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The Search for the Next Mickey Mantle: From Tom Tresh to Bryce Harper
“The worst curse in life is unlimited potential.” - Ken Brett High expectations come with being labeled “the next Mickey Mantle.” But once the media or an organization utters that phrase, it becomes an albatross. The expectation is that the player will become one of the greatest players of all time—not a good player, not even a star—a superstar of the brightest magnitude. Every player, however, feels the pressure of high expectations. Author Barry Sparks gives the readers a close look into the dynamic challenges some players had trying to meet goals and expectations of others. The physical and psychological struggles that these players faced is an aspect of the game we don’t hear enough about. Some of the players featured in this book went on to have solid careers, others were mediocre, some were disappointments or complete busts. One or two may even be headed to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Most of them, unfortunately, never had the benefit of a sports psychologist to help. Even though Mickey Mantle was the gold standard for superstars, it took him five frustrating years to reach that level. In this book, find out which players who were tabbed “the next Mickey Mantle” could overcome what sportswriter Bob Hertzel called “the curse of talent and the burden of potential.”
259 pages, Paperback
Published November 30, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 12, 2023
There's a scene in the movie Moneyball in which a Mets scout tells Billy Beane's parents that the youngster is going to be the next baseball superstar. It didn't happen. And that is the same dynamic that drives the argument of this insightful book.
It's title notwithstanding, this is not really a book about Mickey Mantle and some wannabees, but about the innate pressure owners and marketers, scouts and managers, and media and the public place on promising young players and the effects of those expectations on their subsequent performance. Mickey the Man -- talented and flawed -- quickly evolved into Mickey the Myth, and it is that myth that drives the seemingly relentless search that centers the author's premise. But in the end, it is the man that catches up with every would-be Mickey.
Baseball is a game built less on maximizing success than on minimizing failure. The best hitter -- the next Mickey Mantle -- will fail two-thirds of the time; the average hitter about three quarters. The difference is roughly one hit per week -- dribbler or home run, it matters not. The margin is thus thin to begin with, and the burden of expectations challenges every new Mickey much as it did the original. For most, it is simply too much. If you doubt that, read this book.
Sparks has given us a well-conceived, gently argued, and clearly written collection of mini-biographies, some of impactful players, some of relative unknowns -- and with it an uncommon perspective on the pressure to succeed beyond mere success. A worthy read for any fan of the game.
It's title notwithstanding, this is not really a book about Mickey Mantle and some wannabees, but about the innate pressure owners and marketers, scouts and managers, and media and the public place on promising young players and the effects of those expectations on their subsequent performance. Mickey the Man -- talented and flawed -- quickly evolved into Mickey the Myth, and it is that myth that drives the seemingly relentless search that centers the author's premise. But in the end, it is the man that catches up with every would-be Mickey.
Baseball is a game built less on maximizing success than on minimizing failure. The best hitter -- the next Mickey Mantle -- will fail two-thirds of the time; the average hitter about three quarters. The difference is roughly one hit per week -- dribbler or home run, it matters not. The margin is thus thin to begin with, and the burden of expectations challenges every new Mickey much as it did the original. For most, it is simply too much. If you doubt that, read this book.
Sparks has given us a well-conceived, gently argued, and clearly written collection of mini-biographies, some of impactful players, some of relative unknowns -- and with it an uncommon perspective on the pressure to succeed beyond mere success. A worthy read for any fan of the game.
March 16, 2023
Mickey Mantle is a transcendent figure in the history of baseball. Despite injuries and a lifestyle that included plenty of nightlife and drinking, he was one of the best and most beloved players on the most successful franchise, the New York Yankees. When his skills started diminishing, even before his retirement in 1968, the search was on for finding the next player that could captivate fans and the media. This search, which is still going on today, is chronicled in this book by Barry Sparks.
In the book, Sparks portrays 16 players who all shared one thing in common: they were tagged by someone as the next Mickey Mantle. This could have been by managers or coaches who saw the player at any level of baseball, from high school to the Major Leagues. The label may have been started by the media. Or the praise from another player may have included a comparison to Mantle. No matter how that happened, Sparks portrays the player in an honest manner, not judgmental. If there are opinions expressed, it is by the person quoted by Sparks.
Many times, those quotes come from the players themselves and that is one of the aspects that make the book very interesting to read. A player did not have to be signed by the Yankees or start his professional career when or just after Mantle retired in order to be portrayed in the book. The player also does not necessarily need to have a poor or average career to be considered for the book. The last two players Sparks writes about, Mike Trout and Bryce Harper, are two of the best players in the game today and may eventually end up in the Hall of Fame like Mantle did. But as Sparks explains in the beginning of the book, one didn’t have to struggle to be included in the book.
Each portrait contains details on the player’s baseball career, including when he was touted to be the next Mantle due to observations of either his performance on the field or projections from scouting reports. No matter how the player was tagged, this book is a very good telling of what happens to players who are burdened with a heavy weight of expectations.
I wish to thank Mr. Sparks for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are strictly mine.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
In the book, Sparks portrays 16 players who all shared one thing in common: they were tagged by someone as the next Mickey Mantle. This could have been by managers or coaches who saw the player at any level of baseball, from high school to the Major Leagues. The label may have been started by the media. Or the praise from another player may have included a comparison to Mantle. No matter how that happened, Sparks portrays the player in an honest manner, not judgmental. If there are opinions expressed, it is by the person quoted by Sparks.
Many times, those quotes come from the players themselves and that is one of the aspects that make the book very interesting to read. A player did not have to be signed by the Yankees or start his professional career when or just after Mantle retired in order to be portrayed in the book. The player also does not necessarily need to have a poor or average career to be considered for the book. The last two players Sparks writes about, Mike Trout and Bryce Harper, are two of the best players in the game today and may eventually end up in the Hall of Fame like Mantle did. But as Sparks explains in the beginning of the book, one didn’t have to struggle to be included in the book.
Each portrait contains details on the player’s baseball career, including when he was touted to be the next Mantle due to observations of either his performance on the field or projections from scouting reports. No matter how the player was tagged, this book is a very good telling of what happens to players who are burdened with a heavy weight of expectations.
I wish to thank Mr. Sparks for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are strictly mine.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
October 23, 2023
For a ballplayer, carrying the expectations of possessing five-tool talent when a major league club drafts or signs him can prove a daunting burden. In some cases, the heavy weight of extreme expectations crushes an individual’s spirit and inhibits the ability to perform on the diamond within their capabilities. Others persevere despite the hype related to developing into the next great star. For many ballplayers in the past, that pressure became compounded when scouts, major league front office personnel, and sportswriters, ordained them as the next Mickey Mantle.
In his book, The Search for the Next Mickey Mantle: From Tom Tresh to Bryce Harper, author Barry Sparks expertly and concisely examines a group of players who many of the baseball experts deemed as the heir apparent to carrying on the Mickey Mantle legacy. Through biographies about each of these ballplayers, Mr. Sparks proficiently captures every emotion, mental test, and approach to the game that defined these individuals in their journey to success or failure. Because the book delves into those viewed at the time as the next Mickey Mantle, the author includes stories regarding New York Yankees players Tom Tresh, Joe Pepitone, Bobby Murcer, Bill Robinson, and Ron Blomberg. In entertaining, enlightening, and informative fashion, Mr. Sparks shares the stories of individuals who carried the extra baggage of comparison in ability alongside one of the greatest players in baseball history.
The author beautifully lays the groundwork for the entire book in the second chapter through chronicling the rocky road Mickey Mantle traveled as Joe DiMaggio’s heir apparent before realizing the massive expectations of becoming the next New York Yankees’ legend. Expertly researched and written, the ensuing chapters lay out the case whether those who followed Mantle passed the litmus test when compared to the iconic Yankees’ outfielder. From Joe Pepitone and Ruben Rivera enjoying the nightlife too excessively, to Gregg Jefferies of the New York Mets allowing his temper to rise to the surface while experiencing tough days on the diamond, Mr. Sparks leaves no stone unturned. Final chapters about Mike Trout and Bryce Harper bring everything full circle to the present day in this outstanding work that is a must read for baseball enthusiasts and lovers of the game’s history.
In his book, The Search for the Next Mickey Mantle: From Tom Tresh to Bryce Harper, author Barry Sparks expertly and concisely examines a group of players who many of the baseball experts deemed as the heir apparent to carrying on the Mickey Mantle legacy. Through biographies about each of these ballplayers, Mr. Sparks proficiently captures every emotion, mental test, and approach to the game that defined these individuals in their journey to success or failure. Because the book delves into those viewed at the time as the next Mickey Mantle, the author includes stories regarding New York Yankees players Tom Tresh, Joe Pepitone, Bobby Murcer, Bill Robinson, and Ron Blomberg. In entertaining, enlightening, and informative fashion, Mr. Sparks shares the stories of individuals who carried the extra baggage of comparison in ability alongside one of the greatest players in baseball history.
The author beautifully lays the groundwork for the entire book in the second chapter through chronicling the rocky road Mickey Mantle traveled as Joe DiMaggio’s heir apparent before realizing the massive expectations of becoming the next New York Yankees’ legend. Expertly researched and written, the ensuing chapters lay out the case whether those who followed Mantle passed the litmus test when compared to the iconic Yankees’ outfielder. From Joe Pepitone and Ruben Rivera enjoying the nightlife too excessively, to Gregg Jefferies of the New York Mets allowing his temper to rise to the surface while experiencing tough days on the diamond, Mr. Sparks leaves no stone unturned. Final chapters about Mike Trout and Bryce Harper bring everything full circle to the present day in this outstanding work that is a must read for baseball enthusiasts and lovers of the game’s history.
December 14, 2023
begins with a recap of mantle's career, then recounts various players that people shot off their mouths that they though they had seen the next mantle. ha. insightful.
stats.
stats.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews