Public art panel announces mural to highlight Baxter Springs history, including Route 66

The Public Art Committee of Baxter Springs, Kansas, announced a forthcoming public mural emphasizing the town's history, including Route 66. According to the Spring River Current and KSNF-TV, the mural will be funded by a $7,500 grant from the Kansas Department of Commerce and the Office of Rural Development, with matching funds from the Ronald … Continue reading Public art panel announces mural to highlight Baxter Springs history, including Route 66

Collectible investment firm offers shares of Mickey Mantle childhood home in Commerce

Want an ownership piece of Mickey Mantle's childhood home just off old Route 66 in Commerce, Oklahoma? A collectibles investment firm is offering it for $7 a share. Mantle wore No. 7 when he played his fabled major-league baseball career with the New York Yankees. The Rally firm set up a website -- at themantlehouse.com … Continue reading Collectible investment firm offers shares of Mickey Mantle childhood home in Commerce

Carthage city panel votes to tear down historic baseball stadium

The Carthage, Missouri, City Council Public Services Committee reluctantly decided recently to demolish the historic Carl Lewton Stadium, also known as The Rock, after contractors determined that saving it wasn't feasible. According to reporting by the Joplin Globe, the rock-facade stadium was built as a Works Progress Administration project in 1937 and was the home … Continue reading Carthage city panel votes to tear down historic baseball stadium

Artificial intelligence program brings deceased Route 66 figures seemingly to life

A few weeks ago, the MyHeritage genealogy website released an artificial intelligence program called Deep Nostalgia. It takes still photographs of people, analyzes them and animates their faces in a lifelike way by making them seemingly blink their eyes, move their heads and make subtle movements with their lips. The effect often proves amazing, unsettling … Continue reading Artificial intelligence program brings deceased Route 66 figures seemingly to life

New mural installed at Joe Becker Stadium

A new mural that pays tribute to Route 66 and former Joplin baseball figures Joe Becker and Mickey Mantle went up a few days ago at the refurbished Joe Becker Stadium in Joplin, Missouri. The mural was funded by Leadership Joplin and created by several Missouri Southern State University students, according to KOAM-TV. The mural, … Continue reading New mural installed at Joe Becker Stadium

The new old Joe Becker Stadium in Joplin

Nearly two weeks ago, the Joplin Blasters professional baseball team played the home opener of its inaugural season at the renovated Joe Becker Stadium in Joplin, Missouri. Although the stadium's seating facilities are new after $4.7 million in work, the field itself is almost a century old and once hosted the Joplin Miners minor-league team … Continue reading The new old Joe Becker Stadium in Joplin

Professional baseball will return to Joplin

As expected, the City of Joplin, Mo., approved a lease this week with an independent professional baseball team from El Paso, Texas, to move into and renovate century-old Joe Becker Stadium, reported the Joplin Globe. The newspaper reported details of the arrangement: The lease requires the city to spend $4 million enlarging and updating the … Continue reading Professional baseball will return to Joplin

Joplin likely will acquire minor-league baseball team

The City of Joplin, Mo., is moving swiftly to accept a proposal to renovate historic Joe Becker Stadium and land a minor-league team from El Paso, Texas, as its new tenant, reported the Joplin Globe. The council voted to have the city staff write a formal agreement defining the terms of a deal toward relocating … Continue reading Joplin likely will acquire minor-league baseball team

Team wants Joplin to improve historic baseball stadium

The El Paso Diablos baseball team wants to move to Joplin, Mo., but wants the city to improve Joe Becker Stadium in return. The Diablos, affiliated with the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball and owned by WLD Suarez Baseball, were so successful in El Paso, Texas, that a professional team moved a Class AAA affiliate … Continue reading Team wants Joplin to improve historic baseball stadium