Mickey Mantle Biography

Mickey Charles Mantle, nicknamed "the Mick" and "the Commerce Comet," played his entire MLB career from 1951 to 1968 with the New York Yankees, primarily as a center fielder. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players and sluggers in baseball history. Mantle hit 536 career home runs and batted .300 or more in ten seasons, ranking 16th all-time in home runs per at-bat and 17th in on-base percentage. In 1956, he won the Triple Crown by leading the major leagues in batting average (.353), home runs (52), and RBIs (130). After retiring, he worked as a sports commentator for NBC and served briefly as first base and hitting coach for the Yankees in 1970. In 1950, he was promoted to the Class-C Joplin Miners, where he won the Western Association batting title with a .383 average. Mantle was invited to the Yankees instructional camp before the 1951 season and made a strong impression during spring training.