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Published July 29, 2006 11:44 pm - I have been cautiously awaiting a Mickey Mantle museum in Commerce, Okla. Guest column: Why not Joplin for Mantle museum? By Scott Haar
Globe guest columnist I have been cautiously awaiting a Mickey Mantle museum in Commerce, Okla. I, for many obvious reasons, doubt that facility will become a reality. Even if that dream were realized, it would never benefit from the complement of the amenities offered by larger commercial areas that support historical museums. In that case, why not house the largest Mickey Mantle Museum in the first city he delighted with his charm and talent? Joplin is the perfect place to immortalize one of baseball’s greatest talents and tell the folklore of his humble roots to countless new generations. After all, we have not only historical reference to the legend, we have people and places with which he made memories — including Joe Becker Stadium. I feel those connections would be forever lost if not immortalized by Joplin. Besides Cooperstown and the Yankees Hall of Fame, where can a baseball fan in the Midwest or West learn about a man of whom so much is said? And yes, the Mick got his kicks on Route 66, as the song came to be an anthem for a generation of motor travel and post-war potential in a nation that loved baseball. Aside from Mantle, which would be the signature draw, there could be space dedicated to Joplin’s additional connection to the national pastime. Gabby Street offers an obvious parallel to Major League Baseball and the team most of us grew up listening to on the radio — the St. Louis Cardinals. Our history is dotted with stories connecting us with baseball and America’s love affair with the sport. Most recently, the USA Baseball phenomenon has spurred new interest in the game, activity at Joe Becker and put our community in touch with future greats of the game. My parents still stay in contact with Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins. He is on par with Mantle in a variety of ways, but has the charm of Stan the Man — he will be one of the greatest ever in the sport, in my opinion. We could capitalize on the immortality of the years we have had with USA Baseball. There are local reasons to have a Hall of Fame or museum, stories that could get traction with fans on a national basis. From our semi-pro past to the success of our college team, we are a breeding ground for baseball. For a sport that is depicted as being born in rural America, a sport with a blue-collar feel, it sure seems to belong to the metropolitan cities of the East Coast. Why can’t a small city in Middle America be the little brother to Cooperstown? Here are some other amenities such a shrine could offer repeat traffic: n A Mantle wing featuring artifacts and displays of his on- and off-the-field life. The Joplin Miners are a part of our past that cements our Mantle connection. n A restaurant of a sports variety, featuring the famous Mutt Burger. n A wing featuring the success of our semi-pro teams that encompassed towns like Redding’s Mill, Duenweg and Carterville. n A wing chronicling the USA trials. 
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