THE STEP THAT CHANGED A SEASON

The most dramatic moment of the 1963 baseball season came last week in Baltimore when Mickey Mantle ran into an outfield fence and broke a bone in his left foot. His loss, for a period of several weeks, could cost the New York Yankees a pennant and will unfavorably affect the financial structure of the entire American League. Since this is the kind of ballplayer Mickey Mantle is, the stride that carried his spiked shoe into the wire mesh fence was more than dramatic; it may have been the most important step that any ballplayer will take all year. No television or news camera recorded the moment of impact, and many people—including most of the 25,000 at the game that night—still wonder exactly what happened. Baseball Writer Bob Creamer was there and, with his help, Artist Robert Handville has re-created the critical split second that could change a season. For Creamer's account of the accident, turn to page 68.

ILLUSTRATION

ROBERT HANDVILLE