Letters to Mickey: By the Friends & Family of Mickey Mantle

by Mickey Mantle (Editor)

The friends and fans of baseball hero Mickey Mantle celebrate his career, his life, his battle with alcoholism, and his struggle with cancer, in a collection of letters contributed by people from around the world. 150,000 first printing. $100,000 ad/promo.

Genres: Baseball, Sports

138 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1995

About the author

Mickey Charles Mantle was an American baseball player who was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.

He played his entire 18-year major-league professional career for the New York Yankees, winning 3 American League MVP titles and playing in 16 All-Star games. Mantle played on 12 pennant winners and 7 World Series Championship clubs. He still holds the records for most World Series home runs (18), RBIs (40), runs (42), walks (43), extra-base hits (26), and total bases (123).

Reviews

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a collection of letters written to Mickey Mantle after his public acknowledgement of his longtime consumption of alcohol and the failure of his liver that led to his having a transplant. The letters reaffirm his position as a hero in the lives of the writers, some are typed while many are handwritten and sometimes difficult to read.
The age of the writers varies from schoolchildren to people born before Mickey and the letters recapture the extent to which Mickey was a star while playing for the Yankees. One of the people I know once told me that when he was young he would have sold his soul for a Mickey Mantle baseball card. Many others felt that way, for some people, the only baseball players they have ever heard of were Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle.
While the tone of the letters are upbeat, there is an underlying hint of sadness, for everyone knows that the illness from which he was suffering was largely self-inflicted. Mantle’s courage in facing his greatest test was real and to be commended, this book is a tribute to what he did after he hung up his glove.

[A.J. Chilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Mickey Mantle entered the Betty Ford Clinic in 1994 (a year before his death), he recieved more letters than any other patient. This book contains a small contingent of the thousands that were sent to Mickey. They range from children to celebrities. The fans Mickey had disdained years earlier had wrote to offer him support.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very moving. He was well loved.