Mickey Mantle Loc: New York City

I loved shooting with my D40 and took some great pictures with it. It's not the equipment that makes the photo, but good equipment helps. I am a nostalgia kind of guy and sometimes yearn for the simpler lives we used to lead. That being said, I am also a tech junkie and love buying and hoarding all kind of gear

SteveR Loc: Michigan

Hey Mick....how is it that Yogi beat you out for MVP three times????

Mickey Mantle Loc: New York City

Yogi was a stupid catcher. Had a face that only a mother would love. I was partying too much. Yogi was married to one woman and never partied. A real bore. Today I would have been the best ever. Love New York and being a Yankee.

sinatraman Loc: Vero Beach Florida, Earth,alpha quaudrant

so what are you going to do with your Nikon gear? asks this Nikon shooter.

Mickey Mantle Loc: New York City

Sell most of it, probably to B&H. All is in great shape

tdekany Loc: Oregon

Why b&h? They would only pay you wholesale - sell it here or some other photo forum. Unless you have $$ to burn.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

As great as you were, Mick, Casey wouldn't even put you in the best 10 that he coached. As far as Yogi goes, as dumb as you think Yogi was, he was the best clutch hitter that team had. Why do you think he won three MVP's with a batting avg. under 300? That, plus being a great catcher.

Casey said the real Mick could have been a much greater player, but he wanted to go for the showy homeruns. If he had been a disciplined hitter he could have been one of the all time greats.

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

I like the story about Mickey Mantle's father hanging baseballs in the crib as the first thing Mickey would take an interest in. And how his father was teaching him at age three to switch hit.

Sad part of the story is that Mickey's father died before Mickey made it to the big leagues and never saw what his son could do.

Mickey turned heads at his first spring training by launching so many that it could just not be ignored.

In his early years in the major leagues, end could travel from home plate to first base practically faster than anyone in baseball. The bad knees came later.

I was a Pittsburgh Pirate fan back in those days that Mickey was making his name. I remember the 1960 World Series. What a lop-sided match that Pittsburgh managed to win. The Pirates would win a squeaker, and then the Yankee's would come back in the next game with an absolute blow out. Again and again this happened. After 7 games, the Yankee's had amassed the highest World Series team batting average, the most runs and just about every other offensive category you can think of. And of course Mickey was part of this. And then there were the Pirates. The lowest team batting average and just the opposite of the Yankee's in every offensive category. But it came down to game 7 and Bill Mazeroskie's homerun. Pittsburgh had two starting pitcher's the Yankees couldn't touch -- Vernon Law and Harvey Haddux. And of course their closer, Elroy Face who finished the year 18 and 1. But as for the rest of the pitching staff, it was like batting practice.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

As a Tiger fan growing up, I remember '61 when the Tigers won 101 games and still came in 7 games back. We were neck and neck with the Yankees until a 4 game series that the Yankees swept. I still remember a great play by Yogi. Runners on 1st and 3rd. The runner on 1st steals and Yogi fakes a throw to second and throws to 3rd instead picking off the unsuspecting runner. Tried it once myself in practice and it worked.

I still have a nice signed card that Yogi sent me after I wrote to him when I was eight.

BTW....Everybody but Yankee fans were glad Pittsburgh won!!

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

We thought Pittsburgh was going to repeat in 61. The Bucs started off 10 and 0 at the beginning of the season. But that was to be Cincinnati's year. I was big into baseball cards in those years and could could give you the starting lineup and and the stats from memory for every team. But there weren't nearly so many also.

Went to my first baseball game in 1960 with my Little League team at the old Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. We sat in right field right near where Roberto Clemente hung out. I can still remember that canon he had for an arm. Saw my first major league homerun that game. A laser beam shot by Dick Stuart to left field that had no arc what-so-ever, and reach the seats in left field in less than 2 sec. It would be many years later until I saw a ball hit so hard. This time it was Mark McGuire at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Another laser beam.

A little reminiscing about old time baseball is fun.

Mickey Mantle Loc: New York City

Talking baseball in a photo forum. How great is this? Mickey's father saw him play in the 1951 World Series. Went Mickey tore up his knee playing t
right field, he and his father were both in the same hospital. By the way, he tore up his knee trying to catch a ball that DiMaggio should have caught. Why did and do I love the Mick? It's not only baseball, but his whole aura. Many of us wanted to be like him. He was not the best baseball player I ever saw, probably Willie Mays was, but was the most talented. We secretly wanted to be like him.

Mickey Mantle Loc: New York City

When I saw Mazeroski hit the home run, in the 1960 World Series, I was twelve. I cried.

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

I didn't get to actually see it. I was 10. Can't remember if this was a weekday or weekend. If a week day, I was in school. But I sure saw lots and lots of pictures of it.

Thing about Mazeroski. He was never known as a homerun hitter. He hit very few homeruns in his career. Consistant 0.285 range hitter, but not homeruns. He was there mainly for the glove. Especially the double play.

A story one year about Mazeroski. The Pirates were breaking in a new Short Stop and he was so concerned about making perfect handoffs on doubleplay balls to the legendary 2nd baseman , but his carefulness was taking too long and they were missing out on double plays. Maz took that youngster aside in informed him in no uncertain terms that he didn't care how he got the ball to him. Just get that ball into my direction and I will take care of it.

Mickey Mantle Loc: New York City

It was during the week. Yogi was playing left field. The most lopsided World Series ever

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

Yes, I remember Yogi in left field. Who was the Yankee's catcher? Was it Elston Howard? Or was he first base? And who was the 2nd baseman. He had a tremendous series with lots of RBIs. Its coming back to me. Skouron at first. Roger Maris in Right. Mickey in center. And the pitching staff. I remember Ford, and Turley. I supose a few hits and I would remember more.

Just remembered the 2nd baseman: Bobbie Richardson - what a series he had!