Hampered by debilitating injuries and excessive night life throughout his career, 35-year-old Mickey Mantle needed a little help as he approached the mythical 500 home run plateau. This display is autographed by Mantle and a teammate who gave him some of that assistance. Framed to 19-9/16 x 30”, the piece is highlighted by a Mantle cut signature (“9” strength) and accented by a 14x11 black-and-white shot of Mantle launching his historic clout. The photo is signed by Joe Pepitone, who let Mantle borrow his bat that day. Full photo LOA from JSA.

At 35, Mantle was feeling the effects of his lifestyle both on and off the diamond. Defensively, he now played first base for a Yankee roster that had finally succumbed to the franchise’s first losing season in 40 years (1965) and its first-ever last-place finish (1966). Taking the field against the Baltimore Orioles for a Mother’s Day matinee on May 14, 1967, Mantle borrowed teammate Joe Pepitone’s bat, as he favored lighter bats near the end of his career. While Mantle’s bold cut signature is the headliner here, Pepitone has signed the photo in silver marker (“10” strength) and inscribed “25 – Mickey used my bat to hit his 500th home run.”

Frames included with lots: while we make every effort to protect the frames included in these lots during pre-auction storage and post-auction shipping, we are not responsible for any damage to the frames themselves, and no refunds will be given due to frame damage.