Posted By:
Pennsylvania TedI could fill up pages here talking about Mantle, but you answered your own question with......
"His "runs created" numbers are superior to other top hitters of his era - very, very important stat"
And, this is why I contend "Like Babe Ruth, Mantle was a WINNER". It isn't accidental, or perhaps
coincidental, that from 1952 to 1964 Mantle's Yankees won the American Championship 11 times,
and won 8 World Series. He was one of main forces why the Yankees won a lot of games during
those 13 years with his great clutch hitting, his all-around great plays, and his teamsmanship (I
recall him laying down many bunts to start a rally, or drive a runner in from 3rd). Batting lefty,
Mantle was the fastest runner in the American League getting to 1st base (3.0 seconds).
But, here is the real story behind the reason why Mantle cards are so high priced relative to other
players of his era. In 1980, when this hobby started to grow, three 1952 Topps Mantle cards were
sold in a Philadelphia auction for an unprecedented price of $10,000. This made the National news-
papers. Prior to this sale, a 1952 Topps Mantle in ExMt condition typically sold for about $500. Since,
that day in 1980, Mantle's card values have never looked back. There you go, that's basically how
Mantle's cards arrived at the prices they sell for.
TED Z