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In the 1950s, baseball was king and New York City was the center of the baseball universe. The New York Yankees, New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers dominated the baseball world in those years, combining for 15 World Series appearances and nine championships.
At the heart of each of these teams was a Hall-of-Fame centerfielder. For the Yankees, it was Mickey Mantle, while the Giants had Willie Mays and the Dodgers, Duke Snider. Who was the best? This was the question that launched a thousand debates.
The debate has made virtually every major list of top sports debates, including ESPN's definitive list of the top 10 sports arguments ever.
The three men combined for 21 all-star game appearances in the 1950s. Mantle won two MVP awards in the 1950s, Mays one and Snider none. But Snider hit more home runs in that decade than either Mays or Mantle. Mantle clearly had the best season of the decade, winning the American League triple crown in 1956, batting .353, with 52 home runs and 130 RBI.
All three men would be immortalized in the Hall of Fame and all three remain etched in the memories of any fortunate enough to have seen them play.
"Snider, Mantle and Mays," said Red Smith, the legendary sportswriter. "You could get a fat lip in any saloon by starting an argument as to which was best."
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