M and M Boys

[Oriole1940]

Way back when, the Yankees had the M and M Boys as they were called, Maris and Mantle.  I submit that the Orioles have their version of the M and M boys in Mancini and Means.  I hope they play as long and at the end were considered just as great as the M and M boys of the past.  

[WillyM]

Actually, I kind of hope they play together longer than Mantle and Maris did.  Maris played only seven seasons (1960-66) for the Yankees and missed significant time with injury in two of those years.  He did, however, help the St. Louis Cardinals win the world championship in 1967 after the Yankees traded him for the  immortal  Charley Smith.

I certainly hope they live longer than Maris did.  Roger died far too young at the age of 51 in 1985.

[Win Column]

I've to confess, before opening the thread, I'd thought it was referring to Mancini and Mountcastle. In due time, perhaps... 

[Maverick Hiker]

46 minutes ago, WillyM said:

Actually, I kind of hope they play together longer than Mantle and Maris did.  Maris played only seven seasons (1960-66) for the Yankees and missed significant time with injury in two of those years.  He did, however, help the St. Louis Cardinals win the world championship in 1967 after the Yankees traded him for the  immortal  Charley Smith.

I certainly hope they live longer than Maris did.  Roger died far too young at the age of 51 in 1985.

Still 7 years is pretty long for two players to be on a MLB team together like Mantle and Maris.

I'm old enough to recall Maris playing for the Cardinals, he helped them win the 1967 NL with his clutch hitting. They almost won again in '68 with Maris' help, losing a heartbreaking 7 game WS to Detroit.  Then Maris retired, and yes he left us way too soon. 

Mancini and Means, the new M+M boys, I like it. 

[LA2]

1960 MVP Votes

1st: Maris 225

2nd: Mantle 222

3rd: Brooks 211

1961 MVP Votes

Maris 202

Mantle 198

Gentile (Balt.) 157

1964 MVP Votes

Brooks  269

Mantle  171

E. Howard  124

[LA2]

1 hour ago, Maverick Hiker said:

Still 7 years is pretty long for two players to be on a MLB team together like Mantle and Maris.

I'm old enough to recall Maris playing for the Cardinals, he helped them win the 1967 NL with his clutch hitting. They almost won again in '68 with Maris' help, losing a heartbreaking 7 game WS to Detroit.  Then Maris retired, and yes he left us way too soon. 

Mancini and Means, the new M+M boys, I like it. 

I remember Maris being important to the Cards then, too, but I also remember wondering how much of it was left-over reverence from his earlier career. He did have a very good 1967 World Series. He was credited for lending a calm presence to the club (veteranosity), contributing some clutch hits, and playing a solid, intelligent RF. But he was no longer a home run threat (already in his age 31 and 32 seasons) and only got 720 ABs (14 HRs) across the two campaigns.

I started watching ball just as the Yankee heros were getting injured a lot and fading. B&W broadcasts from Yankee Stadium on a tiny GE television felt like I was witnessing a baseball zombie drama staged in a crumbling coliseum. Mantle limping down the first base line, Mel Stottlemyre losing 20 games, Whitey Ford nearing the end, Al Downing walking lots of batters, what was so great about Bobby Richardson and Clete Boyer, etc. The O's were a lot more exciting and likeable.

[weams]

12 hours ago, Oriole1940 said:

Way back when, the Yankees had the M and M Boys as they were called, Maris and Mantle.  I submit that the Orioles have their version of the M and M boys in Mancini and Means.  I hope they play as long and at the end were considered just as great as the M and M boys of the past.  

Here I thought you were going to reference Mark Trumbo's most recent slugging prospect, Richie Martin, to go with Trey.  

[tntoriole]

10 hours ago, Maverick Hiker said:

Still 7 years is pretty long for two players to be on a MLB team together like Mantle and Maris.

I'm old enough to recall Maris playing for the Cardinals, he helped them win the 1967 NL with his clutch hitting. They almost won again in '68 with Maris' help, losing a heartbreaking 7 game WS to Detroit.  Then Maris retired, and yes he left us way too soon. 

Mancini and Means, the new M+M boys, I like it. 

There is a book called Baseball Lives with different stories told by people in MLB,  umpires, executives, groundskeepers etc.   One of the stories told in the book was by Andy Strasberg a marketing guy with the Padres at the time who told his story about Roger Maris and being a fan and having a hero....here is an abbreviated version....

 

https://www.chickensoup.com/book-story/29194/46-roger-maris-and-me

[DrungoHazewood]

13 hours ago, Oriole1940 said:

Way back when, the Yankees had the M and M Boys as they were called, Maris and Mantle.  I submit that the Orioles have their version of the M and M boys in Mancini and Means.  I hope they play as long and at the end were considered just as great as the M and M boys of the past.  

Through age 27 Maris and Mantle are ahead of Mancini and Means 92-11.  But our boys have some time to catch up. From age 28-on Maris and Mantle only accumulated another 56 wins.

If Mancini and Means each play another 12 years they just need to average 6 wins a season to pass the old Yanks.

[Maverick Hiker]

On ‎9‎/‎29‎/‎2019 at 12:45 AM, LA2 said:

I remember Maris being important to the Cards then, too, but I also remember wondering how much of it was left-over reverence from his earlier career. He did have a very good 1967 World Series. He was credited for lending a calm presence to the club (veteranosity), contributing some clutch hits, and playing a solid, intelligent RF. But he was no longer a home run threat (already in his age 31 and 32 seasons) and only got 720 ABs (14 HRs) across the two campaigns.

I started watching ball just as the Yankee heros were getting injured a lot and fading. B&W broadcasts from Yankee Stadium on a tiny GE television felt like I was witnessing a baseball zombie drama staged in a crumbling coliseum. Mantle limping down the first base line, Mel Stottlemyre losing 20 games, Whitey Ford nearing the end, Al Downing walking lots of batters, what was so great about Bobby Richardson and Clete Boyer, etc. The O's were a lot more exciting and likeable.

 Maris was important to the Cardinals success in 1967.  I used to listen to all of their games on the radio or watch them on TV that year and I can still remember Cards announcer Harry Carey saying "Again it was Maris, in the clutch" after a another big hit.  The Cards fought off the Cubs that year for the NL pennant, it was a race until the Cardinals pulled away late.

Even in 1968 the year of the pitcher Maris hit .255 which isn't that bad for the year of the pitcher but he only played in 100 games so I'm guessing he was platooned. He retired after that year at age 33, which seems early by today's standards.  I read he was a heavy smoker and I wonder if that unfortunately contributed to the early  deterioration of his baseball skills (especially his loss of HR power), and his health problems.   He never hit more than 13 HR's after he turned 30, after hitting 39-61-33 HR in 1960 1961 1962.

Mantle also deteriorated at a relatively young age but not as badly as Maris did.

 

[Maverick Hiker]

There was a brief period in MLB history after the advent of the free agent draft in the mid 60's, until free agency started in the mid 70's, when the Yankees revenue and market size did them little good. During that period they had mediocre players such as Horace Clarke and as I recall they gravitated towards the basement.

[DrungoHazewood]

12 minutes ago, Maverick Hiker said:

 Maris was important to the Cardinals success in 1967.  I used to listen to all of their games on the radio or watch them on TV that year and I can still remember Cards announcer Harry Carey saying "Again it was Maris, in the clutch" after a another big hit.  The Cards fought off the Cubs that year for the NL pennant, it was a race until the Cardinals pulled away late.

Even in 1968 the year of the pitcher Maris hit .255 which isn't that bad for the year of the pitcher but he only played in 100 games so I'm guessing he was platooned. He retired after that year at age 33, which seems early by today's standards.  I read he was a heavy smoker and I wonder if that unfortunately contributed to the early  deterioration of his baseball skills (especially his loss of HR power), and his health problems.   He never hit more than 13 HR's after he turned 30, after hitting 39-61-33 HR in 1960 1961 1962.

Mantle also deteriorated at a relatively young age but not as badly as Maris did.

 

In 1967 Maris had an OPS of:

• .548 with two outs and runners in scoring position
• .606 in late and close situations
• .732 in high leverage situations
• .838 in low leverage situations

I had to run the tracer.  

[bobmc]

On 9/29/2019 at 8:40 AM, weams said:

Here I thought you were going to reference Mark Trumbo's most recent slugging prospect, Richie Martin, to go with Trey.  

Mountcastle McKenna  

Rutschman Rodriguez (R Boys)

Hall and Hall (H Boys, Halls of Ivy?)