Mickey Mantle Article
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Mickey Mantle Article
So I was watching some TV tonight and found a program that was talking about how Mickey Mantle (baseball player) was an alcoholic. I never knew this about him. All I knew was that he was a great baseball player back in the day.
Anyway, I did some research on the internet and found this article about his 42 year battle with booze. I just thought I would share the link if anyone is interested in reading it. It's a good read, but pretty sad.
After 42 years of alcohol abuse, a legendary ballplayer - 04.18.94 - SI Vault
or just google Mickey Mantle and alcohol. It's the Sports Illustrated article.
Anyway, I did some research on the internet and found this article about his 42 year battle with booze. I just thought I would share the link if anyone is interested in reading it. It's a good read, but pretty sad.
After 42 years of alcohol abuse, a legendary ballplayer - 04.18.94 - SI Vault
or just google Mickey Mantle and alcohol. It's the Sports Illustrated article.
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A little more than a year after the interview, Mickey received a liver transplant. But the liver cancer he was stricken with had spread. He died on Aug. 13, 1995. There is a new biography of Mantle, The Last Boy. Wonder how much of his alcoholism will be covered.
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There is a new book out about him. One of the "old timers" at my meeting sobered up in California. He was a golf pro. anyway, he loves Mickey Mantle. ..he said one time he spoke at Betty Ford, and there was Mantle sitting in the audience. ..
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It gave me a lot of thoughts today. I was surprised to read how sick he was, that he had cirrhosis and he wrote in his article that his liver was damaged from alcohol and had extensive scarring.
I think that may give a lot of newcomers to sobriety some answers: he was a very strong person physically and when he described his consumption, it was much greater than my own.
Lots of newcomers ask: how much is too much? Or they say things like: "I feel okay, I still function".
But, that is the thing, isn't it? He was a powerful person physically and strong, but we can't use one measuring stick for "how much is too much", or for that matter, one measuring stick for all of us. He admits himself that he did not suffer from terrible hangovers. I thought: I would be near comatose if I had drank that much on a daily basis.
Many of us with weaker constitutions would have gotten ill much sooner.
It made me think that we are all so different and that the true answer to the question of alcoholism is our own personal realization of our illness. He mentioned that too, that he was told countless times to slow down, but it was his own decision to finally get the tests and begin the process of recovery.
I also admire him for his honesty.
I think that may give a lot of newcomers to sobriety some answers: he was a very strong person physically and when he described his consumption, it was much greater than my own.
Lots of newcomers ask: how much is too much? Or they say things like: "I feel okay, I still function".
But, that is the thing, isn't it? He was a powerful person physically and strong, but we can't use one measuring stick for "how much is too much", or for that matter, one measuring stick for all of us. He admits himself that he did not suffer from terrible hangovers. I thought: I would be near comatose if I had drank that much on a daily basis.
Many of us with weaker constitutions would have gotten ill much sooner.
It made me think that we are all so different and that the true answer to the question of alcoholism is our own personal realization of our illness. He mentioned that too, that he was told countless times to slow down, but it was his own decision to finally get the tests and begin the process of recovery.
I also admire him for his honesty.
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