Synopsis:
As a man who played baseball brilliantly despite near-constant pain from a succession of injuries, Mickey Mantle knew something about courage. In The Quality of Courage we find Mickey’s opinion on some of his widely-recognized associates including Jackie Robinson, Roger Maris, Casey Stengel, Joe DiMaggio, and Ted Williams. Here also are Mantle’s opinions on some lesser known but equally meritorious candidates: war hero and pitcher Lou Brissie and umpire Bill Grieve. And then there is his opinion of those with whom he probably felt the strongest bond: players such as Roy Campanella, Don Zimmer, and Jimmy Piersall whose principal asset of physical excellence was suddenly taken from them. Much is made of the need for role models in our society, but it is perhaps as instructive to learn which qualities the role models themselves find worthy of respect and emulation. Mickey gives us his list in his characteristic straightforward style, leavened with humor and a wealth of good stories.
Review:
Something of a publishing stunt when it first appeared in the mid-1960s, The Quality of Courage was conceived as a baseball-steeped companion to JFK's bestselling compendium of political valor, Profiles in Courage. The literary equivalent of primitive art, this slight collection--written under the careful direction of ghostwriter Creamer, one of the best sportswriters of the era--scored as a surprisingly compelling read in its own right. Like Kennedy, Mantle was, in the nation's eyes, a certified hero who played valiantly through pain. Using Profiles as a model, Mantle and Creamer compiled a series of personal sketches of teammates and opponents who continued to take the field and play their best despite personal adversity. "The people I most respected in my life were people who had courage," Mick tell us, and "the stories I liked best were about courage."
Reading more like conversational monologues than a written text--Creamer's marvelous achievement is in letting Mick's voice come through as familiar rather than some chiseled artifice. Mantle's observations on such ballplayers as Whitey Ford, Joe DiMaggio, Phil Rizzuto, Roger Maris, Roy Campanella, Ted Williams, and Jimmy Piersall are really quite charming in the way they reveal his homespun attitudes, opinions, and the qualities he respected. From these pages, it's sadly apparent that Mantle had an easier time drawing strength and inspiration from others than he did carrying the weight of inspiring a generation on his own broad, brawny back. --Jeff Silverman
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