Yes, Mantle got sent down in 1951 during his first year after a double header in which he struck out 5 times. His father met him in AAA, which was Kansas City as I recall.
Mantle started to "cry" to his father that he didn't think he could cut it in the bigs, and is father pulled out his suitcase and started packing it for him, saying, "If that's what you think, I'll take you home and you can go to work in the mines."
Needless to say, Mantle stayed and the rest is history.