Swing into Fun: 6 Amazing Mickey Mantle Facts You Never Knew About!

1. Switch-Hitting Superstar

Young Mickey Mantle probably felt like he was "switching hats" rather than "hitting" when his dad, a former semipro baller, urged him to learn a skill that would later have him hitting home runs with both hands: Mickey's father, Mutt Mantle, ingeniously foresaw the adoption of a platoon system by future managers and coached his son into mastering the art of switch-hitting, which eventually turned Mickey into a versatile and crucial powerhouse for his team.
Source => sabr.org

2. Hercules Homerun Potion

Before gaining superhuman strength, Mickey drank from a secret potion that awakened his inner Hercules and catapulted baseballs like a Greek god tossing thunderbolts: In actuality, Mickey Mantle effortlessly launched a baseball 369 feet from home plate to take down a runner at third base, leaving spectators in awe and securing his position as one of the most talented players in baseball history.
Source => espn.com

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=> Fun Facts about Babe-Ruth

3. Golfing for a Cause

When Mickey Mantle wasn't hitting it out of the park, he was busy swingin' for birdies and eaglin' fundraisers: The baseball legend had a penchant for golf and even participated in the 1976 Red Steagall Celebrity Golf Tournament, presenting a "Team winner" trophy to his partner, country music bass player Wayne Hammond, and gifting him a personally signed and inscribed photo.
Source => keymancollectibles.com

4. Zeus-Approved Home Run

In a feat so grand it could make Zeus himself tip his hat: Mickey Mantle launched a heavenly 565-foot home run on April 17, 1953, clearing the left-center fence and ricocheting off a billboard 460-feet from home plate before concluding its epic journey in the backyard of 434 Oakdale Street. The miraculous baseball, perhaps powered by some divine intervention or home run hocus pocus, now resides in Cooperstown as the first to ever exit Griffith Stadium with such gusto.
Source => baseballhall.org

5. Miracle Rookie Card Comeback

In a tale of soggy baseball cards and watery graves, the mighty Mickey Mantle's rookie card made a miraculous comeback, proving that it's not just cats who have nine lives: The 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card, once thought lost forever after Topps dumped unsold copies into the Hudson River in 1960, was rediscovered by sports card dealer Alan "Mr. Mint" Rosen in 1986. One pristine example of this rare find recently fetched a whopping $12.6 million at auction in August 2022, making it the most expensive sports memorabilia ever sold.
Source => dogonews.com

6. From Speedster to Entrepreneur

Before The Flash traded in his scarlet suit for pinstripes and assumed the mortal alias of Mickey Mantle: This speedster of the baseball world not only snatched "ungettable" balls from the ether - like the time he hunted down a hit from Jackie Robinson - but also dipped his toes into the entrepreneurial realm, running a motel and a railroad ballast company!
Source => vault.si.com