Tag: Mickey Mantle

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April 17, 1951, seventy years ago today, at Yankee Stadium, Mickey Mantle made his major league debut. It would also be Joe DiMaggio’s last opening day game. Since spring training DiMaggio has been hinting 1951 would be his last season. The Yankees, opening day opponent was the Boston Red Sox lead by Ted Williams.

Before the game: Joe, Mickey, and Ted were put together for a photograph by the photographers. As Joe and Ted greeted each other, Mantle shifted awkwardly, as Joe forgot to introduce him to Williams. It was Williams who stuck his hand. “You must be Mick,” he said. Does he belong in the same picture with such super-stars as DiMaggio and Williams? The next 153 games will go a long way toward deciding that question. Arthur Daley April 18, 1951.

Mickey Mantle’s first MLB game boxscore line in his first game, 4AB, 1R, 1H 1RBI.

Baseball-Reference

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA195104170.shtml

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Spring Training 1951
Spring Training 1951 Photographer Ozzie Sweet Registered Copyright Holder Paul Plaine Ballpark Prints LLC

Cover Shot for Sport Magazine March 1960 Photographer Ozzie Sweet Registered Copyright Holder Paul Plaine Ballpark Prints LLC
Cover Shot for Sport Magazine March 1960
Photographer Ozzie Sweet Registered Copyright Holder Paul Plaine Ballpark Prints LLC

 

Mickey Mantle 1960 Photographer Ozzie Sweet Registered Copyright Holder Paul Plaine Ballpark Prints LLC
Mickey Mantle 1960 Photographer Ozzie Sweet Registered Copyright Holder Paul Plaine Ballpark Prints LLC

Mickey Mantle 1964 Photographer Ozzie Sweet Registered Copyright Holder Paul Plaine Ballpark Prints LLC
Mickey Mantle 1964 Photographer Ozzie Sweet Registered Copyright Holder Paul Plaine Ballpark Prints LLC

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On this day in 1954 – Sports Illustrated, a magazine about everything sports – hits newsstands for the first time.
The late Ozzie Sweet, called the Babe Ruth of sports photography was the inspiration for many of the SI photographers.
Last Saturday I was at the New York City taping of Antiques Road Show with passes from Larry Canale who authored two books with Ozzie Sweet:

http://www.amazon.com/Mickey-Mantle-Yankee-Classic-Photography/dp/0930625218/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408191836&sr=1-1&keywords=ozzie+sweet

http://www.amazon.com/Boys-Spring-Larry-Canale/dp/1894963393/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408191836&sr=1-2&keywords=ozzie+sweet

Over 13 years I have had many conversations and emails with Larry, but never met until last Saturday. He knew I had many of Ozzie’s images and said “I didn’t know you had that many! Theirs enough for another book.”

My project now is the schedule more time within and coming months to work on them. When Ozzie was alive, I also talked to him about photography and color of his images as he and Larry were never pleased with the color produced in the (wonderful) books.

Time is the greatest enemy to color transparency and color prints In technical terms the yellow layer of all color is a vegetable dye and fades, thus giving the purple color we all see.in old slides and family color prints. That is why storage and other archival techniques are so important. Digital has different issues, but prints I create are all made using archival inks and paper.
Enough tech talks!

Ozzie was also one of my inspirations that is why I pursued to buy his images and copyrights (another story for the future). On my website http://www.ballparkprints.com in galleries click on Classic Images for a sample of Ozzie Sweets images.

Ballparkprints

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The Indians trade Gold Glove first baseman Vic Power and left-handed pitcher Dick Stigman(image is of Stigman pitching to Maris with Mantle on deck 1961) to the Twins for pitcher 20-game loser Pedro Ramos, who will compile a 26-30 record during his 2+ seasons with the Tribe. Power will contribute 2+ solid seasons with Minnesota batting .278, and their new southpaw will post a .702 winning percentage, the best in the American League this season, winning 12 of 17 decisions.

August 20, 1961 Cleveland Municipal Stadium. First game of a Cleveland Indian/NY Yankee doubleheader. Dick Stigman pitching in relief of Jim Perry to Roger Maris with Mickey Mantle on deck. Final score Yankees 6, Cleveland 0. In this game Mantle hit home run number 46 in the 1st inning and Maris hit number 49 in the 3rd. For more images visit www.ballparkprints.com
August 20, 1961 Cleveland Municipal Stadium. First game of a Cleveland Indian/NY Yankee doubleheader. Dick Stigman pitching in relief of Jim Perry to Roger Maris with Mickey Mantle on deck. Final score Yankees 6, Cleveland 0. In this game Mantle hit home run number 46 in the 1st inning and Maris hit number 49 in the 3rd.
For more images visit
http://www.ballparkprints.com

 

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Arrived yesterday in Winter Park Florida checked into The Alfond Inn (new and very nice surprise) dropped off our bags grabbed my camera equipment and dashed-off to the Braves spring training home ballpark. The Braves were playing the Nationals who have new rookie manager Matt Williams. Within the game,  two plays stand out. The Nationals had runners on first and third base with one out, and Matt Williams pulled an old Billy Martin move, sending the runner on first base to have him caught in a rundown and the runner on third base breaks for home, the play worked with the runner scoring. The second play came late in the game , with the score tied 4-4 no outs, and the bases loaded Matt Williams moved one of his outfielders to the infield creating 5-infielders with three fielder on the left side the batter hit a lined out to the left side of the infield, but the next batter crushed one to a vacant right field, clearing the bases with a with a triple,  and the score  was now 7 to 4. I liked that Matt Williams a rookie manager of a team that’s expected to win its division was not afraid to try out some plays. After all,  it is spring training for managers also, experiment a little,  and it is fun for the fans also….

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I was drawn to photography at an early age by baseball through the images on the back pages of the Daily News, The New York Mirror and Ozzie Sweets photography. Today Bleacher Report has this wonderful link to my past, unpublished candid images  from Life  magazines files of Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and other New York Yankees spring training 1961…

Enjoy!!!!

Unpublished images Life Magazine New York Yankees Spring Training 1961
Unpublished images Life Magazine New York Yankees Spring Training 1961

 

http://bleacherreport.com/tb/dcsRH?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=new-york-yankees

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While reading  the various obituaries about  former ballplayer and Cleveland broadcaster Mike Hegan, I kept thinking they omitted  one of the great trivia questions; in 1973 who was the last player that made the final out in the original Yankee Stadium?   Mike Hegan a fly ball to CF.HEGAN-obit-web-articleLarge

Mike Hegan, left, and his father, Jim, at spring training in 1962 Associated Press

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Growing-up near Yankee Stadium afforded me the opportunity to hang out there and get ball [players (almost all would sign) autographs as they walked to the stadium from the, subway, their cars and [1]The Concourse Plaza. I remember those days and have some stories about a few encounters, but Jerry Colman was one of the good guys and would sign and sign gain. There was the usual small group of us that showed up most days, and after awhile the players would recognize you, and Jerry was one that not only recognizes you but also talk to you.

With his active career over I encounter Jerry Coleman in the 1958-59 again, back then for a few years the Yankees would bring up their triple A farm team from Richmond VA and have them workout on the ball field that is now 161 Street Garage. Living just up the hill from the ball field where we played baseball everyday, word spread the Yankees farm team was working out there. I cannot say how kids showed up, but it was a lot. Out of that sea of kids like me Jerry Coleman called me over and let me be the back up batboy told me, be alert, and do not get hurt. I can still see talking to me dressed so neatly and wearing brown and white loafers…

[1] APA: Concourse Plaza Hotel – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concourse_Plaza_Hotel The hotel was located within walking distance of Yankee Stadium, which was home to baseball’s New York Yankees and (until 1976) football’s New York Giants. Many star players from the home teams – including Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris of the Yankees and Frank Gifford of the Giants – stayed at the Concourse Plaza, and visiting players would also stay at the hotel.[2][3]Yankees Second baseman Horace Clarke was reportedly the last Yankees player to make the hotel his in-season residence during the 1960s and early 1970s.