Our Favorite Ballplayers: From Mickey Mantle to Jacob deGrom

Drawing by Brian Bateman for “Mickey Mantle Day in Amsterdam”

My first memories as a baseball fan all involve Mickey Mantle. Growing up in upstate New York during the late 1950s, the only team anyone talked about was the Yankees, and, of course, Mickey Mantle was the most popular Yankee of them all. When my friends and I played Wiffle ball in the back yard or organized pick-up games at the nearby field, we all eagerly claimed to be “The Mick” that day.

Then, when we were old enough to actually play in our local Little League, we all begged the coach to let us play centerfield or, even better, wear number seven. A few of us even tried to switch hit, a task that looked so easy when Mickey did it, but a task that was almost impossible for this tall, gawky, uncoordinated first baseman. Watching Mickey Mantle play on TV and following his exploits in the daily newspaper served as the cornerstone of my youth, and the only experience that topped those activities was periodically making the pilgrimage to Yankee Stadium to see him play in person.

Souvenirs Tell Stories — Part 4: A New York Yankee Pennant from My First Game at the Stadium

Unfortunately, like all great adventures, my time with The Mick came to an end…