Tag: Mickey Mantle

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast: Raleigh setting records joins Mantle for most HRs by a switch hitter in a season; Cards Contreas ejected in wild argument; plus more news

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St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Willson Contreras (40) is held back by manager Oliver Marmol (37) after he was ejected by umpire Derek Thomas (53) during the seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium Mon Aug 25, 2025.Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

That’s Amaury News and Commentary podcast:

#1 Seattle Mariner catcher Cal Raleigh is setting records on Monday night he belted his 50th home run of the season against the San Diego Padres at T Mobile Field in Seattle. Raleigh has the most home runs hit by a catcher in a single season. Raleigh also joins Mickey Mantle as two of the only switch hitters to hit 50 or more home runs in season. Mantle hit 52 1956 and 54 1961.

#2 It was a wild argument by St Louis Cardinals designated hitter Wilson Contreas who was called out on a third strike that was inside the lower part of the imaginary box. Cards manager Oliver Marmol was also thrown out but had to restrain Contreras who almost made contact with plate umpire Derek Thomas and Contreas threw his bat at Cards hitting coach Brant Brown which was intended for the umpire. Umpire crew chief Jordan Baker said that Contreras was saying vulgar stuff to Thomas and that’s why he was tossed.

#3 After having quadruple bypass heart surgery Los Angeles manager Ron Washington said on Monday night that he feels great and said he was looking forward to recovering in New Orleans where he lives. Washington who was known to be a long time smoker and since quit said that doctors told him he could start doing light work in about eight weeks. Washington rejoined the Angels in Arlington to be with the team but he wasn’t there to work but to have fun with the guys.

#4 For the third straight game the Cleveland Guardians were shutout this time by the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night 9-0. The Guardians had not been shutout in three straight games since the 1991 season. “Everyone’s frustrated,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “We need to hit. We need to score more runs. We need to get things going on offense, and we’re all aware of it. We’re all working through it, and it’s going to take all of us individually doing our best.”

 #5 The Sacramento A’s continue to roll winning their seventh in their last ten games this time at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento against the Detroit Tigers on Monday night 8-3. The A’s win puts them just two games out of climbing out of the AL West cellar for a tie with the fourth place Angels.

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.

While in the Bay Area, great food and great prices. 998cuba.com

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Mickey Mantle Rookie Card – The One that Got Away

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photo of 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle mint condition card that sold for $12.6 million (photo by Heritage Auction HA.com)

Mickey Mantle Rookie Card – The One that Got Away

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Mickey Mantle is as iconic an American sports figure as ever. Mantle played in 20 All-Star Games, retired in March of 1969 with 536 home runs, and won seven World Series with his Yankee team. His #7 uniform was the most famous number 7 in history.

The #7 is indeed the luckiest number for him. During a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium in 1969 (the year he retired), the Yankees retired his famous #7 uniform. I lived in New York after being discharged from the US Army and attended that game alone. I never forgot that in the middle of that doubleheader, they drove Mantle in a golf cart around the outfield as he waved at fans in a sold-out stadium. I remember it as a sunny, very hot, and humid day in the middle of summer in the Bronx.

Number 7, already retired, wearing a suit, spoke, and got a long ovation from the fans. To me (always an American League fan), at a time when each league just played inside its league and only met against National League teams in insignificant Spring Training games or during the World Series in October, Mickey Mantle was the best player I ever saw.

His power as a switch-hitter is legendary to this day. Mantle could hit a ball from the right side of the plate 450 feet and later during the same game, hit one from the left side of the plate 455 feet. Both home runs. For me, he was the man.

I probably bought thousands of baseball cards. In those days, they all came with a bubble gum inside; the company was Topps. I was not old enough to ever get hold of the Mickey Mantle Rookie card. I never witnessed him playing in the 50s.

But I know and remember that everybody in the 1960s wanted to get their hands on that rookie card, his first season, 1952. In 2022, a mint-condition 1952 Mickey Mantle Topps card sold for $12.6 million at an Auction in Dallas, Texas.

I always dreamed of getting my hands on that card, for me, that was the card the One that Got Away, but I’d collected and traded many cards when I was more focused on baseball as a fan, and in New York, I thought everybody was collecting them in the late 1960s. Even though the Mets were born in New York, people have been looking for that Mantle rookie card.

Although I watched Mantle play, I was never lucky to find that famous rookie card; I kept the program from that hot, humid day at Yankee Stadium when they retired his number 7 in the middle of a doubleheader. It is not worth millions like the rookie card, but for me, it is worth a lot because I was there, and I will take that memory of that day to my grave.

2025 seems like a different world and planet, with the internet and people watching a game on their cell phones. It has been generations since baseball cards were “the hobby” for many kids and adults nationwide. As my Mamá used to tell me, these adults were “the guys that never grew up.”

Mickey Mantle was an absolute superstar, idolized by men and women alike. He was the biggest playboy in New York, much bigger than Joe Namath. I had the privilege of meeting him in person, not when he was playing but years later when he and Joe DiMaggio were broadcasting Yankee games for the Yes Network, New York, and during a Yankee series against the A’s at the Oakland Coliseum to play the Oakland Athletics, sometime in the early 1980s.

Early in 1995, doctors discovered that Mantle’s liver had been severely damaged by alcohol-induced cirrhosis and hepatitis C, and he had an inoperable liver cancer.

Quote: “If I knew I was going to live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself” -Mickey Mantle.

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Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.

MLB The Show podcast with Titus Wilkinson: Mantle jersey and card combine for $9.2 million at auction; Jays Guerrero out with sore finger; plus more news

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This 1952 Mickey Mantle rookie card was valued at $12.6 million as the most expensive card paid at a sports card show on Sun Aug 28, 2022 graded at 9.2. Another 1952 topps Mantle card sold for $4.5 million this week and was graded at 9.0 (AP News photo)

On MLB The Show podcast with Titus:

#1 Just recently auctioned baseball memorabilia a Mickey Mantle 1958 home game worn jersey sold for $4.68 million which went for double the previous Mantle jersey. A Mantle 1952 Topps rookie baseball card sold for $4.5 million. The total take for both sales $9.2 million.

#2 Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero is badly missed by the Jays with a finger injury. Guerrero left Sunday’s after middle finger soreness against the Cincinnati Reds. Guerrero had trouble swinging the bat and was losing his grip and had to sit in the fourth inning. Guerrero is day to day.

#3 Los Angeles Angels two way star Shohei Ohtani who hit a grand slam and the Angels had a triple play still lost the game 9-6 last Saturday. The Angels got clobbered on Saturday in the second game of a double header 18-4. The Angels have lost six of their last ten games. This situation isn’t improving as the Angels have lost six of their last ten and their post season hopes dim. Ohtani will go shopping in the off season most likely.

#4 The Oakland A’s have selected their construction company who will build their new ballpark in Las Vegas Mortensen-McCarthy. Mortensen-McCarthy is the same construction company that built Allegiant Stadium. The A’s plan to build the 30,000 park on nine acres with a retractable roof at the Tropicana hotel at a cost of $1.5 billion.

#5 Triple cancelation due to Hurricane Hilary games in Anaheim, Los Angeles, and San Diego were moved to doubleheaders on Saturday and all games in the Southland were canceled due to the tropical storm and flash flooding. The Angels were rained out once again on Monday night and return to action on Tuesday night against the Cincinnati Reds at the Big A.

Titus Wilkinson is a staff writer for http://www.sportsradioservice.com