Presented is the opportunity to possess a terrific photo, one which we believe is a TYPE I photo, of a broadly grinning Mickey Mantle appearing before the United States Senate on July 9, 1958, on a day of surreal, hilarious testimony by New York Yankees manager Casey Stengel, capped off by Mantle's opening remark, which caused paroxysms of laughter both in the Senate and to those Americans watching on television. 

Some background: Baseball's reserve clause, basically binding players in perpetuity to baseball clubs year-after-year, was under investigation by the Senate Anti-Trust and Monopoly Subcommittee, chaired by Senator Estes Kefauver, a confirmed publicity hound who had found fame when he conducted televised government hearings on organized crime in the early 1950s. Kefauver still had aspirations for the U. S. Presidency, so more televised hearings was what he was after. Baseball's All-Star Game was in nearby Baltimore, so Kefauver summoned the ever popular, and insanely colorful, Casey Stengel, and baseball idol Mickey Mantle, neither of whom was much of an expert on anti-trust and monopolies. In the hearings, Kefauver began by asking Stengel to "briefly" describe his experience in baseball. Now, Stengel hardly ever described things briefly, but Kefauver wasn't really seeking expert testimony; he was seeking publicity in these hearings - and he got it. Stengel testified and was more evasive than the best politician, and he constantly changed the subject with a skill better than any senator in the room. "I had many years that I was not so successful as a ballplayer as it is a game of skill," said Casey, getting an immediate laugh from the whole room. "I became a major league manager of several clubs and was discharged," Casey continued. "We call it discharged," said Stengel, "because there was no question that I had to leave." Another big laugh gave Casey momentum, and he rambled on-and-on, for 7,000 words! After Stengel's evasiveness and entertaining baseball anecdotes had taken an extended time period, Kefauver thanked Stengel and called on Mantle to testify. Kefauver asked Mickey, "Mr. Mantle, do you have an opinion with regard to the application of anti-trust laws to baseball?" Mantle replied, "My views are just about the same as Casey's." The Senate Sub-committee howled with delight, as probably no one in the world, including Stengel himself, could possibly have understood what he meant when he testified. Along with the laughter of televisions viewers all across the country, Mantle himself couldn't help flashing his million-dollar grim. Look at the laughter of the men to Mantle's right. Observe, just behind Mantle's left shoulder, the women in the sunglasses. She surely got the joke! The hearing may not have been an exercise in coherent speech, but it was fun, and Kefauver got tons of publicity. Years later, the ballplayers finally achieved free agency as the baseball clubs' monopoly on control of a player was finally broken. 

On back, the photo has, "MANTLE" (in blue ballpoint pen) and "before Senate Committee July 9, 1958" (in pencil), written by an unknown hand. Also, on back: A Sporting News stamp, a Sporting News Collection sticker, a stamped "JUL 1958" and an attached negative of the offered photograph which is, as previously mentioned, what we believe to be a TYPE I photo. The photo is in overall GOOD condition. The only significant imperfections are some paper loss in the middle of the left margin and small folds in three corners. Adding the photograph to any collection will surely pump up the interest and fun in the room for every visitor.

Estimated domestic USA shipping cost only. Does not include handling or insurance: 35.02 Please feel free to contact us for a more accurate shipping cost.