Letters

The Yankees
What a treat to see Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris on your May 27 cover. It triggered a pleasant and immediate flashback to when historic feats were accomplished without the aid of plastic grass, colored shoes, batting gloves or personalized wristbands.
JOHN H. REDDINGTON
Indianapolis

Following the exploits of the M&M boys and my beloved New York Yankees was a passionate thrill for me as a kid, one I shared with my now deceased father, who would awaken me often during the summer of 1961 holding the sports pages and saying, "They did it again." For a minute I was 12 again and I cried. I wish my dad could have seen this great cover.
SCOTT RICHARDSON
Ooltewah, Tenn.

On May 27, the date of the issue that asks, "Whatever happened to the Yankees?", Mel Hall hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to help New York defeat Boston 6-5 (right). It seems that whatever happens to the Yankees, they find a way to upstage my beloved Red Sox.
CHRIS POWELL
Winston-Salem, N.C.

Yankee broadcaster Tony Kubek, the shortstop on the '61 team, complains that there are no Mantles on this Yankee team. C'mon, Tony, do you see any Mantles on other teams?
DAVID P. BAGLIEBTER
Scarsdale, N.Y.

I guess you had an editorial meeting that went something like this:

Genius No. 1: "We need a juicy cover story."

Genius No. 2: "Yeah, but what? I'm bored with the NHL and NBA playoffs."

Genius No. 3: "Hey, I've got it. Why don't we trash the current Yankees by comparing them to the '61 team?"

Geniuses No. 1 and 2 (in unison): "Ooooh, aaaah!"
FRED FEINER
Garfield, NJ.

As a Tiger fan, I used to love to watch the Yankees lose. That's what the entire country wanted, except for fans who lived in New York. But I can admit it now—the Yankees were the best team I ever saw. It is sad to see them today, struggling just to look respectable.
KARL R. HEDKE
Lincoln Park, Mich.