Where Would Mickey Play?
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by Harold Friend
LouGehrig
Mickey Mantle signed his third $100,000 contract in February 1965. He didn’t travel to New York for the announcement because he was too busy with his role as a director of a San Antonio life insurance company. The new agreement made Mickey the second highest paid player in the game behind Willie Mays, who earned $5,000 more. Mickey said it didn’t bother him being second, “not to a guy making $105,000.” He told reporters that the Yankees thought that $100,000 was a nice round number and that they didn’t want a salary war on their hands.
Johnny Keane Replaces Yogi
The Yankees won their fifth consecutive pennant in 1964, the second time they won five straight pennants, but they lost the World Series to the Cardinals after having been swept by the Dodgers the previous year. Yogi Berra was relieved of his managerial duties and replaced by Johnny Keane, who resigned as Cardinals’ manager after beating the Yankees in the World Series.
Mickey Felt Great
The Yankees were favored to win the 1965 pennant and Mickey felt great. At his first spring training session, he reminded everyone that “This is the first winter I’ve had without being in the hospital. I can’t do certain exercises because some of them involve twisting and the bone chips make my knees sore. All I can say is this: I feel fine.”
Mickey Preferred Playing Center Field
Mickey felt fine but he wasn’t fine. He was no longer the Mickey Mantle who covered more centerfield than almost anyone else in the game, with the exception of Willie Mays. Repeated injuries and time had taken their toll on his legs, reducing his mobility greatly. There had been talk about Mickey moving from center field to right since he would have less ground to cover, but Mickey preferred to remain in center. He explained that while he had to cover more ground in center field, there were fewer short stops and starts than in right field. “I don’t mind straight running, and that’s mostly what it is in center field. It’s the stopping short and starting quick that I don’t like. I believe too that you need a good arm in right field and Roger has twice as good an arm as I have.”
Mickey Had Played Right Field in the World Series
During the exhibition season, Mantle had trouble starting, stopping, turning, changing direction, and planting his feet for throws. Johnny Keane made an excellent point when he said that Mickey had difficulty getting into the kind of shape that could prevent injuries because his legs stopped him from doing the work necessary to achieve that goal. In September 1964 and for the World Series against the Cardinals, Mantle had played right field with Roger Maris in center. As spring training 1965 drew to a close, it was obvious that Mickey had lost his agility and was a liability in center field. It was a difficult time for all involved, especially Mickey, who was the team leader and still was one of the greatest hitters in the game. Running In a straight line, he remained one of the fastest players in the game.
The Yankees' Left Fielder
New manager Johnny Keane played around with the idea of having Mantle play center at the Stadium but not on the road, where he would use Mickey in left field since most of the other American League parks had less ground to cover in left than did Yankee Stadium. On opening day in Minnesota, Mickey showed that he was indeed a team player. Tommy Tresh led off and played center field. Left fielder Mickey Mantle hit fourth.
References:
Durso, Joseph. “Yanks Make 5 Errors and Lose Opener to Twins, 5-4 in 11 Innings.” New York Times. 13 April 1965 p.44.
Eskenazi, Gerald. “Mantle Accepts Third $100,000 Pact in Row From Yanks; Slugger’s Salary is Second in Baseball; Mays’s Pay $5,000 Higher.” New York Times. 16 February 1965, p.43.
“Word Optimistic on Mantle.” New York Times. 2 March 1965 p.40.
Koppett, Leonard. “Mantle Prefers Playing in Center; Short Stops in Right Field Called Too Hard on Legs.” New York Times. 9 March 1965 p.39.
Koppett, Leonard. “A Puzzler: Where to Put Mantle; Leg Troubles Reduce Mickey’s Mobility, Yet He’s Needed; Right, Left Center?” New York Times. 24 March 1965 p.52.
