Commerce Hosted Their 25th Annual Mickey Mantle Classic Baseball Tournament This Weekend
COMMERCE, OK — Down in Commerce, Oklahoma, they hosted the 25th Annual Mickey Mantle Wooden Bat Classic.
The tournament is dedicated to Commerce alum and New York Yankees Hall of Fame Center Fielder, Mickey Mantle.
Mantle was a part of the Commerce Tigers class of 1949.
Players and teams could only use wooden bats in the tourney. There were 18 teams that participated in the 3-day tournament.
Teams that won the tournament received a Mickey Mantle autographed wooden bat.
Two of our local schools won their respective divisions with Neosho JV winning the Miners Division and Diamond winning the Comet Division.
The tournament also had a special guest in attendance, Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame Pitcher Dennis Leonard.
Leonard spent time signing autographs and memorabilia while also taking pictures with fans that were in attendance.
Leonard played for the Royals from 1974-1986. Leonard finished his career as the Royals’ all-time leader in complete games (103) and shutouts (23), and was second in wins (144).
We caught up with Leonard who expressed how great it was to be a part of this weekend and this tournament.
Former KC Royal Dennis Leonard said, “For me. It’s really awesome. I grew up in New York and I would say at that time Mickey Mantle was the favorite of not only myself but a lot of friends. And to have this opportunity to come here and I was actually by in Commerce here to see his house and the plaque and everything else. It was like a kind of like a little kid again to come here and do it. So I just thankful to Brian that they asked me to come. And if they ever need me again, I’m willing to come for the fans to come out here and see this. And you know, it’s Mickey Mantle field, so you know, that has, I think, a little added special value, at least for me”.
