Mickey Charles Mantle was a professional baseball player. He played for the New York Yankees for 18 years. Even though he had a lot of physical problems during his lifetime, Mickey had a terrific career playing major league baseball.
             On October 21, 1931, in Spavinaw, Oklahoma, a baby by the name of Mickey Charles Mantle was born to Elven "Mutt" Mantle and Lovell Mantle. Mickey was named after Mickey Cochran, a professional baseball player, who Mutt admired, and his grandfather, Charles Mantle. When Mutt Mantle was younger, he played baseball. His whole life he dreamed that one day one of his own flesh and blood would play professional major league baseball.
             When Mickey was 6 months old, he got his first baseball cap. His mom made it for him. Then, when he was 2 ½ years old, he got his first baseball uniform that his mom also made. When Mickey was 4 years old, his family moved to Commerce, Oklahoma. When Mickey was 6 years old, he started grade school and his baseball career.
             One day after school, Mickey met his dad and his grandfather out in the backyard. There they had a small bat and tennis balls. Mickey's dad told him to hit the balls when he threw them to him and then to turn around and hit the balls that his grandfather threw to him. Mutt was teaching Mickey switch-hitting. Mutt knew that along the way this would help Mickey very much, so he developed this skill as he got older.
             In 1945, when Mickey was 14, his grandfather died. Mickey also entered Commerce High School. There, he played basketball and informal baseball. In 1946, he started to play football, even though Mutt did not want Mickey to play because he didn't want Mickey to get hurt and be out of baseball. During a preseason scrimmage, there was a pile up and one of Mickey's teammates kicked him in the left ankle. Even though he was in pain he played the rest of the game. The next morning Mickey looked at his ankle b...