Derek Jeter pipe shot, 6 historical sports gifts (Video)

1968 — Mickey Mantle crushes No. 535

In a late-season game at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, Yankee legend Mickey Mantle came to the plate in the eighth inning in one of last at-bats in a storied career.  On the mound for the Tigers was Denny McLain.  The pennant had been clinched and McLain had already won 30 games.  Leading 6-1, McLain called catcher Jim Price out to the mound to let Mantle soak up the appreciation from the crowd for what would be his last appearance in Detroit.

That’s when, as Price later told Alan Schwarz of the New York Times, McLain told him he wanted to, “serve one up” to Mantle, who was tied for third place on the all-time home run list at 534.  Price squatted behind the plate and said to Mantle, “do you want us to groove one?”  Price said Mantle didn’t believe what he heard at first, but then saw McLain nodding his head on the mound.  Mantle grinned and said, “high and tight, mediocre cheese.”

The Mick got what he ordered and blasted the ball into the upper deck for the second-to-last homer of his career.  Pitcher and catcher both laughed as the smiling Hall of Famer to be, rounded the bases.  Just four years later, McLain’s baseball career came to and end and he turned more to taking than giving.  In the 1990’s he spent six years in jail for stealing pension funds from a company he co-owned.  It was his second time in the clink.  In the 80’s McLain did jail time for drug trafficking, racketeering, loan sharking and embezzlement.