MICKEY MANTLE RETIRES

JFK+50:  Volume 6, No. 1875

YANKEE SLUGGER RETIRED 47 YEARS AGO TODAY

New York City (JFK+50) Major League baseball players are starting a new season of spring training today, but forty-seven years ago, one of the greatest sluggers in the game, Mickey Mantle*, announced his retirement.

"The Mick," who made his debut for the New York Yankees in right field in 1951, dominated the American League for more than a decade.  In 1956, he won the Triple Crown for the highest batting average, most home runs and most runs-batted-in.

Mickey Mantle was an ALL STAR for sixteen seasons, three times MOST VALUABLE PLAYER in the American League, and winner of one GOLD GLOVE.
He played in 12 WORLD SERIES winning 7 CHAMPIONSHIPS.  MM holds the record for the most WS home runs (18), RBIS (40), EXTRA BASE HITS (26), HRs (42), WALKS (40) and TOTAL BASES (123).

In a career lasting from 1951-1968, Mickey Mantle had a .298 BATTING AVERAGE, 2415 HITS, 536 HRs, and 1509 RBIs.  Along with Babe Ruth and Lou Gerhig, Mickey Mantle is considered one of the greatest Yankees of all time.

*Mickey Charles Mantle (1931-1995) was born in Spavinaw, growing up in Commerce, Oklahoma.  The NY Yankees signed him to a minor league contract in 1949.  MM played his first season with the Independence Yankees.

In 1951, Mickey was sent up to the NY Yankees where he played right field and wore #6.  Manager Casey Stengel said Mantle had "more natural power" as a switch hitter..."than anybody (he) ever saw."

In 1952, MM was moved over to center field replacing Joe DiMaggio and wore #7.  After retirement, he was honored with a "Mickey Mantle Day" at Yankee Stadium, June 8, 1969.  MCM was admitted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974, and died at the age of 63 in Dallas, TX.

Hall of Fame Plaque

Mickey Charles Mantle

Baseball Hall of Fame

Photo by Beyond My Ken (2012)

DEATH OF THE MICK

MICKEY MANTLE DIED 20 YEARS AGO TODAY

Dallas, Texas (JFK+50) Mickey Mantle*, former center fielder for the champion New York Yankees baseball club, died at Baylor University Hospital twenty years ago today, August 13, 1995, of complications of liver cancer.

The switch-hitting Mantle wore number 7 and played center field most of his career.  Mickey was inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame on the 1st ballot in 1974.

In an interview with Bob Costas being telecast today on MLB Network, Mickey's son David Mantle says...

"Being around him...you see...the fans, how they react when they...saw him...some...said he was a god...from Mt. Olympus..."

JFK+50 NOTE:

Long before JFK came to my attention, Mickey Mantle was my hero.  We became NY Yankee fans and watched MM play on national television whenever possible.  

*Mickey Charles Mantle (1931-1995) was born in Spavinaw, OK & named for Mickey Cochrane, a Hall of Fame baseball player.  His family moved to Commerce OK where he attended Commerce High School and became an all star athlete.

MM was offered a football scholarship at the University of Oklahoma but turned that down to sign a baseball contract with the NY Yankees.  He made his ML debut on April 17, 1951.

At his retirement in 1968, MM had a career batting average of .298, 2415 hits, 536 home runs and 1509 rbis.  He retired with 20 All-Star Game appearances, 7 world championships, 3 American League MVP awards, 1 Triple Crown & 1 Golden Glove award.

SOURCE

"Yankees great Mickey Mantle to be commemorated by MLB Network on 20th anniversary of his death," by Anthony McCarron, New York Daily News, August 13, 2015, www.nydailynews.com/

Mickey Mantle Plaque

Baseball Hall of Fame

Cooperstown, NY

Photo by Beyond My Ken (2012)

Mickey Mantle Hits 500th Home Run

BERLIN WALL UNDER CONSTRUCTION

East Berlin, Germany (JFK+50) The government of communist East Germany announced 54 years ago today, August 13, 1961, that a wall was being constructed in order to permanently divide the eastern and western parts of Berlin.

East German guards were posted to stop anyone from crossing the border. While the wall was under construction, barbed wire was used to separate the two parts of the city.

JFK at the Berlin Wall

June 26, 1963

Photo by Robert Knudsen

JFK Library Photo

REAGAN SIGNS ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACT 

Santa Barbara, California (JFK+50) President Ronald Reagan signed into law 34 years ago today, August 13, 1981, the Economic Recovery Tax Act.  The act provided for a 25% reduction in individual marginal tax rates phased in over a 3 year period.  The ERTA combined with a 1986 tax cut reduced marginal tax rates on higher income taxpayers from 70 to 30%.

President and Mrs. Reagan

January 20, 1981

National Archives Photo