Tulsa has shot at Mickey Mantle Museum

[sgrizzle]

http://newsok.com/city-is-perfect-place-to-build-mantle-museum/article/3248905/?tm=1211858281

OKC is pushed in the article, but it says Tulsa is also being considered. The list of things going to OKC because Tulsa is ambivalent is long. How about we not pass this one up?

[TheArtist]

10 mill is a lot for this tight budget season we are in. Would indeed be nice by a new downtown Ballpark,,,possibly as part of the structure itself.

However, I am indeed ambivalent since Baseball is not my thing.  Would rather see a modern art museum or art-deco museum in town though.

Just had a friend visit from St Louis this last weekend. Went to Philbrook, but this person really prefers contemporary art and we dont even have a contemporary art museum. A basic, fundamental that a city our size should have.

Not that the Mantle museum would be a bad idea, just wish we would get some of the basic, obvious, attractions going for this city. Perhaps a combination Contemporary/art-deco museum.  

        DECA.... Deco and Contemporary Arts museum anyone?

However, since the Mantle Museum is up for grabs at the moment. And we are building a new ballpark. Both things could work together. Presenting the family with a new downtown ballpark as being part of the new museum could seal the deal on Tulsa getting the museum. Plus having the museum as part of the Ballparks initial plans could save a few bucks versus building a seperate museum, and would be quite a nice coup for the Mayor to get both for the city. Someone ought to mention the idea to her...Recycle?

[Renaissance]

It would make a ton of sense to include a Mickey Mantle museum with the new downtown ballpark, especially considering that Mantle was a NE OK guy.  

But I bet OKC gets there first.  (If it happens at all.)

[Breadburner]

Will it have a bar in it.....

[pfox]

I don't think you can build a museum dedicated to one person, even if it is Mickey Mantle, and have it be sustainable.

Oklahoma has many prominent sports figures, including Mickey Mantle...Jim Thorpe, Johnny Bench, Satchel Page, Barry Switzer, Henry Iba, etc; so an overall sports museum might be cool.

The Rotary Club of Tulsa sponsors the Henry Iba Awards each year...perhaps the museum could be a spin off of that, with a wing dedicated to their annual Citizen Athlete Award.

http://ibaawards.com/index.cfm?id=1

[RecycleMichael]

From my list of Mickey Mantle quotes...

"A team is where a boy can prove his courage on his own. A gang is where a coward goes to hide."

"If I knew I'd live this long, I would have taken better care of myself."

"You don't realize how easy this game is until you get up in that broadcasting booth."

"If I had played my career hitting singles like Pete Rose, I'd wear a dress."

"After I hit a home run I had a habit of running the bases with my head down. I figured the pitcher already felt bad enough without me showing him up rounding the bases."

[Renaissance]

quote:Originally posted by pfox

I don't think you can build a museum dedicated to one person, even if it is Mickey Mantle, and have it be sustainable.

Oklahoma has many prominent sports figures, including Mickey Mantle...Jim Thorpe, Johnny Bench, Satchel Page, Barry Switzer, Henry Iba, etc; so an overall sports museum might be cool.

The Rotary Club of Tulsa sponsors the Henry Iba Awards each year...perhaps the museum could be a spin off of that, with a wing dedicated to their annual Citizen Athlete Award.

http://ibaawards.com/index.cfm?id=1

Mickey Mantle has a huge following nationally.  But I see what you're saying and I think that's why you'd want to make it a part of the stadium in either city.  It's the sort of historic attraction that would make sure Tulsa's ballpark makes it onto the "must see" list of minor league venues.  Definitely worth pursuing.

[Renaissance]

quote:Originally posted by RecycleMichael

From my list of Mickey Mantle quotes...

"After I hit a home run I had a habit of running the bases with my head down. I figured the pitcher already felt bad enough without me showing him up rounding the bases."

That one is my favorite.  Pure kind, humble Oklahoma right there.

[restored2x]

quote:Originally posted by Floyd

quote:Originally posted by pfox

I don't think you can build a museum dedicated to one person, even if it is Mickey Mantle, and have it be sustainable.

Oklahoma has many prominent sports figures, including Mickey Mantle...Jim Thorpe, Johnny Bench, Satchel Page, Barry Switzer, Henry Iba, etc; so an overall sports museum might be cool.

The Rotary Club of Tulsa sponsors the Henry Iba Awards each year...perhaps the museum could be a spin off of that, with a wing dedicated to their annual Citizen Athlete Award.

http://ibaawards.com/index.cfm?id=1

Mickey Mantle has a huge following nationally.  But I see what you're saying and I think that's why you'd want to make it a part of the stadium in either city.  It's the sort of historic attraction that would make sure Tulsa's ballpark makes it onto the "must see" list of minor league venues.  Definitely worth pursuing.

Could be named after MM - but not all related to him. Something like - The Mickey Mantle Sports Museum of NE Oklahoma. Celebrating sports in the spirit of MM.

[dsjeffries]

quote:Originally posted by restored2x
Could be named after MM - but not all related to him. Something like - The Mickey Mantle Sports Museum of NE Oklahoma. Celebrating sports in the spirit of MM.

I like that idea!  It could be the Mickey Mantle Ballpark and Sports Museum.

[Renaissance]

Steve Lackmeyer seems to think OKC is not getting the Mickey Mantle Museum: http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=23503&p=370982#post370982. 

Is this still potentially happening in Brady/by the ballpark? 

[Kenosha]

yes

[Okie2]

Looks like the Mickey Mantle Museum is still moving forward and Tulsa will be the location for it. I was looking on the Yankee Stadium Museum website where they have an exhibit on Mickey Mantle and they said this.

The museum -- which opens two hours before the first pitch of every game and closes during the eighth inning -- will house the Mantle exhibit through the end of the 2013 season, and then many of the artifacts will go towards a new museum in Tulsa, Okla., being built by the legend's family.

Here is the link to the webpage http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120608&content_id=32983708&c_id=nyy

[Oil Capital]

Looks like the Mickey Mantle Museum is still moving forward and Tulsa will be the location for it. I was looking on the Yankee Stadium Museum website where they have an exhibit on Mickey Mantle and they said this.

Here is the link to the webpage http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120608&content_id=32983708&c_id=nyy

Interesting.  Nice find.  Possible problem:  This was from a June 2012 article.  The 2013 season ended yesterday.  One would think we would have heard some information about the Tulsa museum by now if it is going to start receiving artifacts from Yankee Stadium soon (as suggested by the article).   It seems likely something has changed or at least been delayed... or perhaps it was never really settled at all and he misstated... who knows.

[Okie2]

It seems likely something has changed or at least been delayed...

You make good points. I think the most likely scenario is that it has been delayed. I'm guessing that they are still trying to get the money raised. But it does seem they intend to build the museum in Tulsa. The reason I think this is because:

• The NY Yankee museum article.
• The Mantle family's announcement of intention to build a museum.
• The absence of an announcement of building a Mickey Mantle museum in any other city.
• The Drillers last year started having an annual Mickey Mantle day. Both times the two surviving Mantle sons have attended. They have also posted pictures of this on the "Official" Mickey Mantle website.

While that is far from definitive it does seem the Drillers & the Mantle family are working on developing a relationship with each other. Hopefully that will lead to the Mickey Mantle Museum in Tulsa.