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The new book on Mickey Mantle tells a version of how he would have easily caught that fly ball but it was understood the DiMaggio would not let anyone catch a ball that he could. Mick pulled off that catch and step into the drain ripping his knee up. If I remember right, Mick never said anything to DiMaggio but harbored unkind thoughts about him.

Remember when he caught his spike in the fence in Baltimore during the 61 season? He was ahead of Maris at that point in time.

Another book claims Mantle was out the night before drinking and he asked Stengel to sit the game out as he was not feeling well. Stengel asked him to pinch hit in the late inninings as the game was close or tied. Mantle went to the plate thinking, I am going to swing at the first pitch and then go back to the bench. He swung and hit a home run that led to him saying, "people just don't realize how hard this game is".

I would like to have had enough talent to be drunk and hit a home run.

He had the most raw talent of anyone I seen. If it wasn't for drinking and bad knees, who knows what kind on numbers he could have would up with. If only, he had taken care of himself.