The Mick Cheated Me

Since it's a slow day at the office, here's something I've been reading from ESPN.com that's pretty interesting.

What's your answer to Eric Neel's question? Who cheated us out of more?

I'm still pissed as hell that I can name the entire Washington Nationals line-up on the field for 756. (Can any of my commenters?) Or that I couldn't fall asleep on Monday night and so saw it live on TV, thinking the whole time about how it was awkwardly filmed. How many people will you let gallivant around a baseball field despite having no business being on there? And why didn't they let Willie Mays say anything into that Mike he was holding?

I actually might think that the Mick cost us more than Bonds did. Bonds, even if you accept that he did steroids, which I believe but can't prove (he's not guilty yet, and that's the hallmark of our legal system), would have more than 600 home runs by now for every season he'd played. He was a hell of a leftfielder back in Pittsburgh. And he still has the most freakishly fast hands I've ever seen. And he has the most amazing ability to see one pitch a game and just hammer the shit out of it. Incredible.

But the Mick? Has anyone else seen the newsclip of Mantle's home run ball hitting the light tower at Yankee Stadium while still on it's way up? (If anyone can find a link, please post it in the comments section). It's the only ball that has ever come close to leaving Yankee Stadium. No one else has. And as prodigious as Frank Howard's homeruns at RFK are (the one in Section 542 is just ridiculous -- dead center at RFK, in the upper deck?), how many great home run hitters have hit at Yankee Stadium? Amazing stuff.

Plus, just like Barry, the Mick could run and field and had an arm. Until he drank himself away. We miss you Mickey Mantle.

And with that, I'm off to watch DC United and hurt my own liver.

What do you think?