If Cooperstown Is Calling, It's No Fluke

In the four seasons from 1954 to 1957, the most frequently debated issue in baseball was "Who's the best centerfielder in New York?" Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle or Duke Snider?

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Willie Mays, the "Say Hey Kid," excelled in all aspects of the game with career statistics including 3,282 hits and 600 home runs. He was National League Rookie Of The Year in 1951, earned a dozen Gold Gloves and 2 MVP awards. He played in 24 All-Star games (a record shared with Stan Musial) and four World Series. In Game One of the 1954 World Series, Mays made his spectacular over-the-shoulder catch off of Vic Wertz' bat, 460 feet to straight-away centerfield at the Polo Grounds. In any other park, it would have been a home run. Any other player would have played it off the wall for a stand-up triple. Willie Mays was inducted into the Baseball Hall Of Fame in 1974.

Mickey Mantle, the "Commerce Comet," batted over .300 during ten seasons and ended his career with 536 home runs and a .298 career batting average. He won three MVP awards and the Triple Crown in 1956. In the first 14 seasons of his 18 year career, he contributed to 12 pennants and 7 World Series titles. Having replaced "Joltin'" Joe DiMaggio as Yankees' centerfielder, Mantle had a hard time winning over the fans and was booed for much of the first half of his career. Their change of heart finally came after th 1961 season where Mantle and Roger Maris were both on track to best Babe Ruth's record of 60 homeruns in a season. Due to illness, Mantle completed the season with 54 to Maris' 61. After that, the fans cheered Mantle and booed Maris instead. Dem's is Yankees fans for ya. Mickey Mantle was inducted into the Baseball Hall Of Fame in 1974.

Duke Snider, "The Duke Of Flatbush," "The Silver Fox," born Edwin Donald, began his career in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Duke was the only player to hit four homeruns in two different World Series (1952 and 1955). His career 11 World Series homeruns and 26 World Series RBIs are National League records. Snider hit the last two home runs at Ebbett's Field on September 22, 1957, his 39th and 40th for the season. Duke Snider was inducted into the Baseball Hall Of Fame in 1980.