"Clout of the Commerce Comet" - 20 x 16 in. - Oil on Canvas Paper - 2003 - SOLD

Clout of the Commerce Comet

NEW YORK – The stands in Yankee Stadium are roaring with an excitement not seen since the late 1930s. The young centerfielder from Commerce, Oklahoma, is starting to live up to the hype manager Casey Stengel thrust upon him in early 1951. Touted as Joe DiMaggio's successor in centerfield - as well as next in-line for the torch of the Yankee dynasty – the young Mickey Mantle flashed immense power from both sides of the plate, as well as blinding speed on and off the base-paths during his rookie campaign. Following a short stint with the farm team in Kansas City after a slump in New York, he was called back to the Yankees in August to post respectable rookie numbers. Unfortunately for him, his first World Series ended early, as he blew out his knee while tripping over an exposed drain cover in right centerfield during Game 2.

Though saddened by the loss of his father to cancer at the beginning of the year, the 1952 season provided the Yankee faithful with glimpses of what was to come from their young star. With DiMaggio now retired, Mantle took his coveted spot in centerfield, batted .311, hit 23 homers and batted in 87 runs. It seemed that the country boy was adjusting to playing ball in the big city, as he finished third in the voting for that year's MVP and helped the Yanks to another World Series title. The fall classic would provide Mantle with the stage for his best performance yet, with a .345 batting average and homers in both Games 6 and 7 at Ebbets Field.

It was in April of 1953 that Mantle hit his most famous homerun, off of unlucky southpaw Chuck Stobbs and the Washington Senators. Traveling an estimated 565 feet, the ball caromed off of the side of the scoreboard in left-centerfield in Griffith Stadium - some 450 feet away from home plate - and landed in the backyard of a house situated four blocks away from the old ballpark.

Here, Mickey is shown in an afternoon game at Yankee Stadium during that same year against the lowly St. Louis Browns. Catcher Clint Courtney called for an outside pitch, though Mantle has connected with his vicious stroke, no doubt making a bid for a gap in the outfield.

1953 would end gloriously for the Yankees, winning the last of five consecutive World Series titles; however it was by no means Mantle's finest hour. The perennial All-Star and eventual Hall of Famer would improve with each passing season. Talk of the Mick someday approaching Babe Ruth's coveted record of 60 homeruns in a single season ran rampant as his numbers improved, and in 1956, everything would come together for the 24 year old from Oklahoma. He batted .353, hit 52 homeruns and knocked in 130 runs, thereby winning baseball's most coveted offensive trophy, the Triple Crown. Additionally, he was awarded the Hickok Belt for being the top professional athlete of the year, his first American League MVP award, and yet another World Series ring, further cementing his place in the hearts of Yankee fans for years to come.