Mickey Mantle

Born in Spavinaw, Oklahoma, on October 20, 1931, Mickey Mantle was taught the game of baseball at a very young age by his father and grandfather who converted the natural right handed batter into a switch-hitter.

The training paid off.

Mantle played high school baseball at Commerce, Oklahoma and was spotted by New York Yankee scouts when playing at the high school level.

The scouts found a diamond indeed, for the speedy Oklahoman later became the greatest switch-hitter of all time and only the seventh player in history to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility by the Baseball Writers Association of America. The only other players to be elected in their first year of eligibility were Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Jackie Robinson, Bob Feller, Sandy Koufax and Warren Spahn. Not bad company.

Mantle riddled the record books during his 18-year career with the Yankees:

• Mantle slammed 536 home runs, the most any switch-hitter has ever hit in the history of baseball.
• He hit a record 18 home runs in World Series play (topping Babe Ruth's mark of 15).
• In 1961 Mantle hit 54 home runs, another record for switcher-hitters.
• He was named the American League's Most Valuable Player three times.
• Led the league in home runs four times.
• He won the triple crown, leading in home runs, runs batted in and batting average in 1956.

Throughout his career, Mantle was handicapped by a bone disease called osteomyelitis. He also suffered a broken foot and several broken fingers. Despite these obstacles, he prevailed at the major league level, making Oklahomans proud along the way.

Mantle retired from baseball on March 1, 1969, after 18 years as a Yankee.

His uniform, number seven, was retired by the Yankees on June 8, 1969—Mickey Mantle Day.