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Originally Posted by baseball-birthdays.com
eBay seller fedxit has listed "Press Photo Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees 1951 First Homer in Majors"... Mantle crossing the plate receiving a handshake from the bat boy in front of another player (Cliff Mapes, I think) who's wearing number 7.
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I don't think I ever really knew that Mantle wore any number other than 7. Baseball-Reference lists Mapes, Mantle, and Bob Cerv as wearing number 7 in 1951. Mapes was traded to the Browns on July 31 and Cerv made his big league debut the following day, so I have no idea when Mantle wore 7 that season.
Also, Mantle hit his first-ever homer in the top of the sixth inning... Mapes replaced him in right field in the bottom of the seventh. Why would Mapes be at the plate as Mantle crossed?
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According to baseball-almanac.com Mickey Mantle, Cliff Mapes, and Bob Cerv all wore #7 during the 1951 season for the NY Yankees.
If Cerv didn't debut in the majors until that August 1 then as odd as it may seem, #7 in the photo must be Mapes, because Mantle wore #6 at the start of his career. Since this is his first major league home run then the date must be May 1, 1951 in Chicago VS. the White Sox.
I looked up the Yanks 1952 roster on the same website , and by that time Mantle was the only player wearing #7, Bob Cerv was wearing #34 and Mapes was no longer with the Yankees.
That game of 5/1/51 also marked the debut of Minnie Minoso with the White Sox, who had just been traded from the Cleveland Indians. Minoso also homered in that game, but he committed an error as a third baseman (his primary Negro Leagues position). Circumstances on the White sox dictated that Minoso convert to the Outfield and he won three Gold Gloves as a leftfielder later in his career.