April 14, 1951: Brooklyn Dodgers (vs. New York Yankees) Ticket Stub - PSA - Mickey Mantle's First Game in New York City!

Sold For:

$1,860

Year:

1951

Auction:

2022 Fall

Lot #:

2389

Category:

Post-1900 Baseball Memorabilia

Rare Brooklyn Dodgers ticket stub issued for an exhibition game against the New York Yankees on April 14, 1951, which marks Mickey Mantle's first appearance in New York. PSA has encapsulated the ticket and certified it as "Authentic." This is one of only four such examples listed in the PSA Population Report, all of which are certified as "Authentic." This is also just the second example of this ticket stub we have ever offered. It is well known that Mantle made his Major League debut at Yankee Stadium on April 17, 1951. However, it was not his New York City debut. That event occurred three days earlier, when the Yankees played the second of three exhibition games against the Dodgers in New York. The first game occurred at Yankee Stadium on April 13th, and the other two games, on April 14th and 15th, took place at Ebbets Field. A fourth exhibition game for the Yankees, at Washington on April 16th, was rained out. Mantle did not appear in the first exhibition game against the Dodgers on April 13th because he had to appear before the draft board in Kansas City to reaffirm his 4-F military classification. He flew overnight to make the game on April 14th, when he contributed a single and RBI in the Yankees 11-5 win. Only 8,782 fans attended the game, which was played in rainy conditions. That low turnout, coupled with the fact that the ticket was issued for an exhibition game and therefore would not have been saved by most fans, almost certainly explains its extreme rarity today. The ticket stub (1.25 x 3.5 inches), issued for a "Lower Stand Box Seat" has light creasing throughout and a vintage piece of clear tape affixed to the front (not in repair of any tears, most likely it was used to mount it into an album). In Fair to Good condition overall. Reserve $1,000.