21 Mickey Mantle Facts You Need to Know!

No, Mickey Mantle died on August 13, 1995. He was 63 years old.

Mickey Mantle died of liver cancer that had spread to other parts of his body, despite having received a liver transplant in June of 1995,

Mantle tripped over a drainage tile in the outfield at Yankee Stadium during Game 2 of the 1951 World Series after his rookie season.

The Commerce Comet was attempting to clear room for teammate Joe DiMaggio, who called for the catch on a ball hit by New York Giants rookie Willie Mays.

After his career ended after the 1968 season (during Spring Training of 1969), it was determined that Mantle had played all those years with a torn ACL in his knee without ever having it repaired.

Even with that impediment, Mantle put together an inimitable career, including a World Series ring there in 1951 — the first of seven titles The Mick would help the Yankees win during his MLB tenure.

No. The New York Yankees signed Mantle to a minor league contract immediately after he graduated from high school in 1949.

During his prime, Mantle stood 5’11” tall.

Yes. Mickey Mantle is in the Hall of Fame.

Mantle was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1974, his first year of eligibility. The Mick was named on 88.2% of ballots for enshrinement in Cooperstown.

No. Mantle died on August 13, 1995, at age 65.

During his playing days, Mantle weighed 195 pounds.

For his career, Mantle hit .298, collecting 2415 hits in 8102 at-bats.

Mantle’s longest home run traveled 565 feet in old Griffith Stadium against the Washington Senators on April 17, 1953. Batting righthanded, the switch-hitting Mantle took the pitch from Sens lefty Chuck Stobbs deep into leftfield.

Interestingly, the blast came two years to the day after Mantle’s Major League debut (April 17, 1951).

Mantle was just 21 when he slammed the famed moonshot.

For most of his career, Mantle wore uniform number 7 for the Yankees.

The exception came in 1951, Mantle’s rookie season. That year, Mantle wore #6 for part of the summer. Number 7 spent time on the backs of Mantle, Cliff Mapes, and Bob Cerv.

Cerv was the last player before Mantle to wear #7 for the Yankees, and the last besides Mantle to ever don those pinstripes.

The Yankees retired #7 on June 8, 1969, during ceremonies to honor their newly-retired centerfielder during Mickey Mantle Day at Yankee Stadium.

Mickey Mantle‘s salary during the last six years of his career, from 1963 through 1968, was $100,000 per season.

Mickey Mantle announced his retirement on March 1, 1969, at the Yankees’ Spring Training camp in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Mantle played his last game in the majors on September 28, 1968.

Mantle was born in Spavinaw, Oklahoma, the son of Lovell Mantle and Elven Charles “Mutt” Mantle.

Mickey Mantle was born on October 20, 1931.

Mantle grew up in Commerce, Oklahoma, where his father Mutt worked in the local zinc mines. As his fame grew, Mantle took on the nickname “The Commerce Comet” (among others), owing to his speed on the bases and his childhood hometown.

Mantle died at the Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, Texas, during the summer of 1995 following a liver transplant that spring.

Mantle is interred at Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery in Dallas, Texas.

Mickey Mantle played his entire big league career with the New York Yankees, debuting in 1951 and finishing up in 1968 (though he didn’t announce his retirement until the spring of 1969).

No, Mantle was never the single-season record-holder, though he battled teammate Roger Maris most of the season in 1961, when Maris broke Babe Ruth’s record of 60 by hitting his 61st dinger on the last day of the season.

Mantle finished the 1961 campaign with 54 home runs.