When Mantle was four years old, his family moved to Commerce, Oklahoma, where his father worked in lead and zinc mines. Mantle began attending school there and was an all-around athlete at Commerce High School. MLB held two All-Star Games from 1959 through 1962. After an impressive spring training, Yankees manager Casey Stengel decided to promote Mantle to the majors as a right . He announced his retirement at the age of 37 in 1969 and delivered a farewell speech in Yankees Stadium. Mantle's powerful slugging and tendency to swing for the stands set the template for superstars of subsequent generations. Early Baseball Lessons From Both Sides of Plate. He commanded the biggest stage in sports as the center fielder for the most successful team in baseball, and he did it at a time when New York was blessed with three great center fielders renowned as "Willie, Mickey and the Duke," home run hitters who captivated the public in the 1950's as the leaders of memorable teams: Willie Mays of the Giants, Mantle of the Yankees and Duke Snider of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Mantle played his entire Major League Baseball career with the New York Yankees as a center fielder, right fielder, and first baseman. The following year, he became the highest-paid player in baseball by signing a $75,000 contract, which was incredibly high at the time. [citation needed], Joe DiMaggio retired from baseball following the 1951 World Series. Net Worth 2020. Mickey Mantle married Merlyn Johnson in 1951, and they had four children together. I think I hit two more home runs that night. Not known Mickey Mantle Salary Detail. In the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 3 of the 1964 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Mantle hit Barney Schultz's first pitch into the right field stands at Yankee Stadium, which won the game for the Yankees 21. American professional baseball player Mickey Mantle had an estimated net worth of $12 million dollars at the time of his death, in 1995. How much did Mickey Mantle weigh when playing? 1952 Mickey Mantle baseball card gets police escort (NCD) (NCD) DENVER It's known as the Holy Grail of post-World War II baseball cards. The Collected Wisdom of David Mantle, son of Mickey Mantle. Not till Houk came along and told me, 'You are going to be my leader. "[66] Richardson read the poem at Mantle's funeral, which he described as being extremely difficult. A Mickey Mantle baseball card sold for a record-smashing $12.6 million Sunday, the highest price ever paid for a piece of sports memorabilia. Mantle was one of the best players and sluggers of all time, and is regarded by many as the greatest switch hitter in baseball history. However, Mantle still died on August 13, 1995 at Baylor University Medical Center. Mickey Mantle keeps his personal and love life private. Mantle played for the New York Yankees his entire Major . [66], Mantle's popularity led to controversy over his liver transplant. Deducting for bounces,[5] there is no doubt that both landed well over 500 feet (152m) from home plate. He received a liver transplant soon afterward. The Yankees started Mantle at Independence, Kan., where they had a Class D minor league club. A decades-old, mint-condition Mickey Mantle baseball card could break a record at auction. Greer Johnson Net Worth Greer Johnson Net Worth 2023, Age, Height, Relationships, Married, Dating, Family, Wiki Biography. [58] Excerpts from the book have been published in Sports Illustrated. He won the Western Association batting title and was then invited to the Yankees instructional camp before the 1951 season. The couple had four children together during the course of their marriage. He is the only player to win a league Triple Crown as a switch hitter. How many seasons did Mickey Mantle play? (Another story says, he was badly injured playing touch football, at home, in the late summer of that year). [10] Later in his life, Mantle expressed relief that his father had not known Cochrane's true first name because he would have hated to be named Gordon. That year, he brought home both the Triple Crown and the first of three Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Awards. He won the Triple Crown in 1956 and a Gold Globe Award in 1962. In both 1953 and 1961, he hit into only two double plays, over the course of 1,186 plate appearances. This may become Mickey's ultimate home run.". Some felt that his fame had permitted him to receive a donor liver in just one day,[69] bypassing patients who had been waiting much longer. "No money, none of those $400 suits he got around to buying a couple of years later. Mickey Mantle played 18 seasons. Throughout his life, Mantle had been a heavy drinker. In 1956, he hit 16 home runs in May. He was the blond, muscled switch-hitter who joined the Yankees at 19 in 1951 as DiMaggio was winding down his Hall of Fame career. But the bigger, untold story is that there are three gem mint PSA 10 '52 Topps Mantles which are twice as rare--three . The couple's four sons were Mickey Jr. (19532000), David (born 1955), Billy (19571994), whom Mickey named for Billy Martin, his best friend among his Yankee teammates, and Danny (born 1960). Greenwade returned in 1949, after Mantle's high school graduation, to sign Mantle to a minor league contract. [74], Mantle was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1964. During the 1961 season, Mantle and teammate Roger Maris, known as the M&M Boys, chased Babe Ruth's 1927 single-season home run record. After an impressive spring training, Yankees manager Casey Stengel decided to promote Mantle to the majors as a right fielder instead of sending him to the minors. Mantle's top salary was $100,000, which he reached for the 1963 season. He also hit a record total of 18 home runs in 12 World Series, and 2 more in 16 All-Star Games. ", But that's not how he was remembered by teammates. In 1962, he became the highest-paid player in baseball with a $90,000 per year contract. Salary 2020. In 1960 Mantle started in both All-Star games, getting two walks in the first and a single in the second game. We didn't even have chairs then; we had boxes instead of chairs, and linoleum on the floor. But he pulled his car over and stopped and watched us play. Mickey Mantle Height, Weight & Measurements At 64 years old, Mickey Mantle height is 6' (1.83 m) . Mantle's wife, mother, and mother-in-law were in attendance and received recognition at the ceremony held in honor of him. After an impressive spring training, the Yankees manager decided to promote Mantle to the major league team as a right fielder. [30] In 1964, Mantle hit .303 with 35 home runs and 111 RBIs, and played center field in the All-Star game. Is Mickey Mantle in the Hall of Fame? On August 25, 1996, about a year after his death, Mantle's Monument Park plaque was replaced with a monument bearing the words "A great teammate" and keeping a phrase that had been included on the original plaque: "A magnificent Yankee who left a legacy of unequaled courage." He was selected an All-Star as the starting center fielder, but for the first time he could not make the 25-man roster because of the foot injury. 1969 Topps #500 Mickey Mantle UER VGEX X2696604. Signed mid-to-late 1950s Topps cards (excluding All-Star cards) sell for $1,000 to $2,000. Just those two pairs of pastel slacks and that blue sports coat that he wore every place. [72] He was 63 years old. Mantle was selected an All-Star every season during his 18-year career except 1951 and 1966, and did not play in the 1952, 1963, and 1965 seasons. Mickey Mantle was born in Spavinaw, Oklahoma in October 1931 and passed away in August 1995. "[19] Bill Dickey called Mantle "the greatest prospect I've seen in my time. Mantle admitted that drinking had become a way of life even while he was playing. The recent sale of a mint Mickey Mantle card for $2.88 made headlines. In 1952, Mantle played his first complete World Series and became a hitting star for the team with an on-base percentage above .400 and a slugging percentage above .600. In his sophomore year, he was kicked on the left shin during a practice game, and he developed osteomyelitisan infectious disease that was incurable just a few years earlierin his left ankle. But I didn't think it would be this soon." He played halfback and Oklahoma offered him a football scholarship. What did Mickey Mantle suffer from? Full body measurements, dress & shoe size will be updated soon. Mantle was one of the greatest offensive threats in baseball history and is considered to be one of the best baseball players of all time. I was nothing. In the 1920's, they won six American League pennants and three World Series. [15] Mantle won the Western Association batting title, with a .383 average. Adjusted for inflation, he earned approximately $9 million. After an impressive spring training, Yankees manager Casey Stengel decided to promote Mantle to the majors as a right fielder instead of sending him to the minors. [8] Despite his accolades on the field, Mantle's private life was plagued with tumult and tragedy, including a well-publicized bout with alcoholism that led to his death from liver cancer. On May 22, 1963, against Kansas City's Bill Fischer, Mantle hit a ball that fellow players and fans claimed was still rising when it hit the 110-foot (34m) high facade, then caromed back onto the playing field. [16] Mantle hit his first professional home run on June 30, 1949, at Shulthis Stadium. [41], Mantle was also one of the best bunters for base hits of all time. Maris did not follow suit, and many in the press viewed him as surly. It makes you feel good. Mickey admitted that he was more "The Mick" to his kids than "Dad." Target's new Fine'ry perfumes have designer dupes you need to know about Target's new Fine'ry perfumes have designer dupes you need to know about; The 7 best home saunas of 2023, with expert tips . Mantle had his first 100 plus RBI year, in 1954, in a full season and regained .300 status. The Powerful Symbol Of a Yankee Dynasty. But he was also a part-time baseball player who had such a passion for the game that he named his son in honor of Mickey Cochrane, the great catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics and player-manager for the Detroit Tigers. [83] In 2018, the #7 card was issued to Yankees outfielder Clint Frazier. Mickey Mantle had an amazing baseball career with multiple records and fantastic stats. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Baseball scholars often ponder "what if" had he not been injured, and had been able to lead a healthy career. However, he was not able to find the power he once had in the lower minors. The New York press was harsh in its treatment of Mantle in his early years with the team, emphasizing that he struck out frequently, was injury-prone, was a rube from Oklahoma, and was perceived as inferior to his predecessor in center field, Joe DiMaggio. [10] However, Mantle struggled defensively at shortstop.[10]. He occasionally attended the local Methodist church, and sometimes ate Sunday dinner with members of the congregation. While "The Mick" patrolled center field and batted clean-up between 1951 and 1968, the Yankees won 12 American . Alex Rodriguez Has Finally Gotten His Last Paycheck From The MLB How Much Did He Make. [citation needed], On January 16, 1961, Mantle became the highest-paid player in baseball by signing a $75,000 (equivalent to $680,000 in 2021) contract. He hit two more home runs in the series to set a new lifetime World Series record with 18. He remembered what his doctor told him then: "Your liver is still working, but it has healed itself so many times that before long you're just going to have one big scab for a liver. During their empire years, the Yankees built on the mountains of success they had fashioned in the days since Ruth joined them in 1920. She was married to Mickey Mantle. Former Bronx Bomber Joe Pepitone, in an upstate federal court complaint, claims legendary teammate Mickey Mantle used one of his loaned bats to smack historic home run No. $237.50. [84] That same year, Mantle was one of 100 nominees for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team, and was chosen by fan balloting as one of the team's outfielders. [27] DiMaggio, Hank Greenberg, and Ted Williams, who had just retired, had been paid over $100,000 in a season, and Ruth had a peak salary of $80,000. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. Alan Rosen, one of the biggest baseball card dealers in the business--in one year, he did $6 million worth of business--sponsored a reunion of the 1961 Yankees at Trump Castle in Atlantic City. "He struck out only 1,500 times. The following two seasons were more frustrating for Mantle, though he still played comparatively well and made the all-star team as a reserve player in 1959. Mantle played for the New York Yankees his entire Major League Baseball career from 1951 to 1968. [51], Mantle worked as a customer-relations representative for the Dallas Reserve Life Insurance Company. But he became wildly famous for his strength, his dash, his laconic manner and, somewhat like Joe Namath in football, for his heroic performances on damaged knees. David Mantle was recently walking in New York City when a passer-by said something odd. Mickey Mantle 1959 Topps Baseball Card #10. During his 18-year career with the Yankees, the switch-hitting slugger hit 536 home runs and was voted the AL Most Valuable Player three times (195657, 1962). He was named the league's most valuable player in 1956, 1957 and 1962. Mantle had another "off year"indeed, the first week of June saw his batting average drop to .228but by mid-August, he was back in his prime, leading the team to another World Series. "No, I'm still alive," Mantle responded. After adjusting for inflation, he earned around $9 million from his various contracts. And after leaving the Betty Ford Center, he seemed to be a revived person. He was well-liked by the citizens of Greensboro, and seemed to like them in return. Overall, he hit slightly more home runs away (270) than home (266). Mickey Mantle played for the New York Yankees from 1951 to 1968, and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. . [78] When Yankee Stadium was reopened in 1976 following its renovation, the plaques and monuments were moved to a newly created Monument Park behind the left-center field fence,[78] which has since been replaced by a new Monument Park at the current Yankee Stadium, which opened in 2009. His wife, Merlyn, and son David were at his bedside. "[47][63], Mantle's wife and sons all completed treatment for alcoholism and told him that he needed to do the same. He signed his first contract for $7,500 and his last for $100,000, which seemed princely enough at the time. There was no next drink, Mantle said. Roger Maris Net Worth. I see I raised a coward instead. Mickey Charles Mantle was born in Spavinaw, Okla., on Oct. 20, 1931. His children also suffered from alcoholism and substance abuse problems. Mantle's #7 was retired by the New York Yankees and he was named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. $1,847.75. [66][67][68] In July, he had recovered enough to deliver a press conference at Baylor, and addressed fans that had looked to him as a role model. Mantle was a prized guest at baseball-card shows, commanding fees far in excess of those of any other player for his appearances and autographs. He was a center fielder who was a switch hitter and threw right handed. As the years passed, Mantle frequently used a line popularized by football legend Bobby Layne, a Dallas neighbor and friend who also died in part from alcohol abuse: "If I'd known I was gonna live this long, I'd have taken a lot better care of myself. Despite missing 41 games, he was selected as MVP for the third time, beating out teammate Bobby Richardson in the voting. Mantle played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (19511968) with the New York Yankees as a center fielder, right fielder, and first baseman. In 1989, it has been documented that Mantle made as much as $150,000 for three days of work at a 1961 Yankees reunion show in Atlantic City. It was originally purchased for $50,000 in 1991. [76] The plaque was officially presented to Mantle by Joe DiMaggio. A year later, his salary bumped up to $100,000 per year. He acknowledged that some of them were self-inflicted, especially drinking, a habit that had seemed harmless enough when crowds were cheering and he was playing and hitting home runs despite an occasional hangover. "[77] In response, DiMaggio's plaque was hung one inch higher than Mantle's. Out of frustration, he called his father one day and told him, "I don't think I can play baseball anymore." 7, he led the team through 14 years of the greatest success any baseball team has known before he endured four more years of decline. He brought a lot of Oklahoma with him to New York and never really changed. He is best known for setting a new MLB single-season home run record with 61 home runs in 1961. [39] In roughly 25% of his total at-bats he hit .330 right-handed to .281 left. [10] During a slump, Mantle called his father to tell him he wanted to quit baseball. [10][15] Shulthis Stadium, the baseball stadium in Independence where Mantle played, had been the site of the first night game of organized baseball in 1930. "When I graduated from high school in 1949, Greenwade showed up again. After fouling off a few pitches, he hit a towering home run over the 402-foot sign by the bullpen. Over the course of time, however, Mantle (with a little help from his teammate Whitey Ford, a native of Queens) had learned to deal with the New York media and had gained the favor of the press. [44] Dr. Stephen Haas, medical director for the National Football League Players Association, has speculated that Mantle tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during the incident and played the rest of his career without having it properly treated since ACLs could not be repaired with the surgical techniques available in that era. After a brief slump, he began dominating games and was called up to the Yankees after 40 games with Kansas City. However, during the second game of the 1951 World Series, he tripped over a drain pipe and severely injured his right night. Mantle hit the park's first home run. [82] Topps unretired the #7 in 2006 to use exclusively for cards of Mantle in the current year's design. My mother made every baseball uniform I ever wore till I signed with the Yankees. He died in 1995 of a heart attack which he suffered months after receiving a liver transplant. A school in Manhattan was renamed for Mantle on June 4, 2002. 7 Is Retired", "Quite A Day For Mickey at Proud Yankee Stadium", "Everyone Agrees: Steinbrenner's Plaque Is Big", "Monument of Babe Ruth removed: Artifact will make its way to new Yankee Stadium by year's end", "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement", "Baseball Card Sold for $12.6 Million, Breaking Record - The 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle baseball card is the most valuable piece of sports memorabilia ever to be sold at auction", "2017 Topps Baseball Brings #7 Out of Retirement", "About | Oklahoma City RedHawks Ballpark", "A Mickey Mantle Rookie Card Sells for $12.6 Million at Auction", "The man who sold the most valuable sports card of all time - Anthony Giordano got a record $12.6 million for a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle", "Mickey Mantle Named Outstanding Male Athlete Of Year: Yankee Star Leads Field By Overwhelming Margin", "To Fans of 40 Years, Teresa Brewer Meant 'Music! Mickey Mantle, the most powerful switch-hitter in baseball history and the successor to Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio as the symbol of the long reign of the New York Yankees, died of cancer. Anyone can read what you share. Danny later battled prostate cancer. With Mantle established in the lineup, they won the pennant seven times and the Series five times in the next eight years. This would be the first of many injuries that would plague Mantle's 18-year long career. ", In the end, though, he had a more poignant message. 1959 was the first of four consecutive seasons that two All-Star games were played and Mantle played in seven of these games. "Maybe because I was only 19 years old when I started playing for him, and a couple of years later my own dad was gone. ESPN's SportsCentury series that ran in 1999 ranked him No. In 1994, he checked into the Betty Ford Clinic, where doctors diagnosed him with cirrhosis, hepatitis, and cancer of the liver. [9], Mantle was born on October 20, 1931, in Spavinaw, Oklahoma, the son of Lovell (ne Richardson) Mantle (19041995)[10] and Elvin Charles "Mutt" Mantle (19121952). In 1974 Mantle was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot. He is in 10th place in number of bases-empty bunt singles for his career, with 80 in only 148 at-bats. His on-base percentage at one point, reached .537. I mean, she sewed them right on me. Mantle desired to be remembered as a stellar teammate. Mantle was reinstated on March 18, 1985 by Kuhn's successor Peter Ueberroth. The following year, Mantle moved to center field. On December 23 1951, Mantle married Merlyn Johnson in Picher, Oklahoma. As of 2022, Mickey Mantle's net worth is $10 million. The second, he always will be. He is 17th in on-base percentage. "I was still in high school and we were living out near Commerce in 1948, and we didn't have a hell of a lot. Mantle was assigned to the Yankees' Class-D Independence Yankees of the Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League, where he played shortstop. Retrieved December 9, 2012. Nevertheless, Mantle accepted the position because he felt the rule was "stupid." His job mostly involved representing the Claridge in golf tournaments and at other charity events, but Mantle was suspended from baseball by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn because any affiliation with gambling was viewed as grounds for placement on the "permanently ineligible" list. Mickey Mantle (born October 20, 1931) is famous for being baseball player. He was 63. He hit 344 doubles, 72 triples and 536 home runs (373 left-handed, 163 right-handed), and he knocked in 1,509 runs. His willingness to take lesser amounts than other players proves that baseball was Mantles passion, and he was just happy to get paid to do it. That amount combined with his restaurant business and endorsements deals after he retired, Mantles net worth was $10 million when he died in 1995. ". All combined, Mantle earned $1.12 million during his career. People chose instead to remember his baseball feats, unforgettably part of the heroic character he portrayed. Mickey Mantle was an American professional baseball player who had a net worth of $10 million at the time of his death. His wife is Merlyn Mantle (23 December 1951 - 13 August 1995) ( his death) ( 4 children) Mickey Mantle Net Worth His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. [10] Stengel, speaking to SPORT, stated "He's got more natural power from both sides than anybody I ever saw. Mickey Mantle was born in Spavinaw, Oklahoma in October 1931 and passed away in August 1995. ", Mantle was assigned uniform #6, signifying the expectation that he would become the next Yankees star, following Babe Ruth (#3), Lou Gehrig (#4) and Joe DiMaggio (#5). The Old Man really helped me a lot. He continued to be a solid player for the Yankees over the next few years and had his breakout season in 1956. He admitted that he had often been cruel and hurtful to family, friends, and fans because of his alcoholism, and sought to make amends. Mantle signed for $140 per month (equivalent to $1,600 in 2021) with a $1,500 signing bonus (equivalent to $17,100 in 2021). His last contract paid him $100,000 per season (the same as $800,000 after adjusting for inflation). While his drinking became public knowledge during his lifetime, the press kept quiet about his many marital infidelities. [86], In August 2022, a 1952 Topps baseball card (Topps; 1952; #311; SGC MT 9.5) in mint condition sold for $12.6 million, a record for sports memorabilia at the time. "Then Ralph Houk came along and changed my whole idea of thinking about myself. On June 8, Mantle underwent a transplant operation to replace a liver ravaged by cancer, hepatitis and cirrhosis. Mickey Mantle Jr., who struggled with the expectations accompanying the son of a baseball icon and the travails that afflicted his family far from the public eye, died Wednesday at a hospital. Pride of October: What It Was to Be Young and a Yankee. Submit a correction suggestion and help us fix it! DETAILS BELOW. [59][60], Mantle allegedly took his first drink of alcohol at age 19, when teammate Hank Bauer gave him a beer that he "chugged as if it were soda pop", according to baseball historian Frank Russo. He even got me out of the commencement exercises so I could play ball because he was thinking of signing me for the Yankees. [47] Joe Collins, who played with him from 1951 through 1957, recalled that "Mickey was the type of guy who cared about you as a person. However, Mantle stole the show after hitting three home runs. At Mantle's funeral, Eddie Layton played "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" on the Hammond organ because Mickey had once told him that it was his favorite song. In 2017, Topps began including #7 cards in its main sets again, with Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez the first player other than Mickey Mantle to appear in the #7 slot since 1995. The Cardinals won the World Series in seven games. He was a center fielder who was a switch-hitter and threw right handed. Due to his parents' quick action in driving him to a hospital in Oklahoma City, his leg was saved from amputation. He spent his final two seasons at first base. How much was Mickey Mantles net worth at the time of his death? Mantle disclosed later that he had not married Johnson out of love but rather because his father told him to. Signed Topps cards from the 1960s sell for $600 to $900. You're the best we've got.' In 2020, the #7 card was issued to right fielder Aaron Judge. 500 and now he. His transplant revived a debate over whether an alcoholic, even a recovering one, deserves a new liver, and whether his celebrity status had increased his chances of getting one. . The first, he often was not. Mantle and former teammate Whitey Ford were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame together in 1974, Mantle's first year of eligibility, Ford's second.[81]. Mickey Mantle Net Worth At Death. In that season, he also hit another long home run at Yankee Stadium to left-center field that was reported to have traveled 502 feet. [2] Mantle was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974[3] and was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999. Frequently, he would dump ice water on those who were showering. Mantle was interred in the Mantle Family Mausoleum, located in the St. Matthew Section of the Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery in Dallas. A statue of Mantle is located at Mickey Mantle Plaza at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, the home stadium of the Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers, 2 South Mickey Mantle Drive in Oklahoma City. Adjusted for inflation, he earned approximately $9 million. "Everything he owned was in a straw suitcase," he said. Mantle was named in honor of Mickey Cochrane, a Hall of Fame catcher in baseball. [71], Mantle died at 2:10a.m. on August 13, 1995 at Baylor University Medical Center with his wife at his side, five months after his mother had died at age 91. In addition, compared to the other four center fielders on the All-Century team, he had the lowest career rate of grounding into double plays, and he had the highest World Series on-base percentage and World Series slugging percentage. He did, however, regain his status, hitting .330 in the second half of 1958, and leading his team back to the Series. Mickey Mantle was born on October 20, 1931 (age 63) in Spavinaw, Oklahoma, United States. Mantle won his second consecutive MVP in 1957[25] behind league leads in runs and walks, a career-high .365 batting average (second to Ted Williams's .388), and hitting into a league-low five double plays. In 1974 Mantle was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot. But it finally became a nightmare that undermined his life. In the 1930's, they won five pennants and five World Series. Mickey Mantle is a member of Baseball Player Age, Biography and Wiki Net worth: $10 million Some Mickey Mantle images About Legendary New York Yankee who hit 536 career home runs, was named American League MVP three times, and led the AL in home runs four times and batting average once. Mickey Mantle is one of the greatest baseball players ever. Mickey Mantle Original 1969 Topps Baseball Card #500. He was the anchor of the team for 18 seasons, first in center field and later, when his knees couldn't take the stress anymore, at first base.