Mantle Remembered

(Book summary from inside jacket cover)

With the passing of Mickey Mantle in August 1995, the nation lost one of its most cherished sports heroes.  From his first year as a fresh-faced rookie from Oklahoma through his later playing days as the elder statesman to a new generation of Yankees, Mantle remained a charismatic figure.  Through vivid photographs, excerpts from the magazine's coverage and informative original essays from Sports Illustrated's Robert W. Creamer, MANTLE REMEMBERED retraces the career of modern baseball's most compelling star.

The Early Years

Mantle is signed by the New York Yankees, but faces the awesome task of replacing the great Joe DiMaggio in center field.  Early flashes of brilliance finally give way to a season of sustained greatness in 1956, when Mantle becomes one of only 14 men to win the Triple Crown.

The Prime

These are the years of consistent production as Mantle carries the Yankees on his broad shoulders to World Series after World Series.   In 1960 he is joined by another slugger named Roger Maris and the duo becomes one of the most feared pairings in the history of baseball.

The Later Years

Dogged by injury throughout his career, Mantle is forced to retire in 1969.  Largely successful in his business ventures, he nonetheless never seems comfortable away from the game he loves so much.  In his final inning, he admits his long-standing problems with alcohol and charts a new direction of his life.  Sadly, 14 months later he dies of cancer, gone just as his new life is beginning.

With provocative writing and more than 50 classic photographs, MANTLE REMEMBERED is Sports Illustrated's authoritative tribute to an American icon.