Random Rise And Fall Of Mickey Mantl (14 items)

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  (#9) With 3 MVPs, 7 Rings, And 536 Homers, He Was Inducted Into Cooperstown

  Mantle was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974 - his first year of eligibility. Mantle captured a remarkable 88.2% of the vote. His induction alongside friend Whitey Ford - a dominant left-handed pitcher who played nearly his entire career with Mantle - was undoubtedly a great event.

  However, Mantle was having trouble making a new job stick. He tried investing in hotels and restaurants, but many of his picks failed.
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  (#1) His Father Was A Baseball Nut With Lofty Hopes For Mickey

  Even before Mickey was born, his father wanted to connect him to baseball. The elder Mantle, Elvin (or "Mutt") was a semipro player in his younger days and named his son after then-famous catcher Mickey Cochrane. 

  As soon as Mickey could run, Mutt began teaching him baseball in preparation for a future career. He even forced his son to learn how to switch hit before he entered high school.
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  (#6) He Became The Superstar Heir Apparent To Joe DiMaggio

  Throughout the 1950s and early '60s, Mantle achieved a level of success few ballplayers ever did. He was voted the American League MVP three times, and led the Yankees to seven World Series titles. As baseball's iconic franchise, the Yankees have always been headlined by a defining superstar - a role that Joe DiMaggio had fulfilled for more than a decade. DiMaggio retired at the conclusion of the 1951 season, just as Mantle was getting his feet wet in the major leagues, paving the way for him to take over as the face of the franchise.

  He became a media superstar synonymous with the best of American baseball, appearing on many magazine covers and television programs.
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  (#5) His Father Passed At The Age Of 39, And Mantle Began Drinking To Cope

  It was the 1951 World Series and Mantle had just been injured chasing down a fly ball. While helping his son into a taxi soon afterward, Mutt collapsed, and the two were taken to the hospital together. While Mantle received a clean bill of health after surgery, Mutt was diagnosed with Hodgkin's, which was virtually untreatable at the time.

  Mutt passed the following May at the age of 39, plunging his son into a sad mental state. Mantle credits his father's passing with sparking the heavy alcohol use that would haunt him for the rest of his life.
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  (#3) He Was Discovered At 16 And Fast-Tracked To The Majors At 19

  In the summer of 1948, 16-year-old Mantle and his family were approached by Yankees scout Tom Greenwade at a baseball game. Greenwade offered Mantle a position in the Yankees franchise.

  Mantle initially played in a Yankees-affiliated minor league team, but Yankee management was thoroughly impressed with his track record. He was soon brought in for major league training and made his official debut on the diamond in 1951.
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  (#2) He Was Diagnosed With A Rare Bone Disease At 14, Nearly Derailing His Career

  Mantle played other sports in high school, including football. During one game in 1946, he was badly kicked in the shin, and a serious infection developed.

  Mantle's parents took him to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with osteomyelitis and told his foot would have to be amputated. Fortunately, a second opinion at the Crippled Children's Hospital was much less serious: eight shots of penicillin a day.

  Mantle healed within weeks, but lingering effects would haunt his later career.

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