Mantle, Mickey

the 19 year old pride of Commerce Oklahoma, is destined to make quite a name for himself in the professional baseball circles. That's the opinion of men who watched with enthusiasm as the hard-hitting youngster completed his first two seasons of professional ball on a sensation note. The hitting and fielding star of two championship Yankee farm clubs has caused many an eyebrow to raise. Experts say he may be a future New York Yankee great. At the present, Mickey is living at home and working in the motor service of the Eagle-Picher Mining and Smelting Company, as he awaits another baseball season. He isn't sure what club he will be with next year. Only a year and seven months ago, Mickey was finishing his high school education. Soon afterwards, he was approached by Tom Greenway, head of central state scouts of the Yankee farm system, with reference to a baseball career. With a tidy sum $1,700 thrown in as incentive, the husky lad was persuaded to sign his name to a New York contract. Already he is being boomed by none other than Manager Casey Stengel of the world champs as one of the most promising youngsters in the system one who "will be playing in the majors in a few years." Mickey Mantle was born Oct 20, 1931, the first son of Mr. and Mrs. Elvin "Mutt" Mantle of 317 South River Street, Commerce. The elder Mantle is a ground boss at Eagle-Picher's Blue Goose Mine. Mick,' as he is frequently called, received a bad leg injury his freshman year in high school. This hampered his early athletic career. An infection set in and Mickey spent some time in the Crippled Children's hospital in Oklahoma City. Not a big fellow during high school days, Mickey was a great competitor and starred in both football and basketball as well as baseball. He lettered two years in football, four in basketball and was a part time pitcher on the Commerce baseball team. Although he excelled as a hitter and fielder, Mickey was also quite effective on the mound...

Mickey Mantle, center fielder of the New Yankees, now on tour in Japan, is expected in Commerce this week for the arrival of the second child of the Mantles. Mrs. Mantle remained at the family home in Commerce, with Mickey Mantle, Jr. now 2? years old, while her baseball playing husband went with the Yanks to Japan for a series of games. Mickey Mantle and Irv Noren, another Yankee outfielder, scheduled a home-bound flight from Japan, passing up a number of games in the Pacific southwest. Mr Mantle's child is expected this week.

Mickey Charles Mantle, of Dallas, Texas, died Sunday, August 13, 1995 at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas Texas. He was 63. Mr. Mantle was born Oct 20, 1932, in Spavinaw Oklahoma to Elvin Mantle and Lovell Mantle. He was a 1949 graduate of Commerce high school and played professional baseball with the New York Yankees from 1951, until his retirement in 1968. He married Merlyn Johnson on December 23, 1951, in Picher Oklahoma. He was preceded in death by both parents and one son, Billy Mantle. Additional survivors include wife, Merlyn Mantle, sons, Mickey Mantle, Jr., David Mantle, and Danny Mantle; grandchildren, Mallory Mantle and Marilyn Mantle, brothers, Theodore Davis, Roy Mantle, Ray Mantle, and Larry Mantle, and one sister, Barbara Mantle DeLisa. Services were held Tuesday, Aug 15, 1995, at Lovers Lane Methodist Church, Dallas. Pallbearers were Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Bill Skowron, Hank Bauer, John Blanchard, and Bobby Mercer. Memorials may be made to the Mickey Mantle Foundation, 8080 No. Central Expressway, Suite 800, Dallas, Texas 75206-1887. Note: Mickey Mantle worked for a short time for Eagle-Picher.

Dallas Texas. Cancer has once again struck the Mantle family. Three years after the disease killed his father, Mickey Mantle, the son, Mickey Mantle, Jr. has had a malignant tumor removed from his neck. He has had 36 radiation treatments since the operation about two months ago and is recovering at home, family attorney Wayne Miller said today. "It's too early to tell whether they got it all or if it's all taken care of," Miller said. The tumor was discovered after the Hall of Famer's oldest son was having trouble swallowing. The tumor was very close to his throat, forcing the 45 year old Mantle to be fed intravenously following the operation, Miller said. "He's now eating pretty much solid food, so that has brought a lot of comfort to him," Miller said. Mickey Mantle died of liver cancer in August 1995 at age 63. His youngest son, Billy Mantle, suffered Hodgkin's disease, a lymphatic cancer, before dying of a heart attack in 1994 at age 36. Mantle's father died at age 41 from Hodgkin's disease; his grandfather and an uncle were both 40 when they died of the same ailment. Mantle, Jr. felt good enough last week to drive to Missouri for a family Thanksgiving. He lives in Dallas with his teen-age daughter and works with brothers, Danny Mantle and David Mantle at the Mickey Mantle foundation. Miller said the family has received many well-wishers since the operation. "It's been very gratifying the outpouring of support and concern we've heard from around the country," he said, "Mickey and his family still have a lot of goodwill."

The Commerce School Board met and approved naming the new high school baseball field after former graduate and baseball great Mickey Mantle.

Last week Sports Illustrated named two athletes from Ottawa county Oklahoma as being among the top 50 sports figures. The men were Steve Owens as number 7. Owens won the 1969 Heisman trophy. Mickey Mantle, the Commerce Comet, was ranked at No. 2, behind only Jim Thorpe. Mantle hit 536 career home runs, which put him eighth on the all-time list, and he holds the record with 18 career World Series homers.

Mickey Mantle, Jr. - age 47, of Dallas Texas, died Dec 20, 2000, at R. H. Dedman hospital of cancer. Born in Joplin Missouri, Apr 12, 1953. He was actively involved in the family business. Survivors include a daughter, Mallory Mantle, Dallas; his mother Merlyn Mantle; two brothers, Danny Mantle, Dallas and David Mantle, Plano; and his grandmother, Reba Johnson, Picher Oklahoma. He was preceded in death by his father, Mickey Mantle, Sr; and a brother Billy Mantle. The service, for family and friends, is 2 pm Saturday at Sparkman/Hillcrest Northwest Highway Chapel, Dallas, with Phil Springer and Dave Jobe officiating. Entombment will follow at Hillcrest Mausoleum. Memorial may be made to the American Center Society, P. O. Box 560089, Dallas.

Obituary.

Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle Dies Sunday - Sunday was a bittersweet day for Bob Wiesler: He celebrated his 65th birthday and mourned the death of former teammate Mickey Mantle. "He was a helluva nice guy," said Wiesler, who played with Mantle on the New York Yankees' Class D team at Independence Kansas in the old KOM League. "He was a small-town guy who was shy and quiet. I couldn't believe how well he could run." both were assigned to Independence Kansas for their first season in professional baseball, then moved up to Joplin Missouri the following season. The Miners won the Western Association title... There is a photo of Mickey Mantle presenting a check for $7,500 to the Baptist Regional Health Center's Adopt An Angle." reproduction of an earlier paper dated Aug 14, 1995.