Mickey Mantle Timeline

Date	Description Of Event Taken Place During Mickey's Carreer
October 20, 1931	Born Mickey Charles Mantle in Spavinaw, OK., located about 35 miles from Commerce, he was the oldest son of Elvin "Mutt" and Lovell Mantle... Mickey has three brothers... Twins Ray & Roy and Butch, and a sister, Barbara... Mickey's father Mutt, a lead miner, was a big baseball fan and played semi-pro baseball himself... Named by his baseball loving father after Detroit Tigers catcher Mickey Cochrane
1935	Moved to 319 South Quincy Street in Commerce, OK... where Mickey lived until he was 14
1938	Began Central Grade School in Commerce, OK
1942	Catcher for Douthat, OK Pee Wee League team
1944	Played second base for Gabby Street League from Douthat
1945	Played with Miami, OK team in Ban Johnson League
1945	Attended Commerce High School in Commerce, OK playing not only baseball but also football and basketball.
1945	It was during practice for a high school football game that tragedy befell Mickey... He was accidentally kicked on the left shin, and the wound developed into the bone disease Osteomyelitis... It became so serious doctors wanted to amputate Mickey's leg... Mickey's mother wouldn't hear of it, and Mutt drove Mickey 175 miles to the Crippled Children's Hospital in Oklahoma City... There Mickey was treated with a new wonder drug, receiving doses every three hours around the clock... Miraculously he responded, and Mickey's leg was saved... The New wonder drug was Penicillin.
1945	Mick's grandfather Charlie Mantle passed away
1946	Mickey played football as a running back for Commerce High School where he developed Osteomyelitis
1946	Played for Junior Cardinal League
1947	Once Mickey recovered from his leg injury he quickly advanced past other players his age, and at sixteen played with a local semi-pro team, the Baxter Springs Whiz Kids... Although players usually were considered for the Whiz Kids only after turning age 18... Mick played shortstop for Baxter Springs Whiz-Kids
1947	Mickey's uncle Eugene 'Tunney' Mantle passed away of Hodgkins Disease at the age of 41
1948	Shortstop for Baxter Springs Whiz-Kids
1948	Yankees' scout Tom Greenwade came to Baxter Springs to watch Mickey's teammate, third baseman Billy Johnson, in a Whiz Kids game... During the game Mickey hit two homers, one righty and one lefty, into a river well past the ballpark's fences... Greenwade wanted to sign Mickey on the spot but, upon finding out that he was only sixteen and still in high school, told him he would come back to sign him with the Yankees on his graduation day in 1949
1949	Commerce graduation day, Good to his word, Greenwade was there right on schedule, signing Mickey to a minor league contract with the Yankees Class D team in Independence, Kansas. Mickey signed for $400 to play the remainder of the season with an $1,100 signing bonus... It was one of the great steals in baseball history... Tom Greenwade was quoted in the press release announcing Mickey's signing as saying that Mickey was the best prospect he'd ever seen.
October 6, 1949	Met Merlyn Johnson at a Commerce football game
May 16, 1949	Signed on for two years with the New York Yankees for $1,150 bonus plus $140 a month in minors at 19 years of age
June 1949	Mickey signs with the Class "D" Independence Miners of the Yankees organization on the day he graduates from high school.
1949	Worked off season as electrician's helper and also as a "Screen Ape," in the mines in Picher, OK... Which was responsible for Mickey's incredibly strong wrists, shoulders, arms and forearms... A "Screen Ape" smashed large rocks into small stones with a sledgehammer... There were two "Screen Apes," one of whom smashed rocks until he couldn't hold the hammer any longer, and then rested while the other took his turn.
1949	Bought his first car, a 1947 Chevrolet Fleetline
September 1949	Mickey wins his first championship with the Yankees Organization as the Independence Miners capture the K-O-M (Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri) league title.
September 17, 1950	Called up to Yankees for first time, although he didn't see much action that year
1950	Mickey went on to play at the Yankees' Class C team in Joplin, Missouri.
1950	Made $250 a month playing with Yankees in Phoenix
Early 1951	When Mickey first came up with the Yankees he was given uniform number six... In photos from the first part of the 1951 season he can be seen wearing number six.
1951	Mickey's rookie season he was not selected as Rookie Of The year, his teammate Gil McDougald received the award
1951	Mickey played in 12 World Series...1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964
1951	Mickey won 7 World Championships... 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, and 1962
1951	Salary was $7,500 - World Series bonus added additional $6,445
1951	Mickey was invited to spring training with the Yankees in Arizona... Mickey had one of the great rookie springs in history... His speed was unbelievable to Yankees' manager Casey Stengel... He was clocked at an incredible 2.9 seconds from home to first on a left-handed drag bunt (after his 1951 World Series injury he slowed to a still blazing 3.1 seconds), and could round the bases in and amazing 13 seconds!
1951	Roomed with fellow Yankee's Hank Bauer and Johnny Hopp
1951	Casey talked Yankees' owners Del Webb and Dan Topping, and General Manager George Weiss into bringing Mickey up to the Yankees for the season... It was the first time any player jumped from Class C directly to the Yankees.
1951	Played his first game with the New York Yankees
1951	Eventually replaced Joe DiMaggio in center field
March 26, 1951	Mickey crushes two monster home runs in an exhibition game played at Bovard Field at the University of Southern California...
March 26, 1951	Mickey's second homer left the park in right centerfield and crossed a football field adjacent to the baseball diamond, maybe the longest home run ever hit traveling 656 feet!
March 26, 1951	In an exhibition game at the Bovard Field on USC campus during Spring training during a pre-season barnstorm tour of the west coast, Mickey blasted two long homers in the same game, one righty that went out of the park, across a street and landed on the roof of a three-story house several houses down the street, a distance over 600 feet and one lefty.
March 26, 1951	During the same above mentioned exhibition game at the Bovard Field Mickey blasted another homer... The left-handed homer is a legendary shot that may well be the longest homer ever hit anywhere by anyone... It cleared the right-centerfield wall, crossed an adjacent football field, and landed 656 feet from home plate on the fly... This home run is well documented with two eye-witnesses the USC center fielder, Tom Riach, and legendary USC Coach Rod Dedeaux, both walked out separately after the game and pointed to the spot the ball landed... The two spots they pointed to were only a few feet apart.
April 17, 1951	Mickey makes his Yankee debut against the Washington Senators at Griffith Stadium in Washington, DC.
April 20, 1951	Mickey plays his first Major League game at Yankee Stadium.
May 1, 1951	Mickey hits his first Major League home run at Comiskey Park in Chicago, the ball traveled nearly 500 feet!
June 19, 1951	Mickey homers in both games of a doubleheader for the first time.
July 1951	After a particularly horrendous slump, Casey Stengel sent Mickey down to the Yankees Triple A minor league team in Kansas City to regain his batting swing
July 13, 1951	After striking out four times in a doubleheader in Boston, Yankee manager Casey Stengel sends Mickey down to the triple-A Kansas City Blues.
August 1951	The previous leg injury was just the first among many that were to hinder Mickey for the rest of his life... However, this bout with Osteomyelitis rendered Mickey unfit for military service for life, another issue that arose later in life... Classified by the Army a 4-F rating due to Osteomyelitis
August 1951	Mickey was brought back up and was given his famous number seven, which had become vacant while he was away... Seven remained his number for the remainder of his career.
August 22, 1951	Yankee manager Casey Stengel keeps his word and brings Mickey back up to the Yankees from the Minor Leagues.
October 4, 1951	Mickey plays his first World Series game.
October 5, 1951	Mickey gets his first World Series hit but is seriously injured when his spikes get caught in a sprinkler head while chasing down a fly ball hit by Willie Mays when he stopped suddenly to avoid a collision with Joe DiMaggio... Mickey went down as if he'd been shot, and was carried from the field on a stretcher... It was the first of what turned out to be many injuries he suffered throughout his playing career.... His right knee is never the same afterward... It is the first of many career injuries.
October 10, 1951	Mickey wins his first World Series championship as the Yankees beat the Giants in six games.
October 5, 1951	Injured his right knee during Game 2 of World Series playing the Giants
December 23, 1951	Mickey marries his high school sweetheart, Merlyn Johnson of Commerce, OK
1952	Mickey won 7 World Championships... 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, and 1962
1952	Mickey played in 12 World Series...1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964
1952	Purchased a 7 bedroom house for his parents at 317 South River Street in Commerce, OK for $16,000
1952	Salary was $10,000
1952	Bought a new Lincoln Town Car
1952	Mick's uncle Emmett Mantle passed away of Hodgkins Disease at the age of 32
May 6, 1952	Mickey's father Elvin 'Mutt' Mantle died of Hodgkins Disease at the age of 39
July 26, 1952	Mickey belts his first Career Grand Slam into the upper deck in left centerfield in Detroit.
July 29, 1952	Mickey smashes the famous "Joe Collins Home Run," one of two homers, leading the Yankees to a 5 to 2 win in Cleveland.
September 17, 1952	Mickey clouts a prodigious home run off the upper deck football press box to beat the Tigers in Detroit.
1953	Mickey won 7 World Championships... 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, and 1962
1953	Mickey played in 12 World Series...1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964
October 4, 1953	Mickey crushes a tremendous first pitch grand slam into the upper deck in left centerfield as the Yankees beat the Dodgers 11 to 7 at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn... It's only the fourth grand slam in World Series history.
October 5, 1953	Mickey had a great season while the Yankees with their fifth consecutive World Series championship.
April 12 or 15, 1953	Mickey & Merlyn's first child, Mickey Mantle Junior was born
April 17, 1953	Mickey blasts a monster 565' homer off Chuck Stobbs of the Senators out of Griffith Stadium in Washington, DC.
April 17, 1953	Yankees PR Director coins the term "Tape Measure Home Run," by measuring the homer during the game, known as the most famous & longest home run ever hit!
April 17, 1953	The Guiness Book of World Records lists the home run as the longest home run to be measured at the time it was hit.
July 6, 1953	Mickey slams his first pinch-hit home run, over 500 feet out of Shibe Park in Philadelphia
August 7, 1953	Mickey hits his first inside the park home run as the Yankees beat Chicago 6 to 1 at Yankee Stadium.
1954	Mickey played in 12 World Series...1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964
August 6, 1954	Mickey slams his first pinch-hit home run, over 500 feet out of Shibe Park in Philadelphia.
August 11, 1954	Mickey has his first two homer game in a 7 to 0 win over the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.
1955	Mickey hit two home runs in All-Star games... A three-run homer at Milwaukee left-handed off Hall of Fame member Robin Roberts
1955	Mickey led the American League in home runs four times... 1955, 1956, 1958 and 1960
1955	Mickey played in 12 World Series...1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964
April 13, 1955	Mickey homers on Opening Day for the first time.
May 13, 1955	Mickey has the only three-homer game in his career and first switch-hit homer game... one righty and two lefty... goes four for four and drives in all five runs to beat the Tigers in New York. All three homers are hit to the right-centerfield bleachers, each is well over 400 feet.
May 16, 1955	Mickey hits his first major league home run at Yankee Stadium.
June 6, 1955	Mickey hits the first home run ever to go over the centerfield screen at Briggs Stadium in Detroit.
June 21, 1955	Mickey crushed the first ball to ever carry into the black seats in the centerfield bleachers at Yankee Stadium... How far? 486 feet!
July 9, 1955	Mickey has his first five-hit game with a double and five singles.
December 26, 1955	Mickey & Merlyn's second child, David Mantle was born
August 1951	The previous leg injury was just the first among many that were to hinder Mickey for the rest of his life... However, this bout with Osteomyelitis rendered Mickey unfit for military service for life, another issue that arose later in life... Classified by the Army a 4-F rating due to Osteomyelitis
1956	Mickey hit two home runs in All-Star games... A solo homer in Washington right-handed off Hall of Fame member Warren Spahn... and a three-run homer in 1955 at Milwaukee left-handed off of Hall of Fame member Robin Roberts
1956	Mickey led not only the American League but also the entire Major Leagues in batting average with .353 home runs with 52 and runs batted in with 130
1956	Mickey played in 12 World Series...1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964
1956	Mickey won 7 World Championships... 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, and 1962
1956	Mickey was named the American League's Most Valuable Player three times... 1956, 1957 and 1962.
1956	Mickey led the American League in home runs four times... 1955, 1956, 1958 and 1960
1956	Won Triple Crown
1956	Paid $59,500 for a new house in Preston Hollow Addition in Dallas, TX
1956	Purchased a bowling alley in Dallas, TX named Mantle Lanes
April 17, 1956	Mickey belts 2 Opening Day homers against the Washington Senators at Griffith Stadium, President Eisenhower cheers Mickey from his seat behind the Senators dugout. Both homers are searing line drives that go over 500 feet each clearing the 31 foot wall in centerfield, the first landed on top of a house across from the park and the second lands in a clump of trees & rolls onto 5th Street. Only Babe Ruth had ever hit a ball into the trees outside Griffith Stadium.
May 30, 1956	Mickey crushes a homer off Pedro Ramos that nearly goes out of Yankee Stadium, hitting the right-field facade... It's Mickey's second homer of the month to hit the facade.
May 1955	Mickey jacked balls twice out of Yankee Stadium in right-field during batting practice and once even cleared the left-field seats in batting practice... If true, these were among the most epic shots in the history of the game.
June 18, 1956	Mantle walloped a tremendous homer over the right-field roof between the light standard and the end of the upper deck... It was all the more impressive because it was hit into a stiff wind.
June 20, 1956	Mickey hit two homers into the upper deck bleachers in centerfield, something no player had ever done before... not even once... both landing high above the 400 foot sign in the left-centerfield bleachers.
October 3, 1956	In the first game of the World Series vs. Brooklyn Mickey pumped a two-run homer over the right-field screen at Ebbets Field, past Bedford Avenue and into a parking lot, where it caused about $500 in damage when souvenir hunters scrambled over the cars in search of the trophy... Distance was over 500 feet!
October 8,1956	Don Larsen's Perfect Game in the 1956 World Series was "Probably the biggest game I ever played in," Mickey hit a solo home run to bring home the first run and made a spectacular running catch of a Gil Hodges 450-foot bid for extra bases to save the game.
1957	Mantle had a great year this year when he won his second MVP award and hit his career high batting average of .365 only to lose out to Ted Williams in the batting race... Williams hit .388
1957	Mickey played in 12 World Series...1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964
January 31, 1957	Awarded Sports Broadcaster's Association Award
July 23, 1957	Mickey hits for the Cycle for his first and only time, he goes 4 for 5, scoring two runs and driving in four... His homer flies 465 feet into the rightfield bleachers to beat the White Sox 10 to 6 in New York
August 10, 1957	Mickey playing in Baltimore launched the first ball to clear the hedge in centerfield, over 460 feet from home plate... The ball continued to travel well past the hedge to an estimated length of 540 feet.
1957	Salary was $65,000
1957	Mickey was named the American League's Most Valuable Player three times... 1956, 1957 and 1962.
December 5, 1957	Mickey & Merlyn's third child, Billy Mantle was born, named after Mick's friend Billy Martin
1958	Mickey won 7 World Championships... 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, and 1962
1958	Mickey played in 12 World Series...1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964
1958	Mickey led the American League in home runs four times... 1955, 1956, 1958 and 1960
September 17, 1958	Mickey belts a mammoth homer over the roof and out of Tiger Stadium in Detroit.
1960	Mickey played in 12 World Series...1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964
1960	Mickey led the American League in home runs four times... 1955, 1956, 1958 and 1960
March 19, 1960	Mickey & Merlyn's fourth child, Danny Mantle was born
September 10, 1960	Mickey wallops a tremendous home run over the rightfield roof through a light tower and out of the park at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, the ball crosses Trumbull Avenue and lands in a lumber yard... It was measured years later and found to have gone 643 feet! The Guinness Book of World Records lists it as the longest home run ever measured (after the fact) in baseball history.
September 10, 1960	The Guinness Book of World Records lists the 643 foot home run at Tiger Stadium as the longest home run ever measured after the fact in baseball history.
1961	Mickey hit his career high of 54 homers only to lose out to Roger Maris who hit a record 61
1961	Mickey won 7 World Championships... 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, and 1962
1961	Mickey played in 12 World Series...1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964
1961	Curiously enough, the year Mickey hit his highest total in homers... 1961... 54 homers... he came in second to Roger Maris, who hit his record 61.
September 23, 1961	Mickey comes off the disabled list to hit home run #54, his career season high, and helps his friend and teammate Whitey Ford win his 25th game.
September 29, 1961	Admitted to hospital for hip infection during race between him and Roger Maris to beat Babe Ruth's home run record
1962	Mickey won the MVP, Most Valuable Player Award which was his third!
1962	Mickey won 7 World Championships... 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, and 1962
1962	Appeared in the movies... 'Safe at Home'and 'That Touch of Mink'
1962	Mickey was named the American League's Most Valuable Player three times... 1956, 1957 and 1962.
1962	Mickey played in 12 World Series...1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964
April 10, 1962	Mick hits his last Opening Day home run, it goes some 425 feet into the rigt centerfield bleachers at Yankee Stadium and the Yankees nipped Baltimore 7 to 6
May 1962	Admitted to hospital for torn thigh muscle
May 22, 1962	Mickey said... "the hardest ball I ever hit" at Yankee Stadium off Bill Fischer of the A's. The ball hits the facade inches from the top and bounces back to the infield. It wins the game in the bottom of the tenth inning.
October 16, 1962	Mickey wins his seventh and final World Series championship on Willie McCovey's dramatic line drive out with two on and two out in the ninth inning of game seven.
1963	Mickey played in 12 World Series...1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964
February 27, 1963	Signed his first $100,000 contract... Mickey's largest contract with the Yankees was for $100,000... At the time he signed it in 1963 only Joe DiMaggio had received that much before... Mickey continued to play for that amount for the remainder of his career.
May 23, 1963	"The hardest ball I ever hit was at Yankee Stadium in 1963." Mickey Mantle.
May 23, 1963	Mickey pulverized a ball that rocketed through the night toward the upper reaches of Yankee Stadium... The ball struck the right-field facade just inches from the top... Mickey hit it with so much force that after slamming into the cement facade it ricocheted all the way back to the infield on the fly... Mathematicians have calculated that hit at 620 feet, which is the low end distance estimate... A computer projection calculated the distance had the ball not been obstructed by the facade to be an astronomical 734 feet!
June 5, 1963	Mick broke bone's in his left foot during a game
September 1, 1963	Mickey hits the famous "Hangover Home Run" in Baltimore after unexpectedly being taken off the disabled list and being called to pinch hit.
1964	Mickey played in 12 World Series...1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964
1964	'The Quality of Courage' book was published
September 18, 1965	"Mickey Mantle Fan Appreciation Day" ...the first day honoring Mickey is held at Yankee Stadium with Robert F. Kennedy in attendance. Among the gifts Mickey receives are two quarter horses.
October 10, 1964	Mickey crushes the first pitch from Cardinals' relief pitcher Barney Schultz into the third deck at Yankee Stadium for Career World Series homer number 16, breaking Babe Ruth's record... It's Mickey's "Called Shot" ...he predicted the homer to Elston Howard in the on deck circle while Schultz warmed up.
October 14, 1964	Mickey adds to his World Series home run record by smashing number 17 to beat the Cardinals 8 to 3 in Game 6 in St. Louis.
October 15, 1964	Mickey belts his 18th and final World Series home run to set the All Time World Series Home Run Record... It is Mickey's last World Series game.
1967	Began playing first base for the Yankees
August 4, 1968	"Mickey Mantle Banner Day" ...the second day honoring Mickey is held at Yankee Stadium.
September 20, 1968	Hit home run #536 during a Boston Red Sox game
September 28, 1968	Mickey plays his last game... number 2,401... the most ever for the Yankees in Boston... Andy Kosco substitutes for Mickey after his first at bat.
March 1, 1969	Mickey announces his retirement from baseball
March 1, 1969	After retiring Mickey became a restauranteur & television commentator, featured in numerous documentaries & sports videos.
June 8, 1969	"Mickey Mantle Day" ...the third day honoring Mickey is held at Yankee Stadium with over 70,000 people attending... Yankees Retired Mickey's Number 7
June 8, 1969	The Yankees Retired Mickey's Number 7
1969	First public speaking engagement earning $500
Feb 1970	Accepted coaching job (1B Coach) with the Yankees
1970	Appeared on the Dick Cavett Show
1970	Began employment agency with Joe Namath... 'Mantle Men & Namath Girls'
January 16, 1974	Mickey is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility
August 12, 1974	Inducted into the Baseball Hall Of Fame along with his friend and teammate Whitey Ford
1975	Yankees manager Casey Stengel passed away
June 15, 1977	Mickey appears on the Dinah Shore Talk Show' that paid $294.68
1978	Mickey is paid $1,000 an hour to sign autographs at a Long Island card show
1983	Takes job with Claridge Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City doing promotion
1983	Banned from baseball by Bowie Kuhn because of his job with Claridge Casino, Mickey never bore a grudge against Kuhn for it, but he felt the rule was stupid... He spent almost no time in the gaming halls... Most of his activities were representing the Claridge in golf tournaments and other charity events. "I never did so much charity work in my life," Mickey stated.
March 18, 1985	Reinstated into baseball by Peter Ueberroth... When Peter Ueberroth became commissioner one of his first actions was to reinstate both Mantle and Mays.
December 14, 1985	Roger Maris passed away of cancer
1988	Mickey Mantle's Restaurant & Sports Bar opened in New York City
December 25, 1989	Mickey's best friend and teammate Billy Martin passed away in a terrible car accident on Christmas day
1993	Mickey was admitted to the Betty Ford Center for alcohol rehabilitation... During his stay Mickey received more mail than anyone in the history of the center... Afterward he spread the message of the ills of drug and alcohol abuse to kids, appearing on a number of television programs to speak about his experiences.
January 7, 1994	Voluntarily entered the Betty Ford Clinic (Room 202) and was diagnosed with cirrhosis, hepatitis and cancer of the liver.
March 12, 1994	Mick's son Billy Mantle passed away of Hodgkins Disease at age 36
March 19, 1995	Mickey's mother Lovell Mantle passed away in a Jay, OK nursing home
May 28, 1995	Admitted to the hospital with severe stomach pain
June 8, 1995	Mickey received a liver transplant at Baylor University Hospital in Dallas... During the transplant surgery it was discovered that Mickey had contracted inoperable cancer.
June 28, 1995	Released from the Baylor University Hospital
July 28, 1995	Readmitted to Baylor University Hospital
1995	Before he passed away Mick formed the Mickey Mantle Foundation to raise awareness of the importance of becoming an organ donor... It became the cause closest to his heart.
August 13, 1995	Mickey passed away at 1:10 a.m. at the age of 63 at Baylor University Hospital in Dallas, Texas of liver cancer, survived by his wife, Merlyn and three sons, David, Danny & Mickey, Jr. a fourth son Billy died if Hodgkins Disease...To become a member of "Mickey's Team" call the foundation at 1-800-477-MICK (1-800-477-6425)
August 13, 1996	"Mickey Mantle Day" ...the fourth day honoring Mickey is held at Yankee Stadium one year after his passing
December 20, 2000	Mickey Mantle Jr. passed away of cancer. Mickey's other immediate family, his wife Merlyn and sons David and Danny, are all active in the Mickey Mantle Foundation promoting the importance of organ donations.
Today...	Mickey's other immediate family, his wife Merlyn and sons David and Danny, are all active in the Mickey Mantle Foundation promoting the importance of organ donations... The Mickey Mantle legend lives on through his foundation, his film, the memories he left, and in the hearts of his fans everywhere... I am proud to say he was my friend.