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| Mickey Mantle / Topps |
Mickey Mantle is a name that often comes up in baseball conversations. He had a rough start to his career with the Yankees. He made his debut with the Yankees in 1951. Mantle replaced Joe DiMaggio whose career had ended the prior season. He faced the pressure of living up to the former Yankee great. Due to the pressure, he struggled putting the ball in play and struck out frequently. Mantle was sent down to a farm team for a while but was back just in time for the playoffs and played in his first World Series. With the Yankees, he won seven World Series titles.
He improved his next few seasons and then broke out in 1956 when he won the Triple Crown and a MVP award. That year was considered the best in his whole career. In 1961, he and his teammate Roger Maris were chasing Babe Ruth’s season home run record of 60. Many Yankee traditionalists were angered by Mantle and Maris chasing Ruth's long-lasting record. Many newspaper and media did not even give Mantle and Maris any praise. Maris in the end won the race beating Ruth's record. In this decade, Mantle had some of his best season on the Yankees. He status as one of the Yankees' top players will never change.
Mickey “The Mick” Mantle was one of the greatest baseball players in the history of the sport. He was born to play. Some people even say that Mantle never reached his full potential. By the age of 19, he suffered major injuries to both of his legs as well as his left shoulder. However, these injuries did not hinder his accomplishments. He won four Home Run Championships, a Triple Crown; and three MVP awards in his 18 year career with the New York Yankees.
Although he accomplished so much, his career was unfortunately plagued by injuries. In high school, Mantle developed osteomyelitis in his left leg, which is a bone disease caused by bacteria or fungi. At first, his only option was amputation, which would have destroyed the great baseball career that did not even start yet. His leg, as well as his career, was saved by a "new miracle drug" called penicillin.
His second career threatening injury occurred while he was playing for the New York Yankees in the major leagues. Mantle was the Yankees leading hitter. A sprained right knee in game two the 1951 World Series resulted in him sitting out the rest of the series. That same year, the Yankees announced that they had no idea what affect the osteomyelitis would have on his career.
Mantle led the Yankees as they dominated through the late 1950s and into the early 60s. From 1955 to 1958, the Yanks won the American League Pennant, and took the Series in 1956 and again in 1958. When Mantle won the Triple Crown in 1956, he posted a .365 batting average, 52 homers, and 130 RBIs. He was close to breaking Babe Ruth’s record of most home runs in a season, which stood at 60, but he only hit 54, beaten by his teammate Roger Maris, who ended up besting the record with 61 home runs at the close of the season.
Although Mickey Mantle’s strong 18 year professional career with the New York Yankees was tortured by his many injuries, which included osteomyelitis, he still did better than his best. His many injuries did not prevent him from achieving any of his goals.
