On August 25, 1996, about a year after his death, Mantle's Monument Park plaque was replaced with a monument bearing the words "A great teammate" and keeping a phrase that had been included on the original plaque: "A magnificent Yankee who left a legacy of unequaled courage." I was the best man at Martin's wedding in 1988, and I can hardly remember being there." I had everything and I just . Mantle is 16th all-time in home runs per at-bats. Mickey Mantle weighed 195 lbs (88 kg) when playing. [10] As a teenager, Mantle rooted for the St. Louis Cardinals. [78] When Yankee Stadium was reopened in 1976 following its renovation, the plaques and monuments were moved to a newly created Monument Park behind the left-center field fence,[78] which has since been replaced by a new Monument Park at the current Yankee Stadium, which opened in 2009. His final few years in baseball involved many injuries, though he remained a solid player. During the final years of his life, Mantle purchased a condominium on Lake Oconee near Greensboro, Georgia, near Greer Johnson's home, and frequently stayed there for months at a time. Then my dad got me a job cleaning out the area around telephone poles. During his tenure in New York, the team appeared in 12 World Series, winning seven. 2023 Celebrity Net Worth / All Rights Reserved. [66] In eulogizing Mantle, sportscaster Bob Costas described him as "a fragile hero to whom we had an emotional attachment so strong and lasting that it defied logic. Who Is Mickey Mantle's Wife? Mickey Mantle played his first game for the New York Yankees in 1951, replacing the legendary Joe DiMaggio in center field. See the article in its original context from. In 1957, Mantle won his second consecutive MVP award. 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 . In 1973, at the Old-Timers Game at Yankee Stadium, Mantle, batting right handed, faced old friend Whitey Ford. On December 23, 1951, Mantle married Merlyn Johnson (19322009) in Picher, Oklahoma; they had four sons. "Everything he owned was in a straw suitcase," he said. He remembered later what it was like: "When I first retired," he wrote in an article in Sports Illustrated in 1994, "it was like Mickey Mantle died. ". Other times, he would leave fake snakes, bugs, or frogs around for Phil Rizzuto to find. [citation needed], On January 16, 1961, Mantle became the highest-paid player in baseball by signing a $75,000 (equivalent to $680,000 in 2021) contract. [39] In roughly 25% of his total at-bats he hit .330 right-handed to .281 left. In 1948, Yankees scout Tom Greenwade came to Baxter Springs to observe one of Mantle's teammates. You're the best we've got.' Mickey Mantle was an American professional baseball player who had a net worth of $10 million at the time of his death. He was 84. "I'm not gonna be cheated," he would say. [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. Mickey Mantle was one of the greatest players in MLB history for nearly two decades with the New York Yankees. [10] During a slump, Mantle called his father to tell him he wanted to quit baseball. [50], After the failure of Mickey Mantle's Country Cookin' restaurants in the early 1970s, the popular Mickey Mantle's Restaurant & Sports Bar opened in New York at 42 Central Park South (59th Street) in 1988. His strength as a hitter became legendary. The doctor bluntly told Mantle that the damage to his system was so severe that "your next drink could be your last." In the 1920's, they won six American League pennants and three World Series. In 2020, the #7 card was issued to right fielder Aaron Judge. "Casey Stengel was like a father to me," Mantle said. He was born on October 20, 1931, in Spavinaw, Oklahoma. One of the 1952 cards (Topps; #311; SGC MT 9.5) sold for $12.6 million in August 2022. I'll swear I expect to see that boy just take off and fly any time. Mickey Mantle passed away on August 13, 1995 at 63 years old.Mickey Mantle Net Worth.Net Worth:$10 . During the 1961 season, Mantle and teammate Roger Maris, known as the M&M Boys, chased Babe Ruth's 1927 single-season home run record. The couple had four children together during the course of their marriage. He hit .313, played shortstop and made 47 errors in 89 games. I still didn't have a lot of confidence. The value of Mickey Mantle's baseball card just shot up into the sky like a homerun. His son David was also present. In 1949, he received a draft-examine notice and was about to be drafted by the US Army but failed the physical exam and was rejected as unqualified and was given a 4-F deferment for any military service.[22][23]. [41], Mantle was also one of the best bunters for base hits of all time. Mantle was interred in the Mantle Family Mausoleum, located in the St. Matthew Section of the Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery in Dallas. His rationale was that the men in his family had all died young, so he expected to die young as well. January 24, 2023 by Maame Akua Owusuwaa. 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. "[18], After a brief slump, Mantle was sent down to the Yankees' top farm team, the Kansas City Blues. Despite missing 41 games, he was selected as MVP for the third time, beating out teammate Bobby Richardson in the voting. Ford, his ally on and off the field for years, remembered how shy and inarticulate the young Mantle seemed when he reported. After the 1966 season, Mantle was moved to first base, with Joe Pepitone taking his place in the outfield. On May 22, 1963, against Kansas City's Bill Fischer, Mantle hit a ball that fellow players and fans claimed was still rising when it hit the 110-foot (34m) high facade, then caromed back onto the playing field. Mickey Mantle, the most powerful switch-hitter in baseball history and the successor to Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio as the symbol of the long reign of the New York Yankees, died of cancer. Because of these comparatively low numbers, he took a salary cut of 10,000 dollars, down to 60,000 dollars. [72] He was 63 years old. Mickey Mantle played for the New York Yankees from 1951 to 1968, and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. . Throughout his life, Mantle had been a heavy drinker. Mantle began attending school there and was an all-around athlete at Commerce High School. [10] He was selected an "All-Star" for the first time and made the AL team, but did not play in the five-inning All-Star game that had Boston Red Sox Dom DiMaggio at center field. He remained the Yankees' all-time leader in games played until Derek Jeter broke his record in 2011. Two Armed Forces physicals were ordered, including a highly publicized exam on November 4, 1952, which was brought on by his All-Star selection, that ended in a final rejection. Mantle was one of the greatest offensive threats in baseball history and is considered to be one of the best baseball players of all time. Applying thick wraps to both of his knees became a pre-game ritual, and by the end of his career simply swinging a bat caused him to fall to one knee in pain. Mantle was assigned to the Yankees' Class-D Independence Yankees of the Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League, where he played shortstop. Oklahoma Heritage Society: Oklahoma Hall of Fame. As of 2022, Mickey Mantle's net worth is $10 million. Death Date: Aug 13, 1995 (age 63) Age: . Mantle was born on October 20, 1931 in Spavinaw, Oklahoma to parents Lovell and Elvin "Mutt" Mantle. How many seasons did Mickey Mantle play? Adjusted for inflation, he earned approximately $9 million. During the game, Mantle hit three home runs. That's how I signed with the Yankees.". In total, Mickey earned $1,128,000 during his career. Mickey Mantle is a member of Baseball Player Age, Biography and Wiki Net worth: $10 million Some Mickey Mantle images About Legendary New York Yankee who hit 536 career home runs, was named American League MVP three times, and led the AL in home runs four times and batting average once. During this time, Mantle lived with his agent Greer Johnson. He was the blond, muscled switch-hitter who joined the Yankees at 19 in 1951 as DiMaggio was winding down his Hall of Fame career. After an impressive spring training, Yankees manager Casey Stengel decided to promote Mantle to the majors as a right . He returned to the center field position on September 2. [10] Later in his life, Mantle expressed relief that his father had not known Cochrane's true first name because he would have hated to be named Gordon. Among his many accomplishments are all-time World Series records for home runs (18), runs scored (42), and runs batted in (40).[21]. The recent sale of a mint Mickey Mantle card for $2.88 made headlines. But the bigger, untold story is that there are three gem mint PSA 10 '52 Topps Mantles which are twice as rare--three . Mantle disclosed later that he had not married Johnson out of love but rather because his father told him to. In 1994, he checked into the Betty Ford Clinic, where doctors diagnosed him with cirrhosis, hepatitis, and cancer of the liver. A Mickey Mantle baseball card sold for a record-smashing $12.6 million Sunday, the highest price ever paid for a piece of sports memorabilia. Mantle was the uncle of actor and musician Kelly Mantle. "[66] Richardson read the poem at Mantle's funeral, which he described as being extremely difficult. Withdrew 33 personal items belonging to Mantle's before a 1997 auction after his widow Merlyn Mantle filed suit. Alex Rodriguez Has Finally Gotten His Last Paycheck From The MLB How Much Did He Make. Mantle broke many records and made many accomplishments throughout his career. [45] Still, Mantle was known as the "fastest man to first base" and won the American League triple crown in 1956. Mickey Mantle Net Worth is $3 Million Mickey Mantle Bio/Wiki, Net Worth, Married 2018. . God gave me a body and the ability to play baseball. This would be the first of many injuries that would plague Mantle's 18-year long career. He hit 13 home runs in 96 games. I was nothing. We welcome all corrections and feedback using the button below. Former Bronx Bomber Joe Pepitone, in an upstate federal court complaint, claims legendary teammate Mickey Mantle used one of his loaned bats to smack historic home run No. 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. Those words were carved on the plaque marking his resting place at the family mausoleum in Dallas. I had a cyst cut out of my right knee another time. 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. Mickey Jr. later died of liver cancer on December 20, 2000 at age 47. The low batting average caused his lifetime average to dip below .300, which caused him anguish the next year as he worked with a statistician to review all of his at-bats since 1951, hoping to find enough uncounted hits to elevate his average to .2995, but his lifetime average remained .298. 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. 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 signed for $140 per month (equivalent to $1,600 in 2021) with a $1,500 signing bonus (equivalent to $17,100 in 2021). Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1 His Alcoholism Ruined His Family Mickey Mantle Interview by Bob Costas Mantle believed that alcoholism ran on his mother's side of the family. [43][44], As a 19-year-old rookie playing right field in his first World Series, Mantle tore the cartilage in his right knee on a fly ball hit by Willie Mays. "This is a role model: Don't be like me," a frail Mantle said. History Colorado and the Rockies baseball club are putting on display your PSA 10 Topps 1952 Mickey Mantle and some spectacular memorabilia from your collection across the street from Coors Field from July 10 through July 18th where the All Star Game is being held. Mantle finished with 54 home runs while leading the American league in runs scored and walks. He homered for the third Yankee run in a 32 Game 6 win and he knocked in the winning runs in the 42 Game 7 win, with a homer in the sixth inning and an RBI single in the seventh inning. He brought a lot of Oklahoma with him to New York and never really changed. ", In the end, though, he had a more poignant message. "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. "He was not a phony role model, and I think people really identified with that," former teammate Tony Kubek said. When you consider how successful Mantle was for such a sustained period of time and how other players made the same or more money, he was vastly underpaid for his career. But as it turned out, nobody could stand to be around me. I think I hit two more home runs that night. Mickey Mantle passed away on August 13, 1995 at 63 years old.Mickey Mantle Net Worth. "[20] Mantle immediately broke out of his slump, and went on to hit .361 with 11 homers and 50 RBIs during his stay in Kansas City. Mantle's top salary was $100,000, which he reached for the 1963 season. Mantle made an appearance in the music video for "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" by Paul Simon in 1988. Summerall himself had been treated at the clinic in 1992.[64]. Death Cause, Rea. Mantle was named in honor of Mickey Cochrane, a Hall of Fame catcher in baseball. DETAILS BELOW. There was no next drink, Mantle said. 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. Mays's fly was hit to shallow center, and as Mantle came over to back up DiMaggio, Mantle's spikes caught a drainage cover in the outfield grass. Trip Back to Minors In First Year in Majors. He is best known for setting a new MLB single-season home run record with 61 home runs in 1961. [27] DiMaggio, Hank Greenberg, and Ted Williams, who had just retired, had been paid over $100,000 in a season, and Ruth had a peak salary of $80,000. He checked into the Betty Ford Clinic on January 7, 1994 after being told by a doctor that his liver was so badly damaged from almost 40 years of drinking that it "looked like a doorstop". He was separated from Merlyn, his wife of 43 years, although they remained friendly. His spouse is Merlyn Mantle (m. 1951-1995). [76] The plaque was officially presented to Mantle by Joe DiMaggio. That book reports that Mantle's estate was valued at $8 million to $12 million dollars. Mickey Mantle was an American professional baseball player who had a net worth of $10 million at the time of his death. He also hit his second All-Star Game home run that season. Recently, he had been suffering from anemia, a side effect of aggressive chemotherapy treatment, and had been receiving blood transfusions. His wife, Merlyn, and son David were at his bedside. 14. [11] Mutt named his son in honor of Mickey Cochrane, a Hall of Fame catcher. He was one of those rare hitters who could hit for both average and power and was a three-time MVP. Full body measurements, dress & shoe size will be updated soon. [53], In 1992, Mantle wrote My Favorite Summer 1956 about his 1956 season.[54]. In 2017, Topps began including #7 cards in its main sets again, with Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez the first player other than Mickey Mantle to appear in the #7 slot since 1995. In both 1953 and 1961, he hit into only two double plays, over the course of 1,186 plate appearances. His single season home run record of 61 stood for 37 years until Mark McGwire hit 70 in 1998. His life in baseball and afterward was the pith and marrow of a basic . Mantle played center field full-time for the Yankees until 1965, when he was moved to left field. He was of at least partial English ancestry; his great-grandfather George Mantle left Brierley Hill, in England's Black Country, in 1848. Mickey Mantle's net worth at death was $10 million dollars. Against Walt Masterson of the Boston Red Sox he struck out five times in one game. But he pulled his car over and stopped and watched us play. In 1974 Mantle was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot. He announced his retirement at the age of 37 in 1969 and delivered a farewell speech in Yankees Stadium. 500 and now he. Through all the adversity, he exhibited a quiet but shrewd wit that he often unfurled in a down-home Oklahoma drawl. He outlived the family curse of Hodgkin's disease, which had contributed to the death by heart attack of his 36-year-old son Billy, and the early deaths of his father, at 39, his grandfather and two uncles. That was the start of my knee operations. On September 10, 1960, he hit a ball left-handed that cleared the right-field roof at Tiger Stadium in Detroit and, based on where it was found, was estimated years later by historian Mark Gallagher to have traveled 643 feet (196m). Mutt drove to Independence, Kansas, and convinced Mantle to keep playing. He was the storybook star with the storybook name, Mickey, or simply Mick, or Slick to Martin and Ford, who were also known as Slick to one another. The first, he often was not. In 1962, Mantle batted .321 in 121 games. 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]. In that season, he also hit another long home run at Yankee Stadium to left-center field that was reported to have traveled 502 feet. Three years later, he reached his peak salary of $100,000 and never asked for another raise again. It was originally purchased for $50,000 in 1991. May 7, 2022 2:25pm. As per our current Database, Mickey Mantle died on Aug 13, 1995 (age 63).