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New York Yankees: Mickey Mantle plays his last at Yankee Stadium

By Benjamin Chase

BRONX, NY - 1968: Mickey Mantle #7 of the New York Yankees runs off the field during an MLB game against the Oakland Athletics circa 1968 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. Mantle played for the New York Yankees from 1951-1968. (Photo by Louis Reqeuna/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
BRONX, NY - 1968: Mickey Mantle #7 of the New York Yankees runs off the field during an MLB game against the Oakland Athletics circa 1968 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. Mantle played for the New York Yankees from 1951-1968. (Photo by Louis Reqeuna/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /
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Fifty years ago, New York Yankees icon Mickey Mantle played his last game at Yankee Stadium, and of course, he made an impact.

On this day in 1968, Mickey Mantle played his last home game for the New York Yankees. It wouldn’t be the legend if he didn’t make an impact.

Of course, the impact that Mickey Mantle made on September 25, 1968, was that he was the only New York Yankees hitter to hit safely on the day against Cleveland Indians ace Luis Tiant. Tiant finished a shutout to bring his league-leading total to 9 and his ERA down to 1.60, also a league-leading number.

Mantle’s impact was simply a single on that day, but for so many, that day ended a love affair between a man and a city that had not been matched in the history of the New York Yankees. Babe Ruth finished his career elsewhere. Joe DiMaggio finished his career next to Mick in the outfield. Lou Gehrig finished his career in tragedy.

Mickey finished his as an icon.

The stats were clear. Mickey fell just short of the magical .300/.400/.500 career group, hitting a career slash of .298/.421/.557 with 536 home runs and 153 stolen bases. He led the league in home runs four times, but his ability to draw a walk well before the days of Moneyball, drawing over 100 walks 10 of his 18 seasons, with two other seasons of 90+ walks.

Mantle had a tremendous career in his home park, but what’s remarkable is that his slash line (.305/.428/.569) at home was not that much ahead of his career overall slash line, which tells just how consistent he was at being dominant. Mantle hit 266 of his 536 home runs at Yankee Stadium, but that’s just short of half of his career total.

With all the legends of the New York Yankees, Mantle may rank among the most revered. His playboy image, fun-loving style, and the sheer dominance he had in the game for nearly two decades were unmatched.

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However, just like for most of his career, when it came to the last game of his New York Yankees home career, Mickey Mantle put the Yankees on his back, attempting to carry them once again.

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