Alright, so you wanna know ’bout this fella, Mickey Mantle, in 1957? Well, lemme tell ya, that year was somethin’ special for him. He was playin’ for them New York Yankees, you know, the fancy pants team. 1957 was a big year for Mickey, real big.
Now, they tell me he was the Most Valuable Player, MVP they call it. Won it two years in a row, that fella did. Imagine that! Must’ve been hittin’ that ball real good, and runnin’ like a jackrabbit. They say he scored more runs than anyone else, and walked a whole bunch too. Walkin’ ain’t runnin’ but it gets ya on base, that’s what I say.
He batted .365, whatever that means. Sounds high, though. Folks say that was the best he ever did in his whole career. He got on base more times than he got out! Now ain’t that somethin’? That’s like gettin’ more eggs outta the hen house than you put in. Makes no sense but that’s what they say.
- MVP: He won that there MVP award, twice in a row, mind you.
- Batting Average: Hit .365, that’s real good, I hear.
- Runs and Walks: Led the whole league in scorin’ and walkin’.
Some folks, they say another fella, Ted Williams, was maybe a better player that year. But Mickey, he was more valuable to his team. See, the Yankees, they won their championship, third time in a row. That’s what counts, winnin’ the whole shebang.
Now, Mickey, he played centerfield and first base, runnin’ all over the place. He could hit the ball from both sides, a switch hitter they call ‘em. He was a strong fella, too, about 5 foot 11 and almost 200 pounds. Born way back in 1931, in a place called Spavinaw. Never heard of it, but that’s where he come from.
This here Mickey, he won a bunch of awards in his time. They even put him in somethin’ called the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. That’s a big deal, like bein’ the king of baseball or somethin’. He won the Triple Crown once too, leadin’ in home runs, RBIs – whatever them are – and that battin’ average thing again. He was a real player, that’s for sure.
So, 1957, that was a banner year for Mickey Mantle. MVP, high batting average, and the Yankees won it all. He was a big star, that’s for sure. They still talk about him today, so he musta been somethin’ special. And that’s all I gotta say ‘bout Mickey Mantle in 1957. He was just a darn good baseball player, plain and simple.
They keep all sorts of records on these fellas. Every hit, every run, every time they spit. It’s a wonder they got time to play with all that record keepin’. But I guess that’s how they figure out who’s the best, who’s better than the rest. And in 1957, Mickey was better than most. He was a good ‘un, that Mickey.
Them Yankees must have been real proud to have him. A fella who can hit, run, and help his team win. That’s what baseball is all about, ain’t it? Winnin’. And Mickey helped them Yankees do a whole lotta winnin’ in 1957. He was the cream of the crop, the top dog, the… well, you get the idea.
Tags: [Mickey Mantle, 1957, New York Yankees, MVP, batting average, baseball, American League, Hall of Fame]