Mickey Mantle?

Question

Last night I watched the special on Mantle that HBO did. That guy could 200 feet further than steroid Bonds (one hit the top of the facade at Yankee stadium while still on the way up, and was estimated at 700 feet!). And he could run much faster than the pre-steroid Bonds! I loved watching a REAL baseball player! Your thoughts?

It wasn't a movie fool - it was a documentary with all real footage!

If Mantle was on steroids, he could hit one from San Fransisco to Oakland!

Mrkeeth is so lame! Mantle still has the record for home to first base at 3.1 seconds batting left-handed. He tore up his knee protecting an old DiMaggio as a rookie and didn't try to steal as much as he could have becuse of the injuries. That guy knows nothing about baseball if he doesn't know that Mantle could run like a deer! I'm talking Mike Vick speed here!

Carnaby- Mantle was a physical freak. He was totally ripped. His legs were like Earl Campbell's, and his forearms were like Popeye's. And I doubt if he even worked out. He had by far the greatest bat speed we have ever seen. Just a freakin' blur! Look at the pictures of his swing and you will see muscles bulging like freaking Conan! Even neck muscles would pop out!

Answer 1

Mickey Mantle was the greatest switch hitter in the game, ever. He had mad power, especially left-handed because he had an upper-cut swing. He could run. In center he was one of the greats. In his day, Luis Aparicio was the stolen base king with an average of 30-35 steals a year. Mantle often got 17 or 18 but was rarely thrown out. Steals just weren't part of the game then. He invented the drag bunt, could fetch them in center with the best of them, and lost his .300 lifetime average with 3 bad years at the end of his career. He had the longest measured home run ever hit in Washington at 565 ft. He also lost about 10 home runs a year to the cavernous Yankee stadium center field. He played 18 years there, so with a normal center field, add 180 HRs to 536 and you get 716. Beats Ruth (except, of course, Ruth played there too!!). It's no wonder he is still considered one of the truly really uncommonly great players of all time.

Answer 2

Mickey Mantle feared an early death - that is why he was so self destructive with the booze and all-night partying. His Dad, uncles, gradfather, and even sons all died when they were about 35. He thought he had an early death sentence. If he hadn't grown up under that dark cloud, it would have been 'watch out record book' because he was the fastest and most powerful man to ever play. As it was, his 1956 and 1957 seasons were rated the greatest that anyone has ever had all-around.

Answer 3

The only time I got to see Mantle play was in 1973, Yankee Stadium, Was oldtimers day and Mickey was over 40 yrs old at the time. He batted righthanded and the pitcher was tossing easy pitches to him. He launched about six straight homerun distance balls foul before finally getting clicked in and hit one in the LF seats. The crowd went nuts when he did that.

Answer 4

Had Mantle not been so injured threw out his career, he would have challenged Ruth's home run records. With steroids, he would have been like Bonds. Few injuries, quick healing time and no fatigue. But then, so would Mays, Robinson, Foxx and Killibrew. That's why Bonds is so disliked among veterans.

Answer 5

newman and mrkeeth, dont be morons. mantle was the man, stronger and faster than ANYONE who has played the game. he had the speed to steal as many bases as he wanted, but didnt need to with the team he was on. plus his knee got blown out by a sprinkler head. after conseco became the first 40/40 guy mantle was quoted as saying " if i knew it was going to be such a big deal i would have done it every year". his biggest weakness was himself, its sad to imagine what his numbers would have been healthy. but who cares he still won a buttload of WS and is a hall of famer.

Answer 6

Mantle was amazing. I watched him as a kid and loved the guy. His Homeruns were tape measured shots and thay were usually hit with a hangover from the night before. It was a shame that we lost him so young.

Answer 7

Oh my Mikey Mantle..all I 'm gonna say is the first time I saw that pre Derek Jeter run, I thought they were fast forwarding it. Mikey is amazing. Althought he didn't treat his body exactly what you would call "well" either. But he never used steroids.

Answer 8

yeah, i never could figure out what his secret was. he drank like a sailor and played before steroids were widespread and still launched hr balls into the stratosphere. although if you ever saw him in short sleeves he was pretty ripped. he didn't have tree trunks like mcgwire or bonds but he was very muscular. i think it was all bat speed and technique.

Answer 9

He was an awesome player. Imagine if he wasn't injured & he toned down his drinking. He wouldve had an easy 600-650 homeruns under his belt.

Answer 10

All of the Great Micks hits, HR,s came from his brute strength and nothing more. He didn't need drugs, to give him power, he worked for it,when young and before baseball.