TTM Success: Alan Bannister via Mickey Mantle (true story)

I'd like to start off by noting that this is a true story. Back in the early 1980s, my mom and older brother happened to be on the same airplane as Mickey Mantle. What luck! I wasn't even born yet, so I'm not too bitter. My brother was about seven years old at the time, and my mom told him who Mantle was and sent him to go ask for an autograph.

A few minutes went by, and my mom noticed my brother showing Mantle some baseball cards that he had with him. My mom always got him some cards on trips to keep him busy...something she later did for me as well. Eventually, Mantle walked my brother back to his seat. He then turned to my mom and said, "Mrs. Bannister I presume?" She said, "excuse me?" Mantle then explained that while my brother was showing him some cards, he showed him one of Alan Bannister and told Mickey that Bannister was his dad. Mantle laughed was a good sport about it and ended up signing a photo for my brother - something he has to this day and something I'll be eternally jealous of.

I wrote a long, hand-written letter to Alan Bannister about a month ago, telling him the story and asking him to sign a card for my brother and I. After all, he is our father (kidding). I was delighted to come home and find my SASE with the two cards signed - one to me and one to my bro. He also threw in two small signed photos for each of us. While I wish he acknowledged the letter, I hope he at least got a good laugh out of it if he did in fact read it.

I didn't tell my brother that I did this, and I'll probably hang on to the auto for a while until an occasion comes up. We do Secret Santa in  my family every Christmas, and I have yet to draw him...so it could be a pretty cool portion of the gift if I ever do get him.