He was tall, shy, but seemed like a nice guy. He used to do fly casting demonstrations. Sidebar #3: I saw Ted Williams, twice at Sears Roebuck twice in Providence, Rhode Island. He had some drinking problems, some debilitating injuries, but I got his autograph (Honest Injun). Sidebar # 2: Mickey Mantle was a class act. I had a Roy Campanella and several Stan Musial but I lost them pitching cards. Mantle and Williams cards were extremely rare. Sidebar #1: I can remember in my younger days, collecting the 5 cent packs of baseball cards, with a big slab of gum in each package. Did I mention that I liked Ted Williams and the Red Sox a lot better? I tossed it away as I feared no one would every believe me anyway. I could see the M’s but it was a scribble.
“Hell you can hardly see his name, it was a big scribble.” I kept it for a couple weeks. I took it home and showed it to my stepfather Bud. “You are so dam lucky McWeeney”, one of my friends said. True to his word, he said “ Where is your autograph book……? Pen? Paper…….?” He shrugged, took out a matchbook cover borrowed a pen from the driver, and signed “Mickey Mantle” inside the Matchbook cover. He was really hurting, had some previous injuries, but this was THE Mickey Mantle. He put his arm over my shoulder and we walked over to his black limousine. Can I get your autograph?” He turned around right to me and said “Son, if you help me get to my car, I will give you the autograph. Of course, just like in school, I had no paper or pencil. As luck would have it, one of my friends said “WOW – that’s Mickey Mantle. I knew a few of the Red Sox but that was about all I knew.īoth teams headed out to the parking lot at the same time. A lot of my friends were going to try and get autographs. The actual game had some astronomical score and then ended. He lost it for about 2 minutes, talking and swearing to himself.
I remember sitting behind the famous Jimmy Piersall, he had some serious mental health problems, and some of the fans were trying to set him off (“Nut Job”, “Crazy Jim” etc). Because our baseball field was so small, approximately every 3 rd pitch went over the fence, a home run. I’m guessing it probably cost a $1 to get in but we always went under the back fence. The town favorite, the Boston Red Sox, were playing the New York Yankees. It was an exhibition game (4 or 5 innings), something to do with a charity. The place was North Attleboro High School, circa 1958-9. I liked Ted Williams and the Red Sox better.īelieve it or not, I helped the great Yankee slugger, Mickey Mantle, to his limousine.
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