Sports legends are most likely to be put in the Hall of Fame for their particular sport. Major League Baseball has had many sports legends in the hall of fame. The Babe, Roger Marris, Willie Mays, and Joe DiMaggio are all baseball players that have had some sort of significance in Major League Baseball. Mickey Mantle is one of the best power hitters of all time. Mantle inspired a lot of individuals then and now in today's society. He was the first power-hitting switch-hitter. Mickey Mantle had a giant impact on the game and his fans, but his career soon ended drastically from pain and alcoholism. .
Mantle had a sprinter's speed, but it was his power that made him so attractive (Schwartz). No matter what team, people rooted for him. Most people enjoyed watching him play and admired him. Mickey Mantle played for the New York Yankees from 1951- 1968. He replaced Joe DiMaggio in centerfield, but not in the hearts of the fans, and was booed for much of the first half of his career (Schwartz). Mantle was a multi-talented offensive threat to his opponents. He holds the World Series records for Home runs (18), RBI (40), runs (42), walks (43), extra-base hits (6), and total bases (123) (Web). In today's society young children grow up admiring basketball legends like Micheal Jordan, but back then the power hitter Mickey Mantle, nicknamed "The Commerce Comet" inspired young children. He won homerun titles four times, and in 1956 and 1957 he was voted MVP (Schwartz). Roger Maris broke the record of 61 homeruns in a homerun race and the crowd still rooted against Maris and continued to urge Mantle on. In today's baseball a lot of players are tried to beat the switch hitter's homerun record. Players like Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa were in a Homerun race against each other and soon broke Mickey Mantle's record. Mark McGuire broke the record with 70 homeruns in the 1998 season. Now baseball players in the league are trying to beat his record.