What’s the obsession with Mickey Mantle?

[clydepepper]

Originally Posted by rats60

Bill James has Mantle 6th. He has Mays 3rd behind only Ruth and Wagner. So why isn't Willie Mays the face of post-war baseball cards? It is a valid question.

RACE, my friend, RACE

[rats60]

Originally Posted by clydepepper

RACE, my friend, RACE

Then why aren't Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente cards cheap? They are black and their cards are worth more than Ted Williams.

[Mark70Z]

Originally Posted by clydepepper

RACE, my friend, RACE

It may have to do with race with certain individuals, but I wouldn’t collect anything Mays because, in my experience, he’s just not a nice person. I couldn’t collect someone that I didn’t like off the field as well as on. That’s just me though.

[barrysloate]

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.

[KCRfan1]

To coat tail on Barry's comment, Mantle played in New York - the media capital of the world. Not just in print but television as well despite TV being in its infancy.

It was a perfect storm.

A blond blue eyed, good looking kid, playing the National pastime in the media capital of the world. Most of the population of the country was within 800 miles of NY, so it's easy to see how Mantle was known. Taking over centerfield that was played by an icon, Joe DiMaggio.

The Yankees were perennial pennant winners.

Our heroes were larger than life then, free from media scrutiny. There was no internet or cellphone, instant news, "gotcha" moments.

I couldn't tell you a sports persona today that's even close to Mantle.

[Case12]

In the 60's my first bat was a Mickey Mantle. Like all kids I almost slept with that bat and stared at his name falling asleep. He was legendary to me. To add to this for me was Johnny Bench. My first glove was a Bench catchers mit. Everytime I oiled it, put it under the matress or caught a ball I saw his name. For a baby boomer these names remain nostalgic to me.

And for real I put bubblegum cards in the spokes of my bicycle wheels with clothes pens. Who knows how many special cards got that 'sensation' for a young kid.

[Case12]

BTW, Bart Starr holds that same nostalgia for me. I fell asleep starring at his poster every night. (Now moving into my early teens the poster was replaced with Farah Fawcett. ...won't share the details of that one :-)