This Day In Baseball History: May 14, 1967

This Day In Baseball History: May 14, 1967

                It was on this date in 1967 that New York Yankees’ outfielder Mickey Mantle hit the 500^th home run of his Major League Career. On a Sunday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, Mantle helped celebrate Mothers’ Day by reaching the milestone by drilling a pitch from Orioles’ pitcher Stu Miller into the right field bleachers in the seventh inning. Mantle was two for four in the game and scored two runs as the Yankees defeated Baltimore by a 6-5 score.

                But the 1967 season was rather unkind to the Yankees as they finished in ninth place (out of ten teams) in the American League with a 72-90 record. Mantle would finish the year with 22 home runs, only 55 RBIs and a rather paltry .245 batting average.

                He would play one more season before retiring at the end of the 1968 season. For his career, Mantle batted .298, hit 536 home runs and have 1509 RBIs. After his career, Mantle admitted that every time he came to the plate he was trying to hit a home run, but would also lament that he was unable to finish his playing days with a batting average over .300.

                He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974.