Mickey Mantle – Hero on the field. Off the field, not so much.
 |
[laterpay_premium_download target_post_id=”52398″ heading_text=”Download For $1.99:” description_text=”August 13, 1945 – ABC Radi News On The Hour – Gordon Skene Sound Collection” content_type=”link”] |
August 13, 1995 – Mickey Mantle lost his battle with Cancer at the age of 63. Nicknamed The Commerce Comet and The Mick, Mantle was an American professional baseball player. He played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York Yankees as a center fielder, right fielder, and first baseman. Mantle was one of the best players and sluggers and is regarded by many as the greatest switch hitter in baseball history. Mantle received a liver transplant at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, on June 8, 1995. His liver had been severely damaged by alcohol-induced cirrhosis as well as hepatitis C. Prior to the operation, doctors also discovered that he had an inoperable type of liver cancer known as an undifferentiated hepatocellular carcinoma, which further necessitated a transplant. In July, he had recovered enough to deliver a press conference at Baylor, and noted that many fans had looked to him as a role model. “This is a role model: Don’t be like me,” a frail Mantle said. He also established the Mickey Mantle Foundation to raise awareness for organ donations. Mantle returned to the hospital shortly thereafter where it was found that his cancer had spread throughout his body.
In other news – Tropical Storm Felix was rapidly developing into Hurricane Felix, heading for Bermuda. While Felix was near peak intensity on August 12, officials in Bermuda issued a hurricane watch for the island. A tropical storm warning was added the next day, which was upgraded to a hurricane warning by August 14. On this day it was all about the waiting to see what was going to happen next.
And despite lots of fanfare and The Beach Boys showing up for much ballyhoo over the ribbon cutting, the 20 mile $950 million rail line that opened more than a year behind schedule in Los Angeles was roundly dismissed as the Rail line that started virtually nowhere and ended virtually nowhere. The line, which was intended to start at downtown L.A. and stop at LAX didn’t actually begin in Downtown, nor did it actually end at LAX, leaving many to scratch their heads over where the money went. Welcome to Los Angeles.
And that’s a small slice of what went on, this August 13th, 1995 as presented by ABC Radio’s Hourly News.
