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Fred YFrank, you sure know how to stir it up when it comes to Mantle!
Count me in w/ Ted, Jim, Todd and the others who believe Mantle was a million miles from being called "over-rated"!
I also grew up in the late '40's & during the complete Yankee-Mantle era. He was my boyhood idol and NO player could make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up like when Mickey came to the plate!
Had God given Mantle the good legs of Mays, he certainly would have played the 22 yrs that Mays got in as opposed to the 18, sometimes very partial yrs, that he did. There is also no doubt he would have passed Mays in ALMOST every statistical category!
Everyone marvels at Mays & his defensive skills, accentuated by his "catch" in the '54 WS, but how many remember the "catch" Mantle made to save Don Larsen's perfect game?
All said & done, Mays has the edge on paper, but NOT in hearts of America!