Editing Mickey Mantle (section)

====Rise to stardom: 1952–1960====
[[File:1954 Bowman Mickey Mantle.jpg|thumb|right|160px|[[Bowman Gum|Bowman]]'s Mantle [[trading card]], 1954|alt="Baseball card of a young, clean-shaven man in New York Yankees grey uniforms and cap smiling straight ahead."]]

Following the 1951 World Series, DiMaggio retired from baseball. As a result, Mantle moved to center field before the start of the 1952 season.<ref>{{cite news |author=Burr, Harold |url=https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/52819187/?terms=%22mickey%2Bmantle%2Binherits%2Bbaseball%27s%2Bbiggest%2Bjob%22 |title=Mickey Mantle Inherits Baseball's Biggest Job |newspaper=[[The Brooklyn Eagle]] |date=December 16, 1951}}</ref> He played that position full-time for the Yankees until 1965, when he was moved to left field near the end of his career.<ref name="Player Stats"/> That year, Mantle was selected as an [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] for the first time but did not make an appearance in the rain-shortened [[1952 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Paul |first1=Doutrich |title=July 8, 1952: A wet All-Star Game at Shibe Park |url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/july-8-1952-a-wet-all-star-game-at-shibe-park/ |website=Society for American Baseball Research}}</ref> The Yankees won the pennant and faced the [[1952 Brooklyn Dodgers season|Brooklyn Dodgers]] in the World Series.<ref>[[#Schoor|Schoor]], pp. 230–234.</ref> Mantle performed well in the series, recording an on-base percentage above .400 and a slugging percentage above .600. In Game 6, he homered in a 3–2 win. In Game 7, he knocked in the winning runs in the 4–2 victory, with a home run in the sixth inning and an RBI [[single (baseball)|single]] in the seventh.<ref name="Player Stats"/>

Mantle's emergence as a star center fielder coincided with the [[Korean War]]. Due to his previous rejection, he was not amongst the baseball players who joined the Armed Forces, leading baseball fans and sportswriters to question his [[Selective Service System#Classifications|4-F deferment]]. This led to newspapers even calling him a "draft dodger" and Mantle receiving threatening letters.<ref>[[#Leavy|Leavy]], pp. 105, 193.</ref> In April 1951, Mantle was re-examined by the draft board and was once again rejected as being physically unfit for military service.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mantle Rejected Again by Army |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle-mantle-rejected/75379681/ |work=[[Brooklyn Eagle]] |agency=United Press |date=April 13, 1951}}</ref> A second highly publicized physical, brought on by his [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] selection, was held in October 1952 and ended in a final rejection, this time due to the knee injury sustained in the [[1951 World Series]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19521104&id=noQtAAAAIBAJ&sjid=w5sFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3517,1614208 |date=November 15, 1952 |newspaper=[[Reading Eagle]] |title=Mickey Mantle is Rejected by the Army for Third Time |agency=United Press}}</ref>

Mantle had a strong 1953 season, making the All-Star Game and helping the Yankees to another World Series, which they won against the [[1953 Brooklyn Dodgers season|Brooklyn Dodgers]].<ref>[[#Schoor|Schoor]], pp. 235–238.</ref> He missed several weeks due to his previously injured knee which had been left untreated after the initial stay in hospital in 1951. After the season ended, a full two years after the injury he had picked up at the 1951 series, Mantle had surgery performed on his left knee in November 1953.<ref>[[#Leavy|Leavy]], pp. 109–111, 114–115.</ref> The following season, Mantle recorded his first 100-RBI season while also hitting over .300 and leading the league in runs scored. He had a strong season in 1955 as well, leading the AL in home runs, [[triple (baseball)|triples]], and walks, and recording a .306 batting average.<ref name="Player Stats">{{cite web |title=Mickey Mantle Career Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mantlmi01.shtml |website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref>

The 1956 season was, statistically, Mantle's greatest and was later described by him as his "favorite summer."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mantle |first1=Mickey |title=My Favorite Summer 1956 |year=1992 |publisher=Island Books |isbn=978-0440212034 |url=https://archive.org/details/myfavoritesummer00mant}}</ref> He led the majors with .353 batting average, 52 home runs, and 130 RBIs, winning the [[Major League Baseball Triple Crown|Triple Crown]], the only switch hitter to do so. This was the first of three AL MVP Awards.<ref name="mvp">{{cite web |title=MLB Most Valuable Player MVP Award Winners |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/mvp.shtml |website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> He also hit his second All-Star Game home run that season.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cohen |first1=Alan |title=July 10, 1956: The Kid, The Man, the Say Hey Kid, and the Commerce Comet shine at All-Star Game |url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/july-10-1956-a-tale-of-the-kid-and-the-man-and-the-say-hey-kid-and-the-commerce-comet/ |website=Society for American Baseball Research}}</ref> That year, the Yankees again faced the [[1956 Brooklyn Dodgers season|Brooklyn Dodgers]] in the [[1956 World Series|World Series]]. In the fifth inning of Game 5, Mantle kept [[Don Larsen's perfect game]] alive by making a running catch of a deep fly ball off the bat of [[Gil Hodges]]. The inning before, he had scored the first of the Yankees' two runs with a home run off Brooklyn starter [[Sal Maglie]].<ref>[[#Schoor|Schoor]], pp. 249–253.</ref> Mantle's overall performance in 1956 led to his being named [[Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Associated Press Athlete of the Year Award |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/awards/aw_apr.shtml |website=Baseball Almanac}}</ref> and he was also awarded the [[Hickok Belt]] as the top American professional athlete of the year.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hickok Belt winner: Mickey Mantle (1956) |url=http://hickokbelt.com/winners/past-winners/winners/mickey-mantle/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120918033832/http://hickokbelt.com/winners/past-winners/winners/mickey-mantle/ |archive-date=September 18, 2012 |website=[[Hickok Belt]]}}</ref>

[[File:Mickey mantle signing autograph.jpg|left|thumb|Mantle signing an autograph in the early 1960s|alt="Two young men, one blond and one and one in a cap standing next to each other while the blond man signs an item for the other man."]]

Mantle won his second consecutive MVP in 1957, leading the leagues in runs scored and walks and recording a career-high batting average of .365, second best in the AL.<ref name="mvp"/> That season, Mantle reached base more times than he made outs (319 to 312), one of two seasons in which he achieved the feat.<ref name="Player Stats"/> In the [[1957 World Series]], the Yankees faced the [[1957 Milwaukee Braves season|Milwaukee Braves]].<ref>[[#Schoor|Schoor]], pp. 254–257.</ref> During Game 5, Mantle suffered a torn tendon in his left shoulder from a collision with Braves second baseman [[Red Schoendienst]].<ref name=red-mickey>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5ShRAAAAIBAJ&pg=6955,622393|title=Injuries Hurt Yankees, Braves |newspaper=[[Lawrence Journal-World]]|date=October 9, 1957|agency=Associated Press}}</ref> The Braves won the series in seven games and the injury would lead to Mantle having struggles in his uppercut swing from the left side for the remainder of his career.<ref name=red-mickey/>

Still recovering from his shoulder injury, Mantle's 1958 season started slowly; during the first half, he was hitting a modest .274. He eventually regained his form, hitting .330 in the second half of the season, finishing with .304 batting average and leading the league in home runs, runs scored, and walks.<ref name="Player Stats"/> He led the Yankees back to a World Series rematch against the Braves, this time coming out victorious.<ref>[[#Schoor|Schoor]], pp. 258–261.</ref> Despite his strong season, the Yankees declined Mantle's request for a contract raise to $85,000, citing that his batting average was almost 61 points lower than the year before. After briefly holding out, Mantle eventually settled for their lower offer of $70,000.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McGowen |first1=Roscoe |title=Ford Says Yanks Want to Cut His Pay $8,000; Mantle Out for an Increase |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1959/01/22/archives/ford-says-yanks-want-to-cut-his-pay-8000-mantle-out-for-an-increase.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 22, 1959 |via=TimesMachine |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

In the 1959 season, as the Yankees finished third in the AL rankings, Mantle's overall numbers declined from the previous season. He recorded only 75 RBIs and also racked up a league-leading 126 strikeouts. Though he led the team in base stealing (23), runs scored (104), on-base percentage (.390), and fielding percentage (.995), Mantle agreed to take a salary cut of $10,000 at the end of the season.<ref name="Player Stats"/> The 1959 season was also the first of four consecutive seasons when two All-Star games were played, with Mantle playing in seven of these games.{{efn|Major League Baseball held two All-Star Games for the years 1959–1962.<ref>{{cite news |author=Sandomir, Richard |date=July 15, 2008 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/15/sports/baseball/15sandomir.html?ref=sports |title=When Midsummer Had Two Classics}}</ref>}}<ref name=all-star/> Mantle made the All-Star team as a reserve player in 1959. In the first game, he was used as a [[pinch runner]] and as replacement right fielder. In the second game, Mantle was the starting center fielder, recording a single and a walk in four at-bats.<ref name=all-star/>

Mantle began the 1960 season slowly, with his batting average dropping as low as .228 in June. However, he regained his form and finished the season leading the AL in home runs and runs scored, as the Yankees won the pennant. That year, Mantle started in both All-Star games, getting two walks in the first and a single in the second.<ref name=all-star>{{cite web |title=Mickey Mantle All-Star Stats |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/playerpost.php?p=mantlmi01&ps=asg |website=Baseball Almanac}}</ref> Although his batting average was the lowest since his rookie year, a league-leading 40 home runs and 94 RBIs saw him come a close second to teammate [[Roger Maris]] in the MVP race.<ref name="mvp"/> In the [[1960 World Series]] against the [[1960 Pittsburgh Pirates season|Pittsburgh Pirates]], Mantle turned in his best performance in a single postseason.<ref>[[#Schoor|Schoor]], pp. 266–271.</ref> In seven games, he batted .400 (10-for-25) with 9 walks, hitting three home runs with 11 RBIs and recording an on-base percentage of .545. The Yankees lost the World Series in Game 7 on [[Bill Mazeroski]]'s walk-off home run. Mantle was devastated by the loss, reportedly crying in the clubhouse afterwards. He would later call the loss in the 1960 World Series as one of the biggest disappointments of his career.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mantle |first1=Mickey |author2=Herskowitz, Mickey |title=The One That Got Away: '60 World Series a Big Disappointment to Yankees, Mantle Says in Book |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1994/06/20/the-one-that-got-away-60-world-series-a-big-disappointment-to-yankees-mantle-says-in-book/62422135007/ |work=[[The Oklahoman]] |date=June 20, 1994}}</ref>