The Commerce Comet

 

Whitey Ford called Mickey Mantle “a superstar who never acted like one. He was a humble man who was kind and friendly to all his teammates, even the rawest rookie. He was idolized by all the other players.” He played his entire 18-year career with the New York Yankees. Mickey Mantle was an iconic baseball player with immense talent. Mantle was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1974. He passed away on Aug. 13, 1995. He discovered he used alcohol as a crutch following his father's death in 1952, just after his 19-year-old rookie season. ... Mantle, who had received a liver transplant in June 1995, died two months later at the age of 63. Years of alcohol abuse finally caught up to the Mick.

Mickey Charles Mantle was born on October 20, 1931 in Spavinaw, Oklahoma. Mickey’s father, Mutt, wanted his son to grow up to be a professional baseball player so he was named after Hall of Fame catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics, Mickey Cochrane.The family soon moved to  Commerce, Oklahoma where Mutt worked in the Lead and Zinc mines. Every day when Mutt would come home from the mines, they would practice baseball next to an old tin barn. Mutt would pitch tennis balls (right handed) to Mickey while he batted lefty. Mickey’s grandfather, Charlie, would then pitch left handed to Mickey while he batted righty. By the age of five, Mickey was already showing promising signs as a baseball player and impressing the neighbors. Mickey’s childhood home and the old tin barn still stand in Commerce, Oklahoma.

Mickey attended Commerce High School and excelled in baseball, football and basketball. During a football practice in 1946, Mickey was kicked in the shin. A bone infection, known as osteomyelitis, developed which almost resulted in the amputation of Mickey’s leg. A new wonder drug called Penicillin saved the day and Mickey was soon back in action but the medical condition would prove to nag him throughout his career.

Mantle's 1952 mint condition Topps baseball card sold for a record $5.2 million in 2020.

The Commerce Comet sculpture by Dr. Nick Calcagno stands proudly adjacent to the High School and ballfield in Miami, Oklahoma.