Editing Mickey Mantle (section)

==Illness and death==
Early in 1995, doctors discovered that Mantle's liver had been severely damaged by both alcohol-induced [[cirrhosis]] and [[hepatitis C]], and that he had an inoperable liver cancer known as undifferentiated hepatocellular carcinoma, necessitating a liver transplant. He received the transplant at [[Baylor University Medical Center]] in [[Dallas]] on June 8, 1995.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=David |date=June 9, 1995 |title=Mantle Gets Emergency Liver Transplant |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1995/06/09/mantle-gets-emergency-liver-transplant/a76793ee-de82-4559-b9a5-44c1f9de4733/ |access-date=2025-02-01 |work=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> Mantle's popularity led to controversy over this transplant. Some felt that his fame had permitted him to receive a donor liver in just one day, bypassing patients who had been waiting much longer. His doctors insisted that the transplant was based solely on medical criteria, but acknowledged that the very short wait created the appearance of favoritism.<ref>{{cite news |last=Brody |first=Jane |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/02/sports/questions-are-raised-on-mantle-transplant.html |title=Questions Are Raised On Mantle Transplant |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 2, 1995}}</ref>

In July, Mantle had recovered enough to deliver a press conference at Baylor, and addressed fans that had looked to him as a role model: "This is a role model: Don't be like me."<ref>[[#Leavy|Leavy]], p. 374.</ref> He also established the Mickey Mantle Foundation to raise awareness for organ donations. He returned to the hospital in late July, and the cancer was found to have spread throughout his body. Doctors observed that it was among the most aggressive cancers that they had ever treated, and felt that the [[immunosuppressive drug]]s administered to Mantle for his liver transplant had helped the cancer spread so quickly.<ref>[[#Leavy|Leavy]], pp. 376–378.</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/14/sports/the-death-of-a-hero-mantle-s-cancer-most-aggressive-his-doctors-had-seen.html?pagewanted=1 |title=Mantle's Cancer 'Most Aggressive' His Doctors Had Seen |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 14, 1995 |first=Lawrence K. |last=Altman}}</ref>

Mantle died at 2:10 a.m. on August 13, 1995, at [[Baylor University Medical Center]] with his wife Merlyn and son David at his side, five months after his mother had died at age 91. He was 63 years old.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/14/obituaries/mickey-mantle-great-yankee-slugger-dies-at-63.html|title=Mickey Mantle, Great Yankee Slugger, Dies at 63 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 14, 1995 |last1=Durso |first1=Joseph }}</ref> The Yankees played the Indians that day and honored him with a tribute. The team played the rest of the season with black mourning bands topped by a number 7 on their left sleeves.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Diamos |first1=Jason |title=The Death of A Hero |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/14/sports/the-death-of-a-hero-victory-by-95-yankees-becomes-afterthought.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 14, 1995}}</ref>

Mantle's funeral was held in Lovers Lane United Methodist Church in Dallas, with around 1,500 people attending. [[Bobby Richardson]] led the funeral service while six other former teammates served as honorary pallbearers: [[Yogi Berra]], [[Whitey Ford]], [[Bill Skowron]], [[Hank Bauer]], [[Johnny Blanchard]] and [[Bobby Murcer]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Mantle funeral Tuesday in Dallas |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1995/08/14/Mantle-funeral-Tuesday-in-Dallas/1539808372800/ |work=[[United Press International]] |date=August 14, 1995}}</ref>

[[Eddie Layton]] played "[[Somewhere Over the Rainbow]]" on the [[Hammond organ]] because Mickey had once told him that it was his favorite song. [[Roy Clark]] sang and played "[[Yesterday, When I Was Young]]".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Justice |first1=Richard |title=Friends Say, 'So Long, Mick': About 1,500 attend funeral for Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle in Dallas |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-08-16-sp-35594-story.html |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=August 16, 1995}}</ref> Sportscaster [[Bob Costas]] eulogized Mantle, describing him as "a fragile hero to whom we had an emotional attachment so strong and lasting that it defied logic". He continued:

{{blockquote|In the last year of his life, Mickey Mantle, always so hard on himself, finally came to accept and appreciate the distinction between a role model and a hero. The first, he often was not. The second, he always will be. And, in the end, people got it.<ref>{{cite web |title=Video: Costas gives eulogy for Mantle |website=[[Major League Baseball|MLB.com]] |date=August 15, 1995 |url=https://www.mlb.com/video/costas-gives-eulogy-for-mantle-c529163183}}</ref>}}

At Mantle's request made prior to his death, Richardson read the same poem he recited at Roger Maris's funeral – "God's Hall of Fame" (written by a baseball fan). He later described it as one of the most difficult things he had ever done.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bobby Richardson (SABR BioProject) |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/bobby-richardson/ |website=Society for American Baseball Research |quote=Famously, Mickey Mantle’s widow, Merlyn, asked “the Preacher” to deliver the eulogy at Mickey’s funeral service in 1995. The Mantles were at Roger Maris’ funeral ten years earlier when Bobby recited a poem that a fan sent him, and Mickey made Richardson promise that he would read it at Mickey's funeral, too.}}</ref>

Mantle was interred in his family mausoleum, in the St. Matthew section of the [[Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery]] in Dallas. As per his wishes, the phrase "A Great Teammate" was carved on the plaque marking his resting place.<ref>[[#Leavy|Leavy]], p. 417.</ref>