He Could Have Milked Jersey for More Bread

Perspective flees before the passions of sports memorabilia auctions. At a recent one in New York, Mickey Mantle heard that his 1967 Yankee road jersey was expected to bring $50,000.

His cap was supposed to go for $4,000 to $5,000.

“Fifty thousand, huh?” Mantle said of his old shirt. “I’ve got a pair of shorts here . . . “

Mantle originally gave the jersey to a Cleveland clubhouse attendant.

“I had no idea it was worth $50,000,” Mantle said. “If I did, I’d be sleeping in it.”

Add Mick: He earned $32,500 in his 1956 Triple Crown season, and Yankee owners Dan Topping and Del Webb ordered thrifty General Manager George Weiss to double his pay to $65,000.

The next season, Mantle hit .365 and was named most valuable player.

“My first contract offer (from Weiss) was a cut,” Mantle said.

Mantle learned about Weiss early in his career.

“One time I was in right field during batting practice and I tossed a ball to a kid in the stands,” Mantle said. “They took me right upstairs in uniform, and Mr. Weiss lectured me, told me that it wasn’t my ball to give away, that if I hit a fan, the Yankees could be sued and I could be sued.

“Then he made me pay $5 for the ball.”

No kidding: After the Jets’ 24-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, New York cornerback James Hasty said: “I don’t think we need to push the panic button or anything like that. It’s still too early for that.”

The game was the Jets’ exhibition opener.

Trivia time: In 1981, the Dodger infield of Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell and Ron Cey set a record for longevity. By opening day, 1983, one remained. Who was he and who had succeeded the others?

Pres. Ostrich: With American League games approaching a three-hour average, league President Bobby Brown sent out a memo asking, among other things, that hitters not step out between pitches and that managers signal en route to the mound if they have made up their minds about changing pitchers.

The Washington Post’s Mark Maske notes that Brown made no suggestions about lengthier between-inning breaks for TV commercials.

Mount St. Howe: Yankee reliever Steve Howe, angered at giving up a run-scoring single in a recent game, purposely crossed up catcher Bob Geren, then shouted at him.

“I wanted to throw a fastball while he was looking for a slider,” Howe said. “I threw what I wanted.”

Said Geren: “I put down one sign but he didn’t nod, so I put down another sign. I thought he would throw the second pitch I signaled but he threw the first. It didn’t matter because it was a 95-m.p.h. fastball eight feet over the batter’s head.”

In his Dodger heyday, Howe said he used to go home after bad outings, pick up his pet poodle and lob it into the swimming pool.

Ten years ago today: After a seven-week strike, the Dodgers lost an exhibition game to the Albuquerque Dukes, their triple-A affiliate, 1-0, before an estimated 45,000 at Dodger Stadium. Brian Holton, Ricky Wright and Alejandro Pena limited the Dodgers, who wouldwin the World Series, to two hits.

Trivia answer: Russell survived. Greg Brock replaced Garvey, Steve Sax replaced Lopes and Pedro Guerrero took over for Cey.

Quotebook: San Diego reliever Larry Andersen, brought in by Manager Greg Riddoch with a 3-2 lead, the bases loaded and none out in the ninth inning: “I took the ball from Greg and I said, ‘Th-th-th-thanks.’ ”