Entering the 1967 season, Mickey Mantle wasn’t the player he once was. Injuries to his knees and legs had caught up to him. The player who once gracefully roamed Yankee Stadium’s spacious centerfield was relegated to first base in the non-designated hitter era. But, there was still greatness yet to come.
The Baltimore Orioles were in town that Sunday, looking to complete a three-game sweep of the Yankees. Mantle came to bat in the seventh inning with right-hander Stu Miller atop the pitcher’s mound for the Orioles. Batting from the left side, Mantle quickly got ahead in the count, 3-1, but swung awkwardly and missed at Miller’s next offering.