Graig great response and I love your artwork. Obviously no talent was squandered there. MVSNYC I have read that before and it is a great piece of writing. Oldtix, I live in the Northwest and used to have the same feelings about Griffey so that explanation I can definitely understand. I have seen the HBO documentary and enjoyed it. I actually own a copy.
In 1991 Mantle was signing at a show in Portland I went with a friend who was eleven years my senior. He and I played quite a bit of softball together. He absolutely crushed the ball and would trot around the bases like Mantle after hitting one out. I used to tease him about it. He swore he wasn’t doing it. He was 39 at the time and claimed he had always run like that. I had invited him to many other shows with signers and he always declined. When I told him about the Mantle show he immediately volunteered to drive. He was not a collector. He simply wanted see Mantle in person and perhaps shake his hand.
The Saturday show had a Yankee theme. I think Chambliss, Bauer, and Skowron were there as well. I was happy to get a couple of autographs and shake Mantle's hand. He was really quite gracious and every bit the gentleman. When my friend followed me in line I was shocked to see that as he extended his hand he was crying and unable to speak. I was stunned. Mantle shook his hand and asked my friend where he was from. As he listened to my friend’s virtually incoherent answer, Mantle ignored his display of emotion and thanked him for coming. I stayed for a while and watched the scene repeat itself numerous times with other middle aged men. This was not adulation it bordered on worship. I had not seen anything like it before, nor have I since. As we made the two hour drive home I asked my friend why so many were moved to tears by Mantle. He looked at me and said, “I’m glad I wasn’t one of them. I thought I was going to lose it for a moment.” He was totally unaware of his own display of emotion. Fearing that I would embarrass him I dropped the subject.
Since that day I have wondered what I am missing. I loved both Aaron and Clemente and am proud to have named my only son after both of them. In 1972 I wept as only a 9 year old can at the news of Clemente’s death. I met Hank Aaron in the mid 1990’s and was thrilled at the opportunity to speak with him and get an autograph as well. I thought that I would be as touched by the experience as my friend was by Mantle. I was not. Every time I see my own Mantle ball from that day I am reminded of the emotion I witnessed that day. I love the game. As an adult I have only been moved to tears by the Indians loss in the 1997 World Series. However, no individual player has ever evoked in me the emotion I witnessed that day in Portland. Thanks for the great responses. Perhaps I will never truly understand the Mantle phenomena but I remain fascinated by people’s reaction to the man.
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