MICKEY MANTLE: He wore the pants in his family

Growing up in the 1950s and 1960s brings back a lot of great memories. One of my favorite television shows from that time period was the “Honeymooners” starring Jackie Gleason. With Gleason playing the role of Ralph Kramden, a 246-pound bus driver from Brooklyn who worked for the Gotham Bus Company, and Audrey Meadows playing his deadpan housewife Alice Kramden, the series was full of jokes and one-liners that still make us laugh today.

With Ralph always bragging that he was the "King of the Castle" and/or "the man who wore the pants in his family," Alice would always find the perfect comeback that would put Ralph in his place. One such exchange had Ralph telling Alice, "I wear the pants around this house." The quick-witted Alice would retort, “Believe me, your pants would fit around this house."

In the 1950s and ‘60s, "wearing the pants in the family" was an idiom that was frequently used to describe the breadwinner in the typical American family.

Across the river in the Bronx, Mickey Mantle was definitely the man who wore the pants in his family, both literally and figuratively. While playing center field for the Yankees, The Mick did quite well as the provider for his family. He also was one of the first