Mickey to Mickey: A baseball thank-you letter

Below is a first-person essay from Mickey Moniak to one of his baseball heroes, as told to MLB.com’s Ayako Oikawa-Hughes …

Dear Mickey Mantle,

My name is Mickey Moniak, and I’m an outfielder for the Colorado Rockies. I know you don’t know who I am, and I’ll never have the chance to speak with you in person, but I feel like I know you very well.

My grandfather, Bill, played in the Red Sox Minor League system from 1958 to 1963, where he was taught hitting by Ted Williams. Although my grandfather never crossed paths with you, he told me stories about you over and over again when I was a kid.

I grew up in a baseball family, and I started playing the game as soon as I can remember. My grandfather, my dad, and even my cousins all loved baseball. Whenever our family got together, we’d play wiffle ball or pickle in the backyard. Or go to Padres games. That was the environment I was raised in.

As a kid, my favorite shows were SportsCenter and Baseball Tonight. I would record them and watch them over and over. I also loved watching documentaries about you. I couldn’t get enough of them, and I watched them again and again, completely captivated.

The reason I first became interested in you was, honestly, your name. “Mickey.”

There was this incredible Major League player who had the same name as me. I remember learning that when I was about four or five years old, and it made me so excited. As I learned more about your career, that feeling only kept growing.

You were an outfielder, a switch-hitter; what people call a true five-tool player. Without a doubt, one of the greatest players of all time.

But more than anything, it was the way you kept playing no matter the circumstances. You were always dealing with some kind of pain, yet as long as you could play, you were on the field.

That mentality is something I deeply admire, and something I try to carry with me in my own career.

It started with your name. But from there, I was completely drawn in by who you were, and before I knew it, that interest had turned into admiration. I wanted to be like you. And with that in mind, I chased the game every single day.

There are many reasons why I’ve made it this far. But one of those reasons, without a doubt, is you.

If I ever had the chance to meet you, this is what I would say: Thank you.

A young boy who shared your name grew up admiring you and eventually reached the Major League stage. Through my grandfather, I came to know about you, fell in love with baseball, and developed a deep interest in the history of the game as well.

If there’s a young kid out there named “Mickey,” like us, there’s something I’d want to tell him:

Just enjoy the game. Cherish every moment, at every level. Don’t rush. Just keep moving forward, one step at a time. If you love it enough, the path will open for you.

You played this game for 18 years. I’m sure you felt the same way. And I truly love this game, too.

Just as you pushed me forward, I will keep playing with the hope that I can be that kind of presence for young baseball players, and for any “Mickey” out there who loves the game as much as we do.

Sincerely,
Mickey Moniak

#22, Colorado Rockies