I grew up in Indianapolis in the 1960s, when the only baseball game we ever saw on TV was the CBS Game of the Week. The Yankees were on the GOW at least twice a month, so in the absence of major league baseball in Indy, I adopted the Yankees. Mickey was my hero. And despite all that has been revealed about him since, he is still my favorite player of all time. He was a joy to watch. I jumped ship in the Yanks when the AL adopted the DH (and when WGN began broadcasting nationally). I have been a Cubs fan for almost 50 years, but no player has ever meant as much to me as Mickey did.
lm 74 now l grew up watching Mickey Mantle he was my favorite baseball player and still is to this day,when he passed away l cried we lost one of the greatest player ever and l think some our youth when were kids died with him l will always remember #7
Alcoholism is a disease,we forget that a lot today and we are often unfeeling and unsympathetic. A legendary athlete who suffered and thrilled his fans. He was born and raised in a Super Fund Site, abused by a seemingly unloving mother an adoring father, a boy ripe for urban big city destruction. Poor White if you will. Nevertheless a heroic love worthy icon. A modern-day American Daedelus.
Mickey Mantle all most always hit his home runs at critical times when the games was on the line.None of these when your up by 10 or down by 10. HE WAS THE MAN.
I'm 72 years old. I have played and seen a lot of baseball. In my humble opinion "The Mick" was simply the greatest all around player in MLB history..................AND the most loved player by true fans. I saw him hit a homer into the right field bleachers at Old Yankee Stadium. That was 1964............I was 12 years old. Mickey sure made THIS little boy happy!!🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
What a great video. Thanks for posting. Forget his faults, or maybe because of them. And, forget the comparisons to Mays and DiMaggio etc. It's hard to put ones finger on it, but to me, and throngs of others, the Mick "was baseball" and the most magical baseball player of our generation.
Me too. I saw him play in person twice. He hit the first homer in the astrodome in an exhibition game, and I saw him once in Yankee stadium. By far my favorite player.
@@gstlb That sounds great. I only saw him once, late in his career. He was playing first base. He drove in the only run of the game with a double off the wall, in Anaheim in 1967. He also threw a runner out at the plate. At his best, he may very well have been the best. My favorite player as well, and the favorite of many of our generation.
My Father was an usher in his youth at the old Cleveland stadium. Anyhow, he always used to tell me that outside the best player he ever saw play (from many games), Bob Feller, it was Micky Mantle that made the biggest impact.
I'm 70 years old. As a child I WORSHIPED "The Mick"🥰 At 70 y.o. in 2023 I STILL feel that Mickey Charles Mantle is the greatest player to ever wear the pinstripes!!!🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
@markkrauklis8294...Red Sox fan here. 74 yrs next month...Believe it or not I love to watch old clips of Mickey, Yogi, Roger , Whitey , Elston . Actually Ellie saved our ass in Boston when he leaped to catch a throw from Jose' Tartabull in 1967 and Ellie's foot came down and blocked the runner from scoring . P.S. Remember Mickey Mantle on Home Run Derby in the early 60's ? That is a real treat . Might be here on RUclips.
I got to see him live about 15 times. I saw him hit four home runs. Two lefty, one righty, the fourth one I don’t remember. First one 1956, the last one, 1961.
I was born in 1949. My parents would visit my uncle in NY state and when always ended up in a bar. No judgment is needed, please. I watched the Yankees greats on TV, all the greats. Mantle, Maris, Yogi, and on and on. An exciting time for baseball.
I wish that I could have seen him play. I was three years old when he retired. The stories I've heard are so incredible. And he basically did it on one good leg.
I was a kid growing up in Brooklyn but I was always a Yankee fan and still remember my first trip to Yankee Stadium. Whitey pitched a shutout and "The Mick" I believe hit a triple! Great memories.
As a twelve year old, my dad took me to the 1963 World Series, game 4. With Koufax pitching, it was going to be a tough game for New York. But my hero was Mickey Mantle and I was yelling for him to hit a home run each time he came up. But sitting in the Dodgers side of the field, fans would turn around and yell at me to shut up and my dad thought we might get killed. But with the Dodgers safely ahead and Koufax pitching, we were safe for Mantle to hit one out and he did. Years later, I got to have lunch with my dad and Mantle in a little place in Oklahoma. I told him my story and we all laughed! Mickey would always be my hero in baseball but my dad will always be that for me!
Yes many of us remember Mickeys prowness on the bsaeball field , but he was an excellant teacher as well when we are talking hunting . Mickey had a friend who was a doctor , who called Mickey and asked him if he could put down a couple of horses for him because he didnt have the heart to , part of the deal was Mickey wanted to bring Billy Martin with him so they both could hunt the doctor's property after he took care of the 2 horses, which the doctor agreed to. The doctor explained the horses would be in the barn when they got there . So being it was during offseason , him and Billy drive to oklahoma to go "hunting." As they drove and passed by the doctors pastures , the conversation turned to the horses that were out in the pasture , and how the doctor loved his horses. Anyway , what Billy and the doctor didnt know was Mickey had a prank in mind for Billy . So when they pulled up , Mickey tells Billy to wait in the car as he was going to let the doctor know they had arrived , Mickey returns a few minutes later , pissed off and tells Billy to hand him one of the rifles because he's going to shoot some horses in the barn because he's pissed the doctor just informed him that he had changed his mind about them hunting his property , and wanted to teach the doctor a lesson . So Mickey , goes into the barn and is preparing to put the 2 horses out of their misery when all of a sudden he hears 2 gunshots that sound like they came from the pasture , he runs out of the barn and sees Billy coming his way , and he tells Mickey he is pissed too because they drove all that way but now couldnt hunt! so he shot 2 of the horses as well .
Ken is one of best baseball ⚾️ play by play guys ...Detroit guy, was amazing 👏 also ...only in America 🇺🇸 do you have the greatest baseball announcers ...characters ++
Got to skip school with my Dad..to see the Mick play at Tiger Stadium..I didn’t understand much..but I noticed after hitting home run left handed he switched around right handed later in the game and hit another..Dad explained that’s one of reasons why we went to the Game to see the Yankee Great..never forgot that and tried to emulate the Mick playing backyard wiffleball
Got the Hawk's autograph at DC Stadium in 68 after a Senators game (vs. Indians) He sat in a Limo while doing so... Got 'Sudden Sam' McDowell and a few others also..
Got to skip school with my Dad..to see the Mick play at Tiger Stadium..I didn’t understand much..but I noticed after hitting home run left handed he switched around right handed later in the game and hit another..Dad explained that’s one of reasons why we went to the Game to see the Yankee Great..never forgot that and tried to emulate the Mick playing backyard wiffleball
Didn't Mantle go to the Yankees spring training camp in March 1969 and decide after he got there that his body couldn't take any more? I know that he didn't announce his retirement until March 1969. I don't know if it was absolutely positively set in stone in that game against the Red Sox in September 1968 that Mantle wasn't coming back.
Mickey drank ? So did Winston Churchill. He was paid to play baseball and he did it quite well. I never saw DiMaggio play or Babe Ruth or any of those greats but I did see Mickey more than once in person. He played hurt all of the time.
Ruth drank too. So did Jimmy Foxx. So did several other all-time greats. It seems like you can get away with it playing baseball, unlike other sports....at least you could back then......Lou Gehrig didn't drink and look how he wound up.....
A great tribute and wonderful to know that his friend Bobby Richardson let him to the Lord! Two of my heroes as a kid growing up in the late 50's and 60's.🥲
One of best players all time Switch hitter, great outfielder, had power, and played great in playoffs and Worldseries !!! That’s when it counts!!! Hard to beat !!!
sammyweed-Mantle never played in the playoffs. During his playing days, the World Series and postseason were synonymous. The playoffs weren't introduced until 1969 when MLB expanded to include the Montreal Expos, and the San Diego Padres, so the last pre expansion World Series was in 1968 when Mantle wrapped up his career.
And probably the fastest man in baseball in his younger days. Stengel said (quote approximate), “He’s got more speed than any slugger I ever saw and more slug than any speedster. It’s very confusing.”
Rushmore of broadcasters for sale you got Frank Gifford you got Keith Jackson a little bit of a drive to spotted Rascal in the I think he's like that but then as we were together for a number of years began to diminish the thing with Howard, when was that the end
yon gg healthy mantle greatest player ever=sorry willie, you didn't have his power- sorry babe you coudlknt field or steal bases. Tedddie ballgame-sorry-you were a good but not great fielder, nothing special on bas paths and over your career couldn't hit long ball like mickey mantle
I loved mickey mantle. I wept uncontrollably the day he died. I was a 45yr old man then. It came from someplace deep inside of me.
We all died a little that day.
I'm 72 years old I too cried all day when Mickey died; BEST player I ever saw!!⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾🧧🧧🧧🧧⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾⚾🥎🥎🥎🥎🥎🥎🥎🥎🥎🥎🥎
Mickey was the only idol I had other then my father. I cried the day he died. The little boy in me died that day. I was 45. ❤
well stated !
Best thing is ... The Mick found Jesus and got saved.
Yes he did. We will see him again along with Bobby Richardson.
God wanted to watch him hit again. Thankful for Bobby Richardson.
AMEN!!
AMEN!!!
Then, he used his notoriety and fame to skip ahead other, more deserving others in line for a liver transplant. Not very nice!
I grew up in Indianapolis in the 1960s, when the only baseball game we ever saw on TV was the CBS Game of the Week. The Yankees were on the GOW at least twice a month, so in the absence of major league baseball in Indy, I adopted the Yankees. Mickey was my hero. And despite all that has been revealed about him since, he is still my favorite player of all time. He was a joy to watch. I jumped ship in the Yanks when the AL adopted the DH (and when WGN began broadcasting nationally). I have been a Cubs fan for almost 50 years, but no player has ever meant as much to me as Mickey did.
I grew up in Indy in the 60’s also and your comment is EXACTLY what I feel about the Mick. I thought I was reading something I wrote!
lm 74 now l grew up watching Mickey Mantle he was my favorite baseball player and still is to this day,when he passed away l cried
we lost one of the greatest player ever and l think some our youth when were kids died with him l will always remember #7
Mickey was an idol because he was great, Mickey was a legend because of what he could have been.
@Bread And Circuses
"If Mickey had not drank and taken better care of himself, he could have hit 800-1000 home runs." Tony Kubek
@@TheVagolferyou don’t think he was drinking to tolerate with the knee injury
Alcoholism is a disease,we forget that a lot today and we are often unfeeling and unsympathetic. A legendary athlete who suffered and thrilled his fans. He was born and raised in a Super Fund Site, abused by a seemingly unloving mother an adoring father, a boy ripe for urban big city destruction. Poor White if you will. Nevertheless a heroic love worthy icon. A modern-day American Daedelus.
Mickey was the type of player you just couldn't take your eyes off! So great and graceful on the field!
I was a Yankees fan my whole life and what got me interested in baseball was the 1961 season. Love me some Mickey Mantle ❤😂
Mickey was loved by us, and untold millions, who shared that same feeling for this magnificent man!
Mickey Mantle all most always hit his home runs at critical times when the games was on the line.None of these when your up by 10 or down by 10. HE WAS THE MAN.
I'm 72 years old. I have played and seen a lot of baseball. In my humble opinion "The Mick" was simply the greatest all around player in MLB history..................AND the most loved player by true fans. I saw him hit a homer into the right field bleachers at Old Yankee Stadium. That was 1964............I was 12 years old. Mickey sure made THIS little boy happy!!🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
I concur. Mickey has been my all time favorite player since I was 7 years old, 1957. I played centerfield.
I can remember in 4th grade getting so excited seeing him on a Friday night game at the stadium. Is that him Dad? Yes!
I loved Mickey Mantle, all the kids did.!!! What an absolute Icon he was and still is today …in our memories anyway.!!! 😘
Yes, he was the favorite player of a generation.
What a great video. Thanks for posting. Forget his faults, or maybe because of them. And, forget the comparisons to Mays and DiMaggio etc. It's hard to put ones finger on it, but to me, and throngs of others, the Mick "was baseball" and the most magical baseball player of our generation.
Mickey has always been my favorite ball player, and always will. I was lucky to have seen him play.
I also saw him play, but only once. He will always be my favorite player.
Me too. I saw him play in person twice. He hit the first homer in the astrodome in an exhibition game, and I saw him once in Yankee stadium. By far my favorite player.
@@gstlb That sounds great. I only saw him once, late in his career. He was playing first base. He drove in the only run of the game with a double off the wall, in Anaheim in 1967. He also threw a runner out at the plate. At his best, he may very well have been the best. My favorite player as well, and the favorite of many of our generation.
You are indeed very lucky! Did you realize you were watching a future Hall of Famer at the time?
My Father was an usher in his youth at the old Cleveland stadium. Anyhow, he always used to tell me that outside the best player he ever saw play (from many games), Bob Feller, it was Micky Mantle that made the biggest impact.
I'm 70 years old. As a child I WORSHIPED "The Mick"🥰 At 70 y.o. in 2023 I STILL feel that Mickey Charles Mantle is the greatest player to ever wear the pinstripes!!!🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
how great would he had been if he hadnt been a big drinker
@markkrauklis8294...Red Sox fan here. 74 yrs next month...Believe it or not I love to watch old clips of Mickey, Yogi, Roger , Whitey , Elston . Actually Ellie saved our ass in Boston when he leaped to catch a throw from Jose' Tartabull in 1967 and Ellie's foot came down and blocked the runner from scoring . P.S. Remember Mickey Mantle on Home Run Derby in the early 60's ? That is a real treat . Might be here on RUclips.
I'm 68. Mickey was, and still is my all time favorite athlete. Not just baseball player, athlete.
He isn't the best Yankee..absurd to say it
thats like being the smartest person with Down Syndrome.
Almost impossible to hear what he's saying, but if you can hear him, it's worth listening. Very cool.
Used to like it after Mickey would hit a home run and announcer Mel Allen would say “ How about that. “ He said it many times not just for Mickey .
He was probably the fastest to 1st base ever! Before his legs quit! My favorite player ever !
Beautiful.. just beautiful... Loved Mickey Mantle...
Mickey Mantle was adored by us kids back then.
I have other baseball heroes but not like Mickey.
I got to see him live about 15 times. I saw him hit four home runs. Two lefty, one righty, the fourth one I don’t remember. First one 1956, the last one, 1961.
Wish I could hear him.
moreover , a gentleman . the Bob Costas interviews are spectacularly revealing - a great American hero .
rip Mick
Harrelson is a great storyteller. Loved Hawk as Red Sox broadcaster teamed with Dick Stockton.
Grab some bench.😊
Turned a story about Mantle into bragging about his own rings. Glad Harrelson finally left broadcasting, he was a bad cliche machine.
Everyone had a Mantle baseball card it was a must in every collection 😊
Volume up. Please. Mickey Mantle great player. Many World Series appearances
I was born in 1949. My parents would visit my uncle in NY state and when always ended up in a bar. No judgment is needed, please. I watched the Yankees greats on TV, all the greats. Mantle, Maris, Yogi, and on and on. An exciting time for baseball.
I wish that I could have seen him play. I was three years old when he retired. The stories I've heard are so incredible. And he basically did it on one good leg.
I was a kid growing up in Brooklyn but I was always a Yankee fan and still remember my first trip to Yankee Stadium. Whitey pitched a shutout and "The Mick" I believe hit a triple! Great memories.
here in NYC you only hear about his old teammates. Nice hearing a story from another perspective!
Mickey was my boyhood idol. I watched his funeral on live TV. I believe some of it is on the internet.
I’m blessed to be an early boomer and watched many greats including #7.
👍👍💯🇺🇸
As a twelve year old, my dad took me to the 1963 World Series, game 4. With Koufax pitching, it was going to be a tough game for New York. But my hero was Mickey Mantle and I was yelling for him to hit a home run each time he came up. But sitting in the Dodgers side of the field, fans would turn around and yell at me to shut up and my dad thought we might get killed. But with the Dodgers safely ahead and Koufax pitching, we were safe for Mantle to hit one out and he did. Years later, I got to have lunch with my dad and Mantle in a little place in Oklahoma. I told him my story and we all laughed! Mickey would always be my hero in baseball but my dad will always be that for me!
Great reminiscences of a classic era in baseball only we could hear them clearly ...
Yes many of us remember Mickeys prowness on the bsaeball field , but he was an excellant teacher as well when we are talking hunting .
Mickey had a friend who was a doctor , who called Mickey and asked him if he could put down a couple of horses for him because he didnt have the heart to , part of the deal was Mickey wanted to bring Billy Martin with him so they both could hunt the doctor's property after he took care of the 2 horses, which the doctor agreed to. The doctor
explained the horses would be in the barn when they got there .
So being it was during offseason , him and Billy drive to oklahoma to go "hunting." As they drove and passed by the doctors pastures , the conversation turned to the horses that were out in the pasture , and how the doctor loved his horses.
Anyway , what Billy and the doctor didnt know was Mickey had a prank in mind for Billy . So when they pulled up , Mickey tells Billy to wait in the car as he was going to let the doctor know they had arrived , Mickey returns a few minutes later , pissed off and tells Billy to hand him one of the rifles because he's going to shoot some horses in the barn because he's pissed the doctor just informed him that he had changed his mind about them hunting his property , and wanted to teach the doctor a lesson .
So Mickey , goes into the barn and is preparing to put the 2 horses out of their misery when all of a sudden he hears 2 gunshots that sound like they came from the pasture , he runs out of the barn and sees Billy coming his way , and he tells Mickey he is pissed too because they drove all that way but now couldnt hunt! so he shot 2 of the horses as well .
Dont like the story but loved watching Mantle play.
Ken is one of best baseball ⚾️ play by play guys ...Detroit guy, was amazing 👏 also ...only in America 🇺🇸 do you have the greatest baseball announcers ...characters ++
Detroit guy you referred to has to be Hall of Famer Earnie Harwell !
@@johntaormina1084 yes Earnie ...not to shabby 💚
Hawk was so good that he made me a white sox fan after he left bostn well i never heard him in nyc
@@GrowthruGod made baseball ⚾️ that much more enjoyable 🐛
Mark
You hit the nail on the head
The best switch hitter
He played hurt,
Could have had 700 homers easily
Mike Ricci ~ Turn up the bleeping VOLUME!!!
Got to skip school with my Dad..to see the Mick play at Tiger Stadium..I didn’t understand much..but I noticed after hitting home run left handed he switched around right handed later in the game and hit another..Dad explained that’s one of reasons why we went to the Game to see the Yankee Great..never forgot that and tried to emulate the Mick playing backyard wiffleball
Got the Hawk's autograph at DC Stadium in 68 after a Senators game (vs. Indians) He sat in a Limo while doing so... Got 'Sudden Sam' McDowell and a few others also..
RUTH MARIS MANTLE MY FAVORITE PLAYERS EVER AMEN 🙏
Cobb, Ruth, Rose
No playoffs when mantle played
Roger Maris I think is greatly underrated and never got his due.
I cannot hear a word of what the Hawk has to say!
turn up computer volume not the yt vol
@@GrowthruGod I do not need advice from you.
yyou must be born in 56
@@garymorris1856
Hawk was right up there with Harry Caray for being an entertaining announcer,plus he was informative.I miss him broadcasting the Sox games on WGN.
Very Entertaining..rip both Hawk n Mick
Got to skip school with my Dad..to see the Mick play at Tiger Stadium..I didn’t understand much..but I noticed after hitting home run left handed he switched around right handed later in the game and hit another..Dad explained that’s one of reasons why we went to the Game to see the Yankee Great..never forgot that and tried to emulate the Mick playing backyard wiffleball
Didn't Mantle go to the Yankees spring training camp in March 1969 and decide after he got there that his body couldn't take any more? I know that he didn't announce his retirement until March 1969.
I don't know if it was absolutely positively set in stone in that game against the Red Sox in September 1968 that Mantle wasn't coming back.
Well Dad Gum. Jest strap 'em back on, and git back in 'air. Hain't not cryin' in BASEBALL.
The game asks a lot of its Greats as music asks a lot from theres
Great post!
I'm stumped trying to find out who is the only other to have both Boston WS ring and White Sox WS ring.
Fisk
@@walterghent3162 Maybe I misunderstood Hawk, but I don't believe Fisk was on a winning WS team.
Melvin you hit the nail on the head
3.1 seconds to first
By far the fastest
I was in high school & college during Mick's greatest years. Track coaches at both levels said Mick had 'Olympic speed'.
Mickey drank ? So did Winston Churchill. He was paid to play baseball and he did it quite well. I never saw DiMaggio play or Babe Ruth or any of those greats but I did see Mickey more than once in person.
He played hurt all of the time.
Ruth drank too. So did Jimmy Foxx. So did several other all-time greats. It seems like you can get away with it playing baseball, unlike other sports....at least you could back then......Lou Gehrig didn't drink and look how he wound up.....
bahahaha , cheers friend @@joemarshall4226
I have a Joe DiMaggio ball, and Mickey on the wall.
I dont know this fella - but i bet hes a good dude -
Can’t hear him talk
A great tribute and wonderful to know that his friend Bobby Richardson let him to the Lord! Two of my heroes as a kid growing up in the late 50's and 60's.🥲
I can’t understand this video at all with this poor audio.
The least you could’ve done is put subtitles in.
Mickey Mantle and Bo Jackson...
I can't hear it.
Read Joe Pepitone's book.
Great stories about the "Mick"
Is there something the matter with this video's volume?
Cannot understand anything he said. Volume was way to low.
One of best players all time Switch hitter, great outfielder, had power, and played great in playoffs and Worldseries !!! That’s when it counts!!! Hard to beat !!!
sammyweed-Mantle never played in the playoffs. During his playing days, the World Series and postseason were synonymous. The playoffs weren't introduced until 1969 when MLB expanded to include the Montreal Expos, and the San Diego Padres, so the last pre expansion World Series was in 1968 when Mantle wrapped up his career.
And probably the fastest man in baseball in his younger days. Stengel said (quote approximate), “He’s got more speed than any slugger I ever saw and more slug than any speedster. It’s very confusing.”
No sound.
Harrelson's actual hero was himself.
never understood the trade to the indians
Grab some bench.😊
Rushmore of broadcasters for sale you got Frank Gifford you got Keith Jackson a little bit of a drive to spotted Rascal in the I think he's like that but then as we were together for a number of years began to diminish the thing with Howard, when was that the end
Kenny played for the Indians
That is why Mickey's rookie card went for over a million dollars
I remember seeing one at a card show in 1952 for $3500. I should have bought it, except I was only making $15,000 a year
Does anybody give a shit what Harrelson thinks?! Really?!?!?!?!?!
I'd bet most care more about what he thinks instead of what you think.
Horrible audio.
Lousy audio and video. Poor quality. Bad copy.
AWFUL AUDIO
yon gg healthy mantle greatest player ever=sorry willie, you didn't have his power- sorry babe you coudlknt field or steal bases. Tedddie ballgame-sorry-you were a good but not great fielder, nothing special on bas paths and over your career couldn't hit long ball like mickey mantle
Overrated. He's not in the 600 home run Club - like Willie. He has less than a .300 lifetime batting average. And he was certainly no Joe D.