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Show f - . . ' ' 1 E ' . fc - ...... - ' t - " -"'ivv ' r-. - . - ' ' , ; v ; ' ' - - ' ,1 .. . w k '' -. " . '." J Bin"- n .Jr. -.- -. ELTON BLACK'S HAND reaches third base before the tag is applied by Dodgers' Jeff Price, right. The Dodgers beat Youth baseball league competitors have baseball idols who are placed high on the pedestal and can do nothing wrong. When things start going go-ing wrong for the baseballer's hero, the fan always finds excuses for his baseball idol. This reporter's baseball idol during Little League baseball in 1963, 1964, 1965 and Por.y League baseball in 1966 and 1967 was the New York Yankee's Mickey Mantle. Mantle was an outfielder for the Yankees and in the final two years of his baseball career he played first base. During my first year of Little League baseball in 1963, Mantle had injury problems and only competed in 65 games and had 172 at bats. He had 54 hits, eight doubles and 15 homers. He scored 40 runs and drove in 35 counters. His batting average was .314 for the year. New York's Mantle was at full strength in 1964 and he blasted the daylights out of the baseball. He played in 143 games and had 141 hits in 465 at bats. He had 35 homers and 25 doubles. He scored 92 runs and drove in 111 counters. He batted .303 and led the league in slugging percentage percen-tage at .591. I felt proud to be a Mickey Mantle rooter in 1964, but 1965 was a rough year for Mantle and this Mantle supporter sup-porter as Mantle suffered an off year. He competed in 122 games and had 92 hits in 361 at bats. His doubles dropped from 25 to 12 in 1965 and his triples fell from two to one. His homers fell from 35 to 19 in 1865. He scored 44 runs as compared to 92 in 1964 and drove in 46 runs as compared to 111 the year before. His batting average dropped to .255. My baseball buddies would tell me that Mantle's career was over and that I should root for Willie Mays, but Mantle Man-tle was my idol and I stuck by him and hoped for the best. The year 1966 was a little bit better for Mantle and this Little League baseballer, Aldon Rachele, but not by much. Mantle improved his batting average from .255 to .288 and increased increas-ed his homers from 19 to 23. He pick ed up four more hits at 96. He scored four less runs at 40, but drove in ten more runs at 56. Mantle moved from the outfield to first base and my baseball buddies said that Mantle's days were numbered in the major leagues, but I refused to believe them. Mantle was still number one to this reporter and Willie Mays wasn't even close. New York's Mantle scored 63 runs in 1967 as compared to 40 in 1966, but that was one of the few high points. He drove in 55 runs and hit 17 doubles. He hit 22 homers and batted .245. The baseball world got worse and worse for Mantle in 1968. He turned in his worst batting average of his career at .237. He scored 57 runs and drove in 54. He hit 14 doubles and produced one triple. He hit 18 homers. Mantle passed Lou Gehrig, 493 ; Mel Ott, 511; Ernie Banks, 512 and Eddie Mathews, 512, in the career home run standings in 1967 and the next ones on the list for Mantle in 1968 were Ted Williams, 521 and Jimmie Foxx, 534. Mantle slugged 18 homers during his final season and he beat Foxx by two homers with a career total of 536. Mantle Man-tle retired after the 1968 season. Mickey Mantle collectible items were of major concern to this reporter during his baseball days and even to the present day. I purchased tons of baseball cards, but Mantle cards were a hard item to come by. However, one day I opened a package and I gained my first ever Mantle card. I kept my Yankees cards in my back pocket to look at when things got a bit boring. One day disaster struck as I left my cards in my pants and they gained a free and unwanted bath in the washing machine. I peeled the cards out of the wet pants and hung them up to dry. The cards survived the trip through the washing machine, but some damage had been encountered as the cards now had a dried out and faded look. The Mantle card would be worth a lot of money to collectors today, but because of the trip through the washing machine it is worth zero cash. The trip through the washing machine cost me about $50, but that's the way the ball bounces. I received $5 for my birthday in 1967 and after years of looking for an autographed Mickey Mantle baseball bat I discovered one in a local sporting goods store. I placed my cash on the counter and I became the owner of the Mantle autographed bat. The bat was a bit long and heavy for me, but that didn't matter as the only thing that was important was the name on the bat. One of my dreams as a youngster tne 3-a an-star DaseDan game, wnicn York City. I ' . i r . .. .-. : , U: U u '- ' . , . . i - ' -.--i i,-- , ., .....i, rr, j i -t Li0 r: ' " V M. - : V -. ' V v.... 'y , , -,.t y ; y j' ' . y . ? . : . --m i u THE DODGERS tied for first place in the Mu'otan League with the Cubs. Members of the team are: front row, left to riht, Grefj Roberts, Brian Timothy, David Olit-n, Justin Espinoza, Jeff Price, the Cubs, 11 to 10, to snap a first place tie in the Mustang League. was to go to New York City and meet my idol, Mickey Mantle. My dream came true in 1975, but Mantle was the one who did the traveling. I had just received a job as the Vernal Express Sports Editor and I wasn't supposed to report to my job until Monday, but I found out that Mantle was in town for the 3-A all-star baseball game, which was being played in Vernal. I interviewed inter-viewed Mantle, Friday and went to a clinic he conducted. I took a bunch of pictures of Mantle and got to ask him about his longest homer of his career, modern day baseball, his baseball past and many other items. Mantle came to Vernal and I didn't have to go to New York City. THE CUBS tied for first place in the Mustang League with the Dodgers. Members of the team are: front row, left to right, Brian Pilcher, Dillon Rooks, Jeff Murray, Eric Pilcher, bat boy; Joseph Jonathon Hanks and back row, Kaisy Camp, Leon Roberts, coach; Shane Wado, Mike Bmks, Guy Kidd, Stewart Brewer, Travis Thomas, Leon Kidd, coach; Rhctt Smuin. t I ... -. ' , " i -,'- i "' i , . - . ' I J i . i it THE RIGHT PITCH is decided on by Dodger pitcher, Shar. Wade in a Mustang League baseball game. . T f V ! k A kVT THE METS finished one game between the Cubs and Dodgers in third place. Members of the team are: front row, left to right, Jerry Ortiz. Kory Goodwin, Brandon Bran-don DeCol, Philip Gale, Rex Massey, Jay McLean, Lynn Silcox, Jason Simper and back row, Eric Enloe. Adrian Lawrence. Ercel Johnson, Elton Black, Mark Butler, Tony Sands, Wesley Mclaren. Coaches are Mike Pilcher and Glendon Simper. D. Giraff, Josh Hall and back row. D R. Wall. Dustin Wright. Ryan Murray, Dustm Ortiz, Jeff Atwood, John Strieker. The coaches of the Mets team are Tony Wright and Dick orrwj |
