Striking Out Denial

Susan King’s interview of Ross Greenburg (“ ‘The ‘60s, Baseball’s Last Decade of Innocence,” July 17) sadly perpetuates the denial that was also Mickey Mantle’s during his practicing-alcoholic years, that his alcoholism only developed after his playing days. Reading Mickey’s autobiography and his family’s account of their lives, by any enlightened measure, Mickey was an acute alcoholic during all of his years as a Yankee.

Why is this important to me? Mickey was my baseball idol in 1956. The year he won the Triple Crown, I was a Little League all-star, and he autographed a baseball for me. Mickey was an extraordinary athlete but always a very sick man. Like Mickey, I became an alcoholic at a young age and took decades to admit my illness and become sober. No good came from Mickey or me denying our alcoholism. No good will come from allowing the next Mickey to suffer in denial.

BILL HOFFINE

San Diego