Mickey Mantle

Growing up in small-town, Depression-era Oklahoma, Mickey Mantle hit a baseball every chance he had, all the better to make him into a slugger, a prospect, a pro. Sooner than anyone could have imagined, Mantle joined the New York Yankees. In 1956, Mantle's incredible Triple Crown performance-most home runs, most runs batted in, and highest batting average-electrified the baseball world. Five years later, his home-run derby with teammate Roger Maris again captured the nation's attention. Injuries often kept Mantle out of the lineup, however, and he also suffered from alcoholism. Finally coming to grips with his addiction late in his life, Mantle became a role model for the clean and sober life and an American hero for all time. Book jacket.Reis, Ronald A. is the author of 'Mickey Mantle', published 2008 under ISBN 9780791095461 and ISBN 0791095460.