I first heard of Mickey when I was six years old. I was looking at a baseball card of him and my father saw me with it. He told me of a game he'd seen in which Mickey had played. I don't remember the story, but ever since that day I've started to research Mantle. Mickey was a great ball player and I wanted to be just like him.

Mantle accomplished a lot of things in his career. He was one of the best baseball players ever to play the game. His great ability to hit home runs and his outstanding speed made him the best player of his time. He is one of the many Yankees in the Hall of Fame. He is a legend, and many young ball players want to be able to play as well as he did.

It is sad that Mantle had to stop playing ball after a tragic knee injury and an alcohol problem. I didn't think this alcohol problem was going to be a big deal; I thought he would get better and he could live on and enjoy his life. His tragic death this past summer was a shock to most but a huge shock to me. I really wish Mickey would have lived long enough to see the Yankees win another World Series.

Mickey Mantle was a great ball player and he will live on in our hearts forever. Whenever I am playing baseball, I try to be as good as him on the varsity team here at Clarkstown North, where I will wear his number 7 with pride. l