DALLAS, Aug. 14 -- Six of Mickey Mantle's teammates on the powerhouse New York Yankee clubs of the 1950s will be pallbearers at his funeral Tuesday in Dallas where he had lived for nearly 40 years. Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Bill Skowron, Hank Bauer, John Blanchard and Bobby Murcer will be pallbearers at the 2 p.m. CDT funeral.
Another teammate, Bobby Richardson, now a Baptist minister, will lead the service. The funeral will be held at the Lovers Lane United Methodist Church in north Dallas. The location of Mantle's burial has not been disclosed at the request of his family, a spokeswoman said. Mantle's death Sunday from metastatic liver cancer has brought forth an ourpouring of reaction from the nation's capital and baseball fans across the nation. President Clinton said Monday he was among the millions growing up in the 1950s who admired the spunky Yankee slugger. 'As a ballplayer, Mickey inspired generations of fans with his power and grit,' he said. 'As a man, he faced up to his responsibilities and alerted generations to come to the dangers of alcohol abuse. He will be remembered for excellence on the baseball field and the honor and redemption he brought to the end of his life.' Mantle, who was a heavy drinker for many years, warned in a televised message earlier this month that his life was not a model. He also made a plea for greater organ donor awareness, a cause he had hoped to champion. The Mickey Mantle Foundation has been created in his name to increase the awareness of the need for organ donors. Mantle is survived by his wife, Merlyn Mantle, and three sons, Mickey Mantle Jr., David Mantle, and Danny Mantle.
