Up on the blog today, we add the great Mickey mantle to my on-going 1971 "Minor League Days: Legends Edition", celebrating all-time greats before they made the "Big Show":
Mantle
was an 18-year-old when he suited up for the Joplin Miners in 1950,
absolutely tearing the cover off the ball to the tune of a .383 batting
average, with 199 hits, 30 of those doubles, 12 triples and 26 homers.
The
following season he moved on to the Kansas City Blues in Triple-A,
where he put in 40 games and was hitting .361 before getting the call up
to the Major Leagues.
As far as his Big League accomplishments?
Well, Mantle is one of those guys I really don't think we need to get
into as far as his tenure on the baseball diamond. It'd be kind
of a joke to start writing about his career since it would take up
a book's worth.
But alas, 500+ homers, a bushel of World Championships, three Most
Valuable Player Awards, and the hearts of more fans than we can even
imagine to this day.
"The Mick" in all his glory, enshrined in his rightful place in
Cooperstown, along with his longtime buddy Whitey Ford in the same HOF
class.
One of the great icons of the sport over its 150+ year history.
Not too bad a Hollywood script...
