I figured I’d visit the non-fiction area downstairs in my local library for my next book to read. I happened to stumble over the biographies, and began to scan for someone who might be interesting to me. Being a Yankees fan, and hearing so many different stories about Mickey Mantle over the years I figured I’d give this one a shot.
Though I’ve heard it many times, I must say that after reading this I’m still amazed at how much of a jerk Mantle was through most of his life. The way he treated women, fans, kids, etc. it’s really shocking at times. Granted, just because you can crush a baseball and are idolized doesn’t require you to be perfect, but he just did some very trashy stuff.
It’s very sad to hear of his and his families unfortunate luck throughout life. With the exception of his amazing athletic ability, they really weren’t dealt good health. Unfortunate short lfes seemed to be the Mantle norm.
While the book does cover much of the scummier side of Mantle through the years, it does also do a good job of pointing out what a great teammate he was. He really did give that organization his all (well when he wasn’t showing up to games drunk that is).
This was a very interesting book. However if you grew up idolizing Mantle you might want to consider if you want your childhood hero’s image to be tarnished or not.