I Love Mickey
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Mickey Mantle is a real lesson in legacy, baseball, and the human condition.
Mickey Mantle as legacy, is fascinating. In terms of baseball, he had all the tools to be the greatest baseball player who ever lived. He had wheels like Ichiro and power like McGwire. He was charismatic and funny. More than anything, Mantle benefited from an America who glorified him at the time of the advent of national television, when personal lives of public figures were still off limits. Kids idolized him, unknowing of his horribly abusive family life, and alcoholism.
Who wouldn't? He was charming and a God on the field. He won the Triple Crown in 1956, and belted 536 career home-runs (372 left, 164 right). This is the guy known for creating the tape-measure home-run. He hit balls regularly out of stadiums. He was MVP three times, played his entire career in the New York pinstripes and led the Yankees to 7 World Series championships.
The story of his career and life is rich and heartbreaking. While a good biography is an important read from time to time, this may not be the one for you unless you are a baseball fan. Let's face it, there are presidents and spiritual leaders to contend with in this category. That being said, Mickey Mantle is a national treasure if you are interested in Americana, the pop culture, and the societal trends of a relatively young nation.
Mickey Mantle as legacy, is fascinating. In terms of baseball, he had all the tools to be the greatest baseball player who ever lived. He had wheels like Ichiro and power like McGwire. He was charismatic and funny. More than anything, Mantle benefited from an America who glorified him at the time of the advent of national television, when personal lives of public figures were still off limits. Kids idolized him, unknowing of his horribly abusive family life, and alcoholism.
Who wouldn't? He was charming and a God on the field. He won the Triple Crown in 1956, and belted 536 career home-runs (372 left, 164 right). This is the guy known for creating the tape-measure home-run. He hit balls regularly out of stadiums. He was MVP three times, played his entire career in the New York pinstripes and led the Yankees to 7 World Series championships.
The story of his career and life is rich and heartbreaking. While a good biography is an important read from time to time, this may not be the one for you unless you are a baseball fan. Let's face it, there are presidents and spiritual leaders to contend with in this category. That being said, Mickey Mantle is a national treasure if you are interested in Americana, the pop culture, and the societal trends of a relatively young nation.
Posted byMaya Karp at 11:54 AM
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