Mickey Mantle: My "Called Shot" in the 1964 World Series

[fek2000]

Elston Howard hugging Mickey Mantle after Mick homers. The thought of it warms this cold January night. And I'm not even a Yankee fan.

Did I mention that I love baseball?

[eflores1804]

Mickey Mantle was hands down one of the greatest ball players of his time. He is the epitome of a true baseball legend. The fact that he was a Yankee is just a bonus in my book.

[1776freedom]

1st MLB game I went to in 1967. The Mick was playing 1B. Fielded the 3rd out in a triple play. Line drive by Jerry Lumpe on hit and run to Horace Clarke, Clarke caught it and threw to Ruben Amaro and on to Mantle for the trifecta, The Tigers runners, Don Wert and Roy Oyler were tripled off.

[dahur]

@1776freedom

I love stories like this, thanks for sharing. Even though in the 60's the Tigers were my team, lol.

My favorite player of all time is Mickey.

[522chaos]

@rainstormz28..I too lived during the Mantel/Maris era and there is NO comparison to the players of today with Mantle. He was THE best and as Mel Allen used to say, no doubt about it. He could run from home to 1st in 3 seconds; hit cavernous HR's at yankee stadium where LC was 458 feet and the monuments were on the playing field. Mickey was the best. Cant imagine anyone taking shots at the Mick...morons

[rainstormz28]

I lived through the Mantle era and in my opinion, he was the best, no comparison, to all that have taken pot shots at The Mick, I would say to you all: it is better for people to think you are idiots than to post and remove all doubt...

[JohnnyJay33]

@rainstormz28 you think he had more talent than Joe Di my friend?

[mannyrama]

@JohnnyJay33 The Mick had more power and was much, much faster - possibly the fastest player of his generation. Joe D. was a better outfielder and hit for a higher average, although if The Mick had concentrated on average he could have hit just about .400 every year.

[syndirella08]

Kelly Mantle is so awesome...and so is Mickey!

[sk8bikesnow82]

anyone miss the ring??? than he failed at self promotion.....

anyone miss my sarcasm??? then i failed......

great ballplayer tho even i though i born n bred to hate the yanks.

[GGE47]

@sk8bikesnow82 They didn't even mention the ring back then.They got one,but it was more of a team attitude, not about me and my ring.

[Mdebacle]

I grew up as a Yankee fan in Illinois.

My first time to see a Yankees game was in Chicago in 1960.

Mantle hit one over center field, then Maris hits one to right.

I ain't seen nothing like it since.

[bluepastry]

one of the greats

[jeffblacky]

i seen MM play in 1967

still a great player

[Schmoe552001]

I had the honor of meeting him at a card show in 1990. He signed a great picture for me, which I still have proudly framed in my Mancave, and after he signed it, I stuck my hand out to shake his. Another guy was taking a picture of him at that time and Mick asked if I was with him. I said no, I just wanted to shake his hand and say thanks. My Dad was watching all this and asked about the conversation. When I told him, he said, "you mean you could've had your picture taken with him?' Dang

[57Will]

You have to wonder if Mantle were playing today, with the advances in modern medicine, the numbers he would have put up. I didn't get a chance to see him play, but have read and heard so much about his greatness.

[MrJonnyleft]

@57Will Everything that you mentioned, and just imagine if he had taken care of himself!

[doesyourgodcomeinaca]

@MrJonnyleft pussy and booze are hard vices my man.

[keagleman21]

Mickey was an awesome player to watch. You always had the feeling that he could hit a homer at any given moment when at bat. He had the most powerful swing I ever saw. I was really lucky to see him hit his 494th home run when he passed Lou Gehrig, his 501st and the greatest thrill was seeing him hit a grandslam against the Twins and then Tom Tresh came up next and socked one out as well. I know I am just one of millions who have Mantle stories.

[stevevandien]

@keagleman2 What a thrill, AND what memory to cherish! At 13, I saw Hank Aaron homer during an exhibition game. I live near Milwaukee, and back during the early 1970s, the Brewers and Braves played a non-league game each year. Well, in August 1973, the Brewers held "Hank Aaron Night" at County Stadium. The Brewers won -- this was their first good season -- but Hank hit a shot into the left-center bleachers. And the fans applauded Hank like nobody's biz --

[davidLw15]

To DJFredRH, I was at that game sitting way out in the deep left field bleachers, a gorgeous Saturday afternoon. I can still see the ball go into about the sixth row of the

right field upper deck. My friends and I waited four hours to get the tickets which were $4.00. Schultz replaced Curt Simmons. Bouton was the winning pitcher.

[DJFredRH]

I am 56 years old and that was my greatest sports thrill.Being 10 years old and seeing Mantle hitting that home run in the bottom of the 9th inning to win the game.

Mickey Mantle you are my hero, and I thank you for the best memory a young boy could ever have. And all the JERKS can say what they want , but in my mind you are the greatest. And you will always be the greatest, thank you MICK!

[DJFredRH]

I am 56 years old and that was my greatest sports thrill.Being 10 years old and seeing Mantle hitting that home run in the bottom of the 9th inning to win the game.

Mickey Mantle you are my hero, and I thank you for the best memory a young boy could ever have. And all the JERKS can say what they want , but in my mind you are the greatest. And you will always be the greatest, thank you MICK!

[jimitl5]

@DJFredRH I grew up on the Jersey shore during the 50s and 60s and there were always the arguments about who was better Mantle or Mays. Watching Mick play as many times as I did, its Mantle all the way. The greatest I ever saw play.

[DJFredRH]

I am 56 years old and that was my greatest sports thrill.Being 10 years old and seeing Mantle hitting that home run in the bottom of the 9th inning to win the game.

Mickey Mantle you are my hero, and I thank you for the best memory a young boy could ever have. And all the JERKS can say what they want , but in my mind you are the greatest. And you will always be the greatest, thank you MICK!

[joesutton1]

He hit so many balls to LC Field in Yankee Stadium (457 Ft), caught for outs, & still hit 536 Hrs. No Steroids. Mind Boggling. Tape Measure Majestic Hrs, Opposite field or Upper Deck on many. If you lost your Father at 20 Yrs old like him, & half your family died before 40 due to Hodgkins, you might drink also. So what, he figured he'd die by 40, so have a good time. There was nobody with as much raw talent as him.

[kirbycol4]

@joesutton1 No, there certainly was not! I am a Red Sox fanatic but # 7 was simply an incredible player. My grandfather saw dozens of Hall of Famer's [Ruth, Gehrig, Williams, Mays and Aaron to name a few] and said that before Mantle wrecked his knee that he was the BEST 5 Tool Player in MLB History ! No argument from me...

[harrill7]

Mantle was great, and played injured with 2 bad knees almost his entire career. He was great for baseball, and all of you that disrespect him are idiots. It was estimated he hit over 180 400 foot outs to left field in Yankee stadium. The size of that park is the reason he and Dimaggio don't have insurmountable records. Baseball is better off for him, and even this little comment column is worse off for those of you that have disrespected his memory with snide comments. Maybe the best ever.

[Soulblackman]

While it's true he had bad knees, his bad [drinking] habits precluded his being an eve greater player. Casey Stengel said he was his biggest disappointment.

[harajukugirlloveandG]

@Soulblackman that is normal for a racist may's fan to say,have never seen anything about stengel saying mick was a disappointment if anything he was the best player on those teams stop the rumors......

[AandBbreakers]

man he seems really full of himself

[lancer89032]

Mantle makes it sound like this home run won the series. The Yankees lost that seventh game.

[cdiesel2k9]

too bad the yankees have more more championships than anyother team in the history of sportss!! and is the most recognized team in sportss

[elvispresley718]

@cdiesel2k9 the arrogance of their fans is beyond compare

[dwsolo1]

Too bad you guys lost the game!

[Jimsvt]

Thanks for posting, my hero, the MICK!

[jattdetatta12365]

thats him

[genphilip]

baseball needs a new mickey mantle. but will never get one.. sucks.

[mannyrama]

Thanks for the "inside baseball" story from The Mick. The Yankees scouts really did their job by sharing Barney Schultz' tendency to throw a first-pitch fastball strike to try to get ahead in the count. For a great player like Mickey, that was all he needed to know.