The Commerce Comet: Mickey Mantle

“You never have to wait long, or look far, to be reminded of how thin the line is between being a hero or a goat.”

Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), also known as “The Commerce Comet” or “The Mick”, was an American professional baseball player for the New York Yankees for 18 seasons, from 1951 through 1968. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974 and was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999.

Mantle was noted for his ability to hit for both average and power, especially tape-measure home runs. He won the Triple Crown in 1956, leading MLB in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in (RBI). He was an American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times and All-Star sixteen times, playing in 19 of the 20 All-Star games he was named to. Mantle appeared in 12 World Series, his team winning 7 of them. He holds the records for most World Series home runs (18), RBIs (40), runs (42), walks (43), extra-base hits (26), and total bases (123). He is also the career leader in walk-off home runs, with a combined thirteen, twelve in the regular season and one in the postseason.