Overview
Growing up in small-town, Depression-era Oklahoma, Mickey Mantle hit a baseball every chance he had, all the better to make him into a slugger, a prospect, a pro. Sooner than anyone could have imagined, Mantle joined the New York Yankees. In 1956, Mantle's incredible Triple Crown performance-most home runs, most runs batted in, and highest batting average-electrified the baseball world. Five years later, his home-run derby with teammate Roger Maris again captured the nation's attention. Injuries often kept Mantle out of the lineup, however, and he also suffered from alcoholism. Finally coming to grips with his addiction late in his life, Mantle became a role model for the clean and sober life and an American hero for all time.Synopsis
Growing up in small-town, Depression-era Oklahoma, Mickey Mantle hit a baseball every chance he had, all the better to make him into a slugger, a prospect, a pro. Sooner than anyone could have imagined, Mantle joined the New York Yankees. In 1956, Mantle's incredible Triple Crown performance-most home runs, most runs batted in, and highest batting average-electrified the baseball world. Five years later, his home-run derby with teammate Roger Maris again captured the nation's attention. Injuries often kept Mantle out of the lineup, however, and he also suffered from alcoholism. Finally coming to grips with his addiction late in his life, Mantle became a role model for the clean and sober life and an American hero for all time.
Children's Literature
The son of avid baseball fans, Mickey Mantle, born in 1931, practiced to become a professional player by learning skills, particularly switch-hitting, from his father and grandfather in his Depression-era Oklahoma community. This "Baseball Superstars" series biography explores the complexities of Mantle's career with the New York Yankees during the 1950s and 1960s. Mantle secured a contract with the Yankees two days after high school graduation and started minor league play two weeks later. Mantle's impressive performances resulted in his reaching the major leagues by 1951. The 1956 season showcased Mantle's talents, resulting in his first American League Most Valuable Player title and major league Triple Crown of highest batting average, most home runs, and most runs batted in. For several seasons, fans and reporters expected Mantle to exceed Babe Ruth's record of 60 home runs in one year. By his 1969 retirement, Mantle had played 2,401 games and batted 536 home runs. He was chosen for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. This book addresses such controversial aspects as Mantle's alcoholism, public outbursts, and casino endorsements, resulting in his major league ban. Both childhood and adult photographs of Mantle illustrate this biography. Additional resources include Mantle's statistics, sidebars, chronology, glossary, bibliography, and web site addresses. Noting modern values of Mantle's salaries would have been useful. No citations are provided to assist readers preparing reports. Reviewer: Elizabeth D. Schafer