[a] He was an American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times and a Gold Glove winner once. Mickey Charles Mantle ( October 20, 1931 - August 13, 1995) was an American baseball player who was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. Mantle was just 63 years old at the time of his death. [9], Mantle was born on October 20, 1931, in Spavinaw, Oklahoma, the son of Lovell (ne Richardson) Mantle (19041995)[10] and Elvin Charles "Mutt" Mantle (19121952). Mantle had another "off year"indeed, the first week of June saw his batting average drop to .228but by mid-August, he was back in his prime, leading the team to another World Series. [29] On June 5, he tried to prevent a home run by Brooks Robinson in Baltimore when his shoe spikes were caught in the center field chain-link fence as he leaped against the fence for the ball and was coming down. [10] In 1948, Yankees scout Tom Greenwade came to Baxter Springs to watch Mantle's teammate, third baseman Willard "Billy" Johnson. Kuhn warned Mantle before he accepted the position that he would be placed on the list if he took the job. He was separated from Merlyn, his wife of 43 years, although they remained friendly. Mickey Mantle died 22 years ago today on August 13, 1995. Retrieved December 9, 2012. Interestingly, the games best player at the time never tried to renegotiate a better deal after the 1963 season. He was a center fielder who was a switch-hitter and threw right handed. [10], Mantle began his professional baseball career in Kansas with the semi-professional Baxter Springs Whiz Kids. With Mantle established in the lineup, they won the pennant seven times and the Series five times in the next eight years. Mickey admitted that he was more "The Mick" to his kids than "Dad." He currently resides in Spavinaw, OK. He occasionally attended the local Methodist church, and sometimes ate Sunday dinner with members of the congregation. By the close of the 1950s, with numerous individual awards and multiple World Series titles, Mantles contract had increased to $70,000. It was a record that Mantle put into perspective when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame on Aug. 12, 1974. That was the start of my knee operations. [2] Mantle was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974[3] and was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999. Out of frustration, he called his father one day and told him, "I don't think I can play baseball anymore." All Truth Of Leland Chapman's Wife - Jamie . "TELEVISION: Summerall's Struggle with Alcohol" (, "THE DEATH OF A HERO; Mantle's Cancer 'Most Aggressive' His Doctors Had Seen", "Sports of The Times; Mickey Mantle's Cancer", "Questions Are Raised On Mantle Transplant", "Mickey Mantle, Great Yankee Slugger, Dies at 63", "Merlyn Mantle, widow of Mickey, dies at 77", "Cheers, Tears Ring For Mantle As Uniform No. Once, he put a live snake in Marshall Bridges's uniform, and another time he released a live mongoose into the visitors clubhouse at Tiger Stadium.[47]. The couple's four sons were Mickey Jr. (19532000), David (born 1955), Billy (19571994), whom Mickey named for Billy Martin, his best friend among his Yankee teammates, and Danny (born 1960). In 2019, the #7 card was issued to Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres. Shortly before his death, Mantle videotaped a message to be played on Old-Timers' Day, which he was too ill to attend. The next summer, at 18, he played Class C ball in Joplin, Mo., where he hit .383 but made 55 errors in 137 games at shortstop, mostly on wild throws to first base. He spent his final two careers in the major leagues playing first base. He later wrote a book (My Favorite Summer 1956) about his best year in baseball. I had four. He received a liver transplant soon afterward. [6] He hit 536 career home runs, batted .300 or more ten times, and is the career leader (tied with Jim Thome) in walk-off home runs, with 13: 12 in the regular season and one in the postseason. The Yankees and Mantle were slowed by injuries during the 1965 season, and they finished in sixth place, 25 games behind the Minnesota Twins. But I didn't think it would be this soon." Mantle's #7 was retired by the New York Yankees and he was named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Mickey Mantle's #7 was retired by the New York Yankees and he was named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. He missed several weeks, so his numbers were modest but respectable, especially with 92 RBIs. ", Mantle was assigned uniform #6, signifying the expectation that he would become the next Yankees star, following Babe Ruth (#3), Lou Gehrig (#4) and Joe DiMaggio (#5). [71], Mantle died at 2:10a.m. on August 13, 1995 at Baylor University Medical Center with his wife at his side, five months after his mother had died at age 91. Net Worth 2020. In 1995, doctors discovered that Mantle's liver had been damaged by cirrhosis, hepatitis C, and liver cancer. Mantle is 16th all-time in home runs per at-bats. However, Mantle still died on August 13, 1995 at Baylor University Medical Center. In the 1940's, they won five pennants and four Series. He died in Texas in 1995. Gone were the days of $3 autographs. Full body measurements, dress & shoe size will be updated soon. Roy Clark sang and played "Yesterday, When I Was Young". Mantle was named in honor of Mickey Cochrane, a Hall of Fame catcher in baseball. Mickey Mantle's net worth at death was $10 million dollars. Mickey Mantle Net Worth. Mike Trout is the best MLB player of his generation and he might be even higher on the all-time list of best baseball players . He sought treatment for alcoholism in 1994 when he checked in to the Betty Ford Clinic. He delivered a farewell speech on Mickey Mantle Day, June 8, 1969, at Yankee Stadium. In addition, compared to the other four center fielders on the All-Century team, he had the lowest career rate of grounding into double plays, and he had the highest World Series on-base percentage and World Series slugging percentage. Key points: Mickey Mantle played for the New York Yankees between 1951 and 1968, winning seven World Series titles The 1952 card, considered to be in near perfect condition, was bought for $US50,000 in 1991 Mantle's doctors insisted that the transplant was based solely on medical criteria, but acknowledged that the very short wait created the appearance of favoritism. Mantle was interred in the Mantle Family Mausoleum, located in the St. Matthew Section of the Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery in Dallas. January 24, 2023 by Maame Akua Owusuwaa. I mean, she sewed them right on me. 1959 is said to be his only "off season" in his prime, and historians point to 75 runs batted in as particularly low for him. Mantle's wife, mother, and mother-in-law were in attendance and received recognition at the ceremony held in honor of him. The 1952 Mantle rookie card, which was in mint. Mickey Mantle Original 1969 Topps Baseball Card #500. [10] Mantle hit .313 for the Independence Yankees. [10], Mantle was called up to the Yankees after 40 games with Kansas City, this time wearing uniform #7. On December 23, 1951, Mantle married Merlyn Johnson (19322009) in Picher, Oklahoma; they had four sons. [61] Before Mantle sought treatment for alcoholism, he admitted that his hard living had hurt both his playing and his family. Mickey Charles Mantle was born in Spavinaw, Okla., on Oct. 20, 1931. In both 1953 and 1961, he hit into only two double plays, over the course of 1,186 plate appearances. He won the Western Association batting title and was then invited to the Yankees instructional camp before the 1951 season. He played in 2,401 games and went to bat 8,102 times -- more than any other Yankee -- and delivered 2,415 hits for a .298 batting average. In 1964, he hit two home runs in his final two times at bat on July 4, and two more in his first two times up in the next game the following day. "He was not a phony role model, and I think people really identified with that," former teammate Tony Kubek said. His wife, Merlyn, and son David were at his bedside. Mantle two times hit balls off the third-deck facade at Yankee Stadium, nearly becoming the only player to hit a fair ball out of the stadium during a game. Mantle played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (19511968) with the New York Yankees as a center fielder, right fielder, and first baseman. In total, Mickey earned $1,128,000 during his career. In the second game of the 1951 World Series, New York Giants rookie Willie Mays hit a fly ball to right-center field. He hit two more home runs in the series to set a new lifetime World Series record with 18. It makes you feel good. Mantle made an appearance in the music video for "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" by Paul Simon in 1988. Net Worth: $10 Million Date of Delivery: Oct 20, 1931 - Aug 13, 1995 (63 years previous) Place of Delivery: Spavinaw Gender: Male Top: 5 ft 11 in (1.82 m) Career: Baseball participant Nationality: United States of America What was Mickey Mantle's Net Worth? I was 16 years old then, and my brothers and me would play ball out in the yard or out back in one of the fields. He was selected an AL All-Star again, but as a reserve player, and he did not make the 28-player team for the second and last time because of an injury. Mickey Mantle played 18 seasons. He had the highest stolen-base percentage in history at the time of his retirement. For the upcoming All-Star Game in Denver, a gem-mint. (His batting average closed 61 points lower than the previous year). Long after the cheers faded, so did Mantle, although he revived his image as a kind of fallen hero who carried his afflictions with grace and humor. He is 17th in on-base percentage. [citation needed] He outlived all the men in his family by several years. Mickey Mantle net worth: Mickey Mantle was an American professional baseball player who had a net worth of $10 million. [47] In 1980, Mantle separated from his wife, and while the two lived apart for the rest of Mantle's life, they never filed for divorce. After an impressive spring training, Yankees manager Casey Stengel decided to promote Mantle to the majors as a right . 1969 Topps #500 Mickey Mantle UER VGEX X2696604. . Mantle, who said he was "bred to play baseball," traveled from the dirt-poor fields of Oklahoma to reach Yankee Stadium in the 1950's and, after his retirement in March 1969, the Baseball Hall of Fame as one of the superstars of the second half of the 20th century. His single season home run record of 61 stood for 37 years until Mark McGwire hit 70 in 1998. [83] In 2018, the #7 card was issued to Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier. liver cancer Mickey Mantle is one of the greatest baseball players ever. Beginning in 1997, the Topps Baseball Card company retired card #7 in its baseball flagship sets in tribute to Mantle, whose career was taking off just as Topps began producing them. Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports. Mantle played for the New York Yankees his entire Major League Baseball career from 1951 to 1968. He was a 20-time All-Star and seven-time World Series champion. ". Pride of October: What It Was to Be Young and a Yankee. Frequently, he would dump ice water on those who were showering. Witnesses say it looked "like he had been shot." [citation needed] Another Mantle homer, hit right-handed off Chuck Stobbs at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. on April 17, 1953, was measured by Yankees traveling secretary Red Patterson (hence the term "tape-measure home run") to have traveled 565 feet (172m). On June 8, Mantle underwent a transplant operation to replace a liver ravaged by cancer, hepatitis and cirrhosis. His wife is Merlyn Mantle (23 December 1951 - 13 August 1995) ( his death) ( 4 children) Mickey Mantle Net Worth His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. He was carried off the field on a stretcher and watched the rest of the World Series on TV from a hospital bed. Mantle died at 2:10 A.M. Eastern time at Baylor University Medical Center, succumbing to the disease that had spread from his liver to most of his other vital organs. There was no next drink, Mantle said. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. He always talked about his love for the game. Mantle served as a part-time color commentator on NBC's baseball coverage in 1969, teaming with Curt Gowdy and Tony Kubek to call some Game of the Week telecasts as well as that year's All-Star Game. "Jack Antonoff's Shadow of the City Festival Showcases N.J. But I still didn't have it in my head that I was a good major league ballplayer. Who Is Mickey Mantle's Wife? Aberback, Brian (September 7, 2017). He hit 13 home runs in 96 games. [13], When Mantle was four years old, his family moved to the nearby town of Commerce, Oklahoma, where his father worked in lead and zinc mines. [79], In 1969, Mantle received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.[80]. He was 63. But as it turned out, nobody could stand to be around me. Although he was a feared power hitter from either side of the plate and hit more home runs batting left-handed than right, Mantle considered himself a better right-handed hitter. During his tenure in New York, the team appeared in 12 World Series, winning seven. Mantles legacy as one of the greatest baseball players will live on in the hearts of fans, but it's his soul that will live on forever in eternity with our Lord Jesus Christ. Mantle played for the New York Yankees his entire Major . [10], Mantle was assigned to the Yankees' Class-D Independence Yankees of the KansasOklahomaMissouri League,[15] where he played shortstop. Signed mid-to-late 1950s Topps cards (excluding All-Star cards) sell for $1,000 to $2,000. He did, however, regain his status, hitting .330 in the second half of 1958, and leading his team back to the Series. This story originally appeared in the Aug. 21, 1995 issue of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED. Other times, he would leave fake snakes, bugs, or frogs around for Phil Rizzuto to find. Summerall himself had been treated at the clinic in 1992.[64]. After an impressive spring training, Yankees manager Casey Stengel decided to promote Mantle to the majors as a right fielder instead of sending him to the minors. [15] Mantle won the Western Association batting title, with a .383 average. "[47] Also displaying a sense of humor, he enjoyed playing practical jokes on his teammates. Mantle was assigned to the Yankees' Class-D Independence Yankees of the Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League, where he played shortstop. Three years later, and again in 1963, batting left-handed each time, he smashed a ball into the third deck, within a few feet of the peak of the facade in right field in Yankee Stadium, and no one has come closer to driving a fair ball out of the park. Mickey Mantle's height Unknown & weight Not Available right. In the 1960 season, he hit what is still believed to be the longest home run in history. While these facts are widely known, here are some not so popular ones you may not know about. How much was Mickey Mantles net worth at the time of his death? His lifestyle was restored to its former luxury by his leadership in the sports-memorabilia craze that swept the U.S. beginning in the 1980s. "When I was a kid," Mantle remembered a few years after he retired, "I used to work in the mines with my dad for $35 a week. Shortly after Mantle completed treatment, his son Billy died on March 12, 1994 at age 36 of heart problems brought on by years of substance abuse. [45] Still, Mantle was known as the "fastest man to first base" and won the American League triple crown in 1956. "This is a role model: Don't be like me," a frail Mantle said. Last edited on 28 February 2023, at 23:52, Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Awards, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery, Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year, List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle, List of Major League Baseball retired numbers, List of Major League Baseball home run records, List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders, List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders, List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders, List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders, List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders, List of Major League Baseball career total bases leaders, List of Major League Baseball batting champions, List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual runs scored leaders, List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders, List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise, "Longest Home Run Ever Hit by Baseball Almanac", "On what would have been his 80th birthday, Mickey Mantle's World Series home run record still stands", "New York 500 Home Run Club Mickey Mantle Yankees", Elven Charles "Mutt" Mantle + Lovell Velma Richardson PhpGedView, "Mickey Mantle Minor League Statistics and History", "Dickey Calls Mickey Mantle Best Prospect He Ever Saw", "Talkin' Matt Wieters and the concept of hype, with Bill James", "All-time and Single-Season World Series Batting Leaders Baseball-Reference.com", "Stunned Mantle Again Named 'Most Valuable', "Mickey Mantle 1961 Back in Time: January 1961 Photos SI Vault", "MANTLE'S HOMER SUBDUES A'S, 8-7; Clout in 11th Almost Clears Stadium--Two-Out Drive in 9th Ties Yankees", "July 9, 1963: Mays leads NL stars in return to single All-Star Game - Society for American Baseball Research", "Yanks' Woes of '08 Eerily Similar to '65", "Flashback: When Texas Opened the 8th Wonder of the World", "Midsummer Classics: Celebrating MLB's All-Star Game", "Jeter adds games played to his Yanks records", "Mickey Mantle Almost Gave Up Switch-Hitting in 1960", "Mickey Mantle Career Home Runs Baseball-Reference.com", "The Lantern 19 May 1969 Ohio State University Newspaper Archives", "Yankees' Old-Timers' Day never gets old | Newsday", "Mickey Mantle Society for American Baseball Research", "Mickey Mantle Strikes Out, Then Hits a Homer", "Merlyn Mantle, widow of Yankee icon Mickey Mantle, succumbs to Alzheimer's disease at age 77", "Brett Favre, Tiger Woods, Sports Bad Boys Couldn't Touch Mickey Mantle", "Mickey Mantle's Nephew Has 2 Gay-Themed Plays in Chicago", "Sandomir, Richard.