Collectors covet Mickey Mantle debut ticket stubs, and most know his official MLB debut came on April 17, 1951. PSA has graded a few stubs to that Yankees-Red Sox game, and when they surface, they can fetch six figures.
But three days earlier, on April 14, 1951, Mantle made his first appearance in a big-league uniform in New York City. It came during an exhibition game at Ebbets Field against the Brooklyn Dodgers. A 19-year-old Mantle started in right field and batted third, right in front of Joe DiMaggio. He collected a single off Preacher Roe in four at-bats and made a defensive highlight by throwing out Cal Abrams at home plate on a single by Jackie Robinson.
That game drew fewer than 9,000 fans, and ticket stubs are extremely rare. According to PSA’s Population Report, just five stubs from that game have been graded. One example appeared in Mastro’s August 2002 auction catalog, and another went unsold at Love of the Game Auctions in August 2017. A third example is pictured in user tkd7’s Mickey Mantle ticket collection showcase on the PSA Set Registry.
Mantle’s April 14 Ebbets Field debut isn’t as widely recognized as his official April 17 debut, but for dedicated ticket collectors, it’s a true piece of hobby history.
Happy collecting!
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