1966 Profile: Mickey Mantle

"Mickey Mantle, who is resigned to playing with injuries the way most people are to drinking their morning orange juice, limped to the poorest season of his career in 1965. A sore right shoulder, combined with his other perennial ailments, curtailed his productivity to 19 home runs and a .255 batting average in 122 games. Mickey has never fewer than 20 homers in a full season with the Yankees. A three-time winner of the MVP and the last man to win the Triple Crown, he has a lifetime batting average of .306 and he has hit 473 home runs. AL pitchers now throw him mostly fastballs because they say he doesn't get around on them as well as he once did."

-Jack Zanger, Major League Baseball 1966

"Mickey Mantle! That's a name baseball fans will remember as long the game is played.
Who can forget the 19-year-old speedster out of Commerce, Oklahoma playing his first game at Yankee Stadium in 1951?
Who will ever forget the great star who won three American League Most Valuable Player Awards having what he termed 'the greatest year any player could ever hope to have' ... 1956, when he was baseball's last Triple Crown winner (leading the league in hitting with .353, homers - 52, RBIs - 130) and gaining the coveted Hickock Belt?
Who will ever forget the hero coming off the bench from six weeks of inactivity because of a broken left foot, amid the greatest ovation possible, and hitting a game-tying home run against Baltimore in 1963?
Mickey, these were among your greatest thrills ... and we know there will be more!"

-The New York Yankees Official 1966 Yearbook

Signed by Yankee organization on June 13, 1949.
One of ten 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, 1964.
Led Majors in slugging percentage (.687), 1961.
Tied major league record by hitting four home runs in four consecutive at-bats, July 4-6, 1962.
Led Majors in slugging percentage (.605), 1962.
Most Valuable Player in American League, 1962.
Led Yankees in runs scored (92), home runs (35) and RBIs (111), 1964.
18 World Series home runs - a record.
Has hit homers righty and lefty in the same game 10 times, a major league record.
Ranks ninth on all-time home run list (473).

-1966 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide