mickey mantle book Flashcards
mutt mantle
mickey’s dad
worked in the mines his whole life, eventually developed hodgkin’s disease as a result
- died 1952, while mickey was in the yankees
named mickey w the intent for him to become a pro baseball player….would practice w him when he wasn’t working
why was mickey so significant to america
bcs he represented a great white hope in response to black players entering baseball
- showed how things never really changed
- yankee dominance
showed american values i.e. happy family, success despite injury
issues in the cold war, showed america as a strong nation and democratic values
- never discussed political ideology, a blank slate for others to work with
what was mantle’s position
switch hitter, able to swing from both sides
skill chosen by mutt, who knew it would inc his chances of success
where did mickey come from
commerce, oklahoma
he struggled w moving to new york/manhatten, tho this was overemphasized by the press who wanted to describe him as a country man
what condition did mickey have
osetomyelitis, diagnosed in his childhood
bone disease
mickey’s first season w the yankees/spring training
immediately liked by the press as a golden child who was almost goldlike…they all called him the next joe dimaggio
made extreme stories about how incredible he was, and were disappointed when he couldn’t live up to these expectations
disliked for not enlisting in korean war
- his osteomyelitis made him ineligible
- joe dimaggio fought
- not very american of mickey
joe dimaggio
not liked as much as mickey bcs he spoke about politics
italian man when ppl were still upset about the war
casey stengel
yankees manager
really liked to talk a lot
saw mickey as a replacement for joe dimaggio
billy martin
mickey’s best friend, kind of the opposite of him…divorcee, troublemaker
an “average” player
after getting into a fight at the copa cabana, he was moved to another team
- mickey followed him blindly
- battle of the copa
had to take a leave for military service
why did mantle get sent back to the minor leagues
bcs he continuously struck out, and couldn’t keep up his high batting average/power
all of the expectations got to him, plus he was young and inexperienced in pro baseball
- as he got angry, he swung harder and missed more often
what motivated mickey to return to big leagues
his father, mutt
visited him at the hotel, and told him that he wouldn’t be a man if he didn’t try his hardest
- challenging his manhood motivated him the most
knew that he couldn’t let his father’s efforts go to waste
mickey mantle main injury
hurt when hard stop so he wouldn’t hit joe dimaggio
tore right knee internal ligaments, never got proper care or surgery…ACL
merlyn mantle
from oklahoma, married mickey under mutt’s recommendation
- bcs she was a rural girl, wouldn’t distract him like a city/showgirl might
he cheated on her like a million times
- she found out via an expose after his career ended
mickey was an absent father who left merlyn to raise his kids
- tho the media made it sound as tho he was an attentive dad and they had a happy marriage
red patterson
yankees publicist, popularized the idea of measuring home runs
“tape-measure home run” that only emphasized mantle’s legend
- every home run he made had to be estimated/measured
mantle’s injuries and public rxn
initially, thought he was weak and not beneficial to the team
- when he performed poorly
eventually, garnered public favour bcs made him humanized/an inspiration bcs of his dedication
- only when he was successful at the game
yogi berra
another yankee, catcher
also a product of media turning a player into a star
- was actually a crass person, but they made him into a punchline guy
who was the president
dwight david eisenhower
went to many games, tho was a senators fan
used baseball to promote his election, since baseball was “america’s game”
tv and baseball
owners were worried that TV would drive away spectators
- but they eventually came to rely on TV revenue to fund the games
actual reasons for decline in baseball popularity:
- people moving to the suburbs
- increasing entertainment options
- increasing immigrants who weren’t interested in baseball…black and italian pops that didn’t have representation
yankees got $1 million in TV revenue, which put them at an advantage comp to the rest of the league
- complaints that it was a monopoly
george weiss
yankees general manager
blackmailed mantle when he asked for an inc salary after the 1956 season to reflect his heroic status
- evidence of mickey’s affairs
- the owners didn’t want to put off their star player, so paid him the money
mantle and the press
quiet demeanor, never wanted to speak to sportswriters and often sent them away
- they didn’t write as favourably towards him
began to be more warm when he didn’t win MVP bcs of his social persona
- sportswriters elevated him to godlike status
babe ruth’s record
60 home runs in a single season
mantle wanted to achieve this in the 1956 season, as well as the triple crown (RBIs, batting avg, home runs) which ruth never won
- seemed like he could do it bcs he was several games ahead of ruth in terms of homers in the beginning
mantle ultimately did not win this title bcs of a slump in september, tho won the triple crown against ted williams
mantle and celebrity status
led into his problem drinking
- went to places w rocky marciano, billy martin, etc.
- didn’t have to pay
frequent at toots shor’s…was beloved bcs of his cheery demeanor and eagerness to drink/ability to “hold it”
sportswriters knew abt his behaviour, but never reported on it bcs of their dedication to elevate athletes
sold mickey as an innocent boy, vs babe ruth who was the sultan of swat….mantle leaned into this wholesome image
mantle commercial earnings
money from TV, commercials, show appearances
got opportunities that black players couldn’t get, even if they were successful within the league
- yankees especially never hired black athletes
ted williams
hitter, already late in his career
- wanted to be the best hitter of all time
- emphasis on technique and angles, whereas mantle just relied on muscle memory
in the race for the triple crown
valued his body in ways mantle never did
mantle and america’s post-war mentality
bigger is better
people wanted extravagance, efficiency, and to spend lots of money
mantle’s heights showed higher and higher success
his greatness fulfilled public desires
albert kaline
a young star on the tigers
also in the race for the triple crown, esp with RBIs
holly brooke
actress who mantle had an affair with
made a deal with alan savitt to own 25% of his deal with mantle
never profited off this deal, eventually made an expose about him
alan savitt
made a deal with mantle in his rookie season, basically a scam…the team basically nullified it but still had sway
greenies
amphetamines, used by players as pick me ups before games
many i.e. billy martin, used them in general to help w energy bcs of fatigue
dodgers vs yankees
sort of like a battle b/w corporate american and “true america”
- city folk vs rurual, working class
yankees fans seen as pretentious, overbearing in baseball
finalists in the 1956 season
rich vs poor
don larsen
starting pitcher for the yankees
won a perfect game, where no one on the dodgers got a base in nine innings
- not the winning game, but was definitely a win
