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Great Quotes
Great Quotes
I love what prominent baseball people have to say about the great ballplayers. They seem to eloquently capture what we are thinking.
"It was his solemn duty to catch a ball that wasn't in the stands." - Monte Irvin (Newark Eagles...
How to become the million dollar athlete?
This program is designed to increase the speed, vertical, and flexibility of any athlete using these techniques. The skills developed from this program will increase the participants chances of being successful at their particular sport. Sports such...
NBA Notes (March 23rd)
Could the NBA regular season end a couple of weeks earlier? Yes. The season now ends on April 20 and the playoffs begin April 23. If the regular season ended on April 6 it would fit nicely with hoopla that surrounds the NCAA’s men’s Final Four...
Teaching Your Boy the Game of Baseball!
Teaching Your Boy the Game For those who “coach your son” (or those players who are coached by Dear Old Dad), lend me your ears. Here are some quick and easy thoughts to answer the common problems that surround coaching your own kid. 1st &...
The Forgotten Game - How I Fell In Love With The Game Of Baseball AGAIN.
The Forgotten game How I Fell In Love With The Game Of Baseball AGAIN. It happens to the best of us. One day we realizes a piece of us is missing. With the things we love it is not as simple as patting your back pocket to make sure you didn't...
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Meeting Mickey Mantle - His Idol
Meeting Mickey Mantle
Meeting Mickey Mantle would be a dream comes true. A dream realized for Dan on his 38th birthday, when his wife honored him with a week long stay at the Yankee Fantasy Camp in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Dan played with some of the Yankee legends: Bobby Murcer, Mickey Rivers, Ron Guidry, Moose Skowron and Catfish Hunter. The games were great and being on the same field with some of the players he had watched on TV or at Yankee Stadium was mesmerizing.
But what made the week particularly special was the friendship he nurtured with his hero. The Mick even gave Dan a nickname - “Nails” for the scrappy, Lenny Dykstra-way that Dan played. While Mickey didn’t play in these games, he did spend a lot of time with all the campers. Dan took this time to get to know Mickey. He loved his down to earth quality. He loved his honesty. He loved being around him.
“Getting to know Mickey Mantle was as much fun as playing with the pros,” Dan told me later.
In one of the games that Mickey was umpiring, Dan strolled to the
plate with the bases loaded. His big chance was here and he didn’t miss the opportunity as he walloped a long double into the gap. He hit a rope, and as he glided into second base Mickey yelled to him, “You hit the sh*^ out of that ball, Nails!”
This was like a call from God. Hearing his idol tell him how well he hit the ball was more fulfilling than Dan could ever have imagined.
What could be better than meeting and then hanging out with Mickey Mantle? How about being recognized as a ballplayer by your childhood hero?
It doesn’t get any better than that.
This content of this story was contributed by Dan Markim. A long time Yankee fan.
About the Author
Aron Wallad has been a baseball lover for over 40 years. Writing about his favorite subject, baseball, has been a blessing. You will enjoy the heartwarming stories, the unusual statistics and inspiring quotes. But mostly you will love the heartwarming stories that hit a home run to your heart.
Join his ezine http://www.baseballsprideandjoy.com/index.php?tag=goart
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