#6: Losing His Father During His Baseball Beginnings

Mantle’s relationship with his father, Elvin “Mutt” Mantle, was inspirational and deeply emotional. Mutt believed strongly in Mickey’s talent and pushed him hard from a young age, especially when teaching him to switch-hit.

Tragically, Mutt passed away in 1952 from Hodgkin’s disease—just as Mickey’s Yankees career was taking off. The loss devastated Mantle, who was only 20 at the time. His father’s early death haunted him, instilling a fear that he too wouldn’t live long.