This one's for you, ma, let me come right out and say it

Why is there a picture of Mickey Mantle to accompany a Mother's Day post?

Easy.

Tomorrow is Mother's Day, and I often think of my mom whenever I see a picture of Mickey Mantle.

It was 1968, I think. My dad, mom and I were at Yankee Stadium; it was my second trip. It was overcast, the Yankees weren't very good, but Mantle, my first hero and by now declining rapidly, was still in the lineup playing first base. Our seats were part way down the left field line about half way back in the lower deck. To this day, I can't understand how my dad got seats that weren't in the upper deck.

Anyway, along about the fifth inning, Mantle hit a long fly that curved just inside the left field foul pole. A solo home run. I was delirious.

Later on about the 8th with the Yankees trailing by a run, he hit a line drive that just cleared the wall in right field. Another solo home run.

This time I was in the midst of a bedlam that I may have started all by myself. I think I screamed so long and so loud that tears came to my eyes.

I looked over and my mom was cheering too. Loudly. I think she was even jumping up and down. She never jumped up and down, for anything.

Our eyes met, and I understood.

She didn't care much about baseball, and certainly didn't love Mickey Mantle the way I did.

But at that moment, she knew what it meant to me. And she was so happy just for me.

Overjoyed.

The Yankees lost 3-2.

In the end, that did not matter one bit.

If your mom is still around, make sure you tell her tomorrow how much she means to you.

She'll be overjoyed too, I bet.