Dec. 17, 1963 - Mickey Mantle says he’s never felt better in his life. “My knee feels real good,” Mantle said today, referring to the cartilage condition in his left knee for which he underwent surgery in late October. “I’ve been playing a lot of golf the past few weeks, and my knee feels so good sometimes I trot alongside the cart,” he said. “I should be running normally by spring training.” The 32-year-old Yankee centerfielder said he hasn’t swung a bat in almost three months. “I’ve been afraid to since the World Series,” he quipped in an obvious reference to the .133 average he compiled against Sandy Koufax, Johnny Podres, and Don Drysdale. Mantle said he was tremendously impressed by the Dodger players, not only during the Series but since then. “They certainly have acted like champions all the way,” he remarked. “Taking four straight like they did, they could have really poured it on and all that, but they never have. I think they’re a pretty fine bunch of guys.” Mickey also revealed he was quite interested in the recent deal which sent Bill Skowron from the Dodgers to the Washington Senators. “All of us on the club like Moose,” he said. “I think that Washington ballpark is going to help him a lot. He’s still a good man to have up there at the plate in a close ballgame.”
