[43][44], As a 19-year-old rookie playing right field in his first World Series, Mantle tore the cartilage in his right knee on a fly ball hit by Willie Mays. Mantle had his breakout season in 1956 after showing progressive improvement each of his first five years. His transplant revived a debate over whether an alcoholic, even a recovering one, deserves a new liver, and whether his celebrity status had increased his chances of getting one. American professional baseball player Mickey Mantle had an estimated net worth of $12 million dollars at the time of his death, in 1995. I won't live long enough." [10] He hit .267 with 13 home runs and 65 RBI in 96 games. He was the storybook star with the storybook name, Mickey, or simply Mick, or Slick to Martin and Ford, who were also known as Slick to one another. August 14, 1995. Mantle died at 2:10 A.M. Eastern time at Baylor University Medical Center, succumbing to the disease that had spread from his liver to most of his other vital organs. NEW YORK A mint condition Mickey Mantle baseball card sold for $12.6 million Sunday, blasting into the record books as the most ever paid for sports memorabilia in a market that has grown. Not known Mickey Mantle Salary Detail. During the game, Mantle hit three home runs. [10], Mantle was called up to the Yankees after 40 games with Kansas City, this time wearing uniform #7. He checked into the Betty Ford Clinic on January 7, 1994 after being told by a doctor that his liver was so badly damaged from almost 40 years of drinking that it "looked like a doorstop". "[47][63], Mantle's wife and sons all completed treatment for alcoholism and told him that he needed to do the same. Mickey Mantle was an American professional baseball player who had a net worth of $10 million at the time of his death. [71] Richardson recited the same poem (God's Hall of Fame), which was written by a baseball fan, at Roger Maris's funeral. The team won the pennant by 25 games, and the following spring, he was in Phoenix as a rookie with the Yankees. [65] He said that he was telling the same old stories, and realizing how many of them involved being drunk, including at least one drunk-driving accident, he decided they were not funny any more. He was 63 years old. His spouse is Merlyn Mantle (m. 1951-1995). He is the only player in history to hit 150 home runs from both sides of the plate. The cause was complications of cancer, his family said. [61] Before Mantle sought treatment for alcoholism, he admitted that his hard living had hurt both his playing and his family. [66] In eulogizing Mantle, sportscaster Bob Costas described him as "a fragile hero to whom we had an emotional attachment so strong and lasting that it defied logic. Through all the adversity, he exhibited a quiet but shrewd wit that he often unfurled in a down-home Oklahoma drawl. SGC 5. Mantle played for the New York Yankees his entire Major . Although he was a feared power hitter from either side of the plate and hit more home runs batting left-handed than right, Mantle considered himself a better right-handed hitter. He was survived by his wife, Merlyn (Johnson) Mantle, and three sons: David, Danny and Mickey Jr. His fourth son, Billy, had earlier died of Hodgkins disease. He was separated from Merlyn, his wife of 43 years, although they remained friendly. He sought treatment for alcoholism in 1994 when he checked in to the Betty Ford Clinic. On August 12, 1964, he hit one whose distance was undoubted: a center field drive that cleared the 22-foot (6.7m) batter's eye screen, some 75' beyond the 461-foot (141m) marker at the Stadium. ESPN's SportsCentury series that ran in 1999 ranked him No. Although his batting average was his lowest since his rookie year, his league-leading 40 home runs and 94 runs batted in, saw him come in a close second to Roger Maris's MVP award. All combined, Mantle earned $1.12 million during his career. Submit a correction suggestion and help us fix it! It was that year, also, he was timed running from home plate to first base in 3.1 seconds, considered outstanding for a heavy hitter. The team played the rest of the season with black mourning bands topped by a number 7 on their left sleeves. . Mickey Mantle was born in Spavinaw, Oklahoma in October 1931 and passed away in August 1995. [29] On June 5, he tried to prevent a home run by Brooks Robinson in Baltimore when his shoe spikes were caught in the center field chain-link fence as he leaped against the fence for the ball and was coming down. "He struck out only 1,500 times. We didn't even have chairs then; we had boxes instead of chairs, and linoleum on the floor. Mantle signed for $140 per month (equivalent to $1,600 in 2021) with a $1,500 signing bonus (equivalent to $17,100 in 2021). He did, however, regain his status, hitting .330 in the second half of 1958, and leading his team back to the Series. "No boy ever loved his father more," he said. When Mantle called it quits in March 1969, he became a restaurateur, television commentator, and appeared in numerous commercials for various products. All Truth Of Leland Chapman's Wife - Jamie . Net Worth 2020. He admitted that he had often been cruel and hurtful to family, friends, and fans because of his alcoholism, and sought to make amends. The following year, he became the highest-paid player in baseball by signing a $75,000 contract, which was incredibly high at the time. [48] In 1972 he served as a part-time television commentator for the Montreal Expos. In 1962, he became the highest-paid player in baseball with a $90,000 per year contract. Mantle was born on October 20, 1931 in Spavinaw, Oklahoma to parents Lovell and Elvin "Mutt" Mantle. As the years passed, Mantle frequently used a line popularized by football legend Bobby Layne, a Dallas neighbor and friend who also died in part from alcohol abuse: "If I'd known I was gonna live this long, I'd have taken a lot better care of myself. [27] DiMaggio, Hank Greenberg, and Ted Williams, who had just retired, had been paid over $100,000 in a season, and Ruth had a peak salary of $80,000. [8] Despite his accolades on the field, Mantle's private life was plagued with tumult and tragedy, including a well-publicized bout with alcoholism that led to his death from liver cancer. What was Mickey Mantle worth when he died? ", Said Gene Woodling, who played in the outfield beside Mantle for four seasons: "What can you say about Mickey after you say he was one of the greatest?" Two Armed Forces physicals were ordered, including a highly publicized exam on November 4, 1952, which was brought on by his All-Star selection, that ended in a final rejection. His life in baseball and afterward was the pith and marrow of a basic . She died on August 10, 2009 in Plano, Texas, USA. (Another story says, he was badly injured playing touch football, at home, in the late summer of that year). The ball went over the center field fence, which was 460 feet from home plate. Aberback, Brian (September 7, 2017). I mean, she sewed them right on me. Maris did not follow suit, and many in the press viewed him as surly. Mickey Charles Mantle was born in Spavinaw, Okla., on Oct. 20, 1931. He not only hit the ball, he hammered it. Mickey Mantle's net worth at death was $10 million dollars. Mantle was invited to the Yankees instructional camp before the 1951 season. You see, when you have a prairie fire, if you don't clean out a 10-yard spot around a telephone pole, it will burn the telephone pole out, and it will cost you a lot of money. When Mantle was 4 years old, his father would come home from work and teach him how to swing the bat from both sides of the plate while his mother held dinner for them until there was no more daylight. In 1974 Mantle was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot. Mantle's original plaque, along with DiMaggio's, are now on display at the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center, with the DiMaggio plaque still hung higher than Mantle's. The next summer, at 18, he played Class C ball in Joplin, Mo., where he hit .383 but made 55 errors in 137 games at shortstop, mostly on wild throws to first base. The season was bad for the Yankees, too, as they finished third. Mantle began his professional career in baseball in Kansas with the semi-professional Baxter Springs Whiz Kids. (His batting average closed 61 points lower than the previous year). Mickey Mantle is one of the greatest baseball players ever. In 1962, Mantle batted .321 in 121 games. He was the blond, muscled switch-hitter who joined the Yankees at 19 in 1951 as DiMaggio was winding down his Hall of Fame career. Mickey Mantle Height, Weight & Measurements At 64 years old, Mickey Mantle height is 6' (1.83 m) . A decades-old, mint-condition Mickey Mantle baseball card could break a record at auction. 7 Is Retired", "Quite A Day For Mickey at Proud Yankee Stadium", "Everyone Agrees: Steinbrenner's Plaque Is Big", "Monument of Babe Ruth removed: Artifact will make its way to new Yankee Stadium by year's end", "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement", "Baseball Card Sold for $12.6 Million, Breaking Record - The 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle baseball card is the most valuable piece of sports memorabilia ever to be sold at auction", "2017 Topps Baseball Brings #7 Out of Retirement", "About | Oklahoma City RedHawks Ballpark", "A Mickey Mantle Rookie Card Sells for $12.6 Million at Auction", "The man who sold the most valuable sports card of all time - Anthony Giordano got a record $12.6 million for a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle", "Mickey Mantle Named Outstanding Male Athlete Of Year: Yankee Star Leads Field By Overwhelming Margin", "To Fans of 40 Years, Teresa Brewer Meant 'Music! Mickey Mantle was one of the greatest players in MLB history for nearly two decades with the New York Yankees. [40] His 372 to-164 home run disparity was due to Mantle having batted left-handed much more often, as the large majority of pitchers are right-handed. This is based on data from the 2016 book The New York Times Best Seller List for Books About Money - published annually by the New York Times Magazine. Mickey Mantle Net Worth At Death. Due to his parents' quick action in driving him to a hospital in Oklahoma City, his leg was saved from amputation. In 1957, Mantle won his second consecutive MVP award. [82] Topps unretired the #7 in 2006 to use exclusively for cards of Mantle in the current year's design. You can come back to Oklahoma and work the mines with me. The Daily News reported it as a 502-foot homer. [47] Joe Collins, who played with him from 1951 through 1957, recalled that "Mickey was the type of guy who cared about you as a person. He led the American League in home runs four times (in 1955, 1956, 1958 and 1960) and led the league in almost everything in 1956, when he won the triple crown with these totals: a .353 batting average, 130 runs batted in and 52 home runs. I did it 1,710 times.". [30] In 1964, Mantle hit .303 with 35 home runs and 111 RBIs, and played center field in the All-Star game. 37 in its "50 Greatest Athletes" series. He played in 2,401 games and went to bat 8,102 times -- more than any other Yankee -- and delivered 2,415 hits for a .298 batting average. Is Mickey Mantle in the Hall of Fame? Alex Rodriguez Has Finally Gotten His Last Paycheck From The MLB How Much Did He Make. [16] Mantle hit his first professional home run on June 30, 1949, at Shulthis Stadium. In 1994, while presiding over Mickey Mantle's restaurant in Manhattan as a greeter, he entered the Betty Ford Center in Palm Springs, Calif., to undergo treatment for alcoholism. Yankees slugger who was named American League MVP in 1960 and 1961 and beat out Mickey Mantle for Babe Ruth's home run record in 1961. [17] In 1950, Mantle was promoted to the Class-C Joplin Miners of the Western Association. [84] That same year, Mantle was one of 100 nominees for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team, and was chosen by fan balloting as one of the team's outfielders. Mickey Mantle weighed 195 lbs (88 kg) when playing. He hit 344 doubles, 72 triples and 536 home runs (373 left-handed, 163 right-handed), and he knocked in 1,509 runs. I guess he even protected me. He continued to be a solid player for the Yankees over the next few years and had his breakout season in 1956. By the close of the 1950s, with numerous individual awards and multiple World Series titles, Mantles contract had increased to $70,000. At the time, doctors said he would die within two to three weeks if he did not receive a new organ. I think I hit two more home runs that night. Mickey Mantle keeps his personal and love life private. [74], Mantle was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1964. Although his injury affected his upper cut from the right side, it still can be said he was not injured in 1958. Mantles first baseball contract in 1951 paid him $5,000. 1959 is said to be his only "off season" in his prime, and historians point to 75 runs batted in as particularly low for him. Like Mickey, Merlyn and three of their sons became alcoholics,[56] and Billy developed Hodgkin's disease, as had several previous men in Mantle's family. "[18], After a brief slump, Mantle was sent down to the Yankees' top farm team, the Kansas City Blues. Mantle, playing right field, raced for the ball together with center fielder Joe DiMaggio, who called for the ball (and made the catch). "I also broke Babe Ruth's record for strikeouts," Mantle said. During their empire years, the Yankees built on the mountains of success they had fashioned in the days since Ruth joined them in 1920. Mantle won three American League MVP Awards and was a four time AL home run leader and one time AL RBI leader. Mantle was reinstated on March 18, 1985 by Kuhn's successor Peter Ueberroth. [59][60], Mantle allegedly took his first drink of alcohol at age 19, when teammate Hank Bauer gave him a beer that he "chugged as if it were soda pop", according to baseball historian Frank Russo. Mantle and former teammate Whitey Ford were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame together in 1974, Mantle's first year of eligibility, Ford's second.[81]. Mantle finished with 54 home runs while leading the American league in runs scored and walks. He also hit 26 home runs and recorded 136 runs batted in. He took such an all-out swing at the ball that he struck out regularly and broke the record set two generations earlier by Ruth. Mickey Mantle Original 1969 Topps Baseball Card #500. The first, he often was not. That amount combined with his restaurant business and endorsements deals after he retired, Mantle's net worth was $10 million when he died in 1995. When you consider how successful Mantle was for such a sustained period of time and how other players made the same or more money, he was vastly underpaid for his career. Despite the fears of those who knew him that this tragedy would send him back to drinking, Mantle remained sober. The doctor bluntly told Mantle that the damage to his system was so severe that "your next drink could be your last." After adjusting for inflation, he earned around $9 million from his various contracts. Overall, he hit slightly more home runs away (270) than home (266). [55] In an autobiography, Mantle said that he had married Merlyn not out of love, but because he was told to by his domineering father. People chose instead to remember his baseball feats, unforgettably part of the heroic character he portrayed. Roger Eugene Maris (September 10, 1934 - December 14, 1985) was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). In that season, he also hit another long home run at Yankee Stadium to left-center field that was reported to have traveled 502 feet.