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The Mickey Mantle Story
-A pamphlet by the American Bible Society
He was one of the most compelling athletic heroes in American history.
Long after he'd hung up his fabled pin striped uniform, grown men would
stammer and stutter in his presence and faithful fans would pay outlandish
prices for his memorabilia. His achievements were many, but they cannot
explain his enduring popularity. His legion of admirers felt a deep
emotional attachment to this man who moved with such fluid grace and raw power.
They loved Mickey Mantle.
His statistics are staggering - 536 home runs,
1,509 RBIs, .298 career batting average, seven world championships, and three MVP
awards - and they are all the more impressive when we consider how the Hall of
Famer courageously battled chronic, painful injuries during 18 years with the
New York Yankees. In addition, he won the Triple Crown in 1956 - a .353 batting
average, 52 HR's, and 130 RBIs. In 1956, he hammered 54 homers, just six short of
Babe Ruth's record.
But these numbers pale when compared to what happened
in the harsh summer of '95 when his heart took over in that desperate final inning.
Faced with an aggresive cancer, he displayed incredible courage, humility, even
humor as he battled for his life. And when he chose to drag his frail body in front
of a mass of microphones and address the public, there was not a trace of self
pity in his words - only heart-felt pleas to avoid the mistakes he had made.
"Don't be like me," he humbly declared, "I'm no role model!" But despite his
flaws, Mantle remained a hero to his multitude of fans, and due to his honesty,
gained many new ones.
At age 19 he left the lead mines of Oklahoma for the
bright lights of New York City. Unfortunately, those lights cast an eerie shadow
over his life. After Mickey's first season, his father, Mutt Mantle, died of
Hodgkins desease at 40. His grandfather and two of his uncles also succumbed to
the same disease before their 40th birthdays. As a result, a growing fear of
dying young haunted the budding superstar. He would talk long into the night
with his close teammates, confiding to them this nagging fear.
Convinced
an early funeral was his inevitable fate, though often joking about it, he played
hard and partied even harder. For him there was no tomorow. Tragically, this
attitude led to a 40-year bout with alcohol that caused his body to grow old
before its time and clouded his mind. Many criticized his self-destructive
lifestyle, saying it sabotaged the greatest combination of power and speed the
game had ever seen. In the autumn of his life, Mantle came to agree with those
critics, admitting that his drug of choice, alcohol, kept him from reaching his
full potential - as a player and as a person. He had learned the hard lesson that
a man reaps what he sows.
Finally in 1994, at the urging of his family and
friends, Mickey sought help for his addiction. After checking himself into the
Betty Ford Center, he was able to win his long battle with the bottle. But he
knew something was still missing in his life. He just wasn't sure what it was.
In June of '95, doctors discovered that cancer had destroyed Mantle's
liver. He was fortunate to receive a transplant, and for a while it seemed as
if the greatest switch hitter of all time would live to fight another day. Then
doctors found that the cancer remained in his body, and he began chemotherapy.
Mickey knew he was facing death. During the All-Star break in Dallas, he picked
up the phone and called his old friend and teammate, former Yankee second baseman
Bobby Richardson - a committed Christian. Mickey asked him to pray for him over the
telephone. A few weeks later when doctors had discovered that the cancer had
aggressively spread, Mickey's family asked Bobby if he would come to visit him.
His death was imminent. To honor Mickey's long-standing request - one he had made
at the funeral of Roger Maris nine years earlier - Bobby was asked to speak at the
funeral.
After entering the hospital room, Richardson went over to Mantle's
bed and took his hand. Locking his eyes on him, Bobby said, "Mickey, I love you,
and I want you to spend eternity in heaven with me." Mantle smiled and said,
"Bobby, I've been wanting to tell you that I have trusted Jesus Christ as my
Savior." Faced with the crushing weight of his sin against a holy God and its dire
consequence - eternal separation from God - Mickey had asked for and received the
forgiveness he so desperately needed. For Richardson, news of his conversion felt
like cool rain after a summer drought, and brought tears to his eyes. For years,
he had talked to Mickey about the Lord Jesus, but to no avail. Now, in the final
inning of his life, the Mick had won his greatest victory - more glorious than
any of his tape-measured home runs.
When asked later how he knew he would
spend eternity with God in heaven, Mickey, after some reflection, quoted John 3:16
from the Bible: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
At Mickey's funeral, Bobby Richardson told 2,000 mourners and a national
TV audience that there are only two groups of people: those who say "yes" to
Christ and those who say "no." He added that, since none of us knows when he will
face his own final inning, saying "maybe" is really saying "no." The Bible
confirms this when it says, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life:
and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth
on him" (John 3:36).
So, what about you, my friend? Remember, the Bible
says, "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23), and "it
is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement"(Hebrews 9:27).
But the good news is that "God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us"(Romans 5:8). In addition, "Forasmuch as ye
know that ye were not redeemed with corruptable things, as silver and gold...but
with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot"
(1 Peter 1:18, 19).
Don't delay! Life is short and eternity hastens. There
is no second chance. If you have never turned from your sins and trusted in the
Lord Jesus Christ, do it now!. Why not pray right now, saying something like this:
"Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner - full of pride and selfishness - and I need
Your forgiveness. I believe that You died in my place to pay the penalty for my
sins and that You rose from the dead. I now trust in You alone as my Savior and
recieve Your gift of eternal life."
Friend, I urge you to consider that
"now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation"(2 Corinthians 6:2).
Ed Cheek
If you have made this decision and would like spiritual help, please write to the
address below.
American Tract Society
P.O. Box 462008
Garland, TX 75046
For orders, free catalog, or samples:
1-800-54-TRACT / Bible references: KJV / ats@ATStracts.org / www.ATStracts.org /
Photos by AP/Wide World Photos
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