Despite their personality differences, Mantle and fellow slugger Roger Maris 鈥� the M&M Boys 鈥� were closer than many imagined. Both were miner鈥檚 sons and good enough football prospects to be recruited by the University of Oklahoma. Mantle鈥檚 public popularity, ironically, benefitted when Maris broke Babe Ruth鈥檚 single-season home run record in 1961, since many felt Mantle was the logical successor to the Babe. 鈥淚 became an American hero in 1961 because he beat me, 鈥� Mantle is quoted as saying in 鈥淭he Last Boy.鈥� When Maris struggled with illness the last two years of his life, Mantle made a point of calling Maris once a week. He also was a pallbearer at Maris鈥檚 funeral in Fargo, N.D., on a bitterly cold day. (The night before the temperature had dipped to -18 degrees F.)
