New York Yankees Magic Moment No. 7: Mantle Goes Deep Against Roberts

by Travis G on Jul 6, 2011 9:00 AM EDT in New York Yankees Analysis

In 1955, Mickey Mantle was just 23 years old, but he was already cementing a place for himself in Cooperstown. He had the first elite season of his career, batting .303/.431/.611 (9.5 WAR), the best in baseball that season. In fact, there have barely been 100 seasons in history where a position player matched or exceeded Mantle's '55 WAR.

The fans were selecting the All-Stars by that time and chose the young Oklahoman as the AL's starting centerfielder. He was to face fellow future Hall of Famer Robin Roberts at the new County Stadium in Milwaukee. In the lineup, manager Al Lopez of the Indians put Nellie Fox and Ted Williams ahead of Mantle, and Yogi Berra and Al Kaline behind him. It was some lineup.

It didn't take long for Mantle to show he would dominate baseball for the next decade. Four batters into the game (after a wild pitch had already led to one run), Mantle stepped to the plate with runners on first and second. He cracked a home run to deep centerfield and the AL had a 4-0 lead before an out was made.

The NL staged a comeback though, eventually winning on a walkoff home run from Stan Musial in the 12th inning. It was only the second All-Star Game to go into extra innings.

Despite the AL blowing a 5-0 lead, it hardly put a dent in the Yankees' season, as they went on to win the pennant before losing to the "Boys of Summer" in a seven-game World Series. But everyone knew the Yankees' dynasty of greatness would continue with "The Mick," who had inherited the role from Joe DiMaggio (and before him Lou Gehrig, and Babe Ruth prior to him).

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Wonder what Mantle's WAR

was in 1956 when he won the triple crown?

"I don't want one of those guys who'll drive in two but let in three every game." Casey Stengel

by tnredneckyankeesfan on Jul 6, 2011 9:52 AM EDT reply actions

Baseball Reference has it at 12.9.

Usqueadbaugham! Anam muck an dhoul ! Did ye drink me doornail?

by Q-TDSK on Jul 6, 2011 10:08 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Remember when Mantle hit his homerun over the 22ft centerfield wall in Yankee stadium
over the 461ft sign. Also remember Mantle’s 2 hrs off the right field facade in in the upper
deck.

I remember the 643ft homerun over the roof in Detroit.

You wonder how Mantle, an alley hitter, could hit home runs in the old Yankee Stadium where
it was 457 ft in left center, 407ft in right center, & 461ft in dead center.

That Mantle played inthe era of “the dead ball and the elevated mound” only adds to the Mantle
legend.

Watching Robert Redford play The Natural and 1) hit a homerun while bleeding through his
uniform (Mantle hit a homerun also and suffered from an abscess, Redford’s character suffered
from an old gunshot wound), and 2) ending the game with a homerun off the light tower in right-
just reliving Mantle history.

Or remember the 1960 World series when a Pittsburgh announcer stated that Dick Stuart had
Mantle type power and had, in fact, been the ONLY player in major league history to reach/hit the
tower in centerfield. 5 minutes later Mantle hit a homerun OVER the light tower and probably
into another are code.

FINALLY, I THINK MANTLE HAD 2 SEASONS WHERE HE ACTUALLY WAS ON BASE MORE TIMES
THAN HE MADE OUTS. ONE OF THOSE SEASONS WAS 1957, I BELIEVE. HAS JETER OR RODRIGUEZ
EVER DONE THAT?

by frankiec on Jul 6, 2011 10:29 AM EDT reply actions

Jeter and Rodriguez have never had an OBP above .500.

Barry Bonds in 2004… .6094. EW.

"Believe deep down in your heart that you're destined to do great things." - Joe Paterno

Follow me @csm5206

by Chris McKeown on Jul 6, 2011 10:35 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

According to Baseball Reference, his only season with OBP > .500 was 1957. He had eight other seasons with OBP > .400. Lifetime OBP .421.

Mickey C

by Mickey C on Jul 6, 2011 10:57 AM EDT up reply actions

With those dimensions

the only way a right handed hitter could hit lots of HR in YS was to be a dead pull hitter like Tommy Heinrich/

"I don't want one of those guys who'll drive in two but let in three every game." Casey Stengel

by tnredneckyankeesfan on Jul 6, 2011 4:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Oops, left out that Mantle played in an era of the “dead ball”.
When everyone and his grandmother was pitching shutouts
and guys like Gibson, Koufax, & Drysdale were tearing up
the league, MLB chose to juice up the ball, lower the pitching
mound, and over time reduce the size of MLB ball parks.

by frankiec on Jul 6, 2011 10:39 AM EDT reply actions