Mickey Mantle: My Hero

By Clay Gregory

May 2025

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First, I can say that my appreciation for Mickey Mantle came long after his playing career was over, and even after his death.

I was born in 1984, so I never got to see Mickey Mantle play in person or even live on TV, but being from Oklahoma, we knew of the man. The legend known as the Commerce Comet was a baseball hero to many. I know of a few people who named their son Mickey after the man, but I have never seen one named "Seven" like George Costanza’s goal in Seinfeld (but the world is a big place).

My appreciation for the ballplayer came through video clips and Yankeeography. I have read many books about Mick. My wife and I even took our son on a trip up the road to his childhood home and saw the metal barn, which was falling apart, but had the dents of baseballs being thrown at it by Mickey and his dad.

The great thing about the Yankees is that throughout the years, everyone can have their baseball hero with all of the legends who have worn the pinstripes, and mine is the boy from Oklahoma who had a career that was amazing yet didn’t reach its full potential.

The switch-hitting outfielder did not make an immediate impact for the Yankees and even got sent down to Joplin, where a come-to-Jesus meeting with his father had him make two choices: find your way on the baseball diamond or find your way back to the coal mines with the rest of the family.

A hero is supposed to be someone without flaws, at least if you go by what you read in a comic book or see on the news about everyday heroes. Mickey Mantle was full of deficiencies whether it was alcohol or his late night escapades in New York being a small town boy given the keys of the kingdom known as the Yankees and to be touted as the next great ballplayer after Joe Dimaggio. I am sure a lot of that was a big reason for how his career turned out the way that it did.

A player who had so much potential that a player who hit 536 home runs and was in a race for 61 to dethrone the Babe and his 60 home runs is called great, but could have been more. Some like to say he could have taken care of his body better and laid off the drinking, and I am sure that is true, but also the everyday grind of baseball, and the fact that stepping on a sprinkler and destroying his knee killed off the great speed he was known for did not help matters. The fact that he did not reach what most thought was his full potential adds more lore to his legacy. It shows that what you do on the diamond makes you a hero, and what you do off it makes you human.

If you have never seen his birthplace of Spavinaw, you honestly are not missing much, as the small town does not have much in it and is known for its lake, the water reservoir for the city of Tulsa. Commerce, Oklahoma, is not much bigger, and going to the neighboring town of Miami, Oklahoma, is where all your daily activities are performed. This shows that no matter where you come from, you can achieve great things if you put in the work and have the talent. A kid born and raised in these small towns has a monument out in Monument Park for the most prestigious baseball franchise.

The fact that he was known as a great teammate and always looked out for the young rookies who joined the team shows you what a leader he was. He could blast the ball 500 ft from both sides of the plate, and you couldn't leave your seat when Mickey was up to bat, as you did not want to miss the magic that could happen.

The fact that he told the world, as he knew he was sick and most likely going to die, that he did not want to be remembered for being a hero showed humility and courage to face death head-on, just like he had faced pitchers through his playing career.

Mickey Mantle was not perfect by any means and does not fit the classic hero definition. Still, the ballplayer from my home state who stands out against other greats from Oklahoma, such as Johnny Bench and Bobby Murcer, makes me proud to say Mickey Mantle is my hero.