1. "I guess you could say I'm what this country
is all about."
Mickey Mantle2. "All I had was natural ability."
Mickey Mantle 3. "It was all I lived for, to play baseball."
Mickey Mantle 4, "The only thing I can do is play baseball.
I have to play ball. It's the only thing I know."
Mickey Mantle 5. "I always loved the game, but when my legs
weren't hurting it was a lot easier to love."
Mickey Mantle 6. "I'll play baseball for the Army or fight
for it, whatever they want me to do."
Mickey in 1951 during the controversy of whether
he should be drafted by the Army 7. "He's the best prospect I've ever seen."
Branch Rickey on Mickey in 1951 8. "I never saw a player who had greater promise."
Casey Stengel on Mickey 9. "That boy Mantle is a good one."
Ty Cobb 10. "Mantle had more ability than any player
I ever had on that club."
Casey Stengel 11. "You're going to be a great player, kid."
Jackie Robinson to Mickey Mantle after the 1952
World Series 12. "He can run, steal bases, throw, hit for
average, and hit with power like I've never
seen. Just don't put him at shortstop."
Minor league manager Harry Craft on Mickey 13. "His fielding leaves you wondering. Then
he steps up to hit and all doubts start to fade."
New York Post writer Arch Murray on Mickey in
spring training 1951 14. "There isn't any more that I can teach
him."
Yankee great Tommy Henrich on Mickey in spring
training in 1951 15. "That kid can hit balls over buildings."
Casey Stengel on Mickey in 1951 16. "If that guy were healthy he'd hit 80 home
runs."
Carl Yastrzemski on Mickey Mantle 17. "I'd give the Yankees a quarter of a million
dollars for him, and bury him in thousand dollar bills as a signing bonus."
White Sox G. M. Frank Lane on Mickey in 1951 18. "It's what you're worth."
Yankees' G. M. George Weiss to Mickey after offering
him a $17,000 pay cut for the 1958 season - Mickey batted 12 points higher
than in 1956 but hadn't won the Batting Title or the Triple Crown like
he did in 1956 19. "I'd say Mantle is the greatest player
in either league."
St. Louis Brown's Manager Marty Marion 20. "Let's see - uh, yes. There's one thing
he can't do very well. He can't throw left-handed. When he goes in for
that we'll have the perfect ballplayer"
St. Louis Brown's Manager Marty Marion when asked
if Mickey had a weakness |
