Mickey Mantle has developed progressive liver failure and may need a liver transplant, a close friend of the Hall of Famer said Tuesday.
Mantle, 63, was admitted May 28 to Baylor University Medical Center. Hospital spokeswoman Denise Kile Walton said he was in stable condition.
Mantle and his wife, Merlyn, live in Dallas, as do their sons Danny, David and Mickey Jr.
Roy True, a Dallas attorney and longtime friend of the former New York Yankees outfielder, said in a statement that doctors have characterized Mantle’s condition as progressive liver failure due to infection. True could not immediately be reached for comment.
True quoted Drs. Daniel DeMarco and Kent Hamilton, specialists in gastroenterology, as saying Mantle may require a liver transplant. They said he will remain hospitalized until treatment has occurred.
Mantle comes from a family with a history of health problems and he has had a variety of troubles in recent years, including a highly publicized bout with alcoholism.
Yogi Berra, the Hall of Fame catcher and longtime teammate, said Tuesday night he spoke with Mantle last week.
“He said he had some kind of stomach problem and was going to get a physical,” Berra said from his home in Montclair, N.J.
Mantle retired from baseball in 1968. He hit 536 career homers, eighth on the all-time list.
