Darren Rovell of CNBC turned up this fun piece of Mickey Mantle memorabilia recently:
Rovell:
It’s of course referencing the Yankees catcher Yogi Berra, who Mantle played with for so many years. Mantle and Yogi got along just fine. But some collectors have said that when Mantle wasn’t in his best form, you could get him to write almost anything.
This apparently was a good test.
The NSFW image of the ball is after the jump.
You can buy the ball, no doubt inspired by a highball, for $2,750 at this auction site.
Whatta deal! That is, so long as you saw this before Bob Costas and Billy Crystal.
2:09 pm on February 23rd, 2009
This should inspire some more memorable quotes from Yogi.
"When you come to a fork in the road, take it - and shove it up Mantle's ass!"
2:10 pm on February 23rd, 2009
Mickey was probably a bit tipsy when he wrote that.
2:39 pm on February 23rd, 2009
"It ain't over 'til it's over - then you kick Mickey Mantle's ass."
2:52 pm on February 23rd, 2009
Cocaine is a hellova drug!
3:13 pm on February 23rd, 2009
Why would anybody want to tell Yogi Berra to f off? He always seemed like such a swell guy.
3:42 pm on February 23rd, 2009
I can assure people that this is a fake test the ink and that will tell the truth.My dad loved yogi very much and so does his family i will get to the end of this,we are sick of people putting trash like this out there….
4:01 pm on February 23rd, 2009
This does look a little too readable to be Mantle's autograph, much less anyone else's.
4:45 pm on February 23rd, 2009
Hard to believe Mickey would have the gall to autograph this. He certainly didn't have the liver.
6:25 am on February 24th, 2009
as was noted, i bet a drink or two was involved in this autograph.
this is why baseball is great.
reflects life.
and i'm sure it was all in 'male' good fun.
the mick and yogi were buds.
play ball.
lar
10:52 am on February 24th, 2009
I can't believe that the ink on that ball would look so new after all these years.
Isn't that ball over 15 years old?
3:47 pm on February 24th, 2009
were do people get this kind of crap,it is obvious this is to new it looks like it was done yesterday
4:02 pm on February 24th, 2009
if anyone knows the history mick and yogi are best friends for life people will do anything for a buck..