72 Mickey Mantle Signed and Handwritten "Lewd" Yankees Questionnaire - The Most Famous Mantle Document in the Hobby (PSA)

Auction: Fall Classic 2022

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72 Mickey Mantle Signed and Handwritten "Lewd" Yankees Questionnaire - The Most Famous Mantle Document in the Hobby (PSA)

Addendum:  Subsequent to the catalogpublication, we were contacted by former New York Yankees executive MartyAppel, who has first-hand knowledge of this letter, which he kindly shared withus: <p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px;">"I was the Yankees Assistant PR Director then, withBob Fishel my boss.  We wrote to many ex-Yankees for a 1973 50thanniversary Yearbook feature on 'greatest memory.'  That is myhandwriting on 'Dear Mickey' and 'Bob Fishel.'  Mick's response isindeed his, in his handwriting, but it was meant to shock the very straight-lacedBob Fishel on whom he was always playing practical jokes. The item isauthentic, but the intent was bawdy humor, not depiction of a real event. I called Mick when I received it and said, 'We're going with the Barney Schultzhome run in 1964' and he laughed and said 'Of course.'  I held the letterfor decades (never showed Bob Fishel), finally gave it to Barry Halper, andfrom there it slipped off to others over time."  - Marty Appel.<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px;">Mickey Mantle's talents on the baseball field are welldocumented. Much less known, however, are his literary skills, particularlywhen it comes to off-color narrative prose. Offered here is his greatestcontribution to that genre, his magnus opus if you will. This is the mostfamous, or perhaps we should say infamous, Mantle handwritten document in thehobby, although saying "in the hobby" is somewhat of a misnomerbecause this is the first time it has ever been made available for sale,publicly or privately. It has, however, been viewed by many collectors becausecopies of it exist and have been posted (and then reposted) online and throughvarious social media platforms. That familiarity has led to its now iconicstatus but, like the Mona Lisa, or any other great work of art, there is onlyone original, and this is it.<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px;">Mantle'smuse for this particular literary endeavor was longtime New York Yankees publicrelations director Bob Fishel. In December 1972, Fishel sent out aquestionnaire to former New York Yankees players asking them to share theiroutstanding event at Yankee Stadium. As he noted in his cover letter, theupcoming 1973 season marked the 50th anniversary of Yankee Stadium, and theteam planned a season-long "Golden Anniversary" celebration,culminating in a special ceremony on Old Timers Day. The responses given by theplayers would be featured in a 1973 50th Anniversary Yearbook. Mantle, ofcourse, was sent his respective questionnaire and he dutifully filled it outand returned it in the prepaid envelope provided. <p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px;">WhenFishel opened the envelope, which Mantle marked "Personal - BobFishel" in pencil on the front,  and read Mantle's response, we canonly imagine his reaction. Knowing Mantle as he did, maybe Fishel would havebeen more surprised if he received anything different. The first question askedeach player to list what they considered their outstanding experience at YankeeStadium. The second question asked them where or when the event occurred andinstructed each respondent to "give as much detail as possible."Mantle did not disappoint in that regard. To the first question, Mantle wrote"I got a blow job under the right field bleachers by the Yankee BullPen." He followed that up by providing the specifics: "It was aboutthe third or fourth inning. I had a pulled groin and couldn't fuck at the time.She was a very nice girl and asked me what to do with the cum after I came inher mouth. I said don't ask me, I'm no cock-sucker." It is signed"Mickey Mantle - The All-American Boy." Both Mantle's signature andhandwritten text have been rendered in blue ink and grade 9/10. <p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px;">Thisletter was probably the talk of the Yankees front office for days after itarrived and we can probably thank all the employees who made photo copies of itat the time for the many images now circulating on the internet (we must notethat all the images on the web represent copies of this document; none weremade from the original offered here). Both the questionnaire and cover letter(8.5x11") display two horizontal mailing folds, a few small edge tears atthe fold lines, and a paperclip impression near the top border. They areaccompanied by the original return mailing envelope (8.75x4"; large tearalong the top). Both the cover letter and envelope are dated/postmarkedDecember 14, 1972." Full LOA from PSA.