1962 AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STAR
"Most valuable player award to the contrary, Mickey Mantle is considered the best of all American League performers by those who play against him. He has led the league in homers four times and been voted the MVP trophy twice. Recognized as the most powerful of all switch-hitters, Mantle now has 374 career homers, averaging 34 for each of his 11 seasons. His bag of 14 Series home runs is second only to Babe Ruth's all-time mark. He is considered the most complete performer in either circuit and his $80,000-plus salary, highest in the league, is proof.
Mantle was born in Spavinaw, Oklahoma. He set the major league mark by fanning more than 100 times for the sixth straight season."
-Don Schiffer, The 1962 Major League Baseball Handbook
"It's hard to believe that this is Mickey Mantle's 12th year as a Yankee. The 19-year-old youngster of 1951 is now a mature star and one of the genuine 'greats' of our national sport. Despite many noted accomplishments, the blond Bronx Bomber may yet be heading for his greatest season. Already he's won the American League's Most Valuable Player award twice and was the last Triple Crown winner in 1956- the year he also won the Sporting News designation as the 'Player of the Year' and was winner of the coveted Hickok Belt. The Mick ranks eighth on the all-time home run list with 374; has hit homers in one game from both sides of the plate a record eight times and needs only one more World Series homer to equal Babe Ruth's total of 15. He has averaged a homer every nine and a half times at bat. And these are only the more significant marks on his personal playing record sheet.
Under Manager Ralph Houk, Mickey has been the Yankee cleanup hitter in one of the most respected batting orders in baseball history. Along with Roger Maris, Mickey helped establish a new two-man home run record of 115 in a season, easily eclipsing the Ruth-Gehrig record (107) in 1927. Last year he led both leagues in slugging percentage with .687.
Now at the age of 30, Mickey Mantle should be approaching his peak as a star. But, as a team man, he is more interested in helping the Yankees gain their 10th American League pennant since he joined the club than in personal accomplishments."
-The New York Yankees Official 1962 Yearbook
One of seven to hit grand slam home run in World Series game, thereby tying record for most RBIs, one inning (4), October 4, 1953.
Hit three home runs in one game, May 13, 1955.
Led American League in home runs (37), 1955.
Led majors in slugging percentage (.611), 1955.
Led American League in home runs (52), 1956.
Led majors in slugging percentage (.705), 1956.
Last player to win Triple Crown, 1956.
Winner of Hickok Belt as Top Professional Athlete, 1956.
Most Valuable Player in American League, 1956.
Named Major League Player of the Year by The Sporting News, 1956.
Most Valuable Player in American League, 1957.
Led American League in home runs (42), 1958.
One of four to twice hit two home runs in one World Series game, October 2, 1958 and October 6, 1960.
Led American League in home runs (40), 1960.
Shares World Series record for most hits in one game (4), October 8, 1960.
Shares World Series record for most runs scored, seven-game World Series (8), 1960.
Led majors in slugging percentage (.687), 1961.
Led majors in slugging percentage (.605), 1962.
Most Valuable Player in American League, 1962.
Needs one more World Series home run to equal Babe Ruth's all-time record (15).
Has hit homers righty and lefty in the same game eight times, a major league record.
Ranks eighth on all-time home run list (374).
-1962 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide
"When Ralph Houk was named manager of the Bronx Bombers last season he said that he was counting on Mickey Mantle to be the team leader. Mantle, in turn, said that his number one goal for the 1961 campaign would be to help Houk win the pennant. Both Mantle and Houk delivered in fine fashion.
The thirty-year-old switch hitter, now in his 12th season with the Yankees, rapped American League pitchers for a solid .317 average, slugged 54 home runs and drove in 128 tallies. For the second straight year, he finished second to teammate Roger Maris in the Most Valuable Player poll.
Mickey missed 10 games and saw limited duty in a few others, but he and Maris were neck and neck in the home run derby until the final weeks of the season. The outfield duo broke the two-man mark, formerly held by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig with 107 in 1927 when they connected for 115 round-trippers. After Mick had belted no. 48 he turned to Maris and said, "Well, I beat my man (Gehrig), now it's up to you."
An abscess on his hip kept him shelved during most of the '61 World Series and prevented Mantle from equalling Babe Ruth's record of 15 HRs in the post season classic. Mickey has had 14, including the three against Pittsburgh in 1960 when hit Pirate pitchers for a gaudy .400 average.
A six-foot, 200-pounder, Mantle was the first member of the World's Champions to sign for the 1962 season. The contract is reportedly the second highest in club history, being topped only by Joe DiMaggio's $100,000. Unofficially the Bomber is now making $82,000, topping Ruth's high of $80,000 in 1932.
When he first joined the Yanks in 1951, Mantle was probably the most heralded rookie in big league history. As a minor league shortstop, he had compiled a .383 batting mark with Joplin of the Class C Western Association. The Yanks had intended to move him up in their farm system, probably to Class A, but his showing in spring training and those yard stick homers forced them to keep him with the varsity.
Mickey's fielding had been erratic as his 55 errors attest, so the Bombers moved him to the outfield. Mick opened the '51 campaign in right field. A slump forced the management to send him to their Kansas City farm in mid-season, but his .361 mark in the American Association soon had him back in the Bronx.
Mantle's rookie year saw him hit .267. He was injured in the World Series against the Giants but came back with a fine sophomore year, hitting .311 and .345 during the season and Series respectively.
With the Yankee Clipper's retirement at the end of the '51 season, the powerful youngster from Spavinaw, Oklahoma, became the center fielder for the Champions.
Against Russ Meyer of the Dodgers in the '53 Series, Mick connected for a grand slam homer. During the set with Brooklyn, he drove in seven runs.
Mickey won his first AL title in 1955 when he was the Junior Circuit's home run king with 37. He also shared three base honors, with 11 triples.
In 1956 he reached the high point of his career, winning the triple crown and was the recipient of the Hickok Belt as Top Professional Athlete of the Year. During the '56 campaign, he batted .353, smacked 52 circuit blows and sent 130 runs across the plate. He himself spiked home plate 132 times.
Mantle repeated as MVP in 1957 with a .365 batting mark, 34 HRs and 94 RBIs. In 1958 his BA slipped to .304, but his 42 four-baggers won him HR laurels.
In 1959 Mick tailed off to .285, came back over the .300 mark in '60 and broke loose last season. He was fourth among AL batters who qualified for the hitting crown.
Last season Mantle won the AL slugging crown, his third, having also been king in 1955 and 1957. Mick's 163 hits were good for 353 total bases and a .687 slugging percentage.
In addition to his power, Mantle has terrific speed on the bases. He's a top bunter and gets the extra base more often than not. His late father and grandfather taught him to be a two-way swinger when he was a youngster.
There have been arguments from time to time as to whether Mickey is better from the left or right side of the plate. In 1961 he batted .363 lefty and .296 righty, but he had 43 of his homers and 95 of his RBIs from the right side of the dish.
The Yankee team leader is married and has four sons. He and his family now reside in Dallas, Texas.
During the season, Mickey shares an apartment with Roger Maris and Bob Cerv. According to Cerv, the one thing never discussed in their dwelling is baseball.
However, Mantle's bat does its talking where it counts, on the ballfield."
-1962 Jay Publishing Yankees Yearbook
"All of a sudden Mickey became the statesman of baseball in 1961. He also hit 54 homers and batted .317 to reinforce his stature as the Yankee leader. At the age of 30, he could still mount the challenge to surpass Maris' new homer mark if he manages to stay healthy for a whole season."
-Tom Gallery (Director of Sports for NBC), NBC Complete Baseball 1962
No comments:
Post a Comment