His tremendous blow to right-center field in Detroit on June 8, 1926, has often been reported as traveling over 600 feet. Sadly, the COVID pandemic denied fans the chance to marvel at this drive in person, save for the few fans enjoying dinner atop the Detroit Athletic Club across the street. It seems only fitting to quote Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, two very smart and well-respected Cy Young award winning pitchers throughout the steroid era, when they put it best, "chicks dig the longball.". In 1962, he became the first of only four batters to hit a ball over the left-field roof at Tiger Stadium. Thompson was my favorite player at the time, so it was an awesome moment, to be sure. At the time, we did not know what a big deal that was. The decade of the fifties was particularly blessed with the presence of many great sluggers, who should be mentioned in any discussion of long hitters. If he had the power to clear the roof by over 100 feet, he surely would have cleared it marginally on many occasions. This was his first game since 17 September, when he . Fewer than one in a million men are capable of powering a ball 450 feet against major league caliber pitching. photo source: sabr.org In Hollywood, California, Dierker was born. ESPN's Home Run. Did you know that the SABR book (Home Run Encyclopedia) lists details about every Major League home run hit by every player since 1876? Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. That ball that Killebrew hit, Oliva said, it was unbelievable someone could hit the ball that far.. The blast still stands over 40 years later as the longest homerun in MLB All-Star game history. His 1971 All-Star blast off the light tower atop the right-center-field roof at Tiger Stadium ranks as one of the 10 longest drives in major league history. On June 3, 2012, Texas Rangers right fielder Nelson Cruz hit a 484-foot home run to left-center field off Angels reliever Bobby Cassevah. They have always liked them, and always will. If Mantle had provided the same power or velocity, but had launched the ball at a higher and more efficient angle, it would have passed out of Yankee Stadium at a height of over 200 feet! When you consider that many baseball stadiums have centerfield fences around 400 feet from home plate, such blasts would be truly spectacular. During the 1971 All-Star Game from Detroit's Tiger Stadium "Mr. October" delivered a massive game changing three-run homer to right field that cleared the entirety of the stadium's impressively high standing bleachers. A blow of 450 feet shows exceptional power, as the majority of major league players are unable to hit a ball that far. The home run was the 100th of Howards career in his 325th game. A few times, he was able to send the baseball up and out of Tiger Stadium with his left-handed swing. Advertisement That puts it up there with legendary home runs from the likes of Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle. Cecil Fielder takes a gingerly stroll on the roof of Tiger Stadium in 1993. Oliva said it was harder to hit one out at Metropolitan than at the Metrodome. There should be no doubt about the authentication of these conclusions. Little could they have anticipated how great and immediate would be the return on their investment. But, Mee noted, there was but a slight breeze blowing that day. The people there are awesome and they clearly don't get much walk in business however they know their product while intending in only buying one jersey I walked out with much more! This was Bonds, baseballs most fearsome slugger, digging in for a rare Interleague at-bat in iconic Yankee Stadium -- the House that Ruth Built -- and rewarding us with a towering rocket to the right-field nosebleeds. Did the Babes longest homer really challenge 600 feet? On May 4, 2018, Washington Nationals Bryce Harper hit a 473-foot home run to center field off Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Nick Pivetta. Duke came out on top in the first game at Cameron Indoor Stadium, part of their perfect record at home. Arizona Diamondbacks first-baseman Richie Sexson hit a 503-foot home run to center field on April 26, 2004. Not since Hank Greenberg in the 1940s, had Tiger fans seen a power hitter like Cecil Fielder. The Tigers' Kirk Gibson hit a home run onto the street in 1983 but it was less than 600 feet. But not so fast. It was more of a line drive, Mee said, and was estimated to have traveled a mere 469 feet. Their displays of pure power were greeted with passionate enthusiasm, though they did not occur in an actual game. Griffey shared center stage the following year in Pittsburgh with Frank Thomas, as the two men took turns bombarding the upper decks at Three Rivers Stadium. Few people like the response given because, unlike other baseball stats, it is the farthest thing from perfect as illustrated by this superb article called Long Distance Home Runs written by William J. Jenkinson. So, you didnt have much of a chance to see a four-bagger back in those days. The homer had an exit velocity of 111.3 mph. Privacy Policy The best effort on the part of either player was Canseco's famous blast into the fifth level at Toronto's Sky Dome during the 1989 American League playoffs, which was estimated at 484 feet. By his own account he hit the longest home run of his career on May 22, 1963 at Yankee Stadium. From interviews with the surviving source of the original data, it is readily apparent once again that the all had bounced several times before it reached the estimated distance. With each passing year, others will join the long list of true tape measure champions. This one went over the left field roof, off Oaklands Dave Stewart. Martinez, July 21, 2015 (467 feet)This is the standard by which all Comerica Park homers are measured these days. No sooner than the last word had left his mouth, he did it again.. Quick shipping as well. With the OPEN sign light I though well came all this way just aswell give it a try and am I glad I did. Whether it skips across the top of the railing into the first row of bleachers, or completely passes out of the stadium, the batter is award four bases - no more, no less. Cecil Fielder In 1921 there was no SportsCenter, no 24-hour highlight machine called the Internet. On June 29, 2018,, Seattle Mariners Mike Zunino hit a 470-foot home run to left field off Kansas City Royals pitcher Ian Kennedy. Tampa, Fla. Ruth was wearing a Red Sox spring training uniform when he drove a 587-foot round-tripper on April 4, 1919 in Tampa. The drive to left had an exit velocity of 109 mph, according to Statcast, and reached the base of the brick wall behind the left-field seats. The second one was Gibbys blast in 1983, when some friends and I got bleacher tickets, and sat dead center, giving us a great view of the ball as it sailed out of the ballpark. But that massive outfield makes it all the more majestic when sluggers crush tape-measure homers, making this ballpark somehow look small. The longest home runs hit at Comerica Park January 7th, 2021 Jason Beck @ beckjason Comerica Park is big enough all around that there are no cheap home runs. The most common cause for overstatement has been the basic misconception about the flight of a batted ball once it has reached its apex. I seem to recall Big Frank Howard (Hondo) of the Washington Senators, blast one over the left field roof sometime between 1966 and 68 (I think). Ted Williams hit a 502-foot blast to the right-field bleachers on June 9, 1946. It was a rarity. As Ruth's talents waned in the early 1930s, Foxx began his ascendancy. Allen may have hit some of his sport's longest home runs, but neither he nor anyone else ever hit a baseball nearly that far. Where was the longest home run ever hit at Yankee Stadium? The new parks are smaller, built for power hitters to entertain todays fans. No player has ever cleared the left field roof. In order to fully understand and appreciate long-distance hitting, a frame of reference should be established. On September 25, 2020, Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr., hit a 495-foot home run to left-center field off Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Mazza. TheNew York Post called it his longest-ever home run.. The home run is memorialized with a red seat in the right-field bleachers. If Bo Jackson had not been forced into early retirement, he might have challenged Fielder for modern supremacy. Chicago Cubs right fielder Sammy Sosa hit a 484-foot home run to left-center field on April 12, 2002. What a great game! Friday 3 March 2023 21:59, UK. I measured it at 435 feet, said Tom Mee, longtime Twins public relations man and official scorer. The 34 home runs were the most by a Cardinal since Stan Musial hit 35 in 1954, and the most by a Cardinals right-handed batter since Ken Boyer had 32 in 1960. This was just one of 10 home runs that Marlins ace Kevin Brown allowed all season, and heres guessing he still remembers it pretty vividly. The roof was 94 feet high and the left-field fence was 340 feet from home plate . Acunas homer had an exit velocity of 112.9 mph and was his 14th homer of the season. Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Willie Stargell hit a 507-foot home run to right field on August 5, 1969. Mickey Mantle famously hit a ball 565 feet (or so the Yankees then-publicist claimed) into a neighborhood behind Washingtons Griffith Stadium, and he clubbed another that came feet from clearing Yankee Stadium. * Click on a player to see more information about their specific events including videos of plays if available. Ken Griffey Jr. at Rogers Centre (April 12, 1996)Remember that scene in Little Big League when Griffey, the big bad villain, launches one to the upper deck and then lazily flips his bat? The center field home run was Confortos 13th homer of the season. Before, if you had power, you could hit the ball, said Oliva, who hit 220 home runs in 15 seasons. The home run was Reyes sixth of the season. Yes, Killebrew stroked titanic blasts on consecutive days in June 1967. One of the greatest quirks in baseball history is that Jimmie Foxx, following immediately in the footsteps of Babe Ruth, was to establish the second-greatest distance legacy in the annals of the game. Moving into the eighties, Mike Schmidt, Jim Rice, and Darryl Strawberry set the pace at a time when modern technology permitted us to better understand the limitations of the flight of a batted ball. That magnitude of Ruth's accomplishment can be understood with the knowledge that, because home plate had been moved, the distance to the grandstand for Gibson was 341 feet, while for Ruth it was 365 feet. Top 10 Tigers homers of the decade. Zack Short hit his second home run in as many days in the fifth. In 1921 alone, which was Ruth's best tape measure season, he hit at least one 500 foot home run in all eight American League cities. COLUMBIA, Mo. Miguel Cabrera hit one of the longest home runs in Comerica Park history in the first inning of Monday night's game against the Seattle Mariners. Recently got a blank jersey stitched at Vintage Detroit and the finished product looks awesome! It was later measured to be a 523-foot homer, with the ball landing on the lumber yard across the street from the stadium. Although I'm not one to argue with science and advanced metrics, Cabrera's home run still . And Zoilo (Versalles) hit some long balls, too. Inside Jim Flinn's memory, May 11, 1969, is a web of fuzzy details, a kaleidoscope of greens and grays, aside from the moment that couldn't be more clear. The enigmatic Dick Allen was also one of baseball's greatest long-distance hitters. (Shoutout as well to Bonds skyscraper in Game 2 of the 2002 World Series -- aka the one the camera basically lost track of.). Where was it hit? Most of those blasts, too, were prodigious, so the Tigers took a chance and signed Fielder. Back in 21, Navin Field did not yet have the upper deck in center field that would later be a haven for diehard fans. The longest home runs hit at Tiger Stadium in Detroit by Dan Holmes on January 24, 2022 I could hit for average, but that's not my job. Cecil Fielder of the Detroit Tigers is credited with powering a ball 502 feet in the air over the left-field bleachers at Milwaukee's County Stadium on September 14, 1991. And, how far did it go? Ted Williams called it one of the hardest hit balls hed ever seen. The founding fathers decided to reward a powerfully hit ball by allowing the batter to circle the bases for an automatic run. I put the location into google maps off I went. WebFont.load({ google: { families: ["Lato:900:latin", "Lato:300:latin", "Playfair+Display:700italic:latin", "Merriweather:700:latin", "Crete+Round::latin", "PT+Sans+Narrow:700:latin"] } }); Detroit Red Wings jerseys are back in stock! The Metrodome home run record is owned by Ben Oglivie, who was with Milwaukee when, on July 27, 1983, he parked one about 12 rows back in the upper deck in right-center. That list is topped by the legendary Josh Gibson, and includes George "Mule" Suttles, Norman "Turkey" Stearnes, and John Beckwith. Those are amazing stats, and yet they dont measure to Killebrews 522-foot blast. The longest home run in the seven-year history of Montreal's Olympic Stadium came off the bat of retired Pittsburgh slugger Willie Stargell. One of the most common question asked here at Baseball Almanac is who hit the longest home run ever. document.write(update); About Us When Kingman launched his wind-aided blow in Chicago, The New York Times somehow concluded that it had flown 630 feet. In order for the ball to be rising at roof level, it would have to have been traveling at a lower angle than that which produces maximum distance. But there are others. Awed by such a demonstration of power, the writers would then describe the event for posterity as a 500-and-some-foot home run. It took prodigious strength to reach the upper deck at Washington's Robert F. Kennedy Stadium, but "Hondo" did it 24 times, ranging from the left-field foul pole all the way to straightaway center field. Houston Astros Jake Marisnick hit a 469-foot home run to center field off Boston Red Sox pitcher David Price on June 18, 2017. Other great distance hitters from the sixties were Harmon Killebrew, Dick Stuart, and Boog Powell. The ball struck the facade on the right-field roof approximately 370 feet from home plate and 115 feet above field level. The place was. The homer, which had an exit velocity of 107.8 mph, was Marisnicks eighth of the season. BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 26: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees at bat during the top of the first inning of the game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on September 26, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. Detroit Tigers J.D. On August 10, 2004, Cincinnati Reds left fielder Adam Dunn hit a 535-foot home run to center field off Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Jose Lima. There was never anyone like the Babe, said teammate Herb Pennock, and to have seen him was to see a legend.. by Richard Bak on January 4, 2012. I was on Trumbull listening to the game on the radio Ina car parked outside a bar when it came off and over the roof. Ruth hit the ball clear out of Navin Field (Tiger Stadium) to center field, a shot Jenkinson estimates would have traveled 575 feet unencumbered, Sports Illustrated recapped. The seat later was painted bright orange to stand out in the sea of green seats and remained there until the old Met was torn down after the Twins moved to the Metrodome in 1982. But so did Killebrews, Mee said. Andres Galarraga at Pro Player Stadium (May 31, 1997)A grand slam counts for four runs every time, but boy, this one had to feel even more satisfying than most. They checked it over and off I went. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less. That day, Mee called the physics professor who had created the Twins home run chart and had him recalculate to take into consideration how far the ball would have traveled if unimpeded. Stanton hit a ball in the Coors Field, one of the highest . 452 Feet - Eric Davis (While playing for the Detroit Tigers) hit a 452 foot shot on Sept. 26th 1993. The vast popularity of major league baseball's home run hitting contest before the annual All-Star Game is ample evidence that we remain enamored of the players blessed with unique levels of power. Mee, who was the official scorer in the Twins victory Wednesday, said that homer would have hit the second deck in the Dome, a feat no one has accomplished and probably never will. Cleveland Indians first baseman, and future Hall of Famer, Jim Thome hit a 511-foot home run to center field on July 3, 1999, off of Kansas City Royals pitcher Don Wengert. We had five, six guys here on our ballclub who could hit the ball farther than anybody Killebrew, Allison, (Don) Mincher, Jimmie Hall, myself. The aforementioned fictional home run could have been reported at 550 feet in a prominent newspaper, and re-created at that length by historians for years thereafter, when in fact it traveled about 100 feet less. Mike, I was at that game in 1996 when Delgado hit that blast, sitting the Box Seats in the upper deck in right. Wily Mo Pena at GABP (April 17, 2005)This ball was river-bound too, if it wasnt for that pesky upper deck standing in the way. That afternoon, facing Ty Cobb and the Tigers, Ruth smacked a pitch so high, so far, that the baseball must have looked like a distant star to the sparse crowd of about 3,000 who were in Navin Field, which is what the ballpark later known as Tiger Stadium was known as then. Although other sluggers occasionally reached the rooftops during Comiskey's long lifetime, the only other left-handed batter known to have flown the right-field roof was Detroit's Kirk Gibson in 1985. That's not a little guy right there, and he was always known for great length on home runsbecause he liked hitting them that way and frequently . Extremely satisfied with the wonderful personable service! It is the longest home run ever hit in a major league game where it was possible to get the exact measurement. Amazingly, many of those records remain unequaled, which is to say that Ruth is a true athletic anachronism. Despite the scarcity of film on Ruth, we can still make definitive evaluations of the approximate landing points of all of his 714 career home runs. It was hit into the second level of the. As a result, he's the only player in history to establish true tape measure standards in all directions.
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