For Mickey Mantle fans....flashback to 60-year old event at USC

[tedzan]

Check out this story in today's LA Times on Mantle's tremendous hitting performance 60 years ago in an exhibition game at USC's ballpark
just prior to the start of the 1951 Major League season.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-...726,full.story


Do enjoy.

TED Z

[GoldenAge50s]

Great story Ted---Thanks for posting! I think you know how much I revered the Mick from Day 1!

[ls7plus]

The Mick truly was a monster. I remember him hitting one well over the right field roof at old Sportsman's Park in St. Louis in the '64 World Series, which wouldn't really have been all that special, except that it was hit while he was batting right-handed, thus to the opposite field! Also one that he hit against the Tigers, circa 1965 or 1966, batting left-handed, that cleared the 457-foot
marker in deepest left center in old Yankee Stadium on one short hop! In today's muscle parlance, they would say he had an amazing number of fast-twitch muscle fibers, especially in light of his awsome running speed before all the leg injuries (timed at 3.1 seconds to first base from the left side by stop-watch).

Long live the legend!

Larry

[shaunsteig]

Thanks for sharing Ted. As a Yankees fan growing up in the 80s, I'm simply in awe of the Yankees legends and envious of those who got to watch them play. Stories like this are very appreciated.

[GoldenAge50s]

As a kid who grew up watching baseball in the late '40's & fortunate enough to have seen Mantle, Williams, Mays, Aaron, Jackie Robinson, etc play in person, I have said before that only 1 player ever made the hairs on my neck tingle when he came to the plate and it was #7!

[scmavl]

Great read Ted, thanks!

[Kawika]

Originally Posted by GoldenAge50s

As a kid who grew up watching baseball in the late '40's & fortunate enough to have seen Mantle, Williams, Mays, Aaron, Jackie Robinson, etc play in person, I have said before that only 1 player ever made the hairs on my neck tingle when he came to the plate and it was #7!

Old age sucketh mightily but at least we got a front row seat on some great history.

[tedzan]

Originally Posted by GoldenAge50s

As a kid who grew up watching baseball in the late '40's & fortunate enough to have seen Mantle, Williams, Mays, Aaron, Jackie Robinson, etc play in person, I have said before that only 1 player ever made the hairs on my neck tingle when he came to the plate and it was #7!

I guess you're older than I thought. You must be catching up to me

Seeing super-stars like Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Mickey Mantle, Duke Snider, Willie Mays, Yogi Berra, Roy Campanella, and Jackie Robinson was great.

Also, players like Johnny Mize, Richie Ashburn, Phil Rizzuto, Pee Wee Reese, Tommy Henrich, Gil Hodges, Larry Doby, Nellie Fox, Billy Martin added to the excitement.

And pitchers like Satchell Paige, Allie Reynolds, Bob Feller, Don Larsen, Don Newcombe, Whitey Ford, Robin Roberts, Bobby Shantz, and my most favorite....Joe Page.
There will never be a combination middle relief/closer like Joe Page was in 1947 and 1949....he was absolutely tremendous. Bucky Harris or Casey Stengel would bring
"Fireman Joe" into the game in the 6th inning and Joe would shut down the opposition for 4 innings (not allowing a baserunner and striking out as many as 8 batters).
Jim Konstanty was another great reliever of that era.

Gee, I can go on naming many, many more.

Best regards ole friend, we were certainly fortunate to be born at the right time.

TED Z