Reply #99: Mickey Mantle

[Two Americas]

The last time that Mantle came to the plate, in Detroit against Denny McClain, late in a game that was all but decided, McClain allegedly yelled to him "where do you want it, Mick?" Mantle laughed and the catcher Bill Freehan called time out and ran out to the mound to talk to McClain and ask him if he had lost his mind, no doubt. Mantle finally jokingly held his hand out to show McClain where he wanted it. McClain served up an easy one right down the middle, and Mantle hit his last home run. There is some doubt as to the accuracy of this story - and my memory may be a little off, too - but it will serve here.

When the Warren controversy first broke out, I started spending time in the GLBT forum for the first time, reading and thinking. Yardwork, and Chovexani and so many others kept serving up some easy "pitches" in the form of some brilliant and persuasive arguments. All I did was finally "see" the ball and take a swing at it. Credit goes to those who have done all of the hard work over the years - I was ignoring them. I thought I knew everything I needed to know. I was wrong.