MLB: Mickey Mantle’s Bat Beat Brooklyn but Mickey Didn’t Bat
August 25, 2011 · Harold Friend · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
Mickey Mantle’s torn hamstring muscle in his right thigh prevented him from playing in the opening game of the 1955 World Series, but his bat still beat the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Joe Collins, the New York Yankees left-handed hitting first baseman, had been in a severe slump at the end of August. He had tried most of the things that slumping hitters try to no avail.
Then he approached Mickey Mantle to request a great favor. He wanted to use Mickey’s bat.
Mickey granted Collins’ request and it was with Mickey’s bat that Collins was pivotal in the New York Yankees win.
Brooklyn jumped in front against Whitey Ford when Carl Furillo hit his second consecutive World Series home run in the second inning. Furillo had tied the sixth game of the 1953 Series with a ninth-inning two-run shot off Allie Reynolds, but Billy Martin’s single ended that silliness.
Jackie Robinson followed with a 400-foot drive to left center field for a triple. He scored on a single by Don Zimmer, but Elston Howard, in his first World Series at-bat, tied the game with a two-run home run.
Leading off the fourth, Collins, who finished the season hitting only .235, hit the first of his home runs into the lower right field stands to snap a 3-3 tie.
In the sixth, with Yogi Berra on first, Collins hit his second home run, this one into the right field bleachers above the auxiliary scoreboard, for a 6-3 Yankees lead.
Both home runs were hit off fastballs served up by Don Newcombe, the hard-throwing ace of the Dodgers pitching staff who had won 20 games while losing only five.
Newcombe got Elston Howard to ground out, but Billy Martin tripled. Casey Stengel sent up Eddie Robinson to bat for Phil Rizzuto, Walt Alston brought in Don Bessent.
What followed has been virtually forgotten.
Everyone knows that Jackie Robinson stole home in this game. Who hasn’t seen the film of Berra going crazy? To this day, Yogi insists Robinson was out.
But here’s what happened in the sixth inning with Martin on third with two outs, two innings before Robinson’s steal.
On Bessent’s second pitch, Martin took off for home. Billy and the ball arrived simultaneously.
Roy Campanella slammed the ball into the sliding Martin. They rolled on the ground and as Martin got up, his elbow came close to Campy’s head. It was the third out and Campanella, although seething, slowly walked to the dugout.
The Dodgers rallied for two runs in the eighth, but it wasn’t enough as the Yankees hung on to win, 6-5.
After the game, the Yankees erstwhile first baseman, who had to win the first base job every spring, told some reporters about using Mantle’s bat.
“As soon as Mickey gave me permission to use his bat, I started to hit. I used it the day I hit two homers against the Inidans and I used the day I hit two homers against the White Sox. So today, I walked right over to Mickey’s locker and picked up the bat again.”
Reporters discovered that Collins usually used a 34-ounce bat but Mickey’s was only 31 ounces. The lighter bat allowed Collins to get around on fastballs he had been missing or fouling off
Mantle was happy that he had contributed to the win with his bat despite the fact that he didn’t bat.
Mickey told reporters that he used different bats, depending on whether he was batting left-handed or right-handed.
They were surprised to learn that Mantle used a 36-ounce bat from the right side and a 31-ounce bat from the left side. When asked if he thought he was stronger from the right side, Mantle said he didn’t know.
“I don’t know about that. I do know that it feels better that way, so why change?”
Mantle then revealed how upset he was because he was injured.
“Right now, I feel that I will not get to play in the Series.”
He was almost right.
References:
Mantle remains on bench, but his bat decides opening game for bombers. (1955, Sep 29). New York Times (1923-Current File), pp. 41. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/113178736?accountid=46260
Yanks win first; collins’ 2 homers beat dodgers, 6-5. (1955, Sep 29). New York Times (1923-Current File), pp. 1-1. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/113165995?accountid=46260
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