What’s the obsession with Mickey Mantle?

[The Nasty Nati]

Originally Posted by Lordstan

Plus there is this letter.
Warning : Defintely not suitable for work.

https://www.somethingawful.com/news/micks-lost-letters/

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Haha are these real?

EDIT: This can't be real, but great spoof.

[Exhibitman]

The comparison with Ryan is one I hadn't considered but is very useful for collectors of my generation (X) to consider the question through. I am a huge Ryan fan. I recognize that there were better pitchers in his generation. Doesn't matter. Statistics do not define the appeal of Nolan Ryan. It was just so exciting every time he went to the mound. Seaver or Carlton was a better pitcher but there wasn't the potential for a 10+ K no-no whenever he went up there. With Ryan, you never knew, other than you were going to see an explosive fastball and a wicked curve and the hitters were going to catch him or not. He was a gunslinger as a starter. What appealed to me is that from 72-79 he led the league in K's seven times but also walked the most batters six times and is #1 all time in fewest hits per 9 innings. He has the most Ks and the most BBs and the most no-hitters in history. It was crazy fun whenever he went out there: if a player got on it was rare for the next guy to do much with it. I suspect Mantle was the same way: he might not have been the best in the game (though for a couple of seasons, I think he was), but there was always the possibility that he busts one out of the stadium.

It's charisma: you can't fake it. Mantle had it. Mays not.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

It's charisma: you can't fake it. Mantle had it. Mays not.

I don't think that's fair. I think over time Mays became more reticent and later in life was by most accounts often sullen, but as a young man from what I can tell he had lots of charisma and played the game with an unrivaled joie de vivre.

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

The comparison with Ryan is one I hadn't considered but is very useful for collectors of my generation (X) to consider the question through. I am a huge Ryan fan. I recognize that there were better pitchers in his generation. Doesn't matter. Statistics do not define the appeal of Nolan Ryan. It was just so exciting every time he went to the mound. Seaver or Carlton was a better pitcher but there wasn't the potential for a 10+ K no-no whenever he went up there. With Ryan, you never knew, other than you were going to see an explosive fastball and a wicked curve and the hitters were going to catch him or not. He was a gunslinger as a starter. What appealed to me is that from 72-79 he led the league in K's seven times but also walked the most batters six times and is #1 all time in fewest hits per 9 innings. He has the most Ks and the most BBs and the most no-hitters in history. It was crazy fun whenever he went out there: if a player got on it was rare for the next guy to do much with it. I suspect Mantle was the same way: he might not have been the best in the game (though for a couple of seasons, I think he was), but there was always the possibility that he busts one out of the stadium.

It's charisma: you can't fake it. Mantle had it. Mays not.

Agreed on the Ryan comparison. Ryan was the closest thing my generation had (I'm also X but late X...) to Mantle. I'm 41 and started collecting in 1986. My first person in the hobby like that was, well...Mantle - because he was still alive, doing shows, and routinely graced the "hot" list in each month's Beckett when it came in the mail. When I was about 10 or 11 years old, the kid down the street traded me an absoulety destroyed, water-damaged '65 Topps Mantle #350. I was on cloud 9 for weeks - figuring I had just landed something that should be on display in Cooperstown. After Nolan went to the Rangers in '89 and the handwriting on the wall for all the marks he stood to break became apparent, he was solid gold. There was no more popular player in the sport of baseball - and even after he retired in the hobby - for the next 5-7 years probably.

I never thought of it this way, but yes - there are some players, a select few per generation - that can transcend like that. Mantle and Nolan are probably the two most notable in the card hobby today - that would be my argument at least.

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by The Nasty Nati

Haha are these real?

EDIT: This can't be real, but great spoof.

It’s real. It’s his handwriting, and the rest of the historical details line up...


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[Jobu]

The Mickey Mantle obsession I understand. Derek Jeter I do not.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Jobu

The Mickey Mantle obsession I understand. Derek Jeter I do not.

I don't understand the Mickey Mantle obsession, probably because he retired about the same time I was born. So I never got to see him play or be part of the excitement of all the WS rings.

Now Derek Jeter I completely understand. At first I hated on him but after watching him play for many years I learned to highly respect his game. Just name 1 person who tried harder every day on the field than he did.

[Rich Falvo]

I don't think it's an either/or debate. I do understand the appeal of Mantle. But I am also sometimes surprised at the prices of some of his cards, especially his common 60's Topps base cards.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Jeter is easy to understand. New York Yankees is about 50 percent and the other half is that in an era of drugs, prima donnas, and a$$holes, he was the clean-cut, squeaky clean, respectful, modest All American young man. And having a foil in ARod just highlighted those qualities all the more, particularly when he did well in post-season and for a while ARod underperformed.

[MVSNYC]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Jeter is easy to understand. New York Yankees is about 50 percent and the other half is that in an era of drugs, prima donnas, and a$$holes, he was the clean-cut, squeaky clean, respectful, modest All American young man.

He also had a strong work ethic, was clutch, and has the 6th most hits all-time.

[Directly]

The year was 1964, the first year I began to collect baseball cards. Being a paper boy after receiving my large salary of $3.00 I would race to the local drug store to spend all my hard earned money --loved the Gum, and the little metal coins storing them for safe keeping inside a brown grocery bag. Around this time upon visiting my older cousin I advised my passion--Donnie advised he had a bag full and trotted up into the attic to retrieve those hundred or so little pieces of cardboard gold--upon opening the sack he began to sort them--when he came upon a double he would hand it to me, saying you can have it---WOW--never before had I seen those type of baseball cards, turned out they were all mint 1957 Topps. After completing his task at hand, I mentioned, you have two Mantles--can I have one, you have two? NO he
replied in a rather stern youthful voice--No way that's Mickey Mantle---

So the first Mantle I pulled was the the same year, 1964 so to protect my rare find, with a nickel I purchase a holder from a vending machine and laminated my prize!!

[vthobby]

Originally Posted by Directly

The year was 1964, the first year I began to collect baseball cards. Being a paper boy after receiving my large salary of $3.00 I would race to the local drug store to spend all my hard earned money --loved the Gum, and the little metal coins storing them for safe keeping inside a brown grocery bag. Around this time upon visiting my older cousin I advised my passion--Donnie advised he had a bag full and trotted up into the attic to retrieve those hundred or so little pieces of cardboard gold--upon opening the sack he began to sort them--when he came upon a double he would hand it to me, saying you can have it---WOW--never before had I seen those type of baseball cards, turned out they were all mint 1957 Topps. After completing his task at hand, I mentioned, you have two Mantles--can I have one, you have two? NO he
replied in a rather stern youthful voice--No way that's Mickey Mantle---

So the first Mantle I pulled was the the same year, 1964 so to protect my rare find, with a nickel I purchase a holder from a vending machine and laminated my prize!!

Thanks for sharing. My 1st packs were 1976. 7 for $1.05. I had a reverse trade story, my "friend" offered me a stack of 30 cards for just 1 of my cards. I'm like who the heck is Henry Aaron? I was young and not too into the game but that start got me into it so bad that it is a large part of my life today. Live, breathe, sleep collectibles! Thanks again for sharing!

Peace, Mike

PS Quick related trivia....what HOF player started in the same city that he retired in BUT played there for 2 separate teams? .............Henry "Hank" Aaron, Milwaukee Braves and Milwaukee Brewers! Love that trivia question!

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by jchcollins

It’s real. It’s his handwriting, and the rest of the historical details line up...


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Ok, I actually looked at the link that was posted. The '73 letter (the BJ story) I have always understood to be real. The other things up there are in different handwriting (but with the same signature) and those look to me to be fakes.