Biography of Mickey Mantle — Legendary Yankee Player

Mickey Charles Mantle was an American baseball star who was an all world switch hitter for the New York Yankees. Considered one of the greatest baseball players and the greatest offensive threat to play center field in baseball history, Mickey Mantle hit 536 home runs during his career. He was instrumental to the New York Yankees’ success in the World Series and American League.

Born in Oklahoma on October 20, 1931, to parents Elvin and Lovell Mantle, Mickey Charles Mantle had an early introduction to baseball. From the onset, his father, a former baseball player and avid fan, started teaching him the basics of the game. Under his father’s supervision, Mantle learned to be a switch hitter, brilliantly able to hit both left and right-handed pitchers in his professional career. In high school, Mickey Mantle was one of the top baseball players, and during one of his games, a scout for the New York Yankees noticed him and decided to sign him.

Mantle started as a shortstop with one of the Yankees’ minor league teams. He played in the minor leagues for two years before being moved to the outfield due to defensive difficulties. The Yankees selected him to join the major league club two years after converting to the outfield. . Mantle’s time there was short-lived, and he was sent back to the minor leagues due to his failure to impress the coaches. He, however, returned to the Yankees as a center fielder not long after a player’s retirement.

Mantle’s time back with the New York Yankees for the second time was different as he became accustomed to the big leagues. He posted a .311 batting average and hit 23 home runs in his first season there. Slowly but surely, Mickey distinguished himself as one of the world’s best hitters that season. He was a World Series champion for three years with the New York Yankees. In the 1952 World Series, Mickey hit .345 and blasted two home runs against the Brooklyn Dodgers, while in the 1953 Series, he hit .208 with four home runs against the Dodgers.

Mickey Mantle’s success with the team was unmatched. Along with being a World Series champion, his Yankees were winners of the American League pennant three times in a row. In 1956, he won the Triple Crown and the American League MVP Award thanks to his incredible play.

Mickey Mantle was such a skilled hitter that during a game against the Washington Senators, he launched a great home run, measuring 565 feet, out of the stadium. In total, Mickey hit over 500 career home runs, an MLB record. The rest of his career saw him battle a leg injury that forced him to retire in 1969. Five years later, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

After retirement, Mantle became a businessman, life insurance seller, and pundit for televised Yankee games. He married banker Meryln in 1950, and they had four children. Due to a battle with alcoholism in his later years, Mickey Mantle developed liver cancer, leading to his death on August 13, 1995, in Dallas, Texas.