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Our On Line Version Of Our Dedication To The Commerce Comet... Hall Of Famer' Mickey Charles Mantle

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	Globe/Vince Rosati
	Terry Hembree of Grove, Okla., recently completed a memorial to Mickey Mantle at the front of his video rental store.

Don’t wait for movie
Grove man showcases Mantle memorabilia at video business
By Marti Attoun
Special to the Joplin Globe
Corrected by Terry G. Hembree

GROVE, Okla. — The best show at Hollywood At Home Video can’t be rented, but people are encouraged to stay as long as they want and see it for free.

Owner Terry Hembree recently completed a memorial to Mickey Mantle at the front of the video rental store. The museum’s worth of memorabilia includes the #7 locker from the old Commerce High School gymnasium, a prototype statue that was proposed, but never built in Commerce, and even Mickey Mantle western jeans, which sold for $3.95 a pair, and were manufactured in Commerce.

“Old-timers will come in and say ‘I knew Mick’ and they’ll get tears in their eyes when they talk about him. They get such a kick out of this,” says Hembree, 45.

“I’ve had people bring in ball teams and company in town. And I have regulars who come in.”

One visitor was Johnny Blanchard, former New York Yankees catcher and teammate of Mantle’s. When Blanchard heard Mantle’s voice in one of the interactive displays, he broke down, too.

“He said, ‘Boy, Mickey would be so proud of this,’ ” says Hembree.

Hembree, owner of Action Advertising Agency, became acquainted with Mantle and his family about 15 years ago while working on Mantle’s charity golf tournament.

“My dad always talked about Mickey and my mom was from Miami near where he grew up,” says Hembree.

“In school, teachers would bring a portable TV so kids could watch the World Series.”

His parents, Pauly and Mary Hembree, live in Joplin.

Hembree, though, wasn’t a big fan until he became personally acquainted with Mantle.

“I’d heard all the horror stories about how he was the rudest man and talked ugly to kids,” says Hembree.

“But people have no idea of the good he did.”

The Yankee legend was born in Spavinaw, but moved to Commerce when he was 4. His dad, Mutt, worked in the mines. Six months’ shy of his 20th birthday, Mantle signed with the Yankees where he went on to hit a record 536 home runs and to win the Triple Crown in 1956. He led the Yankees to the World Series 12 times.

Mantle’s performance off the diamond wasn’t always as outstanding, but in later years, he acknowledged a drinking problem and urged children “don’t be like me.” He died of cancer in 1995, discovered after a liver transplant. Before his death, he established the Mickey Mantle Foundation to promote organ and tissue donations.

Hembree, who suffered a stroke, began working on the Mantle collection and displays while recuperating.

“This took my mind off my own health problems,” he says.

“I talked to museums and went around to museums to get ideas. I spent about three weeks visiting with old-timers who grew up with Mantle.”

Coy Mayfield of Minuteman Machine in Noel, MO., built the in-wall glass display cases. Hembree painted a mural of Mantle on one end of the gallery. The displays are arranged as a timeline and include items from his boyhood days in Commerce, including photos and yearbooks. Mantle was sports editor of the school newspaper, Tiger Chat.

He even co-starred in a movie, “Safe at Home,” with Roger Maris, and recorded music albums. Mantle promoted all sorts of products, which are displayed, including a board game and a Mickey Mantle Triple Crown Pound Cake. Hembree even has a 1960s Mickey Mantle windup alarm clock.

A 1951 rookie jacket, two jerseys, uncut sheets of ballcards, autographed balls, bats, gloves and a replica of Mantle’s World Series ring are displayed. Several personal photos of Hembree and Mantle are interspersed.

Hembree bought many items from sports collectors and through online auctions. There are also some personal items, such as a Daily Planner, Carte Blanke Pen, Sunglasses, Rolex watch, kuff links and tie bar. He has a complete series of 24 karat collector plates, medallions and statues. In one case is a custom golf bag, embroidered with “Mickey Mantle #7.” Several boxes of items have yet to be displayed.

“It just grew and grew,” he says. “At first, I had stuff in my office and people always wanted to come in and look.”

Hembree says that he and his wife, Valerie, decided to open the mini museum to the public.

And if someone wants to rent a movie, that’s fine, too.

Welcome to our efforts in keeping the memory of baseball legend "The Commerce Comet" Mickey Mantle alive!

Local couple Terry and Valerie Hembree, owner’s of Hollywood At Home Video Super Store have announced the completion of the Mickey Mantle Memorial Exhibit expansion in honor of the Oklahoma baseball legend.

The couple along with several friends and associates have more than tripled the size of the Memorial since it’s creation at the new location at 536 West Third in the Lakeview Shopping Center here in Grove.

As you walk in the couple’s establishment you’ll immediately see the bright black and white tile flooring that leads to the right front section of the entry featuring a life-size painting of the "Commerce Comet" in his famous hitting stance with eyes to the sky and his muscular twist as he sends yet another ball to who knows where, a forty’s Coca-Cola box sits beside a vintage radio as it belts out original and legendary radio Yankee’s games, as a monitor shows video highlights and interviews with Mickey.

The new formal entry features an etched glass decorative design with the American Flag as the background in an arch effect, a pillar is located in the centerpiece with personal items of the hall of famer with the number "7" motion picture of Mickey batting lefty and righty that was recently produced by the Highland Mint, the floor of the entry is covered in such documents as a letter from President Clinton congratulating the exhibit, a letter from the Topps Ball Card Company also congratulating the exhibit, a document from the State of Oklahoma proclaiming Mickey Mantle as Honorary Secretary of the State, an autographed book from Mickey’s life time friend, and a copy of the Ultimate Mickey Mantle Checklist with message from its author Kelly Eisenhuer. The main piece is Mickey’s 1995 golf bag and clubs from the Titliest Comany.

For the viewer’s enjoyment a digital audio-photo frame is mounted on each side of the display where you can hear Mickey’s voice at the push of a button, and has been known to bring tears to some folk’s eyes.

The new section starts at the right of the entry and is a "Dateline" type of arrangement, beginning with the Commerce days, including his Commerce High School locker complete with a look a like boy mannequin, yearbook photos, documents naming Mickey Mantle Boulevard, actual street signs from Commerce, items from the Sooner Pride Committee that was to erect a statue of Mick, the famous Mickey Mantle blue jeans made in Commerce by Glenn Berry MFG., items from Mantle’s 319 South Quincy house including wood pieces, glass, siding, sheetrock, and fence pieces, photos of Mick in front of the house and by the street signs. School photos and vintage items galore.

Letters and drawings from sports artist Ted Watts that has done numerous Mantle paintings, and photos of Nick Calconyo that done the Mantle bronze prototype statue. Then its off to the Joplin era with photos and memorabilia, Joplin Holiday Inn items and photos, New York Mickey Mantle Restaurant and Mantle’s Country Cookin’ Restaurant items.

The display then wraps around numerous black and white as well as color photos of Mickey in the Yankees day, awards, presentations and action shots of his fantastic hitting and running methods.

The new side of the exhibit ends up with the final years of signing autographs and holding the charity golf tournaments. Numerous golf shots, collector items, gloves, balls, clubs, autographs, and personal items.

This section also houses the Mantle endorsed baseball gloves, balls, bats, and specialty items such as work out, conditioning items, and baseball games.

Books, paperbacks, magazines, newspapers, records, videos, toys, dolls, bears, advertising endorsements, and numerous specialty items are also housed in this section.

Mixed through this section is not only hundreds of things to see, but Hembree felt it important to ad some educational information and mixed in dates, facts, figures and trivia to help get the overall picture of Mickey Mantle to the kids as well as the adults that spent hours in front of the radio "Watching Mickey."

Included in the expansion is a new ball card section, featuring Mantle ball cards, specialty sets, exclusive porcelain card sets as well as metal and metallic card sets, several uncut sheets of Mantle cards and special card promotional items.

The original section to the left has been completely redone and starts at the top with all of the collectors plates that have been put out on Mantle, then numerous autograph photos both in color and black and white, autographed balls, bats, mini-bats, books, wire photos, documents, contracts, specialty items and cards. An extensive collection of all the statues and figurines put out on Mantle as well as Wheaties boxes, original action photos, buttons and odd ball items galore.

This section is centerpieced with an original flannel number 7 Mantle jersey, with vintage cards from the 50’s and 60’s, 24 karat gold and silver cards, post cards, cachets, and a replica World series ring.

Purchases have been sought after over the past few years to add to the exhibition... Vintage, rare and unique Mantle items have been purchased from collectors from all over the United States, Canada, Spain, Germany and Russia!

One of the most unusual items purchased was the addition of a hand carved Mickey Mantle piece from Russia, a wooden hand carved and handpainted piece with four other Hall Of Fame players that fit inside each other that fit into Mantle, that piece came from Russia.

Recently Hembree received one of the only limited edition Mantle Bronze Patina Monuments honoring the "Commerce Comet" a solid bronze medallion mounted on a solid walnut base.
That piece was number 107 out of a total casting of 536, what makes this most unique is the fact that the monument commemorates the 107th home run hit by Mickey Mantle on July 31, 1955 and the piece happens to be #107, also a Highland Mint Photograph and Solid Bronze Medallion made from the same sculpture, numbered 184 out of an issue of only 2,500, also the most recent Game Piece Bat displays from Highland Mint as well.

Hembree, an avid Mickey Mantle fan became acquainted with the "Legend" through marketing and promotion through his company "Action Advertising Agency" of the Mickey Mantle Make-A-Wish Foundation Celebrity Golf Classics to raise monies for terminally ill children.

Upon his Mickey's passing, and relocating into the new video store location with a Planet Hollywood theme, Hembree found it fitting to dedicate a wall in memory of the Mick’ and display his personal Mantle memorabilia for the visitor’s to see and enjoy.

Constantly, visitor's of the business wanted to wonder into Hembree's private office to view his Mantle items, hence... Hembree felt it necessary to share his items and publicly display them in a secure environment for everyone's viewing pleasure.

Many people have asked to donate items for display and we have committed to keep this a FREE to the public, seven day a week exhibit, and at present it has been very well received.

Different from other display or tributes is this exhibit is the only one that we are aware of that is COMPLETELY FREE FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE! None of the items on display are for sale, this is a Private Collection that Hembree has chosen to display in honor and in memory of Oklahoma’s most reknown legend Mickey Charles Mantle.

"Mickey was a very important part of a lot of people's lives," added Hembree "We just want to see the folks enjoy and share the memories of Mick’

A Special Thanks goes out to Coy Mayfield for the fantastic work and time he put in building the new addition, it looks just great, and we could not have done it without him!

Anyone having any Mantle items they wish to sell or add to our display are urged to call Hembree at (918) 786-3210 or email at visitor@galstar.com Mickey Mantle Memorial, P.O. Box 450096, Grove, Oklahoma 74345-0096

IN CLOSING... Mickey's last wish was to bring attention to organ and tissue donation, he named that "Mickey's Team" to date, Mickey's medical travails have inspired a twofold increase in the number of people requesting donor cards, "That program," stated the late Mickey Jr., "will probably be the biggest thing dad's going to be known for." If you haven't considered organ and tissue donation, in memory of Mickey Mantle please consider... if you ever seen a home run, if you ever seen that glitter in his eye, if you ever got that prized photo or autograph... Do it for Mickey... in his memory, as Mick' said "You be a hero, be a donor." Click on the Mickey Mantle Foundation button below for more information.

Thank You

The Terry G. Hembree Family Trust

Mickey Mantle Memorial Exhibit PHOTO GALLERY

BELOW ARE THUMBNAIL IMAGES OF OUR NEWLY ENLARGED MEMORIAL... CLICK OVER PHOTO TO SEE IT ENLARGED


Everyone Loves Mickey... Even My Granddaughter!	My Son TK, Mickey & Me	Favorite Photo... Me & Mickey	Mickey & Me	Sugar' Smith, Mickey, Me & Make A Wish Kids	Yogi Berra, Marshall Smith, Me & Mickey