A small selection of family photos
Click any image to open a larger version.
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Mickey with his father, Elvin "Mutt" Mantle
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April 1951 (clockwise from top left) Ray and Roy (twins), Barbara, Mickey, Larry, Lovell (mom) and Mutt (dad)
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July 1965 (clockwise from top left) David, Merlyn, Mickey, Mickey Jr., Billy and Danny
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August 1964 (left to right) Mickey, Danny (4), Billy (6), David (8), Mickey Jr. (11)
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(clockwise from top left) Mickey Jr., Danny, David, Billy, Merlyn, Mickey
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Mickey Mantle's Week of Dreams fantasy camp (left to right) David, Mickey Jr., Mickey, Billy and Danny
I went to the website today, the anniversary of his death, and it brings back so many memories. I grew up a baseball fan and was mostly a Cardinal fan but my exposure to the Yankees, Mickey, Roger Maris, Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, Tony Kubek, Bobby Richardson, Clete Boyer, Elston Howard etc etc was by TV, baseball cards and especially the 1961 season of home runs. I watched very intensely the 1964 series between Yankees and Cardinals. I was always a huge fan of the Mick and I collected all his baseball cards and all the Yankees’ cards. He was such a great baseball player and he was always smiling and joking when you saw him on TV or in the newspaper. I later learned how he played hurt so much. My respect for him only increased. He was the man and perhaps the greatest baseball player of all the Yankees. I miss those days when baseball was so much more so a game and when you looked forward to the game of the week to get a chance to see the greats of that time play. He will always have a special place in my heart. Again I think he was one of the all time greats and he will never be forgotten. Thanks for the memories.
Dear Rusty:
I just read your comment. I have been a die-hard Yankee fan since April of 1956, when Mickey won the Triple Crown. I met Mickey on two occasions. One time in St. Pete, he let me sit in the dugout with the team during a spring training game. This was prior to the game. He signed his autograph for me, as did most of his teammates on the bench. Yogi refused to sign, and Mickey told him “Yog, sign the ball for the kid.” Yogi did but was not happy about it. Perhaps Yogi was having a bad day. I was 14 years old, and I still have that ball. I wrote an article to the local paper when Mickey died, and they put my letter in word for word. He was my hero. There was never another player that I admired as much as the Mick, until Derek Jeter came along. Our beloved Yankees are not doing so good this year. Peace be with you.
I was born in Miami Ok. on 05/01/1946. My father worked at the Eagle Pitcher mines back in the forties,and on days off with friends would often get together
at the mantles house because mutt mantle and my father worked together in the mines,and also because the Mantles owned a big radio that they all listened
to the grand old opry every week .I grew up with my DaD talking about Mickey and Mutt and so on… now that I am near 70 I still have those great memories
with my father talking of Mutt and Mickey and the dangers of working in those mines as Pitcher Ok. is just about a ghost town..but all thru the 50’s and 60’s we
never missed a Yankees game on TV.
I have been a Mickey Mantle fan all my life- he was my boyhood hero.I grew up in London Ontario and my father used to let me listen to Yankee ballgames in his 53 Buick as the house radio wouldn’t pick them up- used to lay on the front seat waiting for the mighty Mick to come to the plate. When I was at bat I was Mickey Mantle swinging for the fences. Can’t imagine growing up without him as an example- he was a great ballplayer-nice to see pics of his family.
I had the opportunity to see Mickey in person when the Yankees play the Detroit Tigers and Mickey’s playing years was done but he did end up as the first base coach. I walked all the way around home plate and watched Mickey function as a coach and I had no idea how I was going to get down to the field and shake Mickey’s hand. That never happened but for a short period of time I was frozen in time watch Mickey. To this day I’m convinced while he was in the box, he was ten feet tall.
Like most in my age group born in 1951 Tulsa Ok. a big fan of Mickey Mantle. Met up with him in Houston at a memorabilia show where he took a moment with me and my wife off to the side. I always felt a kinship with Mick even though we never met until this moment. For some reason he stepped away from the desk and spent time with me. Took some photos with my family and talked about life in general. I mentioned a time when frustrated with him and used his ball card to make a motor sound on my bike with the spokes. He got a big kick out of that considering the value of the card had I kept it. Mick signed a few bats and balls for me of course, but the best part was getting to spend some time with him. Something he said has stuck with me as he spoke a little about his struggle with alcohol then said, “Tim one thing I have never been able to understand is why people think so much of me because I’m just a regular guy that loves to play baseball.” I replied, Mick you are not just another guy playing baseball ! You are a great inspiration and Hero for so many Americans because “Baseball is America” and you make us proud. Mick just smiled and said..guess your right.. Never got to see him again unfortunately … Mick you will live forever in our hearts and minds… Rest in Peace my friend..
Great stories I have Mickey Mantle’s baby picture with his father on his front porch on a upper deck baseball card that is in mint condition and one also from his adulthood I am getting rid of it to do my financial situation but it will not be cheap please reach back if you are interested thank you and God bless.
I was born in Detroit and moved to Ohio and when I turned 5 my oldest brother and I started playing a baseball dice game and when the Mick came up in 51 I got to choose the Yankees as my team and he took Cleveland. That is when I became a NYY and have been one ever since. We moved to Las Vegas, Nv. and I never got the chance to go to New York until 1995 and that was my first visit to see the Yankees. I started routing for the Dodgers so that they would some day make it to the World Series and I would be able to see them play the Yankees. That didn’t happen until the 77-78 Yankees and boy did I have fun down there. Go Reggie!!!. I had the greatest time in my life in 1995 when he came to LV to sign autographs and I was so nervous that I forgot to get a picture of him signing my baseball but I still have the ball along with two others. I have collected just about everything I could that has his picture or name on it from pocket knives to hot sauce I have collected buckets full of memorabilia. The other strange things is that I have four grandsons and one granddaughter and the birthday of my granddaughter is August 13, a day I really will not forget. He was and still is the greatest switch hitting power hitter baseball has ever and will always have known. Once a Yankee always a YANKEE!!!!!