After a lengthy career where he accomplished what every young boy wished to become on the baseball diamond, Mickey Mantle closed out his Yankee Stadium playing career on September 25, 1968 at Yankee Stadium. However, no one knew for sure this would be Mickey’s last game in the Stadium as he was still undecided about retirement, and actually went to spring training in 1969 before hanging up the spikes. One enterprising fan had the wherewithal to request a copy of a game ticket from the 9/25/68 game. Mantle was 1-3 on the day with a walk. This ticket was sent to Mr. Ken Rubman on September 26, 1968, and was on the New York Yankees letterhead of Chairman and President Michael Burke. The letter begins by stating “Mr. Burke has asked that I send along to you the enclose ticket from the last New York Yankees baseball game…”

      The ticket has several stamps on it, along with two punch holes. The stamps indicate where to enter “ENTER PRESS GATE”, and is “NON REFUNDABLE”. Definitely a ticket given to appropriate VIPs and assorted press and is in NM to MT condition and probably one of the only uncut/untorn tickets from this game in existence. The letter has a few creases and the usual folds, with a small amount of tape on the bottom. Interestingly, the Yankees President on the letterhead is Michael Burke, who was a former behind the lines spy in World War II (winner of Silver Star) who became a CIA agent after the war, then married into the Ringling Bros. circus family working there. (One of his fellow spies was Henry Ringling North). After his espionage and circus life, he worked for CBS and was assigned to the Yankees after CBS purchased the team in 1964. Burke was one of George Steinbrenner’s minority partners, and spoke at the press conference when Big George bought the Yankees from CBS. Two wonderful items pertaining to Mickey Mantle’s last game ever at historic Yankee Stadium, with the added bonus of correspondence from another American hero.

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