Unveiling Ceremony

June 12,2010!

6:07 pm

COMMERCE, Okla. To most pitchers in the American League, Mickey Mantle
looked just like the 9-foot, larger-than-life statue that will be dedicated
here at 6:07 p.m. on June 12.

There¹s significance to both the time and date of the ceremony:
* The time: Mantle¹s number with the New York Yankees originally was 6 as a
continuation of Babe Ruth’s 3, Lou Gehrig’s 4 and Joe DiMaggio’s 5.
Equipment manager Pete Sheehy gave him No. 7 after his 1951 mid-season
recall from Kansas City.
* The date: June 12 was the day Mantle joined the Independence (Kan.)
Yankees for a scheduled game at Chanute, Kan., against the Athletics. The
game was rained out, so he didn¹t make his professional debut until June 13,1949.

"This is where the Mickey Mantle legacy began," said Brian Waybright, who
has spearheaded the project. "Our plan is to create a monumental park type
area that highlights all of the local areas and information that had
something to do with Mickey Mantle¹s life,

and make it a walking museum of sorts."

The statue is located beyond the fence in center field of Mickey Mantle
Field, the area "The Commerce Comet" patrolled during his storied career
with the Yankees.  It depicts Mantle swinging from the right side of the plate.

David Mantle, Mickey’s oldest surviving son, will be in attendance with other family

 members. The ceremony coincides with the Commerce HS class reunions from 1945-1955

and the Picher Mining reunion so there will be several of Mickey’s classmates and childhood

 friends in attendance.  Following the unveiling there will be a chat session to discuss

memories of the Mick for documentation to be display in  Mickey Mantle Park at a later date. 

The statue was funded by the Oklahoma Centennial Commission and was done
from a caste of a Nick Calcagno originally created for Sooner Pride.  There is a plaque on the base of the

 statue recognizing the commission and Calcagno, who also has done statues of Heisman Trophy

winner Steve Owens and Odin, the mascot of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College. 

Waybright said the next phase of the project is a parking lot and sidewalk leading to the statue,

benches and other landscaping along with listings of Mantle’s career and accomplishments will follow.  Bricks and

tiles sold trough the museum efforts will also be incorporated into the Mickey Mantle park area.

There is no charge to attend the ceremony and the public is welcome to attend so bring your lawn chairs and join us in a fun celebration of the life and career of The Commerce Comet.

For more information on the unveiling ceremony you can call Waybright at 918.961.6508

Press Release courtesy Jim Ellis of the Miami NewsRecord.