Letters

That Mickey Mantle admitted to his illness and courageously fought it should be an inspiration to others.
RICHARD M. DENTON, HUDSON, OHIO

Mantle's Example
In his POINT AFTER, Ron Fimrite says the media should stop knocking Mickey Mantle and praise him (Don't Kick the Mick, June 19). What better praise than the gift of life? Had my sister-in-law been a star baseball player perhaps she would be alive today. Instead, she died after waiting over a year for an organ transplant. Unfortunately, her only claim to fame was that she was a loving wife and a mother.
VIKKI LOCKE, Atlanta

Please count me among the bitter and resentful people whom Fimrite addressed in his column. I have lost three relatives to liver failure. Like Mantle, two had cirrhosis. However, none were given the preferential treatment he received. Mantle has been given a second chance at life. My only hope is that he doesn't take advantage of his brand-new liver and revert to his old ways.
WILLIAM CUNNINGHAM, Braintree, Mass.

I wonder how long Mickey Mantle would have waited if he had been named Mickey Smith?
CAROLE DRENNAN, Dallas

I, like Ron Fimrite, dislike the way some people are treating Mickey Mantle. But he misassessed his legacy. Americans will always associate him with baseball greatness; but his health problems transcend baseball. In the game of life we will ultimately benefit more by analyzing his situation and learning from it, while wishing him a speedy recovery.
FRANK YANG, Lancaster, Pa.

No one wishes to detract from Mickey Mantle's accomplishments, but if the "tedious moralizing" deters even one person from following his example, it will have been worthwhile.
BENJAMIN J.C WOLF, West Nyack, N.Y.

We have finally gotten to a point in this country where we are holding athletes accountable for their actions. So stop justifying Mickey Mantle's actions and sugarcoating the tragedy he is experiencing just because he had success in sports.
JIM BOUCH�, Wausau, Wis.

With each crack of the bat, Mickey Mantle allowed us to dream. For one moment forget about everything else. That young centerfielder was beautiful.
CHRISTIAN GIUDICE, Haddonfield, N.J.

Let's all just be glad Mantle's surgery was a success.
CHRISTY KAYSER, Jefferson City, Mo.

As a true baseball fan, I take great offense at the Mickey Mantle bashing. Where is the understanding and the compassion for a person with an addiction to alcohol and a failing vital organ?
LARRY SINGER, Olney, Md.