Mickey Mantle was born in 1931 in Spavinaw, Oklahoma. He was named by his father after a Hall of Fame catcher from Philadelphia named Gordon Mickey Cochrane. Mantle always said he was glad that his father didn't know Cochrane's real first name. When he was four years old, the family moved to Commerce, Oklahoma, where Mantle would make a name for himself as an all around athlete at Commerce High School.
      Mantle worked his way up to semi-professional status in 1948. He played successfully with the Baxter Springs Whiz Kids and the Joplin Minors in Joplin, Missouri. He was signed on with the Yankees in 1951, and played right field. Mantle wore #6 on his uniform. He was moved to center field in 1952, where he replaced the great Joe DiMaggio, who retired. He played center field until 1965, then moved to left field. His final two games were played at first base. Mantle's favorite season came in 1956. He won the Hickok Belt, which names Mantle as the Athlete of the Year. He lead the Majors with 52 home runs, had a.353 batting average and had 130 RBIs. As great as 1956 was for Mantle, 1957 brought him his career-high with a .365 batting average.
      In 1961, Mantle became the highest paid baseball player when he signed a $75,000 contract. His last home run was in 1968 in Boston. Mickey Mantle retired in 1969 and in 1974, on his first try, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.