Mickey Mantle was arguably the best switch hitter of all time. He collected a plethora of honors and records during his 18 year career. In this article one will learn the basics on the great Mickey Mantle.

Mickey Charles Mantle was born in Oklahoma on October 20, 1931. He was named after future Hall of Famer Mickey Cochrane. His dad, Mutt Mantle, taught his son everything he knew about baseball so Mickey wouldn’t have to work in the coal mines like him. Mickey took batting practice from both sides of the plate at a young age. This would make him extremely famous later on. Mickey Mantle was signed young by the New York Yankees. He would play his entire career in pinstripes. He would make his Major League debut in 1951 at the age of 19. He was the backup for the retiring Joe DiMaggio. In the 1951 World Series, Casey Stengal told Mickey to cover Joe if he couldn’t get to any balls. When a ball was hit, Mantle charged to get it. DiMaggio called him off, and Mickey’s spike got stuck in a drain when he was trying to stop his momentum. This would mark the first of many injuries in Mantle’s career. Mickey truly became a household name in 1956. In that year, he won the American League Triple Crown award. He led the league in home runs with 52, runs batted in (RBIs) with 130, and batting average with .353. He also led the league in runs with 132, slugging percentage with .705, and wins above replacement (WAR) with 11.0. He went on to win the Most Valuable Player award, too. Mickey would go on to have a season with similar numbers in 1961. That year, he and Roger Maris engaged in a grueling battle to beat Babe Ruth’s home run record. Maris would break the record due to Mantle’s season ending with injuries. Before the injury, Mantle crushed 54 home runs, drove in 128 RBIs, scored 132 runs, and posted a .317 batting average.

When Mantle finished his career, he stood with a Major League record for World Series home runs with 18 and home runs by a switch hitter with 536. Also, Mantle drove in 1,509 RBIs, scored an outstanding 1,677 runs, walked 1,733 times, posted a .298 batting average, and collected 2,415 career hits in 2,401 career games. Mickey also won the MVP award three times; in 1956, 1957, and in 1962. He won his first and only Gold Glove award in 1962. Mickey was a part of seven World Series teams. In 1974, Mickey Mantle’s number 7 was retired by the New York Yankees. Also that year, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame alongside former teammate Whitey Ford. Mickey Mantle passed away in 1995 due to a drinking problem. Despite his death, many Yankee fans still love Mickey. As one can see, Mickey Mantle is one of the greatest players in the history of Major League Baseball.