From Tom Tresh to Bryce Harper
“The worst curse in life is unlimited potential.” - Ken Brett
High expectations come with being labeled “the next Mickey Mantle.”
But once the media or an organization utters that phrase, it becomes an albatross.
The expectation is that the player will become one of the greatest players of all time—not a good player, not even a star—a superstar of the brightest magnitude.
Every player, however, feels the pressure of high expectations. Author Barry Sparks gives the readers a close look into the dynamic challenges some players had trying to meet goals and expectations of others. The physical and psychological struggles that these players faced is an aspect of the game we don’t hear enough about.
Some of the players featured in this book went on to have solid careers, others were mediocre, some were disappointments or complete busts. One or two may even be headed to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Most of them, unfortunately, never had the benefit of a sports psychologist to help.
Even though Mickey Mantle was the gold standard for superstars, it took him five frustrating years to reach that level. In this book, find out which players who were tabbed “the next Mickey Mantle” could overcome what sportswriter Bob Hertzel called “the curse of talent and the burden of potential.”
by Barry Sparks
Page Count: 260
Trim Size: 6 x 9
Publish Date: November 29, 2022
Imprint: Sunbury Press
Genre: Baseball History
SPORTS & RECREATION / Baseball / History
SPORTS & RECREATION / Baseball / Statistics
SPORTS & RECREATION / Baseball / Essays & Writings
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In “The Search for the Next Mickey Mantle: From Tom Tresh to Bryce Harper,” author Barry Sparks expertly and concisely examines a group of players who many of the baseball experts deemed as the heir apparent to carrying on the Mickey Mantle legacy. Through biographies about each of these ballplayers, Mr. Sparks proficiently captures every emotion, mental test, and approach to the game that defined these individuals in their journey to success or failure. Because the book delves into those viewed at the time as the next Mickey Mantle, the author includes stories regarding New York Yankees players Tom Tresh, Joe Pepitone, Bobby Murcer, Bill Robinson, and Ron Blomberg. In entertaining, enlightening, and informative fashion, Mr. Sparks shares the stories of individuals who carried the extra baggage of comparison in ability alongside one of the greatest players in baseball history.
The author beautifully lays the groundwork for the entire book in the second chapter through chronicling the rocky road Mickey Mantle traveled as Joe DiMaggio’s heir apparent before realizing the massive expectations of becoming the next New York Yankees’ legend. Expertly researched and written, the ensuing chapters lay out the case whether those who followed Mantle passed the litmus test when compared to the iconic Yankees’ outfielder.
Ronald T. Waldo – Baseball Historian and Author of “Days of Reckoning: Players Punching Their Ticket Out of Pittsburgh During the Barney Dreyfuss Era.”
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