On October 21, 1931, in Spavinaw, Oklahoma, a baby by the name of Mickey Charles Mantle was born to Elven "Mutt" Mantle and Lovell Mantle. Mickey was named after Mickey Cochran, a professional baseball player, who Mutt admired, and his grandfather, Charles Mantle. When Mutt Mantle was younger, he played baseball. His whole life he dreamed that one day one of his own flesh and blood would play professional major league baseball.

When Mickey was 6 months old, he got his first baseball cap. His mom made it for him. Then, when he was 2 1/2 years old, he got his first baseball uniform that his mom also made. When Mickey was 4 years old, his family moved to Commerce, Oklahoma. When Mickey was 6 years old, he started grade school and his baseball career.

One day after school, Mickey met his dad and his grandfather out in the backyard. There they had a small bat and tennis balls. Mickey's dad told him to hit the balls when he threw them to him and then to turn around and hit the balls that his gra

In 1956, Mickey was elected the American League Most Valuable Player (MVP). He also won the Triple Crown Award. After that, Mickey and his family moved to Dallas, Texas. They bought a house and he also bought a bowling alley. Then, in 1957, Mickey was awarded the Sports Broadcasters Associate Award. He also won the MVP award for the American League again. Then, in November of 1958, their third son was born, William "Billy" Mantle.

>From there, the doctor sent them to Oklahoma City to the latest medical facilities. Mutt and Mickey were there for 2 weeks. There Mickey was given penicillin every three hours and his ankle was lanced. At first, the ankle did not respond to the treatment, but eventually it did. Mickey went back to school and played basketball. In 1947, Mickey tried out for football again. The coaches played him cautiously; it wasn't until his senior year that he played full time. He made All- District his senior year. In his junior year at Commerce High, the school finally organized a baseball team and Mickey was the star. He alternated between shortstop and pitcher and struck out 14 players.

In January of 1950, he received a letter from Lee MacPhail, Director of the Yankees' farm system. Mickey was asked to attend a special school in February in Phoenix, Arizona. It was a school for the Yankees' best minor league prospects. The Yankees' manager, Casey Stengel, would be there. Such players as Yogi Berra, Tommy Henrich, and Hank Bauer would be the instructors. Mickey decided to go to the camp. At the camp, the instructors were extremely impressed with Mickey's batting performance, especially his ability to switch-hit, and his speed, for which he was nicknamed the Commerce Comet in high school.

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On December 23, 1951, Mickey married Merlyn Johnson whom he had met two years earlier. They purchased homes for his parents and themselves in Commerce, Oklahoma in 1952, because Mickey's career seemed to be going so well. However, 1952 turned out to be a hard year for Mickey because both his uncle and father died, both of Hodgkin's disease. Then, in April, 1953, Mickey and Merlyn's first child was born, Mickey Mantle, Jr. Then, on December 26, 1955, three days

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