Posted on 03/25/2011 9:19:30 PM PDT by Altura Ct.
Sixty years ago in an exhibition game against USC, a young Mickey Mantle hit a home run that became baseball legend and spawned a mystery: Just how far did it go?
It was the first inning, one runner aboard, the count at two balls and two strikes, and Tom Lovrich stared down the 19-year-old rookie batter.
USC's junior ace didn't know much about him, except that he more than filled out his gray New York Yankees uniform.
"He was a strong, country kid from Oklahoma," Lovrich said, recalling the legendary at-bat that took place 60 years ago Saturday. "Very strong."
Lovrich figured the rookie would chase something low and away for strike three, so the 6-foot-5 right-hander known as "Tall Tom" began his sidearm windup and fired.
His head sank as soon he heard the devastating crack of the wooden bat.
"My God," said USC second baseman Stan Charnofsky, watching the ball scream over the wire fence in right-center field. "Look at that."
USC's football practice field ran adjacent to Bovard Field. The ball bounced at midfield and rolled into a huddle.
"Who the hell hit that?" one player asked.
And as they walked off the field, their spring practice complete, another football player learned the answer to that question and told the others.
"Some kid named Mickey Mantle."
Introducing himself
The black-and-white clip is grainy, but the narrator's voice is sharp and upbeat:
"It's big league baseball on Bovard Field as the Trojans become the first college team ever to host a world champion," he begins. "The guests of the day: the New York Yankees."
The myth of Mantle and the legend of "The Mick" began at USC that day.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Thanks for the correction. Still, WOW, what a staff!
The Bird’s starting staffs with the early to mid sixties arrivals of Barber, Pappas, Bunker and Palmer along with to many more to list later on into the early to late ‘70’s were flat out unreal. The 1969-’71, especially that ‘69 outfit, Orioles were about as balanced a team as I have ever had the unfortunate time to watch...’cause I hated ‘em!!, but damn were they great. (They would have beaten the ‘69 miracle Mets 60 out of a 100 games I Still believe but lost that ‘69 series in 5 games). In ‘70 they whipped the Reds bad in five games but the ‘71 Birds/Pirates series went seven and it was a great one for us anti-Orioles also as twice in three seasons they were stopped in the Series. It was a great time to be an MLB fan
Agreed Bob. My man-cave is loaded with old stadium seats and autographed jerseys, hats and helmets. It was a great time to be a kid watching MLB.
Well I’m a Yankee hater to but reality is reality. I do love Mickey and Yogi though. How could any baseball fan not?
I don’t know anyone who knows the slightest thing about baseball’s history who would underrate Brooks Robinson. The guy totally redefined third base play. He was the Luis Aparicio of third base.
While I hated the Yankees for as long as I can remember, I have to say that the best looking uniform my kid ever wore playing park ball was the Yankee uniform.
I never made my boys participate in sports except baseball telling them “damnit you’re Americans You are going to learn how to play baseball.” So I ignored their desire to stay home and sit in front of the tv. I went to many of their practices and all their games (their mom was too nervous to go to the games fearing she would upset them and they would screw up). They were good players not great but on the verge of being all-stars.
But the year my younger one wore the Yankee uniform was fantastic and they only lost a couple of games. He was handsome as could be in that hated uniform.
Actually I would think we could find more experts in those fields here than on a newspaper staff.
And that's how I see him to this day in black and white. I guess it's an age thing; I was 6 y/o in ‘53 too. I watched on our old B&W Magnavox. I'll bet it was a thrill and somewhat exhilarating to a 6 y/o to see the greenness of the field when that's not what they are used to. I never got to see “The Mick” in person, but oh such lovely memories of such a carefree time.
I am aware that when his life ended, he was a dissipated man, but for that short period of time—WOW!!
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