Mickey Charles Mantle , nicknamed "The Commerce Comet" or "The Mick", was an American professional baseball player. He was a Major League Baseball centerfielder and first baseman for the New York Yankees for 18 seasons, from 1951 through 1968. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974 and was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999.