41. "I thought he had been shot."
Joe DiMaggio, on what he thought had happened to Mickey
when he was injured in the 1951 World Series42. "Casey didn't easily forgive a guy who
got doubled up on a hit-and-run play. He didn't see any reason why the runner
couldn't take a quick glance back toward the plate to make sure the ball was
hit safely."
Mickey on Casey Stengel 43. "There were things that would irritate
Casey, but trying too hard or getting mad at sitting on the bench
weren't among them."
Mickey on Casey Stengel 44. "Billy copied Casey to a 'T.'"
Mickey on Billy Martin's managing style 45. "Watch the old man. Watch how the old man
keeps the guys who aren't playing happy."
Billy Martin to Mickey on Casey Stengel 46. "Because the players knew that if Billy
asked them to jump off a roof, he'd jump off with them."
Mickey on why Billy Martin was such a good manager 47. "This year I'd rather lead the league in
home runs, runs batted in and hitting."
Mickey Mantle, when asked in early 1956 if he thought he
would break Babe Ruth's home run record that year - he went on to win the
Triple Crown 48. "If I could run like Mantle I'd hit .400
every year!"
Ted Williams, after losing the 1956 batting race to
Mickey on the last day of the season 49. "The biggest game I ever played in was
probably Don Larsen's Perfect Game."
Mickey Mantle 50. "Hey man! Get away from me!"
Mickey to Don Larsen when Larsen tried to talk to Mickey
about his no-hitter during the game 51. "I'll never forget the catch he made to
save the game."
Don Larsen, on Mickey's back-handed grab of Gil Hodges'
deep line-drive bid for extra bases that Mickey chased down and managed to
grab for an out 52. "People say Yogi (Berra) is a strange
guy, and I've heard Yogi say some funny things. But he has a beautiful wife,
he's rich, and he's famous. I don't see anything strange about that."
Mickey Mantle 53. "Shut that thing up."
Manager Yogi Berra to Phil Linz when he was playing his
harmonica after a Yankees' loss 54. "He said to play louder. He can't hear
you."
Mickey to Phil Linz after manager Yogi Berra told Phil
to stop playing his harmonica, and Linz asked Mantle what Berra said, leading
to the infamous "harmonica" incident 55. "Hey Yog, what time is it?"
"You mean right now?"
Mickey asking Yogi Berra for the time, and Yogi's
response 56. "Boy, you stunk!"
Yogi Berra's son Timmy to Mickey after a bad game 57. "To play 18 years in Yankee Stadium is
the best thing that could ever happen to a ballplayer."
Mickey Mantle 58. "I'm sure glad this isn't my home ball
park."
Hank Aaron to Mickey on Yankee Stadium 59. "How the hell can you play here?"
Harmon Killebrew to Mickey after he caught three
450-foot fly balls for outs off Killebrew in Yankee Stadium 60. "In 1960 when Pittsburgh beat us in the
World Series, we outscored them 55-27. It was the only time I think the better
team lost. I was so disappointed I cried on the plane ride home."
Mickey Mantle, despite batting .400 with three homers,
11 rbi, eight runs and eight walks in the 1960 World Series against Pittsburgh |