I wrote the following about a good book I read by Mantle called All My Octobers

Let me know what you think

“Mickey is quick to say he shouldn’t have been presented as a role model. He is right. But if he thinks he wasn’t a hero, he is wrong.” This was said by NBC Sports Analyst Bob Costas about Mickey Mantle in Mantles book All My Octobers. A book in witch Mantle tells of each of the twelve World Series he played in as part of the New York Yankees in his career. All the Wins, Loses, Injuries, and Memories are told about as Mantle recalls his record World Series numbers and stats.

In his first season World Series with the Yankees, Mantle was 1-5 in the first 2 games. Although, in the second game, while Mantle and veteran centerfielder Joe DiMaggio were both running down the same fly ball, DiMaggio called off Mantle at the last second, causing Mantle to need to stop suddenly in which he got his foot stuck in a rubber storm drain in the out field. His leg bent in and he tore the cartilage in his knee, ending the season and his first World Series experience for him. The Yankees did go on to win that 1951 World Series 4 games to 2 against the cross town New York Giants, a team who would see a World Series win 2 years later, but not make it for the following 50 years.

Mantle needed to spend the off season between the ’51-’52 seasons recovering from his knee surgery, but he had a lot to prove in the 1952 season as the 1951 season proved to be Joe DiMaggio’s final, and everyone looked to Mantle to fill his shoes. Mantle did fill this role as he batted .311 with 23 homeruns during the regular season as well as leading the league in extra base hits, and then got his second go at the World Series as the Yankees faced another cross town rival, the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Dodgers had a 3 games to 2 lead when it came to Game six, and with the possibility of being eliminated Mantle came through big. He hit a solo home run in the top of the eighth which proved to be the difference as the Yankees won the game 3-2. Mantle also hit a home run in Game 7, a game in which the Yankees won 4-2, and their franchises sixteenth World Series win, as well as Mantles second.

The 1953 World Series saw these two teams again, and also the same result. Although the Yankees won this World Series in only 6 games, Mantle went deep twice and had seven RBIs. The Yankees could prove powerful enough in 1954 as they finished with a impressive 103 wins, but not enough to beat out the 111 by the Cleveland Indians who went on to get swept by the New York Giants in the World Series. Ironically, the 1954 season was the only 100+ win season Casey Stengel had as a Yankee manager, and he did not make the post season.

The 1955 season was another strong season by Mantle as he had career high numbers in Home Runs(37), Walks(113), and Games(147) as well as leading the league in on base percentage, .431. Mantle again saw the Brooklyn Dodgers in the World Series, a Series where Mantle saw little playing time, but still managed a homerun and two hits in only games 3, 4, and 7. Though it was not enough as the Dodgers pulled out the Series, 4 games to 3.

The 1956 was Mantles greatest season of his career, as well as one of the best seasons of any player in baseball history. Mantle lead the league in 14 different categories, and was in the top five of 18 different categories. Mantle led the league in Hits, Home Runs, and RBI, a feat good enough for the Triple Crown award, an award given to any player who leads the league in each respective category. It is also an award that has been given to only 15 players in a 128 year span. Mantle also helped the Yankees to a 7 game World Series win verse the Brooklyn Dodgers, a series in which Mantle hit three homeruns and averaged a run a hit, something he did only one other time in World Series play in his career. Along with the Triple Crown Award, the World Series win, and the ten different career high numbers, Mantle took both the AL MVP and the Major League MVP awards for his play during the season.

The 1957 was another strong season for Mantle, but was not enough, as the Yankees fell to the Braves in the World Series in 7 games. Although the loss, Mantle still made the All-Star Game, Won AL MVP, and was top five in the league in 18 different categories. In his seventh World Series, in 1958, Mantle out strengthened the Braves, and with two homeruns, he quietly, but effectively got the Yankees past the Braves in 7 games for his 5th World Series win.

1959 was the worst team Mantle played for under Stengel, just topping .500 and finishing 15 games out of first place. The Yankees were right back in the World Series the next year, although it was “The worst disappointment of my career” as Mantle puts it, the series is one of the most know series, but not a cheerful one for Yankee fans. In game seven, with the Yankees leading 7-4 in the eighth, they allowed the Pirates to score five runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a 7-9 lead, but not for long as the Yankees came right back and tied it at nine in the ninth, but Pittsburgh great Bill Mazeroski hit a game winning home run in the bottom of the ninth to the Pirates a 10-9 Game and Series win.

1961 was a new year for the Yankees, and with that new year came a new coach, Ralph Houk, who replaced the greatest Yankees manager in Casey Stengel. Stengel posted a record of 1149 – 696 as Manager of the Yankees, winning seven World Series in that span including five in a row. Though in ’61, there was the greatest Home Run race ever known in the regular season between Mickey Mantle and teammate Roger Maris, who were chasing Babe Ruths record 60 Home runs in a season. Mantle ended the season injured, as was resting to recover for the World Series as Maris went on the get his 61st home run, a number asterisk until 1986 due to the amount of games played. Though the Yankees won the 1961 World Series, Mantle didn’t help much with long ball, but with small ball, going 10-25 with a .400 Batting average and a .545 on base percentage.

1962 would be the last World Series that Mantle would win, in a 4games to 3 Series win over the Giants. Yet the next two seasons would be two seasons in which the Yankees would lose the World Series, in only 4 games vs. the Dodgers in 1963 and in 7 Games vs. the Cardinals in 1964.

Mantle finished his World Series career with a record 18 Homeruns, 40 RBIs, 8 extra base hits, and 65 games in 12 World Series. Eight of Mantles World Series were 7 game series, while only two of them took 5 games or less. Amazingly, Mantles first five World Series were against other New York teams, so Mantle never had to leave New York for a World Series for six years. Mantle finished his career with 7 World Series rings, a most among teammate Yogi Berra who has the most ever with 10. Mantles World Series stats and records help him find a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.

You wrote? man its good, is that for the website or something?

I wrote it for school, but the site is free to use it if them want.

That is awesome. I definitely think that it should be on the website.