The MLB contracts of Hank Aaron and Mickey Mantle have surfaced, and they will likely sell for a lot of money. PR Auction recently told TMZ Mantle’s contract he signed with the New York Yankees is estimated to be sold at $50,000. As for Aaron, the contract he signed with the Braves in 1974 is set to sell for $10,0000.
“As one of Mantle’s early Yankees contracts from a World Series season, this is an absolutely spectacular, museum-quality piece,” Bobby Livingston of RR Auction said to TMZ. Mantle signed a contract with a base salary of $17,500. During that season, Mantle led the Yankees to their fifth consecutive World Series win. At that time, Mantle was at the early stages of his career, which was a legendary one, to say the least. Along with helping the Yankees win seven World Series titles, Mantle was named to the All-Star team 20 times, he’s a three-time winner of the MVP award, and he earned the triple crown in 1956.
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Mantle was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974, earning 88.2 percent of the vote on the first ballot. “From 1953 to 1955, the switch-hitter averaged 28 home runs, 98 RBI and 118 runs per season,” his Hall of Fame bio states. “He led the American League in 1954 with 129 runs, and in 1955 he topped the AL with 37 home runs, a .431 on-base percentage and a .611 slugging percentage. In 1956 he won the AL Triple Crown, batting .353 with 52 home runs and 130 RBI and won the first of two consecutive AL Most Valuable Player Awards.”
As for Aaron, he’s arguably the best hitter in MLB history. When he retired from the game, Aaron was the all-time home run leader with 755. However, he was so much more than a home-run hitter, registering 2,297 career RBIs, 6,856 total career bases, 3,771 career hits and 1,477 career extra-base hits. He ranks first all-time in RBIs, total bases and extra-base hits while ranking third in hits behind Ty Cobb and Pete Rose.
Mantle had the ultimate compliment when talking about Aaron. “As far as I’m concerned, Aaron is the best baseball player of my era,” Mantle said via Aaron’s Hall of Fame bio. “He is to baseball the last 15 years what Joe DiMaggio was before him. He’s never received the credit he’s due.”
