Although Mantle struggled early in his career, he was known for hitting prodigious home runs, most famously the 565-foot blast at Griffith Stadium in 1953, and the ball that nearly went out of Yankee Stadium, just missing when it hit the top of the facade in right field. These blasts help cement his Paul Bunyon reputation, but it was just one factor of many.
He was a blue-eyed blonde-haired kid from the hardscrabble town of Commerce, Oklahoma, who came to the big city and became its hero; he played for the best team in baseball, which won the World Series nearly every year; he played in the 1950's, arguably one of the Golden Ages of baseball; and he won back-to-back MVP's, including the Triple Crown in 1956. All of these things, including others, cemented his legendary status.
If you grew up in the 1950's and 60's and followed baseball, you would understand why Mantle was so beloved. Just looking at his stats today only tells a part of the story.
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