Dec. 16, 1964 - The Yankees, as per custom, threw their employee Christmas Party today at the Stadium Club, and some of the invited guests were ballplayers, including Mickey Mantle. The Switcher, fit and optimistic, said he is looking forward to another big season, possibly as good as the last one.
It will be his 15th, and for one of the few years in his injury-filled career, he faces it without any concern over his physical condition.
“I hope to play 140 games,” he said. “I feel great, and it is good to know I don’t face another operation this winter. There is nothing to worry about.”
Mickey didn’t come to town for the party. His mission was charitable. He met with Cardinal Spellman and turned over a check to the prelate for the Hodgkins Disease Foundation. The money represented a donation from an anonymous donor.
Mantle is co-chairman of the foundation, in which the Cardinal is interested. Mickey’s dad, Elvin, died of the disease in 1952 at the age of 42.
Aside from that, the visit was strictly social, and Mickey didn’t talk contract with general manager Ralph Houk.
“Just a social call,” he grinned. “I don’t expect any contract trouble. The Yankees, especially Ralph and Dan Topping, have treated me well.”
Mickey is assured of his fourth-straight $100,000 pact following an extraordinary season in which he got into 143 games, hit .303 with 111 RBI’s and 35 homers and finished second to Baltimore’s Brooks Robinson in the MVP balloting.
Mantle was happy with the way Yogi Berra used him last season and said he was stunned at Berra’s firing.
“I think Yogi handled me right,” he said. “I got into more games last year than I did in any of the previous three seasons.”
Berra took him out of center field to ease the strain on his bad legs, moving him either to left or right field, depending on the ballpark. Mickey expects to follow the same procedure in 1965.
“Of course, that’s up to Johnny Keane,” he said, referring to the new manager.
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