Mickey Charles Mantle example essay topic

Mickey Charles Mantle was born on October 20, 1931, in Spavin aw, Oklahoma. Mantle's parents were named Elvin ("Mutt") and Lowell Mantle. His nickname was "The Mick", and he was a switch-hitter, who went on to win four home-run championships, a Triple Crown, and three most valuable player awards during his 18-year career with the New York Yankees. Mickey was barely out 2 years old before he was practicing baseball with his father who was a semi-pro baseball player.

Mutt Mantle was so involved with, baseball he named his first child after the Detroit Tigers catcher Mickey Cochrane. Mutt believed that the only way to excel in the major leagues was as a switch-hitter, so he taught his son to swing from both sides of the plate. Mickey mostly used his natural right-handed swing against his left-handed father, then would turn around and bat left-handed against his right-handed grandfather. Mantle played baseball and basketball at his high school in Commerce, Oklahoma, and was also a star halfback on the football team. During one game, however, he was kicked in the leg and developed osteomyelitis. This was a bone marrow disease that affected his future baseball career.

While playing high school baseball, Mantle impressed New York Yankee scout Tom Green wade, who signed him to a contract of $140 a week with a $1500 bonus. Mantle soon went to the Yankees minor league team in Independence, Kansas, in 1949 as a switch-hitting shortstop. After two years in the minor leagues, the Yankees invited him to their major league spring training camp. While their, he earned a place on the roster, and the New York media soon began comparing him to Babe Ruth and other past famous Yankee greats. Only 19 years old and two years out of high school, Mantle did not immediately live up to the public's high expectations. He started slowly in his new position, right field, and was sent back briefly to the minors.

Mantle's first year in the majors was not so consistent, and he received jeering from fans both in New York and around the league. His difficulties continued his father, Mutt Mantle, died of Hodgkin's disease at the age of 39 in the early part of 1952. Mantle had been very close to his father, and he took his death hard. Mantle was moved to center field when Joe DiMaggio retired from the Yankees.

He began to adjust to big-league play, and in 1952 batted. 311 with 23 home runs and 87 runs batted in (RBIs). During one game against the Washington Senators, Mantle hit a ball completely out of Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. Measured at 565 feet, the home run is believed to be the longest ever hit. The New York Yankees won the American League pennant and World Series during each of Mantle's first three seasons, from 1951 to 1953. During the 1952 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers, Mantle batted. 345 with two home runs.

In the 1953 Series, again against the Dodgers, he batted only. 208, but hit two more home runs. The Yankees won the pennant each year from 1955 to 1958, taking the World Series in 1956 and 1958. Mantle became a genuine superstar in 1956 when he won baseball's Triple Crown, with a. 353 batting average, 52 home runs, and 130 RBIs. He was also selected the American League's most valuable player (MVP).

In 1957 he hit. 365 and was again named the league MVP. Mantle ended the year with 54 home runs (his all-time high), and Maris hit 61 homers and created the new all-time record, which existed for three decades. Mantle continued to succeed even though his legs hurt most of the time from the osteomyelitis and other injuries.

In 1962, he was named American League MVP for the third time. Mantle became frustrated with his pain and with his many strikeouts. During the 1965 season he said, "It isn't any fun when things are like this. I'm only 33, but I feel like 40". Mantle continued to play through the 1968 season, and soon announced his retirement in the spring of 1969. Mantle left the Yankees with many great achievements.

In addition to hitting 536 lifetime home runs, he led the American League in homers four times and was chosen as its most valuable player three times. He is one of a few players to win a Triple Crown. He played on 12 pennant-winning and seven World Series-winning teams. He still holds the all-time record for home runs in World Series play (18) and as numerous other World Series records.

In 1974, Mantle was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame in his first year he was eligible. After retiring from baseball, Mantle went into a business career, opening a restaurant franchise and public relations for an Atlantic City casino. He also made appearances to sign autographs and play in celebrity golf tournaments. He also appeared in television commercials and small film roles. Mantle's career and personal life was mostly based on alcoholism. He had married Merlyn, a bank employee, in the 1950's and had four sons, David, Danny, Billy, and Mickey Jr.

Mantle was not their for much of their childhood, and had a reputation for his drinking and all-night carousing. He and his wife separated in 1988. Their son Billy died of heart failure in March of 1994 after being diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease, the same illness that had taken Mantle's father and grandfather at an early age. Mantle also thought he would eventually get Hodgkin's disease. Earlier in 1994, Mantle had stayed at the Betty Ford clinic to treat his alcoholism, but his liver was severally damaged from years of heavy drinking. He was diagnosed with cirrhosis, hepatitis, and cancer of the liver.

Although he received a liver transplant in June of 1995, the cancer had spread to most of his internal organs and Mantle died on August 13, 1995. In conclusion, you can see what this persons life was like. Mantel lived a good healthy life, but as soon as he started to drink, he began to damage his liver. He also later developed cancer because of his drinking addiction. You can clearly see what a drug or substance can do to a person, and how it can ruin their life. I think that if Mantle was a little more determined to stop drinking, or if he did not even start drinking, he would have lived longer.