Customer Reviews

My Favorite Summer 1956

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The year 1956 was a pivotal year for Mantle. From 1951 to 1955 he played for the Yankees as a star centerfielder, power hitter and speed merchant on the bases but 1956 was the year he finally became confident that he had made a success of himself in New York. Mantle had had bouts of confidnece over the years and the pressure that Stengel and the New York media put on him was huge. In 1956 Mantle blossomed becoming one of the rare few to win the batting triple crown (home runs, runs batted in and batting average) and he did it impressively leading with 52 home runs, 130 runs batted in and a .353 batting average. He was challenged in batting average for much of the season but pulled away in September. Down the stretch the only title in jeopardy was the RBI crown as he was challenged by Al Kaline who ended up knocking in 128 just two less than Mantle. This was the year he was ahead of Babe Ruth's record pace in 1927,when the great Banbibi hit 60. It only became clear that he would fall short that Spetember when he was unable to sustain a fast pace. September had been Ruth's most productive month for home runs.

After this Mantle was confident that he could sustain seasons with more than 40 home runs, 100 RBI's and a .300 batting average. When Jose Canseco became the first to get 40 home runs and get 40 stolen bases in the same season Mantle said if stealing had been a priority for the Yankees he could easily do it and maybe even 50 and 50.

This book is one of the best books I have ever read. Not necessarily the best book ever written, but the best book I have ever read. It is my favorite book because it is about my favorite subject, baseball and of course the New York Yankees. Someone who does not like baseball or the New York Yankees as much as me would probably not like the book as much as me. But for a real baseball fan, it is a must read. The `50s were a great time for baseball, and the Yankees, and this book documents one of those spectacular seasons. To keep interested in this book, you must be a baseball fan, and at least like the Yankees in order for the book to be a good read. I say this because the Yankees are so good, that a lot of people despise them because they are so outrageously good. Either way I loved the book, it informed me on a time of baseball when I was not around to witness it, and now after reading the book, I feel I lived it. I felt like I was there, I watched Mickey win the Triple Crown, I watched the Yankees win the World Series. I was there. This was a great book, and I would recommend it to anyone with a heart of baseball, such as I do.

When I read this book I could not put it down. The detail of the 1956 season that Mickey goes into is unmatched because the words come right from the source, MICKEY! I think you must be a baseball fan to enjoy this book, but you definitely don't have to be a Yankee fan. I strongly dislike Steinbrenner's Yankees, but this is before he ruined the organization. Who doesn't have a small spot in their heart for the oldtime Yanks? This book tells you about the relationships between Mickey and Billy Martin as well as Whitey Ford, straight from Mickey's mouth!! Mickey hired the great Phil Pepe to help edit his book, and Pepe's editing always makes the reading just keep flowing. Outstanding read, and I recommend it to any baseball fan!

I enjoyed this causually written account of Mickey Mantles' summer of 1956. It's like sitting on the front porch with Mick as he tells you the events and feelings of what he and the yankees experinced that year,on and off the field.and he spares you his war stories by leaving it at "we went out and partied that night". He talks about his triple crown, his homerun race agianst Babe Ruth(also in the back is a season schedule of dates,hr's,pitchers faced,site, opponents, and runners on base).Mick also discusses the 1956 world series agianst the dodgers and descibes the perfect game by don larsen. Also there are game and team photos. i think you will enjoy micks account of his favorite year.