The Legend of the Mick by Jonathan Weeks

 

Baseball season is upon us! What better time to dive into a great sports biography? Especially when it's about one of the all-time greats! You'll get to read an excerpt from The Legend of the Mick by Jonathan Weeks as well as the author's 10 Tips for New or Unpublished Writers. Remember to follow the tour for even more. Best of luck entering the giveaway!

In the 1950s, America entered the television age. And Mickey Mantle, a country boy from Commerce, Oklahoma, was made for the moment. Signed by the New York Yankees as a teenager, he made his major league debut in 1951 as a right fielder alongside Joe DiMaggio. When DiMaggio retired at the end of the season, Mantle inherited not only Joltin’ Joe’s position in centerfield but also his stature as the face of the franchise. His boyish good looks, breathtaking power from both sides of the plate, and blazing speed on the basepaths made him an instant superstar. He won league MVP three times, came in second three times, was a 16-time All-Star, a Triple Crown winner in 1956, and a seven-time World Series champion.

Mickey Mantle’s career was the stuff of legend and in this book, Jonathan Weeks tells us why. Mantle’s extraordinary (and at times incredible) tales carry readers on an enthralling journey through the life of one of the most celebrated sports figures of the twentieth century.

Read an excerpt:

WHERE HAVE YOU GONE, MICKEY MANTLE?

Born in Newark, Jew Jersey, and raised in Queens, New York, singer-songwriter Paul Simon forged an illustrious career that spanned six decades. A winner of mutiple Grammy awards, he is perhaps best known for his collaboration with Art Garfunkel on the song, “Mrs. Robinson,” which was featured in the 1967 film, The Graduate. Simon had no idea when he wrote the lyrics that he would offend two of the greatest Yankee players of all time.

Simon grew up attending Yankee games and was a self-proclaimed fan of Mickey Mantle. “Mantle was my guy,” he told a reporter from the New York Daily News. “Mantle was about the promise of youth.” In spite of those sentiments, Simon paid homage to Joe DiMaggio when he penned his most famous song, which contains the iconic lines:

Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?
A nation turns its lonely eyes to you---woo, woo, woo
What’s that you say, Mrs. Robinson?
Joltin’ Joe has left and gone away—hey, hey, hey

Mantle never understood why he was never mentioned in the song and, during a 1970 appearance on the Dick Cavett Show, he decided to ask Simon about it in-person. Simon assured the former slugger that there was no intentional slight. “It’s about the syllables, Mick,” he explained. “It’s about how many beats there are.” Mantle seemed satisfied with Simon’s response and there were no hard feelings. But it was not the first time Simon was forced to explain himself.

As the song began climbing the pop charts in 1967, rumors swirled that DiMaggio believed he was being ridiculed and was considering a legal suit against Simon. A chance encounter between the two at an Italian restaurant in Central Park South helped smooth things over. Simon approached DiMaggio at his table and introduced himself. Well aware of who the singer was, “The Yankee Clipper” invited him to sit down. Simon explained that there was no insult intended in the lyrics and that DiMaggio was actually being hailed as a hero. The Yankee icon was relieved to hear it.

Proving that Mantle was still “his guy,” Simon recruited “The Mick” to appear in a video for the song, “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard.” Originally released in 1972, the song reappeared on Simon’s 1988 greatest hits album, Negotiations and Love Songs. The opening sequence of the video, which was shot at Mathews-Palmer Park in Hell’s Kitchen, features appearances by Warner Brothers recording artists, Big Daddy Kane and Biz Markie. NBA point guard Spud Webb is pictured playing basketball with neighborhood kids in another scene. Mantle turns up a bit later in a stickball segment. Batting left-handed, he swings through one of Simon’s pitches and then launches another one clear out of the schoolyard. The video ends with former NFL coach John Madden attempting to offer advice to some kids engaged in a pick-up football game. “They don’t listen to coaches the way they used to,” Madden grouses as the players ignore his instructions. Simon’s Negotiations and Love Songs attained certified platinum status, selling over a million copies.

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10 TIPS FOR NEW OR UNPUBLISHED WRITERS

--KNOW YOUR SUBJECT MATTER THOROUGHLY. Whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction, you need to learn as much as you can about the topic you’ve chosen.

--DEVELOP A THICKER SKIN. Don’t dwell on negative reviews. It’s common and often helpful to receive criticism for your work. But if the criticism isn’t constructive, move on.

--KNOW YOUR GENRE. It’s helpful to know what’s already out there when you’re trying to break into a particular market. If you’re writing about a topic that’s been extensively covered, find a new angle.

--MASTER THE ART OF THE COVER LETTER. You only get a few words to grab the interest of potential editors. Use those words wisely.

--AVOID SLANG, SHORTHAND, AND BAD GRAMMAR WHEN CORRESPONDING WITH EDITORS. Texting has changed the English language in a negative way. Use your language the way it was intended to be used.

--DEVELOP A WRITING ROUTINE. Find out what works for you and set aside time to write every day. Even if you’re just composing email, it’s good practice. Crossword puzzles are a great skill-builder too.

--INPUT EQUALS OUTPUT. The best way to become a better writer is to read the work of acclaimed authors.

--WRITE ABOUT TOPICS THAT ACTUALLY INTEREST YOU. It doesn’t make much sense to write a cookbook if you don’t enjoy cooking. If you’re passionate about a particular topic, it will impact your work in a positive way.

--BE PREPARED TO LET GO. If you’ve shopped your work around extensively and no one is biting, it might be time to start a new project or take your current project in a new direction.

--DON’T GIVE UP. The only way to utterly fail as a writer is to stop writing. Even the greatest authors have been rejected many times. Hang in there.

About the author:

Jonathan Weeks spent most of his life in the Capital District region of New York State. He earned a degree in psychology from SUNY Albany and currently works in the mental health field. He has written several sports biographies and two novels, one of which was a posthumous collaboration with his father.

BLOG: www.jonathanweeks.blogspot.com

GOODREADS AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/5862273.Jonathan_Weeks

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jonathan-Weeks/author/B00DXL3JM4

The author will be giving away a $25 Amazon/BN Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner. Follow the tour for more chances to win!

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