"Finding the Next Mickey Mantle" Author Barry Sparks on the Sunbury Press Show!

Former Major League Pitcher Ken Brett is quoted as saying, "The worst curse in life is unlimited potential." After the rise to stardom of New York Yankees great Mickey Mantle, the expectations that come with being "the next" are high, and in some cases, crushing. Barry Sparks joins Lawrence Knorr to talk baseball, and share stories of players who were touted as that guy in "Finding the Next Mickey Mantle." Among these chronicled by Sparks are some familiar names. We hear the stories of Bill Robinson, Clint Hurdle and Tom Tresh, and how and why they fared as they did. Some, like Joe Pepitone were considered to have burned up their best years and potential, while others, such as Ruben Rivera never quite panned out to their (at times unfair) top billing. We also hear why Sparks considers Mike Trout to be one of the best players of his generation, and how Bryce Harper handles these pressures better than most. Sparks has written about baseball for more than 50 years. His first article appears in the July 1970 Baseball Digest. His work has appeared in more than 70 national and regional publications, including National Pastime, Sports Parade and Sports Collectors Digest. He is also the author of a biography of Frank "Home Run" Baker, and is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research. He lives in York, Pennsylvania.