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, was an American professional baseball player. He was a Major League Baseball (MLB) centerfielder and first baseman for theNew York Yankees for 18 seasons, from [1] 1951 through 1968. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall [2] of Fame in1974 and was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999. Mantle was noted for his hitting ability, both for average and for power. He won the Triple Crown in [4] 1956, leading MLB in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in (RBI). He was an American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times and All-Star sixteen times, playing in 19 of the [5] 20 All-Star games that he appeared in (MLB had two All-Star games a year from 1959 to 1962 ). Mantle appeared in 12 World Series, his team winning 7 of them. He holds the records for most World Series home runs (18), RBIs (40), runs (42), walks (43), extra-base hits (26), and total [6] bases (123). He is also the career leader (tied with Jim Thome) in walk-off home runs, with a combined thirteen, twelve in the regular season and one in the postseason.
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1949. Publicity after he got into the major league during the Korean Conflict over his 4-F deferment caused him to get unpopular with baseball fans. It also caused him to get two more Armed Forces physical exams. They reasoned that if he was physically fit to play baseball, he was fit enough to serve in the military, particularly during the 1952 season when it was observed that he [14] was selected as an All-Star (reserve player, did not bat or play on July 8, 1952) which was before [13] his third and final military service rejection had been given for his knee injury on November 4th.
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