Boog Powell, Harmon Killebrew, Frank Howard, Al Kaline - and, Mantle topped them all. my yankee and baseball fandom ended with Thurman Munson's passing. somehow, the game to me was never the same.
Easily the best baseball player I've ever seen, but I'm only 73.
@breadandcircuses8127 How old are you? Who's the best baseball player you've ever seen?
Well I’m 40 and have watched a decent amount of baseball over the years. Played a bit myself too. And Prime Mantle is the best talent the game has seen. Whether some admit to it or not. 3.1 seconds from home to first base and 500 plus foot home runs while not ever touching weights or SUPPLEMENTS.
Imagine Mickey coming up today with a diet, strength training program, film study and hitting the tightly stitched baseballs of today with the high quality maple bats… Lol! He’d dwarf Shohei’s best shots.
😂😂
He was an amazing player despite all the injuries he suffered throughout his career. IMHO - his ACL injury in 1951 permanently altered his career and greatly hindered his production - which makes his career after even more remarkable. He was unfairly treated by the media during his career and he never seemed to understand why he was a god to so many, as he just viewed himself as just another guy. Super heartbreaking to see him at the end of his life, telling everyone he wasn’t a role model.
Also his shoulder injury in 1959. He couldn't hit left handed anymore but refused to quit switch hitting
I TOTALLY agree!!! 👍
That ACL injury was the fault of Joe D. He should have called for the ball early and Mickey would have pulled up. And Joe was a 1st class jerk as well.
@@davidroman1654 AGREE! 👍
Mickey Mantle was special. I am thankful that I was able to see him play.
I read Jane Levy's book. I blame DiMaggio for his early knee injury. He was jelous of the kid from Oklahoma, my home state. My grandpa lives in Spavinaw where he was born. Got to see thehouse before the tore it down.
DiMaggio was known to be a private person and relatively uncommunicative. He was cordial to Mantle but not close. While DiMaggio respected Mantle's playing ability, he did not respect how Mantle failed to take care of himself and squandered some of his talents.
Mantle hit more tape measure HRs than anybody that ever played. Forget about the one he hit in Washinton griffith park, their were longer HRs than that one that he hit. Read the book explosion by Mark Gallager about all of Mantles HRs.
The Babe had the most tape measure homeruns. Mickey, along with Jimmy Foxx and Frank Howard were the next three on that list.
That shot Mick hit off Bill Fischer in 1963 off the facade is like something out of The Natural. Game winner and it leaves a lot to the imagination too considering it was still going upward when it struck. I’ve heard other players say the ball almost bounced back to the infield it hit the facade so hard. Lol! Let that sink in.
They didn't start measuring Home Runs until the 1950s. I am sure Ruth hit long ones but they basically guessed.
I remember watching Monday night baseball with Tony Kubek and Howard Cosell. The game was in Detroit . Kubeck told Cosell that if Mantle played his home games here instead of Yankee Stadium he would have hit one thousand home runs. Cosell said you have to be kidding and Kubeck replied I am dead serious.
Kubek is wrong. Mantle hit 266 at home and 277 away. About even. Yankee Stadium didn’t hurt his totals because he usually batted left handed and Yankee Stadium is friendly to power hitters who hit lefty.
Mickey Mantle not only was the greatest switch hitter but I'd put him ahead of Willie Mays in terms of the greatest player ever. Mays was an overall better fielder but Mantle wasn't bad either. His speed is unequaled. Mickey's arm was better than Mays, too so, other than the power angle, yeah, Mickey Mantle was an overall better player than Willie Mays.
@@syourke3 Mantle hit so many HRs to left and right center at the stadium, not too many pulled down the lines..I saw him clear the batters eye in CF at the 461 FT sign, 502 FT measured.
@@johnsrous1616 I'm sorry, I absolutely disagree. Here are numbers that support my opinion. For beginners,compare the peak seasons of Mantle and Mays. Frankly, there's no comparison. Mays led the NL in homers 4 times and led the NL in stolen bases 4 times. Mays had a WAR over 10, 6 times. From 1954-1966, his WAR was the best in MLB, at 124.1, followed by Aaron at 96.4, and Mantle at 90.0. Mantle and Gehrig combined had 5. He had 6 seasons of 40 or more homers, throughout his career, he led the league in Hits, Runs, Homers, Triples, Stolen Bases, Average, On Base Pct, Slugging, Total Bases, and Walks. He also won 12 Gold Gloves (in the first 7 years of his career there was no Gold Glove award). In 1957, he became the first player to have 20 or more in each of these categories, when he racked up 26 doubles, 20 triples, 35 homers, and 38 stolen bases. His .407 on-base percentage and .626 slugging percentage that season. His career numbers are unmatchable, and because of being drafted into the Army, he played in only 34 games in '52 and missed the entire '53 season. I was lucky enough to watch Mays in over 200 games at Seals Stadium and Candlestick Park while growing up. Nobody enjoyed baseball as much as him, and in my mind, nobody played the game as well as he did. Much has been said about Mantle homering while having a hangover. When Mays hit 4-homers against the Braves in one game, he was sick from food poisoning from the night before.
He was so great but if he had not injured and stayed away from the booze he would have been the greatest that ever played. I seen him play in person at a spring training game back in 1963. I was a big Yankee fan.
Saw Mickey play at Cominskey Park against the White Sox. Fastest runner ever from home to first. He hit a smash to the shortstop batting righty and was out by half a step. He covered more ground in center field than anyone. In batting practice he hit a ball over the roof batting lefty. Greatest player ever in my opinion!
The Dodgers won the World Series in 1955. The Yankees won in 1956
best short doc on THE MICK! on the You tubey
Met him twice besides being a great great player he was so humble incredible humble person.
My pet theory is that if Lou Gehrig had lived, Mantle would have broken Ruth's home run record. Reasoning: Gehrig, the original Yankee captain, was liked and respected by management and fellow players. He probably plays into the mid forties, then becomes a coach being groomed to be Joe McCarthy's successor. This makes him manager instead of Casey Stengel when Mantle comes up. Which has two major positive effects on Mantle's career. One, Gehrig is much more respected by Joe DiMaggio than Stengel was, Gehrig could have convinced Joe D that there was no shame in playing first base (after all, Gehrig was the best who ever did it). Which means the 1951 World Series injury doesn't happen. Second, much of Mantle's drinking problems stemmed from the fact that Stengel rode him hard. Gehrig is an entirely different personality, I picture his response to Mantle's partying more along the lines of "I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed." which may have been more effective. Your projection of 721 home runs in 1973 sounds about right. Hank Aaron still would have ultimately ended up with the record, and since he wouldn't have gotten there first, the experience probably would have been a lot more pleasant for him. Also, if Mantle breaks Ruth's single season record instead of Roger Maris, Maris probably ends up with a better career, the stress of 1961 took a lot out of him.
This scenario does come at a price for Yankee fans, though. I'm not sure anyone but Casey Stengel sees the potential of a certain awkward-looking young catcher in the late forties.
A LOT of what ifs, but still interesting. I think, though, it unjustly slights eccentric Stengel's contribution.
@@nicholasschroeder3678 Well, no, I just said that Mantle would have been better off. The Yankees as a team may not have been. One, as I said, Yogi Berra might not have gotten an opportunity. Also, Gehrig's managerial style would most likely have resembled McCarthy, which means a set lineup every night, whereas Stengel mastered the art of platooning when he had bad teams, and was better suited to the '50s Yankees personnel. The Yankees had too much talent and resources for Gehrig to not win some World Series, but would he have won seven, especially if he didn't have Berra? That's questionable at best. So if it seems like I've slighted Stengel, that wasn't the intention. Thanks for the feedback.
@@big8dog887 I guess it's hard to really picture Stengel, with his wizened face and warped grammar, as something of a wizard, but I think he was one as a manager. Yeah, his teams were stacked with talent, but you just don't win that many Series without a strong man at the helm. You're right around Berra, and perhaps right about his handling of Mantle. But Gehrig as manager is a total what if: he seems to have all the right qualities, but--ironically in this case--the only HOF quality player who became a great manager that I can think of is Berra. I guess John McGraw was both. Am I missing any? Joe Torre was a very solid player...One last point, and I'm sorry if it seems I'm nitpicking (you make great points and interesting arguments), Ruth would undoubtedly have exceeded 800 home runs had his first 5 years not been spent as a dead ball pitcher. And had he taken better care of himself, 900 isn't unrealistic. On the other hand, he got very lucky in really never suffering injuries. But GOAT athletes are all lucky that way, and in many other ways. Being fat and out of shape didn't hurt his eye/hand or bat speed.
@@nicholasschroeder3678 I found three HOF players who won the World Series as bench (non-playing) managers: Red Schoendienst, Gil Hodges, and Bob Lemon.
As for Ruth, the counter to the "if he hadn't been a pitcher" argument is that, as a hitter he struck out a lot by the standards of the time. Since he was a pitcher early on, this was no big deal, it was to be expected. But if he had come up as an outfielder, this would have been deemed unacceptable, the big swings would have been coached out of him. Which means fewer, not more home runs. With his God-given hand-eye coordination, though, he might have challenged Cobb's hit record.
@@big8dog887 You're a gentleman and a scholar. Merry Christmas⛄️
Mick was and still is my idol. I managed to buy a 1961 Topps baseball card of him, as well as a 1958 Roger Maris Rookie card and a few other momentos of those two that I will keep until I die. Baseball will never be like it was in those days....I hate the Yankees, but man those Murderers Row guys, and the M&M boys, with Mr. Ford the Chairman, Boyer and all those guys, what a team back then.
mickey mantle is the best alot of people fail to recognize this
In my view, he is my all time favorite player!!!!
The statement, _'..he is my all time favorite player!!!!'_ suffices i.e., it stands on its own as it renders the preface, _'In my view'_ superfluously evident
The thing is Mickey never was 100 percent in his prime, he blew out his knee in his rookie year, and what rookie is fully formed? He played the rest of his career probably 60-80 percent of what he could've been. Still great.
Mantle may not be the greatest baseball player of all time, but he may well be the most beloved baseball player of all time.
He was both!!! 😮
succeeding in nyc is tough but the mick did it
Mantle is GOAT if he did not get hurt early in his career AND did not drink himself to death. If he played 23 healthy years, his numbers are off the chart.
Bone disease from HS football incident and knee/leg thing from incident where DiMaggio didn't yield to Mickey (it was Mantle's ball to catch). Joe was good but, IMO, an A-hole. I agree Mantle plays healthy and his numbers would have been significantly more impressive.
In a way, mantle is as Butkus in the nfl. They rarely played without nagging or worse injuries. However, game after game they gave everything they had and that everything they had was well above everybody else for the most part.
he was the G.O.A.T. no doubt. my lifetime hero
Mickey was a beast ⚾️The mick
Mantle was a MAJOR figure in that Golden Era of Baseball. I hated the Yankees but I loved Mantle. NO one hit the ball harder.
He was quit the drinker,had lots of injuries,but he could knock the cover off the ball! My favorite!
I say the same thing about
Bobby Orr as well.
Image if Mantle and Orr where
100% healthy. Out of both career's
Orr had one season of full health
And mantle got hurt at 19.
It's amazing you can still make
A case that they are still the Greatest players of all time
In there respected sport.
I think a video of the same kind about Sandy Koufax could be very interesting, if he didn't have his injuries, he could well have exceeded 400 strikeouts in a season or have more no hitters or even more than one perfect game !
Mantle was extremely popular and well known in NYC even before his Triple Crown year of 1956. In 1953, at age 21, after only two years in the majors, he was a mystery guest on What's My Line, "mystery" meaning the panel had to wear masks while attempting to guess his profession, otherwise they would easily recognize him.
I watched Mickey Mantle once, at the 1967 All-Star game at Anaheim Stadium, in the twilight of his career. A year later I had a MM Little League bat, which I still have. MM had an aura as he strode to the plate at the Bog-A. That was the longest All-Star game ever, 15 innings, 2-1 NL. Factoid: There's a 5.8 rated rock climb named Mickey Mantle at Tahquitz Rock/Suicide Rock near Idyllwild, CA which has 3 mantle moves on the first pitch.
2:41 -- Imagine if his dad didn't go all tough love on him and Mantle did decide to quit and never look back? Never mind baseball, how much different would the baseball CARD hobby be without Mantle? I mean Mickey has always been the top dog of the hobby pretty much since the beginning, especially his iconic 1952 Topps (which contrary to popular belief is NOT his rookie card; that in fact is his 1951 Bowman)?
I am 81 yrs old, played little league several years, and American Legion ball for 2 years, batted against some who were pros a year or two later. Naturally, I saw the great Mick play many games. Without any doubt at all, he WAS the best SWITCH HITTER EVER, to date. He could have been even better, especially in running bases and working in the outfield, IF he hadn't injured his leg, which he suffered with for so long. Too, he could have been better, had he not become so much a friend with Billy Martin. I read that Mickey's dad taught him to be a switch hitter, by pitching to him right handed, while Mick batted right, and his grandfather pitching to him left handed, while Mick batted left hand. Resulting in the best switch hitter to date. Mick said he thought he was born to play baseball. With a father like he had, training him since being a little boy, I can understand why he would have said something like that. Late in life, Mick said that had he known everything he now knew, that he would not have done all the drinking, partying, etc., with his best friend, Billy Martin. I think that Mickey was so excited and happy to play baseball, which he truly loved, for money, and so young, that he was just vulnerable to somebody like Billy Martin, being such a good friend with him. With some of us, things look differently as we age, and review in our minds our life choices.
If Mantle ran to first base at 3.1 seconds he's a whole second faster than the fastest MLB player today Elly De La Cruz clocked at 4.1 seconds.
The fact that the fastest man in the game today is 4.1 should be a red flag. There is more to that story than you have been told.
Without the 1951 injury, he may have served time in the military, so his homerun total may not have made him the second member of the 700 club. However, it would lead to the possibility that both he and Maris would have 61 or more homeruns in 1961 (he was injured that year and still would up with 54), and he still could have reached the 650 homerun mark. It is amazing to think of what someone that great could have done if healthy for his entire career.
His biggest problem by far was the bottle. Just look at the history of known alcoholics. Their skills are eroded between age 32 - 33 they are not productive it their late 30's. Had he not left the bottle alone, 650 homeruns were in reach for him.
Read the chapter on Mantle in Joe Pepitone's
"Joe You Could a made us Proud"
Cool video yeah i made the same argument about Mantle all the pains he suffered the drinking womanizing and everything he was an amazing player no doubt. I like how you averaged out how much time he missed and what his numbers would have been. And I complain about the pains I got now and what he went through to play 18 years of MLB on one leg.
Mickey was the most exciting power hitter of his era. Even in his declining years, he was still capable of slugging a monster shot, and that anticipation was always present every time he stepped up to the plate. How good might he have been? As it was, in my book, he was good enough.
Best switch hitter ever but the 1968 season brought down his lifetime batting average below 0.300
Mantle was more than good enough.
Mickey Mantle what a name for a baseball player! Speculation, and conjecture aside. He was great!! You’re asking for the impossible.
He fought through problems and adversities. Humans are flawed.
Machines don’t play baseball humans do
Correction: The Yankees did not win the 1955 World Series. That was the Brooklyn Dodgers, their first and only World Series that they would win while based in Brooklyn. I think you had confused 1951-1953 (Since he was involved in the 1951 World Series before his injury) with 1952-2953, 1955.
Take away the knee issues and booze, we will never know but is still the best what if argument in baseball history
Mickey Mantle should have won that 1958 MVP, beat him in every statistical category except for rbis, due to Mantle being walked more than anybody. Oh by the way, the Yankees won the WS that year while the Red Sox finished 3rd. If he would have stayed healthy, and stayed away from the alcohol and the fast life in NYC, then you're looking at a 700 hr/ 500 sb guy with those 7 rings, so yea, GOAT easily. I would compare Mantle with Mays because they both entered the league in 1951 and they were both centerfielders. But if you cut off Mays last 4 or 5 seasons and end his career after the 1968 season which is when Mantle ended his career, Mays still has better numbers. So even if Mays's career was over after the 1968 season, Mays still has more home runs, rbi. hits, runs, sb, and average than Mantle (including missing 2 seasons due to military service). Mantle should have had at least 4 more years or playing, but the injuries really hurt his longevity. Mantle had the greatest raw talent to ever enter the league, (faster and stronger than anyone) and achieved more team success. He definitely got walked more, due to the lack of protection. On a side note, doesn't Christian McCaffrey look a little like a young Mantle. While growing up on the farm when he was a kid, Mantle's father threw right handed to him while he hit left handed, and Mantle's uncle threw to him left handed while he hit right handed.
I grew up watching 80s and 90s baseball and Griffey was always my favorite player and although I never got to see Mantle play he was the only player in my opinion as talented as Jr. Both careers cut short and both would have hit 800 homers easy!
Mantle led 'both leagues' in every category when he won the triple crown.
I saw him play live. He was the Greatest ever!
I've always thought he was only slightly lesser a player than Mays, not quite as good a CF. May's power was less spectacular but 660 is 660. And Mays was a little smarter. A writer for the SF Chronicle the length of his time in San Francisco said he never saw Mays make an incorrect play. Only player I definitely put ahead of Mays is Ruth, pretty much because of Ruth's pitching.
It's really hard to do these ratings. Where do you rank a Williams, maybe "the Greatest hitter who ever lived" but except for playing the Monster a suck fielder? Pitchers vs. position players. Guys who missed time due to WWII. Short careers (thinking of the guy at the beginning of this clip). The only thing I know for sure is that Joe DiMaggio was never "the greatest living baseball player" (he insisted on being introduced as that).
And Mays basically missed two seasons due to the Korean Conflict, and we know that Ted Williams missed around five years because of military duty. So 660 probably would have been 720ish if not for war. And yes, the guy you would compare Mantle with is Mays because they both entered the league in 1951 and they were both centerfielders. But if you cut off Mays last 4 or 5 seasons and end his career after the 1968 season which is when Mantle ended his career, Mays still has better numbers. So even if Mays's career was over after the 1968 season, Mays still has more home runs, rbi. hits, runs, sb, and average than Mantle (including missing 2 seasons due to military service). Mantle should have had at least 4 more years or playing, but the injuries really hurt his longevity. Mantle had the greatest raw talent to ever enter the league, and achieved more team success. He definitely got walked more, due to the lack of protection.
I think Joe DiMaggio was was a better all around player than Williams, but Williams obviously being a better hitter. But we know DiMaggio missed three season due to military service as well. DiMaggio also was on the better team playing with Gehrig three seasons and Mantle one season. The Yankees won a world series in 1943 without DiMaggio.
Thank you for acknowledging sports existed before 1970. Most people don't.
Not to rain on the Mick parade, but Ruth very likely would have had 800+ homers had he not spent his early 20s as a pitcher in the dead ball era. That said, the guy did not take good care of himself either, but he got lucky in not having any serious injuries, and was just one of those fat guys you see from time to time with fantastic natural strength and hand/eye. Unique...The choice of Mozart's 40th is kinda bizarre.
There are 5 guys who could have had 800 hrs if not for the what ifs.
1. Ruth had he not been a pitcher and just being an outfielder.
2. Pujos if he just stayed a Cardinal in St. Louis and not been a .255 hitter with the Angels
3. Griffey Jr. had he not gotten hurt with injuries and stayed in Seattle.
4. Alex Rodriguez had he not been suspended 211 games and then not being picked up.
5. Bonds if he didn't get injured in 2005 and missing time due to 94/95 strike stoppages.
Mays would have been the 2nd home run king had he not miss almost two seasons due to military duty.
@@flame-sky7148 Ted Williams missed 2 yrs in WW2 and another in the Korean War.
@@ricardocortese3838 yea I knew that long time ago, probably two decades ago. He would have had over 600 plus homers and 3000 plus hits.
That 20-time All Star stuff needs context. From 1959 through 1963, the All-Star Game was a double-header. For some weird reason, baseball insists on counting them separately. Reduce his totals accordingly.
mike trout always reminds me of mickey mantle
He's the greatest all around athlete to ever play the game. Basically Bo Jackson but with a lot more baseball skills. In the 50s. I really don't think you need a what if scenario to appreciate him. It's just too bad he couldn't see that himself and kept battling all those demons.
Now that you bring him up, how great could Bo have been if he wasn't injured?
If Mickey hadn't been convinced he'd die young, took better care of himself and hadn't drank so much, he might have topped Babe Ruth in home runs.
I heard Mantle had hit a baseball out the Yankee stadium during practice.
Mickey, the GREAT!
If you look at the out field markers where played yankee stadium had 4 400 plus markers candlestick had 1 410 marker yankee stadium was appx 43.3 times larger than camdlestick.its confirmed he mantle hit 15 to 18 balls just short of the 457 and 461 markers.if he played in candlestick those misses would have cleared the deepest out field of candlestick.people talk about other career nu. But the park in yankee stadium he lost many many homers.arron in 1958 and killerbrew in1961 both said how do you play in such a large stadium? 😅
Wonderful video. I love the Mick. One error: the New York Yankees did not win the 1955 World Series. The Brooklyn Dodgers did.
Referencing the 5:00 mark of your video. The Yankees absolutely did not win the 1955 World Series. That was the Brooklyn Dodgers.
The M&M boys: Mantle & Mozart.
I was fortunate to watch Mantle's entire career. Many were radio broadcasts. But in the 50s, the morning papers broke down every game. Much more detail than today's internet. Anyway here is the truth. Ruth remains the GOAT. I never saw him play, though he was still living when I was a kid. But a great many announcers and players did. Mantle is the second greatest in ability, and the best I ever saw play. Yes, I watch all the time today. Mantle was a 6 tool player. He was one of the best ever fielding centerfielders. He and my other all time favorite, the Say Hey Kid, are the best I've seen. He was the fastest player in his lifetime, maybe ever. Nobody except Ruth hit the ball farther. Even though the fences are shorter and the ball has been super up multiple times since 1968. I've yet to see a better clutch hitter. Could he have been even greater, without injuries? Yes. But he was the GOAT, excluding only the Babe. Seeing is believing.
the greatest EVER
Exactly. How good could have been? He could have been the greatest on a team with less boozers.
I love Mantle, and when I was a kid, I was one of my heroes, even though I hated the Yankees. But to speculate on what might have been is pointless. What might Mays have accomplished or Ted Williams had they not lost their prime years through military service? Also, I think it's pretty clear that Mays was a better defensive player than either Mantle or Williams. Still, Mantle was, in spite of his injuries and lifestyle, one of the greatest players of all time, but maybe not the greatest.
I still think Babe Ruth is the greatest ever and probably will always be the G.O.A.T. but strong cases can be made for Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle. Throw in the " What If " factor and all these guys are even better.
I remember watching him when he first came up In 1951. Saw him many times growing up. They talk about these 400 plus hrs. Nothing compared to what he did.
No one better !!! 😊
After losing Mutt in 1953 Casey Stengel became a father figure for him but Casey could drink even more than The Mick. When Stengel published his personal All Star Team he omitted Mantle, from whom he had great expectations but ended up being his biggest disappointment.
Im 76 now l seen alot of ballplayers Mantle was the best player l ever saw and the greatest power hitter,a better question is not how good he could have been but how good was he
Mantle was a great player and man. look at what he did in his final years. He told kids he was not a role model and that was the only time I disagreed with him. He was not one of the greatest players of all time, he was the GREATEST of all time. R.I.P., GOAT. ⚾
In july 17 th 1961 against baltmore maris and mantle both hit homers after the 5fh inning it rained that plus mantle hit the foul pool now that is called the fair pool.in short maris should be crited with 62 homers and mantle with 56 homers maris and mantles july stats should be corrected.
Mickey Mantle does take over for Joe DiMaggio
In todays game he’s the best baseball athlete to ever play the game
His alcoholism negated a lot of that. But he could have benefited from better knee surgery nowadays too.
Not to mention , at 5'11" and 180 lbs he hit longer home runs than all the modern giants .
My dads fav player
He retired at 36 years old, losing at least 4 or 5 seasons at the end of his career. The injuries and his drinking cost his lifetime totals dearly. Would he have hit 700 homeruns and challenged Ruth's mark? Probably not but we will never know.
Had he left the bottle alone , 650 homerun 's was well with in reach, inspired of the injury. Had he stayed healthy, he could have lost two years to the draft. The history of alcoholic is that they don't age well, 32 -33 they are usually done, or just hanging on because of their name.
It's not possible for Mantle to have been better, but he definitely could have had a longer prime.
Had Mickey not of had the injuries, took better care of himself, and stopped whorin around, he could of easily hit 100 more home runs
More like 200
Mickey was definitely one of my favorites. Here you can see Willie Mays vs Mickey Mantle in Home Run Derby in 1959. ua-cam.com/video/HaxrzW3aSrc/v-deo.html
Greatest switch hitter ever not the GOAT that goes to Willie Mays but I got the Mick 2nd