Willy Mays, Mickey Mantle and Joe DeMaggio.

What is the connection?

In the second game of the 1951 World Series, New York Giants rookie Willie Mays hit a fly ball to right-center field. Mantle, playing right field, raced for the ball together with center fielder Joe DiMaggio, who called for the ball (and made the catch)

Did you know or look it up? There is much more to it.

You have taught me well master...

they are all 3 dead, real dead.

Joe gave Marylin the Willy on the Mantle?

Mickey stepped in a drain in the outfield injuring I believe his knee that hampered him for the remainder of his career.

Two were Yankee's and one wanted to be.

Yes. He was good enough to break all the records for hits, home runs.
The rest of the story is that 51 was DiMaggio's last year. He was already a legend.
The Yankees coach told Mickie that DiMaggio had slowed down so any ball he could get to, catch it. When Willy hit the fly ball he ran as fast as he could to get the ball but by the time he got there Joe was already there and called it. So he veered off and his rear cleat got hung in a plastic drain. He said he went down and everyone thought he had been shot. He just laid there.

His father who was at the game got to him somehow and was with him going to the hospital. When they got to the hospital Mickey asked his dad to help him up. As he did, they both fell and got hurt again. They both were put in the same hospital room and watched the rest of the world series there.
After some tests they also learned that his father had Hodgkins disease and would probably not live much longer.

But here is a video that tells it better than I could. Mickey was a good story teller. Look for his hunting story about him and Billy Martin.

I remember watching that video when it first came out , his " hunting " story with Billie Martin ---still makes me laugh .
Here's a weird connection I have --- my grandfather was a grounds keeper at Seal stadium when Dimaggio played there My first ever baseball game as a kid Giants VS Dodgers -- after the game , in the players parking lot , I asked Willie Mays to sign my baseball -- he looked at my two brand new baseballs I had and saw they didn't have a single autograph --- he proceeded to take me to every single player that came out and got them to sign both balls . I will never forget his high pitched voice and huge hands .

BTW === Willie is still alive , 89 years old

Neat thread!

1oldbassguy that’s a cool, cool memory to cherish

Thanks , the bummer of that story is I bought my wife a puppy for our first married Xmas together , about a year into having that dog , I find out one day it chewed the ball with all the Giants signature , including Mays . I would have put a bullet in that dogs skull , but I didn't own a gun .
Here is a link to the " billy martin cow story " ---- hilarious
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5t_9PKffmM