141. "A body came flying out and landed at my
feet. At first I thought it was Billy so I picked him up. But when I saw it
wasn't I dropped him back down."
Mickey on the Copa Fight142. "It looked like Roy Rogers rode through
on Trigger, and Trigger kicked the guy in the face."
Mickey Mantle's testimony at a lawsuit after a brawl
between Yankees players and a bowling team at the "Copacabana" club 143. "I'm gone. George Weiss is just looking
for an excuse to get rid of me."
Billy Martin to Mickey and Whitey Ford the day after the
Copacabana incident 144. "Nobody did nothin' to nobody."
Yogi Berra on the Copacabana incident 145. "I'm mad at him, too, for being out
late. But I'm not mad enough to take a chance on losing a ball game and
possibly the pennant."
Casey Stengel on why he dropped Hank Bauer to eighth in
the lineup the day after the Copacabana incident but left Mickey in the third
slot in the batting order 146. "There's a window up there that's open.
Boost me up there and I'll get in and come around and open the door for
you."
Billy Martin to Mickey at the Kenmore Hotel when they
had violated curfew and they were trying to sneak in to avoid being seen by
Manager Casey Stengel 147. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Billy Martin to Mickey after Mickey boosted Billy
through a window at the Kenmore Hotel when they had violated curfew, and
Martin found the door chained and locked 148. "Billy (Martin) wasn't afraid of
anything."
Mickey Mantle 149. "Listen, why don't you wear my number
and I'll wear yours."
Billy Martin offering to trade numbers with Mickey after
Mickey received a death threat in Boston 150. "He's on the roof over there!
Lookout!"
Billy Martin to Mickey as he jumped onto the floor in
their hotel room after Mickey received a death threat in Boston 151. "I have to give Mays one edge,
durability. Mickey isn't sound and Willie is. Otherwise, if I had a chance to
trade for either player, I'd pick Mantle."
Baseball expert Gabe Paul, comparing Mantle and Mays 152. "Even if Mays is given every conceivable
break on every unknown - defense, base running, clutch hitting - his
performance still would not match Mantle's."
Baseball statistician Bill James 153. "When they say Mays hit a ball as far as
Mickey, they're smoking something."
Billy Martin 154. "Hey Mantle, you win. You're the
worst."
Quote attributed by Mickey to a heckler in the stands at
the 1962 World Series (who tormented both Mickey and Willie Mays) after Mickey
ended an inning with a strikeout, claiming he had changed the debate from
which player was better to who was worse 155. "If you want to know who was better, me
or Willie Mays, you have to look at our career stats. And Willie's bottom line
was better."
Mickey Mantle 156. "(Mantle) was clearly a greater player
in his peak years."
Baseball statistician Bill James on Mickey vs. Willie
Mays 157. "At my best I was as good as
anyone."
Mickey Mantle 158. "I get a kick out of watching him.
Everything he does has that extra flourish."
Baseball expert Gabe Paul on Mickey 159. "I think the best all-round baseball
player ever was Joe DiMaggio."
Mickey Mantle 160. "The best hitter I ever saw was Ted
Williams."
Mickey Mantle |
