How did the New York Yankees acquire Mickey Mantle?

Answer 1

Signed out of High SchoolIn 1948 Mickey Mantle was playing semi-pro Ball as a shortstop in Baxter Springs (KS) Yankees' scout Tom Greenwade came to Baxter Springs to watch Mickey's teammate, third baseman Billy Johnson. During the game Mickey Mantle hit two homers, one right handed, and one left handed into a river well past the ballpark's fences.

Greenwade wanted to sign Mickey on the spot but, upon finding out that he was only sixteen and still in high school, told him he would come back to sign him with the Yankees on his graduation day in 1949. Good to his word, Greenwade was there right on schedule, signing Mickey Mantle to a minor league contract with the Yankees Class D team in Independence. On April 17, 1951 the 19 year old Mickey Mantle broke into the big leagues with the New York Yankees.