He could just have easily struck out, given his penchant for swinging freely, but the gamble paid off in a big way. Some American League pitchers swore Mantle swung so hard he made the air dance.. In 565 feet, Mickey Mantle (1953). MLB Statcast was introduced in 2015 and gave fans a more accurate indicator of home run distance. A Mickey Mantle homer was originally estimated to have . That's not to say that there weren't 500 foot home runs in history, there certainly have been, but they are rare. The greatest confirmed home run distance in Major League Baseball is about 575 feet (175 m), by Babe Ruth, to straightaway center field at Tiger Stadium (then called Navin Field and prior to the double-deck), which landed nearly across the junction of Trumbull and Cherry. Mickey Mantle & Sports Illustrated covers, SportsIllustrated.CNN.com. The barrel his tipped forward, this mechanic can be seen by the top home run hitters of all time. "I think we like seeing it fly like that, especially if it's our guys hitting it," Marlins manager Don Mattingly told Weinrib. On Sept. 27, 2008, the slugger secured his fifth season with 40 deep flies. The ball. PopHistoryDig.com, February 12, 2010. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; Adam Dunn played in the Major Leagues from 2001 to 2014, over that time span he hit 462 home runs. Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article: Jack Sackman Affectionately known to Red Sox fans as Big Papi, Ortiz unloaded on many a hapless pitcher, sending home runs rocketing past Peskys pole at Fenway. Jack Doyle, Date Posted: 12 February 2010 Griffiths answer: I dont care about that, he said. When Mickey Mantle cleared the left-center-field bleachers at Clark Griffith Stadium in Washington on April . Ruth, Mantle, Reggie Jackson, Willie Stargell and Adam Dunn have all hit blasts well past 500 feet in their careers. He finished his career with 256 homers and 994 RBIs while playing in 1,946 games over 16 seasons. As Sports Illustrated's Cliff Corcorannoted, Jenkinson also acknowledged The Bambino as owner of the three longest home runs ever hit in his book The Year Babe Ruth Hit 104 Home Runs. Mickey Mantle It became clear in May and June of that season that Maris and Mantle would wind up on the road to beating Babe Ruth's record of 60 home runs in a single season. On May 31, 1997, Andres Galarraga cleared the full bases by sending a souvenir into Pro Player Stadium's empty upper deck. Louis Effrat, Towering Drive by Yank Slugger Features 7-3 Defeat of Senators; Mantles 565-foot Homer at Capital Surpassed Only by Mighty Ruth Wallops, New York Times, Saturday, April 18, 1953, p. 12. Next time you visit Target Field, take a seat behind home plate and that will give you some appreciation on how far these balls traveled. Boh logo. Youll never hit a bigger home run in your life! In fact, the announcer's calls of each of those home runs, Thompson, Mazeroski and Aaron are classic moments in baseball history. Mickey Mantle holding the ball he hit out of Griffith Park, April 17, 1953. Brian Brady is a professional sports agent. On a ball that sped 124 mph off the bat, ESPN's Home Run Tracker estimated a distance of 539 feet if unhindered. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; It was here, on April 4, 1919, in a game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Giants, that Babe Ruth hit his longest home run ever -- 587 feet. With the technology available today, we are able to better understand the metrics that go into the longest home runs. Martinez strikes out 17 batters, the most Yankees ever fanned in a single game. Neither of them really needs it.\" September 10, 1999, The Red Sox trip the Yankees, 3 - 1, as Pedro Martinez hurls an impressive one-hitter for his 21st victory of the year. The Yankees lose by one point on Mo Vaughn's single in the tenth. The date:April 17, 1953. Mickey Mantle was no stranger to long home runs. Mr. October receives the benefit of the doubt for his July feat, but watch the ball rocket off his bat. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; In virtually every other field of endeavor in which physical performance can be measured, there are no Ruthian equivalents. The Thompson home run was so famous in its time, it simply became known as The shot heard round the world. Famed writer Red Smith called it The miracle of Coogans bluff.. It was mid-April 1953. "I know if he throws that changeup, he'll make me look like an ass, because he had such a good one, if you don't sell out to it. Odds & lines subject to change. While I don't doubt his greatness, he most likely could not have hit a ball that far in the air. Koufax shelved the slider for the rest of the night. He was Big Papi before Big Papi. amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; The record has since been beaten three times, most recently by Jeff Bagwell of the Houston Astros in 1997. Not bad at all, but. amzn_assoc_linkid = "a21f09e861185b9fce4ae88cc0fe0a70"; His second homer, also hit left-handed, was a high, opposite-field drive that easily cleared the left-field wall. amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; His blasts were more like laser beams. Last Update:2 December2020 That one, like the shot at Griffith Park, traveled some distance on the ground as well, so it was likely short of its claimed distance.Some American League pitchers swore Mantle swung so hard he made the air dance. Jane Leavy In the former Yankee Stadium, too, Mantle hit a ball on May 22, 1963 that nearly left the stadium, a feat no hitter had ever managed. Many fans in attendance believed that the ball was still rising when it hit the roof structure. The park estimated his powerful swing at 505 feet, making it one of the longest homers to invite a Big Apple rising. He hits balls that just keep carrying. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Tiger Stadium was famous for its low roof and a few players have hit balls completely out of the ballpark, but Jacksons 532-foot home run stands as one of the longest on record. You know anything that travels that far ought to have a damn stewardess on it, dont you think?, Theres something romantic about home runs. Mantle, a switch-hitter, batted right against Stobbs. The stadiums dimensions, though varying over the years with changes to its structure, were roughly 400 feet down the left field line, 420 to center, and just under 330 to right. What is the distance between home plate and the mound? , we can still make definitive evaluations of the approximate landing points of all of his 714 career home runs. Mickey Mantle Blasts 480 Foot Homer in St. Louis, Washington Post, April 30, 1953, Sports, p. 25. July 3, 1999, the Cleveland Indians star sent a ball screaming an estimated 511 feet. That's the longest home run in history. "Examination of satellite and ground-based digital photos suggests that the 502-foot figure is an accurate measurement of the horizontal distance to the 'Red Seat,' but since the impact point was approximately 30 feet above field level, the ball would have covered more distance before landing at field level, had its flight not been interrupted.". Man, that ball got out of here in a hurry! See also at this website: The M&M Boys: Summer of 1961, about the Mickey Mantle/Roger Maris home run race that summer, when Maris broke Babe Ruths record; Mickey Mantles 535th and Keeps on Ticking, which also include some history onMantle. Mickey Mantle was a much loved baseball player, typically humble about his hitting abilities and notthe boastful type when it came to claiming records or distance. A 575-foot dinger at Navin Field in Detroit isn't the most interesting of the tales, but it'd top this list. Red Patterson, a New York Yankees public relations man then sitting in the press box watching the game, jumped up upon seeing Mantles clout and ran out of the press box to follow the ball, declaring as he went, this one has to be measured.. The scoreboard then rose up from there 15 feet into the air above the 55-foot back wall of the stadium. . The best of those bombs occurred June 26, when he smacked one off Shea Stadium's scoreboard. A record six balls have been thrown into the stands at Fenway Park during Red Sox games. The Straw Man was one of the best at it, as evidenced by his dinger that hit the lights on Opening Day at Olympic Stadium in Montreal in 1988. The As McGwire hit the ball so hard off of Clevelands Orel Hershiser that it caused the veteran pitcher to mouth the word wow as the ball sailed into the left field bleachers. According to Allied News Jim Sankey, via MLB.coms Matt Monagan, the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder submitted seven of 18 balls to clear Forbes Fields 86-foot high roof in right field. Jose Canseco's upper-deck blast helped the Oakland Athletics defeat the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1989 American League Championship Series. There should be no doubt about the authentication of these conclusions. He loves his job because every day is different, and you never know what kind of athlete you're going to be dealing with that day. It has yet to be topped in today's modern game. Kingman hit at 13:57. This blast off Glendon Rusch caromed off the center field awning for an estimated 504 feet. Ball hit by Mickey Mantle on April 17, 1953 at Griffith Stadium to set a new distance record for home runs. Story appeared on page 25. So take any urban legends about someone's 600-foot homer with a grain of salt. The Longest Home Run Ever Was So Deep, It Fooled the Camera Man. We now present to you the 15 longest home runs ever hit. 19-year-old Mickey Mantle had just hit the longest home run in baseball history! YanksAtShea finds another archival goodie (some video-audio problems). In conclusion, yes, Mickey Mantle really did clear the left-center-field wall at Griffith Stadium. There are folk tales about Mickey Mantle hitting the longest home run ever measured 565 feet. The longest home run I ever saw - actually didn't see, and I don't think . Dwight Eisen- hower was president, the Korean War was in its third year, and a young baseball player named Mickey Mantle was hitting some monster home run shots for the New York Yankees. His prime years were spent as a fan favourite in Boston, where his big frame and patented swooping, uppercut type of swing produced a lot of dingers. Longest home run for every MLB team Jane Leavy, Chuck Stobbs,1929-2008: One Pitch Does Not Make a Life, Even If it Makes History, Washington Post, Friday, January 2, 2009. With apologies to those whose over-reported shots were downgraded or removed, bumping up a career .344/.482/.634 legend feels warranted. The legendary hitter tookFred Hutchinson yard onJune 9, 1946, for a dinger deemed to have traveled 502 feet. Oh yeah, that's not even Fielder's entry. The Royals won 102 games that summer and this game marked the debut of their highly acclaimed rookie, Clint Hurdle. Urban legends of Mickey Mantle's power prowess have run wild. Hurdle, drafted in 1975, made quick work of the Royals minor league system. Want to know whats up with Russell Wilson, Cam Newton, Tom Brady and more? Few sluggers were stronger in their prime, making him one of baseball's most feared batters despite his strikeout woes. Most home runs in that park land in the first ten rows of the lower deck. There should be no doubt about the authentication of these conclusions. Comments to: jdoyle@pophistorydig.com. Brandon Moss only spent one season in Kansas City, but he did produce 22 home runs. Amazingly, many of those records remain unequaled, which is to say that, is a true athletic anachronism. "It looks like beer's coming down.". Richie Sexson stood so tall in the batters box you would think that he was tall enough to play in the NBA. Younger fans will recall Joe Carters 1993 series-ending blast, which broke the hearts of Philadelphia fans. The legends about Mickey Mantle are many - and he was a great player. Free shipping for many products! Jenkinson's findings serve as the basis for the used mark of 530 feet. After playing a major role in the Red Sox 2004 championship drive, Ortiz joined an all-star team for a tour of Japan. When I watch video of Benchs home run, Im convinced that the McRae home run went further. That consarned wind has been blowing for 100 years and nobody else ever hit one out of this ballpark like that. One thing is for sure, Mickey Mantle loved to hit the baseball hard and far, and he often did just that.Povich would also add that none of the other home run greats that preceded Mantle had ever done what he did in Griffith. The Yankees defeat the Kansas City Athletics 7-4 in a game that lasts only 95 minutes because of rain delays. Facing Seattles Mike Moore in a game on September 14, 1986, Bo hit his first major league home run, a titanic blast that landed high on the grassy knoll of left-center field. ESPN's Home Run Tracker docked his true distance down to 487. The path of the alleged 565-foot home run that Mickey Mantle was reported to have hit in a game against the Washington Senators on April 17,1953 in Washington, D.C.s former Griffith Stadium. Thome had a sweet, sweet home run swing. 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