I featured Mickey Mantle’s 1961 APBA card a few weeks ago and surprisingly, it was the first Mantle card I had posted since I started doing this. As luck would have APBA Blog friend, Scott Fennessy came across a 1957 set and he obliged me Mantle’s card from that set.
Seeing as the Mick won the AL MVP that year, it’s a fit for this column.
1957 Mickey Mantle
AL MVP and All-Star
Batted .365 with 34 homeruns
Led AL with:
- 121 runs
- 146 BB
Mantle had an interesting year in 1957. His homerun power was “down” compared to the years surrounding ’57. His 34 dingers didn’t match the 52 in 1956 or the 47 in 1958. Also, he didn’t crack 100 rbis with 94. This apparently was common for Mantle. Odd for someone who batted 3rd or 4th in the lineup for the Bronx Bombers.
| Split | G | GS | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 Totals | 144 | 139 | 623 | 474 | 121 | 173 | 28 | 6 | 34 | 94 | 16 | 3 | 146 | 75 | .365 | .512 | .665 |
In 1957 however, he was an on-base machine, walking 146 times with a .512 OBP. That led to an AL-leading 121 runs scored. The fact that his knees weren’t blown out yet helped. The Mick had speed and stole sixteen bases.
When looking at Mantle’s 1957 stats, I was struck by the fact his BB to K ratio was almost 2:1.
In case you’re wondering, the #2 player in AL MVP voting was Ted Williams as it was so many times. Williams led the league in hitting, OBP and SLG. Red Sox fans can register their complaints below.
A look at the Mick’s 1957 APBA card
Last week, we saw Willie Mays’ 1957 card with two 3s. Mantle’s has a 33-4 and while it’s not as unusual, a 4 at 33 is still kinda nifty. Overall, the Mick has power numbers 1-1-4-6.
There’s so much more to the card though. Mantle hit .365 so you know there will be plenty of hit numbers. In addition to his 44-7 and 55-7, he also gets a 15-11. Alas, the card makers only gave him two 8s along with his two 9s. He won’t hit much better against grade C pitchers than he will Bs.
How many 14s does Mantle’s card have? A total of eight! That’s up there among the highest I have seen among full time players. I love seeing typical out numbers that instead can be productive and Mantle has plenty of them. He sports a 21-14, 24-14 and a 56-14.
This card has three 13s but fortunately for Yankee fans, one of them is at 41. Mantle did not receive a 24 on this card having grounded into a DP only five times in 1957.
Little stuff
- Mantle 57 is rated as a fast baserunner and as a OF-3. Fundamentals!
- The printing of this set (or at least this card) seems to be offset. The red play result number is printed a bit lower than the black dice roll number.
Thanks to Scott!!
