While reminiscing about baseball, former Saluki skipper Itch Jones recalls a warm summer day in 1957 in Chicago, a day he will never forget because it offered him the opportunity to witness one of baseball’s greatest Mickey Mantle.

Mantle was an outstanding ball player, Jones said. He was strong, he could run and hit from both sides of the plate, he was a great player.

Mantle, who played with the Yankees from 1951 to 1968, died August 13 at age 63.

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Jones, who coached the Saluki baseball team from 1970 to 1990, traveled to Comiskey and sat in right field with a friend to see Mickey Mantle, Billy Martin and Whitey Ford of the mighty Yankees battle the White Sox in a doubleheader.

That day not only gave me the chance to watch Mantle play, it gave me the chance to witness my younger friend harass him throughout the entire game, Jones said.

Jones said Mantle could not escape the constant jeering his younger friend yelled during both games. He said his friend really wanted to get the Yankee greats attention.

No matter what Mantle did my friend would yell at him, he said. I don’t know if he did it because he was intoxicated or just out of shear meanness.

Jones’ friend taunts failed to hinder Mantle’s performance Mantle got a base hit that won the second game for the Yankees.

After he got the hit, Mantle came running out to right field where we were sitting to see if my friend had anything more to say, Jones said. My friend simply told Mickey that he loved him and he was the greatest player he had ever seen.

I’ll never forget that look Mantle had on his face when my friend told him that he was the greatest.

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Jones said Mantle had some big shoes to fill when he joined the Yankee ballclub, after all he had to take over for one of baseballs greatest outfielder Joe Dimaggio

People always talked about what a great player DiMaggio was and they wondered if Mantle could replace him, he said. Soon after

see MANTLE, page 18