1969 HEADLINE: Mickey Mantle Retires From Major League Baseball
On this day in 1969 Mickey Mantle retired from the game of baseball. A legendary player that spent his entire career in New York as a member of the Yankees, ‘The Mick’ was as iconic of a figure in sports as there was.
The funny thing was that Mantle replaced the great Joe DiMaggio when DiMaggio retired from the game. The fans did not accept him right away as they missed ‘Joey D’ and thought that he could never be replaced.
I will not argue as to which player was the better of the 2, but what I will say is that when Mantle retired after his 18 seasons as a Yankee his numbers were incredible. With his .298 career average sitting alongside 536 home runs and 1,509 RBI, Mantle solidified his annual All-Star status. Although his numbers dropped off significantly towards the end of his career, he still managed to be a fan favorite in the Bronx.
I’m sure that the 7 World Series Championship titles he helped the Yankees achieve didn’t hurt his image either…
Considering his stats, STILL one of the most overrated card buys out there. yes I know everyone loves the Mick, just saying. Musial was the much better player for my money. So was Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Jackie Robinson, and others during his era.
Ron- I have to think that some of the hype around him was for the way he filled in for Joe D. I do agree that numbers-wise, there are several players from that time that put up better numbers.
We do need to keep on mind that he was injured for most of his playing days..
Maybe if he wasn’t boozing it up so much during his career, he would not have been injured so much. LOL can you tell I despise the Yankees? Except for Ruth, Gehrig and Maris
Ron- I always wonder how a player like him would have done with no injuries. If he accomplished what he did while hurt, just imagine what kind of career he could have had…
As a 7yr. old in 1961 he was my sports hero. It’s a shame he didn’t take care of himself he would have amazing numbers. Something he admitted in an interview. I miss seeing his tape measure home runs.
Steve- My dad grew up in the Bronx during that time. He has shared a lot of stories about the passion that he and his friends had for the Yankees. And nobody’s name brings a bigger smile to his face than Mantle’s.
It was hard to watch him go downhill. It was a quick descent.
Steve