The days of waiting patiently outside the gate for an autograph of your favorite star has gone the way of the Studebaker and TV antenna. Once collected for the innocent purpose of possessing a part of a favorite player, autographs have become a multi-million dollar a year business with collectors able to turn a free signature into a cash windfall within minutes on eBay.

This poignant fan letter dates to the troubled beginning of this modern autograph collecting period. The typed letter addressed to Mickey Mantle is from a miffed mother whose son was rebuffed by the aging Yankees star. Her boy was stationed outside one of The Mick’s fantasy baseball camps with a photograph of the slugger that usually hung in the family’s den. When Mickey approached, limping from a recent injury, the young fan was disappointed when his idol passed without so much as a hello. The boy’s disappointment fueled this seven-paragraph rebuke from his mother.

What is most interesting about this letter is the hand written response penned at the bottom from Mickey: “Before you write crap like this you should find out the reason. M.” That response, while clipped and slightly vulgar, gives us another side to Mickey Mantle’s fame, the part of having to deal with millions of fans who all want a piece of their favorite ballplayer. This is the part we as fans sometimes forget, that even a Hall of Famer has a bad day, is in pain, is troubled by something or just wants to be left alone.

This letter with the Mick’s response is professionally mounted adjacent to a successfully signed color photo of Mantle. The letter shows light toning and edge wear and has two horizontal folds from mailing. Mantle’s reply is in strong 9/10 blue ballpoint. His autograph on the 8x10 photo is in thick 9/10 blue marker. The piece is professionally matted to overall dimensions of 13.5" by 20" (outdated frame it originally came in was removed) and is a truly unique Mickey Mantle conversation piece.

Full LOA from PSA/DNA.