September 20, 1968: Mickey Mantle’s 536th and final home run marks end of an era – Society for...

On September 20, 1968, Mickey Mantle hit his final career homer, number 536. When I was a child, every kid coming up to plate wanted to be Mickey Mantle. An excerpt from the article:

"Mickey Mantle had done it 535 times before, so his solo clout against Red Sox hurler Jim Lonborg on September 20, 1968, did not appear to be highly significant. But when Mantle retired before the 1969 season, its importance resonated — number 536 was the last occasion for the Commerce Comet to circle the bases. He did it exactly one month shy of his 37th birthday with knees that a Social Security recipient wouldn’t envy having, such was the toll on his body, thanks to a regimen of grueling tasks on the ball field followed by nighttime activities revolving around alcohol.

The 4-3 loss to the Red Sox began the last Yankees homestand of the 1968 season, which is a far cry from the post-World War II glory years between 1947 and 1964, when the team went to the World Series 15 times and won 10 championships. The ’68 Yankees finished four games above .500 and placed fifth in the American League."