3 Photographs of Yankees First Base Coach – Mickey Mantle

And Bobby Murcer gets playfully pushed away after reaching first base

Mickey Mantle announced his retirement March 1, 1969. In 1970, Mickey Mantle was an announcer on the NBC Game of the Week, but left in late August and  joined Yankee manager Ralph Houk’s coaching staff for the remainder of the season.

Mantle’s first game coaching was on August 30 against the Minnesota Twins. Bobby Murcer walked to lead off the fourth inning. When Murcer came over to talk with Mantle, who would coach first base only for the middle three innings, Mantle kiddingly pushed Murcer back to first base. The Twins first baseman is Rich Reese. The Yankees won this game 5-2.

Mantle found it embarassing to himself and Elston Howard the regular Yankees first base coach he would replace for those three innings. Mantle was well compensated  ($25,000 until the end of the baseball season) for what he termed “patting a guy on the ass and saying nice hit.” He was paid an additional $12,500 for making himself available to the Yankees on impoprtant occassions.

After the conclusion of the 1970 season, Mantle never again appeared in uniform during regular season games as part of the team.

If you enlarge the photos, note the tongue of Mantle’s shoes simply have written on them “Mick 7.”