Mickey Mantle's Temper Made the Yankees Laugh and the Fans Angry

Mickey Mantle's temper was worse than even Paul O'Neill's, which has become legendary. O'Neill was roundly criticized for kicking objects, throwing towels out of the dugout, and attempting to destroy his bat when he didn't live up to his own expectations.

Mantle became Mickey Mantle in 1956 when he won the Triple Crown, but he had a terrible temper when he joined the New York Yankees in 1951. He never lost it, but as the seasons passed, Mantle learned to control it a little better.

Baseball writers and photographers considered Mantle uncooperative. He occasionally refused to talk to reporters after a poor game, which is unacceptable today.

Mantle's teammates were another matter. They regarded him with awe and had genuine affection for him. Most of the time, unlike some of O'Neill's teammates, players on Mantle's Yankees usually found his tantrums amusing.

Manger Casey Stengel, who was a cut-up as a player, never lost his sense of humor when he managed. Stengel loved to describe to "his writers" how Mantle reacted when a pitcher made him look bad.

"You can see him take the heat," Casey told a group of writers late in May 1956 when Mantle was taking batting practice.

Stengel imitated Mickey after the switch hitter struck out.

"He comes in and walks along the steps until until he gets to the post. He gives it a big whack with his hand. Nobody says anything. He goes to the end of the dugout and leans carefully against the wall. Everybody is watching him.

"All of a sudden he straightens up and yells at the pitcher, 'Put something on the f---- ball.' Then he looks around for something to kick."

Stengel cracked up as he pictured a scene he has seen almost hundreds of times. The writers laughed with Stengel.

When he was in center field, Mantle would get upset when a Yankee pitcher couldn't get the ball over the plate. Right-hander Jim McDonald fit into the category.

McDonald would walk in a small circle and scuff at the mound after falling behind a batter, which was often. After a while, Mantle, who couldn't stand it any longer, would shout, "Get him a shovel if he wants to dig a hole!"

When Mantle's temper become obvious during his rookie season, some writers wondered why his father hadn't attempted to teach young Mickey to control it. How naive they must have been.

One incident that occurred during his rookie year would make any Mickey Mantle fan cringe.

Mantle related that a Yankee fan named Mrs. Blackburn had a box next to the Yankees dugout. She often give Mickey gum or some candy as he walked to the on deck circle. She was in a perfect position to hear Mantle's cursing and profanity when he returned to the dugout after striking out.

After a while, Mrs. Blackburn stopped giving Mantle the gum and candy. When she finally couldn't stand it any longer, she started to scream at Mantle.

"Stop that talk."

Mantle, who was extremely angry at the time, yelled back without thinking.

"Shut your goddamn mouth."

It was something he regretted the moment he said it, but it was too late. Mickey thought that she would never speak to him again, but a few days later, she added,

"Any more outbursts like that and I'm going to make a personal protest to Mr. Topping." Dan Topping and Del Webb were the Yankees owners.

Baseball is different today. Managers and players are expected to give interviews to the media regardless of how tough a defeat they have suffered. If they refuse, they are usually fined a hefty sum.

Foul language will always exist, but if any player spoke to a fan today the way Mantle spoke to Mrs. Blackburn, he would be suspended.

When Ralph Houk took over the Yankees reins in 1961, he convinced Mantle that he was the team leader. Mantle responded positively and he did learn to control his temper better, but it was a problem that plagued him his entire life.

References:

Kaese, H. (1956, May 25). What kind of a chap is mickey mantle? Daily Boston Globe (1928-1960), pp. 20. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/845274512?accountid=46260

Castro, Tony. Mickey Mantle: America's Prodigal Son. Dulles, Virginia: Potomac Books. 2003.