Well, let me tell you somethin’ about that Mickey Mantle statue. I heard about it, you know. That boy, Mickey, he was somethin’ else with that bat, they say. He was from ’round here, Commerce, you see. This town ain’t much, but we got that goin’ for us, I reckon. That baseball field, they got his statue there now.
They put that statue up, I heard, back in 2010, must be. Time sure does fly. They say it’s Mickey, hittin’ that ball. He’s all froze up like he just hit one of them big ol’ home runs. A real Mickey Mantle statue. He was famous, that Mickey. Played for them Yankees, up in New York. Fancy, huh?
Folks come from all over just to see that statue, I reckon. They take pictures and such. It’s right there at the high school, at that Mickey Mantle Field. He was good, that Mickey. They call him the Commerce Comet. Sounds fast, don’t it? Like a shooting star. He was fast, too, I hear. Fast runnin’, fast hittin’.
I heard they had a big ol’ party when they put that statue up. June 12th, I think it was. 6:07 in the evenin’. They sure do like their numbers, these baseball folks. That’s what they told me. I wasn’t there, mind you. Too much fuss for me. But it’s somethin’, ain’t it? A statue of our own Mickey.
Now, that Mickey, he had some troubles, they say. Got hurt a lot. Somethin’ about his knee. But he kept on playin’. Tough as nails, that one. They say he could hit from both sides of the plate, 150 home runs like that, they say. He hit for both average and power. Don’t ask me what that means, but it sounds impressive, don’t it? He was the best, I reckon. That’s what they say.
He got number 7, you know. He got it after they sent him down for a spell, I think the story goes. Some other fella, Bobby Brown, was back from the army or somethin’. They gave Bobby back his number 6, and Mickey, he got number 7. And that was his number, ever since. Number 7, Mickey Mantle. Sounds right, don’t it?
He was always gettin’ hurt, poor fella. One time, durin’ the World Series, he got hurt, and they say you could see the blood on his pants, as he was runnin’ to the base. But he kept playin’. He won that Triple Crown thing, too. In ’56, I think. Hit .353, 52 home runs, and 130 runs batted in. Don’t know what all that means, but it sounds good, don’t it? He did it again in ’57, too. He was somethin’ else.
That statue, it’s a good thing for Commerce. Puts us on the map, you know. People come to see it. They got 13 reviews about that Mickey Mantle Statue, I heard. That’s a lot for our little town. They say it’s a good likeness of him, too. All froze up like he’s about to hit a big one.
- They call him the Commerce Comet.
- He played for the New York Yankees.
- He was number 7.
- He was from Commerce, Oklahoma.
- That Mickey Mantle statue is at the high school.
- They put the statue up in 2010, June 12 at 6:07 pm.
- He was real good at baseball.
So, that’s the story of that Mickey Mantle statue, far as I know. It’s a good thing, I reckon. Somethin’ to be proud of. That Mickey, he was somethin’. A real baseball hero. And he was one of us. That’s somethin’ special, ain’t it?
Now, you young folks might not remember him playin’, but you can see that statue. Go on down to the high school, that Mickey Mantle Field. It’s right there, behind the center field fence. You can’t miss it. It’s big, and it’s Mickey. Just like he was, back in the day. All froze up, ready to hit one of them big ol’ home runs. He must have been somethin’ to see, that Mickey Mantle. Yep, somethin’ to see.
