TULSA, Okla. — An illustrious career for an Oklahoma native came to an end on this day several decades ago.
Baseball legend Mickey Mantle announced his retirement on March 1, 1969. The "Commerce Comet" came a long way from his hometown to make it to become an all-time MLB great.
Mantle, born in Spavinaw on Oct. 20, 1931, grew up in Commerce and later became known as an exceptional switch-hitter. After high school, a Yankee scout saw him play against Coffeyville for the Baxter Springs Whiz Kids and recruited him for the big leagues.
During his eighteen-year career in the majors, Mantle won AL MVP three times and earned a spot on 20 All-Star teams. He slugged 536 home runs with a .298 batting average and 1,509 RBI in his career.
Mantle became a baseball hall-of-famer in 1974. He died Aug. 13, 1995.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Twitter
