Mickey Mantle: The American Dream Comes To Life® - 1999 Companion Photo Calendar

In these times of the "instant classic" and "must-have collectibles," it is refreshing to find an item that qualifies in both regards. That item is the all-new 1999 This Day in Mickey Mantle History™ Photo Calendar -Fact Book. From the producers of the award-winning documentary, Mickey Mantle: The American Dream Comes To Life^®, this 15-month calendar is the follow-up to the 1998 Photo Calendar - Fact Book.

Designed to complement and continue the 1998 edition, it contains the usual elements found in wall calendars: monthly feature photos, monthly calendar grids and legal holidays prominently marked. But the 1999 Mickey Mantle Photo Calendar - Fact Book goes far beyond what traditional calendars offer, and in doing so has become a compellingly unique collectible that will delight baseball fans everywhere.

When it first passed across my desk I picked it up with the intention of briefly skimming through it. After all, I had seen the 1998 edition so I knew it was a quality product. I was curious to see how the 1999 edition would differ, so I started leafing through the pages. To my great delight I found that the 1999 edition offered significantly different material: all-new photos, all-new quotes, all-new facts, stats and new entries. As before, the volume and variety of its entries captivated me, and I began reading each one - as well as the captions - and found myself staring at the copious number of photos. The next thing I knew I was in the month of June and over an hour had passed. I realized I had come across something special. This wasn't just a repeat of last year. The 1999 Mickey Mantle Photo Calendar - Fact Book is an entire new volume, a sequel that continues where the 1998 edition left off.

First of all, there are the all-new feature photos. Not content with simply posting the usual assortment of Mantle shots, the publishers have carefully selected a variety of photos from Mickey's personal collection and from the archives of such well-known photo libraries as Associated Press-Wideworld Photo, the Corbis-Bettman Archive (which includes the old UPI collection), the New York Daily News, the Baseball Hall of Fame, and a number of private collectors. (The Daily News, Wideworld Photo and Corbis-Bettman receive associate producer credits, and it is easy to see why judging from the volume and quality of photos.) The photos were then digitally enhanced and given new life through a beautiful duotone treatment. Each feature photo – there are thirteen, one for each month plus one for the three-month bonus section that takes the calendar through March 2000 – is a little larger than the standard 8 x 10 size. They are pre-matted with colorful borders, and the print quality is good enough to make them ready for framing. A true Mantle fan can build his own photo gallery after the months have passed. To top things off, the photo captions are short stories in Mantle's own words, lending a nice personal touch.

If that was all the Mickey Mantle Photo Calendar offered it would be an automatic purchase for Mantle fans. But the crowning glory of this product are the monthly calendar grids, which are truly something to behold. There are over 100 additional photos, some designed to fit in a single day's slot, some covering as many as four days, and some included as the feature photo below a New York Daily News headline. Many of these photos have captions, and they range from diagrams of some of Mantle's prodigious home runs to shots of Mickey with other players and teammates like Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Yogi Berra, Billy Martin and others. Then there are the action shots: Mantle pounding homers, Mantle rounding the bases, Mantle laying down a bunt, Mantle sliding into home, and Mantle posing with a number of his teammates. Among the rarer photos are several shots of a youthful Mantle, a number of stunning color shots that have been beautifully cleaned, retouched and restored, and even a unique shot of Mickey rounding the bases as Denny McLain shrugs after grooving him his 535^th home run.

The photos are fabulous, but the real achievement of the Mickey Mantle Photo Calendar - Fact Book is the painstaking research that went into the daily entries that form a sort-of Mickey Mantle History subtext. There's an entry or photo for every day of the year (some days even have more than one) and include more than just events. There are "Mickey Facts," "Mickey Stats," "Mickey Quotes" (from Mickey and teammates, friends and contemporaries), and a variety of achievements, awards and accomplishments that act as reminders of the Mick's legendary career. It is a breath-taking accomplishment, made all the more wonderful by the way the various elements have been blended together.

Writer/researcher Lewis Early is said to have put over 1,000 hours of research into the project, and it is easy to believe after having read through just part of the Photo Calendar - Fact Book. (Interestingly enough, when asked why it is called a Photo Calendar - Fact Book, Early said that he had originally written the project as a book to be titled, "This Day in Mickey Mantle History." The calendar concept eventually won out, but it is doubtful that any Mickey Mantle fans will toss out pages after the months have passed.) The sheer volume of information about Mantle makes this product an invaluable reference book, ideal for future consultation and settling bar room bets and hot stove league arguments.

No matter what angle you look at it from, the 1999 This Day in Mickey Mantle History™ Photo Calendar - Fact Book is a magnificent accomplishment, and an ideal companion for the 1998 edition. It is informative, entertaining and just plain fun. Baseball fans will enjoy it all year long and for years to come. Suggested list price is $14.95, shipping & handling is $4.95. To order the 1999 This Day in Mickey Mantle History™ Photo Calendar - Fact Book call 1-800-THE MICK (1-800-843-6425) or send a check or money order payable to Baseball Legend Video, 1253 Vallejo Street, San Francisco, CA 94109-2120. Readers can get a preview of the calendar by visiting their website at www.themick.com. Copies of the Mickey Mantle Gift Catalog can also be obtained by calling 1-800-THE MICK.

Item: 1999 Mickey Mantle: The American Dream Comes To Life^® Companion Photo Calendar - Fact Book
List Price: $14.95
Shipping & Handling: $4.95
Mail order: Baseball Legend Video, 1253 Vallejo Street, San Francisco, CA 94109-2120
Phone Order: 1-800-THE MICK (1-800-843-6425)
Internet: www.themick.com
Rating: 4 Stars (highest rating) – General, ages 8 and up