Mickey Mantle: We Never Realized He Had the Most Talent of His Era
April 1, 2011 · Harold Friend · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
He was better than we thought, and we never realized that he had more talent than any player of his era. The passage of time, which provides the necessary perspective, has shown that was the case.
Mickey Mantle retired following the 1968 season. During spring training in 1969, the fact that Mantle was not among those preparing for the season became a reality. His contemporaries, many of whom rank among the greatest players of all time, expressed their views about him.
When Stan Musial was asked by a reporter what Mickey Mantle had that no other player had, Musial smiled and replied, “Two bad legs.”
In training camps throughout Florida and Arizona, players remembered Mickey Mantle as a cripple who had fantastic endurance and strength. Leave it to Yogi Berra to repeat what has become a cliché when talking about Mickey.
“If Mickey had been healthy, there’s no telling what he might have done.”
Gil Hodges, the greatest first baseman in Brooklyn Dodgers’ and the greatest manager in New York Mets’ history faced Mantle in four World Series, said that there were only three words for Mantle: “Hall of Fame.”
Hodges, who belongs in the Hall of Fame but will never be voted in, because he fell into the category of players whose statistics cannot reveal their real greatness, continued.
“There’s never been any player like him as a switch hitter with power. Besides that, when he hit right-handed he was the equal of any right-hander in the game, and when he swung left-handed he was the equal of any left-hander.”
That includes Henry Aaron, Willie Mays, Ernie Banks, Roberto Clemente, Willie McCovey, Carl Yastrezemski and Willie Stargell.
Hodges, who would lead New York’s most beloved to team, the Mets, to the 1969 World Championship, said that when he managed the Washington Senators, he would almost always pitch around Mantle.
“Even in recent years, when his reflexes were fading, we’d often walk him in the first inning.”
Ed Charles, “the glider,” said that what he remembered most were the line drives that Mantle hit off his legs and chest at third base.
Unlike most sluggers, Mantle was an outstanding bunter. Al Weis, who played all three infield positions for the Chicago White Sox, said that when he played second base, he would play deep and give Mantle the bunt.
“We’d rather see Mantle bunt four times than swing away once and hit one out.”
Catcher J.C. Martin, a teammate of Weis on both the White Sox and Mets, summarized how the opposition felt about Mantle as a clutch hitter.
“In crucial situations, we never pitched to Mantle. We’d rather pitch to Roger Maris than to Mantle.”
Many fans remember that in Mel Stottlemyre’s first major league start, Mickey hit a high drive to center field off White Sox right-hander Ray Herbert. As soon as he hit the ball, Mickey threw his bat to the ground in disgust as center fielder Gene Stephens raced to the center field wall. The ball landed 15 rows back into the bleachers.
Tommy Agee, a pretty good power hitter in his own right, recalled the time that Mickey, batting from the right side of the plate, hit an opposite field fly ball.
“He broke his bat. He was so mad that he took the handle and pounded it on the ground. While he was doing that, the ball kept carrying into the seats for a home run.”
Mantle was a fine outfielder. He didn’t have the instincts or defensive skills of Willie Mays or Jimmy Piersall, but his speed helped him compensate.
Gil Hodges could have mentioned Mantle’s great catch in the 1956 World Series that saved Don Larsen’s perfect game.
Yes, it was Hodges who hit the ball.
Reference:
By Joseph Durso…Special to The New York Times. (1969, Mickey mantle: What his retirement means to former rivals and the Yankees: Star a terror at bat even as injuries dimmed luster.) New York Times (1923-Current File), pp. 44. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/118662699?accountid=46260
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