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All My Octobers: My Memories of 12 World Series When the Yankees Ruled Baseball

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An interviewer asked Yogi Berra to do word association. The interviewer's first words were Mickey Mantle. Yogi's association was - What about him?

Mickey takes us through his World Series appearances - 1951 when he permanently injured his knee, 1952 when Jackie Robinson told the press that Mantle beat the Dodgers and that the Yankees didn't miss DiMaggio, 1953 with Mickey's tape measure homeruns, 1955 when the long suffering Brooklyn Dodgers won their only World Series, 1956 when the umpire gave Don Larsen that final strike, 1957 when Yankee reject Lew Burdette beat the Yanks, 1958 when Bob Turley returned the favor by beating the Braves, 1960 when Casey failed to use Ford 3 times against the Pirates, causing the most heartbreaking disappointment in Mantle's baseball career, 1961 when Maris outpaced Mantle and substitutes won the World Series, 1962 when McCovey lined out to Richardson, 1963 when they ran into Koufax-Podres-Drysdale-Koufax, and 1964 when Whitey had a sore arm and couldn't pitch to St Louis.

Mickey blamed himself for failing to do rehab on his legs. He endured constant pain, and it was a miracle that he had a baseball career at all. He rated himself as equal to Mays in fielding, faster than Mays on the bases, but without the longevity.

If you look at the incredible Yankee dynasty of the 1950s you see a team that wasn't great on paper. The Cleveland Indians were at times as good or better. The Brooklyn Dodgers had much better hitting. It wasn't like the awesome Yankee teams of 1998 and 1999. The Yankees of Mickey's day had no business winning so many pennants and world championships. What they had was Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Gil McDougald, and above all Mickey Mantle.

Did you ever see him swing a bat? He hit the ball harder than Babe Ruth. He had the best swing in history, combining the grace of Ken Griffey Jr. with the power of ...... of nobody but Mickey Mantle. McGwire is a deep popup artist like Babe Ruth was. Mantle would drive the ball through a brick wall. He was the most powerful hitter who ever lived, and had the Olympic class speed of Rickey Henderson.

All My Octobers is a great book, full of great moments and great players in Major League Baseball's greatest classic, The World Series. Told in the first person by the late baseball legend and New York Yankees powerhouse centerfielder Mickey Mantle, these stories of the World Series are natural and authentic. It's up close and personal, right from the dugout at Yankee Stadium. From his first series in 1951, playing with The Yankee Clipper, Joe Dimaggio, right through to his last in 1964 against the St. Louis Cardinals, where Mantle hit three home runs to set a career World Series record at 18. Mantle still holds that record, along with runs scored (42), and runs batted in (40). Of course, he writes about the excitement on the field during the games, but he also gives us some personal tid-bits and his thoughts on the games and players. He tells us that some mistakenly thought he was giving Joe Dimaggio the cold shoulder, but in truth, he just didn't feel it was his place as a young player to be so forward with a legend like Joltin' Joe. He recalls conversations with Casey Stengal and Yogi Berra, the all-night drinking sessions with Whitey Ford and Billy Martin, and how he watched Roger Maris hit his record breaking 61st home run on television from a hospital bed, while sidelined with a hip infection. Each chapter is devoted to a different World Series, and every one is remembered fondly and precisely by Mantle. These were the glorious New York Yankees' dynasty years, back when The Bronx Bombers ruled Major League Baseball, and the world was a different place. All My Octobers is a very interesting and intimate look at the best of baseball during that magical time.

I was a Big Mickey Mantle fan back when he first came up to the Yankees as a 19 year old.
He immediately had an impact on me. As a young boy he was my idol.

I just began reading the book, and am already impressed with all the won- derful memories of the great Mickey Mantle.

The book is great!, and I expect no less, as I continue to read on.

Mickey Mantle appeared in a total of 12 World Series in his first 14 years (1951-64). Mantle himself was the biggest reason: He was the AL's dominant player during this time. In "All My Octobers," Mantle gives his personal account of each of the 12, of which the Yankees won 7. However, the chapters usually devote more pages to the regular season and other ruminations.

Mickey set the Series record with 18 home runs, but he hit only .257, with a whopping 54 strikeouts. One of his best Series was his 1st full one, 1952, in which he got 10 hits and banged homers in Yank victories over Brooklyn in Games 6 and 7. Mickey relates what a thrill it was to be congratulated by Jackie Robinson after the Series, a gesture he himself "wasn't then capable of making" since he was a bad loser. Though Mantle was a great competitor, he did not begrudge four of the five National League teams that beat his Yanks. Plus, he writes of the 1958 Series, "... honesty requires that I add, we won because Milwaukee wouldn't. They had it wrapped up but couldn't get the bundle home." Of the 1960 loss to the Pirates, however, he states, "[t]he better team lost, the only time I truly felt that way. It wasn't even close." Mickey hit .400 with 3 homers and 11 RBIs, but the Pirates won even though the Yanks outscored them 55-27.

Sometimes the home run simply holds sway. In 1956, Mickey's .250 average included three homers and a double. One homer provided the margin in Don Larsen's perfect game and complemented "as good a catch as I ever made" on Gil Hodges' deep drive. In 1953, Mickey had "a strange series," hitting .208 with 8 strikeouts but also 7 RBIs. Many baseball fans are aware of Mickey's grand slam in Game 5, but it is interesting to hear him describe his game-winning homer in Game 2. Mickey was a great change-up hitter batting right-handed, so when Preacher Roe threw him one "[i]t caught me slightly off stride, and I swung flat-footed, but I managed to hold the bat just long enough to get my body into it."

As in the regular season, injuries were a constant theme. In Mickey's very 1st series, in the 2d game, he backed up Joe DiMaggio on Willie Mays' fly ball. "[T]he spikes on my right shoe caught the rubber cover of a sprinkler head. There was a sound like a tire blowing out and my right knee collapsed...." This injury to his right knee had a long-term deleterious effect on his running and left-handed swinging. Fast forward to the 1964 World Series, Mantle's last. The writers called Mickey "the majestic invalid." He hit .333 with 3 HRs and 8 RBIs and runs scored, but laments his fielding lapses due to his right knee injury. That doesn't take away from Mickey's great moment: as he describes, he called his shot with his walk-off homer against Barney Schultz in Game 3. Mickey also discusses missing Series games in 1955, 1957, and 1961 due to injuries; he mentions two occasions on which he got a long hit (1961 and 1964 Series) that should have been an easy double but was not due to his leg injuries.

Some background is needed, but I would have liked this book to have focused more on the Series themselves. I also note some mistakes, although mostly detectable only by those into detail. One big one is made by Mantle himself, who states that in the 1952 World Series, he faked a throw to first after Jackie Robinson had rounded the bag and then threw him out at second. But play-by-play records show it never occurred; perhaps Mantle, whose only assist in the Fall Classic was on a relay in the 1956 Series, was thinking of an exhibition game? One obvious error concerns Game 1 of the 1963 Series: "[The Dodgers] led, 5-0, and that would be the final score." Three paragraphs later, it is stated the Yanks' Tom Tresh hit a two-run homer (as was true).

During his final years, Mantle acknowledged his alcohol problems and how they affected his baseball career and family life. He provides a brief and to-the-point epilogue giving the background and relating it to his playing days. Sadly, this is one of the last things he ever wrote because he died the next year (1995). The final sentence is compelling advice to young athletes: "Don't end up over the hill before you even start to climb it."

Love 'em or hate 'em, the New York Yankees are an integral slice of Americana. The superstars seem to shine brighter there than in other markets. They transcend sports and become a part of American life. From Ruth and Gehrig's dominance of the Roaring 20s to Joltin' Joe Dimaggio's hitting clinics of the 30s, 40s, and 50s, to Mantle and Maris in the 60s, and finally the resurgance of recent days, the baseball world hangs in the balance of what the Yanks ultimate destiny is on a yearly basis.

With the exception of Ruth, it is entirely possible that no one figure captured the baseball world's imagination to the same degree as Mickey Mantle. From his humble beginnings to his majestic homeruns, "The Mick" had something for every baseball fan and he displayed it all while wearing the famed pinstripes in a total of 12 World Series.

Not every World Series was won and Mickey certainly illustrates that he was far from perfect, both on and off the field. It's a wonderful look back to the Golden Era of baseball and an inside perspective of an age of sports that will never be seen again.

Fully recommended!

Growing up in the shadow of NY city in the 50's and 60's the Yankees were my team and Mickey Mantle my favorite player. I remember as a young kid crying when Mick struck out (which was quite often) in a big spot, but he always found a way to come back with a clutch hit, home run or catch and make us forget about it!
With his details about each of the series he played in I could paint a picture in my mind since I was familiar with all of the players back then. With only a few teams in each league, a baseball fan could actually remember who was on what team, lineups, pitching rotations, etc. It was a great time for baseball and rooting for the Yankees!
I'd recommend this book to all Yankee fans who remember those days!

I bought this book for my Dad Mickey Mantle was his hero. My dad said that he enjoyed it soo much that he couldnt put the book down.