During Mantle’s early years in Major League Baseball — starting with his rookie season in 1951 — player salaries were modest compared to today. The reserve clause in players’ contracts bound them to one team, leaving them with little negotiating power. Mantle’s starting salary with the Yankees was $7,500 — respectable at the time but not enough to live on year-round or support a family.
To supplement his income, Mantle, like many of his teammates, took on blue-collar offseason jobs. Some of his offseason work included:
- Working in the mines in Oklahoma (where his father and grandfather had also worked).
- Operating a pump truck for an oil company, as suggested by the photo you provided.
- Taking part in barnstorming tours (playing exhibition games).
- Making appearances or working promotional gigs, once his fame grew.
Mantle’s Roots
Mickey Mantle grew up in Commerce, Oklahoma, a working-class mining town. His family had deep ties to manual labor — his father, Elvin “Mutt” Mantle, worked in the local lead and zinc mines. Mutt was also Mickey’s first and most dedicated baseball coach. This upbringing instilled a strong work ethic in Mickey, and he never saw himself as above a hard day’s work — even when he was the starting center fielder for the New York Yankees.
Mantle on Money and Work
Mantle once remarked on how little money there was in baseball when he started:
“I thought I was doing great when they paid me $7,500 my rookie year. I was just happy to be playing.”
He didn’t reach six-figure salaries until well into his career. By contrast, modern players can earn that much in a single at-bat.
