Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-25
WIN, LOSE OR
DNAVV By FRANCIS STANN
This Could Be Mickey's Year
By FRANCIS STANN


those old familiar legends this spring about how far Babe
Ruth hit baseball This at Plant Field in Tampa
that one into the lagoon at ST. Pete And the
probably is Mickey Mantle He doing virtually everything
Ruth used to do except that Mantle swings from both sides
of the plate. ia
What Mantle is invoking the pitchers down here is a
caution. His Yankee teammates still talking about two
he hit in quick in batting practice Higgins
Field. II back of the pitcher when Mickey hit of
them Coach Jim Turner said Il thought he got it high
the bat the ball into the of the pine
beyond centered And those least 5Ofee tall
young Yankee pitcher watched Mantle hit ball ATS
feet In game with the Athletics Every time him at
Can you imagine how fast that ball would be going
Mickey hit right back at you in the box? I'd pitch him
inside to pull just for protection protecton I'd
pitch myself right off the club" 4~
THE MUSCULAR KID from spavinaw, Okla, does not
talk freely Perhaps it's youth-hes only "a, although he's
have to talk Almost everybody ese from Casey Stengel
and Phil Rizzuto on down, will do it for him.
Rizzuto the little shortstop who the elder statesman
among the playing Yankees, put it this way,
IF anyone breaks RuthS record Of so home runs it will
be Mantle know he's hit than 81, but one OF
these days he will sychroze talent he has and Mickey
will lead in everything. He'll be the next to bat 400"
Rizzuto ought to be hard impress He played the
club with Daggio he played against the likes
Of Jimmy Foxx But he nightly impressed with Mantle
HE hit ball as far any man I've ever seen" he
sad and Turner nodded in agreement his could be the
year, Jim added that Mickey bust loose and does all the
things people said he might do when he first reported to us
in 1851 at Phoenix"
RIzzUTo REGARDS MANTLEs strength with ave.
Being little fellow Phil had to make his mark the hard
way. Nantes power speed and stamina of quality
that Phil never possessed The brains department may be
something else.
Mickey the finest arm the business" Phil said
HE is the fastest in baseball Nobody fast
to first base, from first to third.
can ineld playing against him has got to be jittery
because the guy is good bunter If you play him close
and Mickey swings away he's liable to tear off somebody's
head. If the infelders play back he'll bunt Shucks he
doesn't have to do that much If he almost misses
ball and 1t bounces twice he's base because he
outrun it,"
unsolved question whether Mantle is better when
batting rghthanded lethanded After five of
watching him. Rizzuto can't up with the answer. 81
just couldn't say" Phil hedged. 1--WE him hit some
fabulous drives from both sides Not the great hters
showed me what Nantes shown"
RIzzUTO, A GREAT ADNuRER Of DMaggio saw fit to
dwell on Joe for moment 'Dag however, didn't swing
out the Mantle does He didn't have that edge Mckey
gobatting left and right think Joe the greatest
player I've but Mickey such power speed
that well, he's the I've with the ability"
Yet for all the kudos Mantle has batted higher
than his 81 in 1882 His lifetime mark is only 298 good
for these days but not hot for shaped greatness
When he up to U.S." Phil said Mickey was 49,
He'd batted 1888 for Joplin and 1851 for Kansas City in
couple OF pretty good leagues Looking at that speed and
and power everybody put him in DMaggos shoes Now
that would ruin ordinary ball player You don't live up
to that billing
cit didn't ruin Mickey, but it did him no good He
bothered and worried, but not ruined. He told
last spring that he thought could the American
League in batting. He didn't AS you know he about
.3o6, although he did lead in home and triples"
THE MANTLE OF TODAY veteran despite his years
gets down himself The Yankees tell of how he returns
to the dugout and punches the wall kicks the water
bucket when he doesn't hit pitchers felt he should
clobber
Mickey had streak" Rizzuto said when he got on
base 6 times in One Of his blows long homer
really long Like the kind he's hitting Florida
wind in his face and everything He got such kick
watching that ball disappear that he began trying to hit
longer Then he started to strike out
II hope Mantle has his big this year," Phil said
because want to be around to enjoy it, When puts
all Of his talents together he'll break the league wide
he should be great I've played catch with him
the sdenes and he hurts you Mantle could be pitcher
shortstop, third baseman he could be anything
II wish Phil sighed, could be "a old again Only
with the muscles that Nantes got"