Mickey Mantle Show

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 3/1/13 at 2:12pm

Read that there is a plan to do a show about the life of Mickey Mantle. As you can tell by my logon name, I was a huge Mickey Mantle fan as a kid. Mantle's life could be very intersting for a show because he was a "tragic" hero who lived a life with many high's and low's. I think they could probably create a decent play on his life but pray to the good Lord they don't try to make it a musical.

Updated On: 3/1/13 at 02:12 PM

[SamIAm2]

Posted: 3/1/13 at 2:56pm

This would be great. I'd want it to be a musical just to get to see a duet with the Yogi Berra character and the Casey Stengel character.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 3/1/13 at 5:14pm

Now that would be entertaining - lol. Plus, think of the fight action they could have with Billy Martin at the Copa - ha ha

[SamIAm2]

Posted: 3/1/13 at 6:57pm

They could stage the fight as a dance number, like in West Side Story. They should use his buddy Whitey Ford as a story consultant.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 3/2/13 at 6:32am

Love it, baseball version of Jets vs Sharks - lol.

[SamIAm2]

Posted: 3/2/13 at 1:33pm

Maybe in my next life I'll get to direct shows on Broadway. Or be a NY Yankee. Either would be heaven.

[Playbilly]

Posted: 3/2/13 at 2:03pm

Mantle! The Musical, or, Take Me Out, Too.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 3/2/13 at 4:54pm

My boyhood dream was to play CF for the Yankees, learned to hit from both sides like "the Mick".

[SamIAm2]

Posted: 3/2/13 at 7:32pm

Yogi was my main man. I was a catcher and copied his mannerisms, both at bat and behind the plate. I became a fan in '61, the year of M & M, of course. It made me a Yankees fan for life. You?

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 3/3/13 at 2:13pm

Pretty much the same. My Dad was a Yankee fan and I saw my first game at Yankee Stadium as a young boy in 1960. I had Mantle's stance down pat from both sides. I also learned to drag bunt like he did, not many people remember how good a bunter he was and how fast he got down the line.

As for the show, his life could make a very good show. The boy from Oklahoma comes to NYC and becomes a star. His Dad dies at a young age which haunts him his whole life. Becomes the Yankees next big star and is snubbed by Joe D. as a rookie. Incredibly talented but injuries and alcoholism take a toll on his body. Becomes a role model at the end of his life warning children not to follow his example of abuse to his body.

Hope the people behind this do his life story justice, would hate to see his story be mocked or panned by critics.

[SamIAm2]

Posted: 3/3/13 at 4:45pm

I agree, YankeeFan. Mantle's life was really quite poignant, I think. It would make a great play. Casting the lead would have to be done very carefully. Will Chase played DiMaggio in SMASH, which I thought was an outrageous, laughable mistake. I have no idea who should play Mantle. Any thoughts?

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 3/3/13 at 5:12pm

Can't think of anyone off the top of my head who would be good for playing Mantle. It would probably have to be someone relatively unknown. Physical resemblence is important to me in these type of roles and that is why Will Chase was a mistake to me also. I mean they make sure that Marilyn Monroe is a blonde (wig) so why not have a Joe DiMaggio who at least looks a little Italian.

[SamIAm2]

Posted: 3/3/13 at 7:47pm

He's got to have Mantle's reticence as a young player down and then later get down the qualities that made him beloved as a teammate as he chased his demons at the same time.

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 3/5/13 at 12:28pm

I'm in as long as they work Joe Pepitone into the 2nd act. They can make Mick's final words "If I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself".