23 Octoober 2004
The Curse of the Mick
by an outraged Ray Mileur
I'm was just shocked and in total disbelief along with the family of late Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle whom expressed their anger Friday at a decision to temporarily rename the Yankee slugger's eponymous restaurant - and even worse, to call the place "Ted Williams," after the Red Sox great - following Boston's victory over the Bronx Bombers.
The awning at the restaurant on Central Park South carried a makeshift paper sign reading "Ted Williams," covering the familiar "Mickey Mantle" lettering. The decision was made by the restaurant's owner, Bill Liederman, as an homage to the Bostonians.
"Mickey loved Ted, and we hold Ted's memory in the highest regard," said Mantle's widow, Merlyn. "But Mr. Liederman's conduct is disgraceful and an insult to Mickey's memory, and to the Yankees and their fans."
Mantle's sons, Danny and David, added that the move was made without consulting the family. Liederman planned to keep the "Ted Williams" sign up through the World Series, which begins Saturday in Boston.
Mantle and Liederman opened the restaurant in 1988, becoming close friends until the Yankee great's death in 1995. A man at the restaurant Friday said Liederman could not immediately comment about the flap.
I make no secret about it, I've always been a Mickey Mantle fan and this move by the this moron Bill Leiederman is just beyond comprehension. It's like I should be watching this on "News of the Weird" or reading something like this in the National Enquirer or the Globe along other stories like, "Elvis slept with his mother" & "Women gives birth to Alien" or "Ray Mileur winner of a Pulitzer", it just unbelieveable.
Red Sox, Yankee, Cub, Braves, Dodgers & Astros - all their fans are welcomed here, but don't expect us to change our name or our colors for even a minute.
This is a stupid move and could be the beginning of a new Boston Red Sox curse. I'm surprised they don't have Ted Williams' DNA on display there.
Isn't anything sacred anymore?
Editor's note: "eponymous" you all know I didn't come up with this word. I found it in an AP report, it means - the mythical or historical person or thing after which a tribe, city, or in this case a restaurant is named. The AP contributed to this story. I kind of like this word.
From the archive see Mileur's Mickey Mantle article;
