Funny story..
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Legendary manager Billy Martin was with the Rangers, and was gifted a rifle. His old pal Mickey Mantle told him, “I know a guy down in San Antonio that will let us go hunting on his land. But we have to wake up around 4 or 5 in the morning to drive down there from Dallas.” Martin said, “Fine.”
So they go down there, and Mantle walks up to the guy’s house while Martin stayed in the car. Mantle asks if they can go hunting on his land. The guy says, “Sure. But do me a favor. There is an old mule in my barn that needs to be put down and I don’t have the heart to do it. Can you shoot my mule?”
Mantle agreed to do it, but decided he’d play a joke on Martin. He goes back to the car and tells Martin, “Give me my rifle.”
Martin says, “Why? What’s wrong?”
Mantle: “He won’t let us hunt on his land so I’m going to shoot his mule.”
Martin: “No. you can’t do that. You’ll go to jail.”
Mantle tries to get his rifle but Martin won’t let him have it. Mantle finally wrestles the gun away from him and walks up to the barn and shoots the mule.
Soon after, he hears three shots. He turns and sees Martin holding his rifle.
Mantle: “Billy, what are you doing?”
Martin: “I took out three of his cows, too.”
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Love that story! Ken Burns Baseball tells that in the segment covering the 50s but always great whenever I hear it.
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