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The grand opening of the Mickey
Mantle bowling center took place at 200
Exchange Park North in Dallas Texas on
February 7, 1959. The 32-lane building
was a $400. investment, with Mantle,
and his associates putting up $100,000.
and the Brunswick Company financing the
balance. The bowling center became part
of a contract dispute in 1959. The
Yankees wanted Mantle to take a $15.000
cut in pay, and Mantle said he would
not take the cut, but deserved a
$3,000. raise to $75,000. He publicly
stated he would be more than happy to
stay in Dallas and run his bowling
alley rather than accept the pay cut.
Mantle received the raise, and the following year sold some of his stock.
He stated that he had been overburdened
with absentee ownership of the lanes,
and it was hurting both the bowling
center and his ball play. Mantle
remained as a major stockholder and the
lanes continued under the name of
"Mickey Mantle bowling center."
There were two "Oven-Ware" cups produced by Fire King. One a 200 Club cup,
given as a gift to bowlers that threw a
200 game in league play. The other was
a gift for bowlers that threw a 300
game. The front of the cups, for right
handed drinkers, features the "MM -
Mickey Mantle Bowling Center" Logo. The
verso of the "200 Club" cup features a
bowling ball knocking down two pins,
front and back in red, on a white. The
"300 Club" in black. Under the cup
reads; "Fire King," sandwiched by
"OVEN" above, and "WARE" below, followed
by the number "16," and "MADE IN
U.S.A."
These Fire-King ovenware cups are similar to Pyrex, and
are not subject to chipping like
regular ceramic coffee cups. They are
not completely unbreakable, but much
sturdier.
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