One of Bobby Richardson\u2019s good friends during his playing days with the New York Yankees was the legendary Mickey Mantle.<\/p>\n
Mantle was an extremely popular player and regarded by many baseball observers as the best switch-hitter ever to play the game. He accumulated numerous awards during his 18-year career, highlighted by his greatest year as a professional in 1956. That year he won the Triple Crown, Male Athlete of the Year, American League Most Valuable Player, and Player of the Year. He played in 12 World Series and won the American League Most Valuable Player award in 1957 and 1962. The runner-up for the 1962 MVP was Richardson. Mantle said Richardson should have received the award.<\/p>\n
During the years when Mantle and Richardson played, the Yankees were loaded with talent. It was the golden age of baseball, and the Yankees dominated. Larry King once said, \u201cMickey Mantle is baseball.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Mantle struggled throughout his career with a condition called osteomyelitis (bone infection) as the result of an injury in high school. He also injured his right knee in the 1951 World Series. After that, he wrapped his leg for every game and played with chronic pain. He was recognized and respected as a power hitter (hitting a home run reportedly measured at 565 feet), but also became known for his speed and drag bunts. He was a Gold Glove award recipient for his play in centerfield. However, following his knee injury, his speed was diminished.<\/p>\n
Mantle had a reputation for being a hard-drinking party man. Along the way, he became an alcoholic. Richardson, on the other hand, was seen as a clean-living homebody and a dedicated Christian. It was an unusual friendship, but one that allowed Richardson to plant the seeds of the Gospel many times over the years in Mantle\u2019s life. \u201cI believe God had a purpose for our relationship,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
After both players retired, they stayed in contact, with Mantle doing public appearances and batting clinics for Richardson\u2019s college teams. Richardson said Mantle retired \u201cas one of the greatest players to ever play the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mantle owned a restaurant in New York, and Richardson would speak there on occasion. Once, his son Robby spoke there in the 1980s. Mantle commented to him, \u201cYou sound just like your dad — always talking about that decision I need to make.\u201d During his career, he talked often about trusting Christ as Savior, referring to it as \u201cthe decision.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mantle\u2019s alcoholism worsened following his retirement, and he entered the Betty Ford Center for treatment in 1994. Sportscaster Bob Costas interviewed him that year, just two weeks after his son Billy passed away at 36. Mantle told Costas that he had not been a good role model and that there was something missing in his life.<\/p>\n
One year later, Mantle was diagnosed with liver cancer. After receiving a liver transplant, he was hopeful, but the cancer returned. His life began to deteriorate rapidly. While in the hospital at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas, he endured a great deal of pain. Bobby Richardson was in Dallas for a speaking engagement at that time. During that week, Richardson received a phone call at 6:00 a.m. from Mantle, asking him to pray for him. Richardson prayed with him over the phone and shared with him Philippians 4:4-7 in the Phillips translation. Later in the morning, he visited his friend at the hospital. As Richardson left the room to return to South Carolina, Mantle said to him, \u201cNow don\u2019t forget, you have my funeral.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richardson said, \u201cI believe what drew Mickey to me was that I had the relationship with Christ that he was searching for, even if he didn\u2019t realize it. He often attended our baseball chapel services.\u201d<\/p>\n
A few weeks later, Mantle\u2019s wife Merlyn called the Richardsons. Mickey\u2019s life was fading quickly. They flew to Dallas. When Bobby and Betsy walked into the room, Mantle said, \u201cI can\u2019t wait to tell you this. I have accepted Christ as my Savior.\u201d Bobby was elated, but wanted to be sure, so he went through the plan of salvation with Mantle again. Betsy later asked him, \u201cMickey, if you were to stand before a holy God today and He asked you, \u2018Why should I let you into my heaven?\u2019 what would you say?\u201d Mantle replied, \u201cWe are talking about God, right?\u201d Betsy acknowledged they were. He then quoted John 3:16.<\/p>\n
Mantle, the Yankee great, passed away Aug. 13, 1995, on a Sunday morning at age 63. Bobby was in charge of the service and preached the funeral message. Bob Costas spoke also, but it was Richardson who presented the Gospel. The service was televised worldwide.<\/p>\n
Richardson has been distributing a special tract to hundreds of people over the years. It is titled \u201cMickey Mantle: His Final Inning\u201d and tells the story of his friend\u2019s profession of faith in Christ and how others can also believe and be saved.<\/p>\n
Both Mantle and Richardson thought about quitting baseball when they were playing in the minor leagues. Neither did, and in the providence of God, they became friends — one living and sharing the life-changing message of the Gospel, the other finally embracing that message.<\/p>\n
=================<\/p>\n
https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mickey_Mantle#Personal_life<\/p>\n
Mantle spoke with great remorse of his drinking in a 1994 Sports Illustrated cover story. He said that he was telling the same old stories, and realizing how many of them involved himself and others being drunk \u2013 including at least one drunk-driving accident \u2013 he decided they were not funny anymore. He admitted he had often been cruel and hurtful to family, friends, and fans because of his alcoholism, and sought to make amends. Mantle became a born-again Christian because of his former teammate Bobby Richardson, an ordained Baptist minister who shared his faith with him.<\/p>\n
===========<\/p>\n
Version used by David Holwick in sermon on 9\/11\/16:<\/p>\n
Have you ever heard of Bobby Richardson? He played for the Yankees in the 1950s. Most of you have probably never heard of him. Perhaps you have heard of his good friend – Mickey Mantle. Mantle, of course, was one of the greatest players of all time. He once hit a home run measured at 565 feet.<\/p>\n
Mantle was also famous for his wild ways, chasing women and partying hard; along the way he became an alcoholic. Bobby Richardson, on the other hand, was a clean-living homebody and a committed Christian. It was an unusual friendship but it gave Bobby many opportunities to share the gospel with Mantle. Mantle once told Bobby\u2019s son, \u201cYour dad is always talking about the decision I need to make.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mantle\u2019s alcoholism worsened after he retired and he entered the Betty Ford Clinic in 1994. Sportscaster Bob Costas interviewed him that year, just two weeks after Mantle\u2019s son Billy had passed away at age 36. Mantle told Costas that he had not been a good role model and there was something missing in his life. He admitted he had often been cruel and hurtful to family, friends, and fans because of his alcoholism.<\/p>\n
One year later, Mantle was diagnosed with liver cancer. There was a lot of controversy when he was given a transplant. Even so, the liver cancer returned and he faded quickly. Mantle called Bobby and asked him to pray for him. Bobby prayed with him over the phone and read Philippians 4:4-7 in the Phillips\u2019 translation to him:
\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry over anything whatever; tell God every detail of your needs in earnest and thankful prayer, and the peace of God which transcends human understanding, will keep constant guard over your hearts and minds as they rest in Christ Jesus.\u201d
\nMantle lasted a few more weeks. Bobby Richardson and his wife flew out to Dallas and saw Mantle in the hospital. As they entered the room, Mantle said to him, \u201cI can\u2019t wait to tell you this: I have accepted Christ as my Savior.\u201d Bobby was thrilled, but he wanted to be sure, so he went through the plan of salvation with Mickey.<\/p>\n
Bobby\u2019s wife then said, \u201cMickey, if you were to stand before a holy God today and He asked you, \u2018Why should I let you into my heaven?\u2019 what would you say?\u201d Mantle quoted John 3:16 to her – \u201cFor God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mickey Mantle passed away at age 63. Bobby Richardson preached the funeral message, which was televised worldwide. Since then Bobby has been handing out a tract called \u201cMickey Mantle: His Final Inning.\u201d It tells the story of his friend\u2019s profession of faith in Christ and how others can also believe and be saved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
One of Bobby Richardson\u2019s good friends during his playing days with the New York Yankees was the legendary Mickey Mantle. Mantle was an extremely popular player and regarded by many baseball observers as the best switch-hitter ever to play the game. He accumulated numerous awards during his 18-year career, highlighted by his greatest year as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1032,543,1371,2713,2716,2714,2717,2718,722,2715,1075],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6949"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6949"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6949\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6949"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6949"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.churchedge.com\/illustrations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6949"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}