In September 2008, Dunn crushed a fastball from Colorado lefty Glendon Rusch that hit the Jumbotron at Chase Field. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "thpohidill-20"; "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.". The scoreboard then rose up from there 15 feet into the air above the 55-foot back wall of the stadium. Canseco later admitted to using performance enhancing drugs. A significant factor is that Mantle had 1,733 walks and 1,710 strikeouts. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Other witnesses said had the faade not provided homerus interruptus, the ball might have traveled upwards of 700 feet. 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. How far was Mickey Mantles farthest home run? TheBoston Globe's Bob Ryan, viaMLB.com's Mike Bertha, marveled at the power display. In this case, however, initial estimates appeared to have sold Ted Williams short. Copyright 2020 - 2023 Sportsmanist Inc. Where did Mickey Mantle hit the longest home run in baseball? One of the most exciting home runs I witnessed in Royals Stadium came in a late-season September game in 1977. Bo hit this ball harder than Brian Bosworth. MLB Network'sBob Costas credits it above as the Guinness Book of World Records holder for longest home run. The New York Yankees travel coordinator estimated the distance of the home run to equal 565 feet. Thanks for visiting and if you like what you find here, please make a donation to help support the research and writing at this website. Mantle is holding the home run ball he hit out of Washington, D.C.'s Griffith Stadium, estimated to have gone a distance of some 562 feet. A Mickey Mantle homer was originally estimated to have . One of baseball's most unheralded sluggers, Jim Thome retired with the quietest 612 home runs and .956 OPS ever. Some statisticians and baseball experts believe that Mickey Mantle's 565-foot (approximately 172 meters) blast off Chuck Stobbs of the Senators in Washington in 1953 was the longest batted baseball ever. The Dunn homer is at 6:20 in the video. It was as no doubt about it a home run as could possibly be. As ESPN's Home Run Trackerverifies, one moonshot onMay 11, 2000, went 500 feet with a116.7 mph exit velocity. It's foolish to take hearsay as concrete evidence, but it's also difficult to believe the man who hit 714 home runs during the dead-ball era wasn't capable of abnormal results. Another five feet and the ball would have cleared the bullpen and landed in the grass aside the plaza. 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. 1956 would be a record-breaking season: the golden summer fans would remember forever . Mickey Mantle hit 536 home runs during his 18-year big league career, a record that does not include his home run on Aug. 9, 1954, against the Cincinnati Reds at the Hall of Fame Game at Doubleday Field. The following year, his five postseason home runs led the Pirates to a World Series championship. It has yet to be topped in today's modern game. Royals Rumblings - News for March 1, 2023. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. He finished his career with 256 homers and 994 RBIs while playing in 1,946 games over 16 seasons. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; A few years back, during a visit to Cleveland, I stood admiring a statue of Jim Thome. On April 17, 1953, in a game against the Washington Senators at Griffith Stadium, Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees hit what could have been the most majestic home run in a career filled with them. Jane Leavy, Chuck Stobbs,1929-2008: One Pitch Does Not Make a Life, Even If it Makes History, Washington Post, Friday, January 2, 2009. In the 1989 American League Championship Series, Canseco ripped an inside pitch from Torontos Mike Flanagan about 10 rows into the upper deck at the Sky Dome(now the Rogers Center). Mark McGwire played in the Major Leagues from 1986 to 2001, over that time span he hit 583 home runs. That's right, Mantle actually topped himself. AP photo. But Shirley Povich, a famous sports writer for the Washington Post, would later report that he asked the Senators owner, Clark Griffith, for his comment about the wind that was blowing that day. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1961 Nu-Card Scoops Mickey Mantle Hits Longest Homer At Stadium PSA 8 #450 HOF at the best online prices at eBay! ESPN's Home Run Tracker yielded a projected true distance of 443 feet. The slugger will either strike out or mash a hanging curve ball into the bleachers. In those days, the plazas behind the left and right field seats housed a circular concrete building of restrooms and a concession stand. Skeptics will certainly be forgiven for doubting that distance, but others will prefer to simply believe. Mickey Mantles powerful swing from the left side of the plate, September 3, 1961, hitting his 49th home run during the fabled race with Roger Maris, who went on to break Babe Ruths record that year with 61. Pattersons number more or less became what was reported, which even Mantle doubted. 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. "The ball assumed what can only be called a majestic arc and landed on the left-field roof in Tiger Stadium," Ryan wrote. Just for reference, the upper deck at Target is the third deck. Without a closer look from ESPN at this Adam Dunn dinger, the lofty 535-foot approximation receives the benefit of the doubt. For what it's worth, it passes the "Wow, he sure hit that ball a long way" eye test. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; The ball was hit on August 16, 1935. Mickey Mantle 1967 - 500th Home Run as aired on WPIX-TV, 5/14/1967 YanksAtShea 6.23K subscribers Subscribe 12K 2.4M views 10 years ago YanksAtShea is very proud to present on its 45th. But not so fast. According to Statcast, someone soon to follow topped Mike Piazza's 496-foot homer from Sept. 26, 1997, as the longest home run in Coors Field history. Keep up with all the important NBA updates, including news on LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry and more:http://po.st/PlaylistSI-NBAFrom Bryce Harper and Mike Trout to Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner, Sports Illustrated brings you the smartest commentary and inside stories on the latest MLB news:http://po.st/PlaylistSI-MLBCheck out the most recent clips and highlights from episodes of SI Now, Sports Illustrateds daily talk show. Mantle, a switch-hitter, batted right against Stobbs. Seven years before Mickey Mantle hit the longest home run ever recorded in a baseball game, he hit what was then the longest tape measure shot. in 1926. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. The best of those bombs occurred June 26, when he smacked one off Shea Stadium's scoreboard. But even though the ball was moved back after Mantle's homer, it hasn't been touched up since then, so we can assume that it remains a faithful representation of how far the game was played back in 1953. "Balls with that trajectory, for a lot of guys it doesn't go out. Dunn finished the season with a career-high 46 long balls. With the help of 28 mph winds, a baseball that is hit 122 mph can possibly travel just over 570 feet (in the perfect scenario). The ball struck the facade on the right-field roof approximately 370 feet from home plate and 115 feet above field level. Mickey Mantle's home run in 1953 landed in a housing development beyond the left-field wall. The Longest Home Run Ever Was So Deep, It Fooled the Camera Man. If we take a closer look at the swing of Jose Canseco, we can begin to understand why he was able to hit a baseball 540ft. This would put him in the feasible discussion for the longest round-tripper ever. src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=674090812743125&ev=PageView&noscript=1"/>. The home run, Mantle's first of 1953, has been listed in the Guinness Book of records as the longest documented blast. The Yankees lose by one point on Mo Vaughn's single in the tenth. Koufax shelved the slider for the rest of the night. A passerby remarked thats where Thomes home run landed. ESPN's Home Run Tracker docked his true distance down to 487. He narrowly missed a home run in his first at bat, slamming a ball off the top of the right-center wall for a standup triple. ESPN had a Home Run Tracker that was able to estimate the distance of certain dingers, but there is still no conclusive list of the longest homers throughout MLB history. By holding the barrel forward, the bat must untip and then turn around the hands and into the baseball. Manage Settings The left-handed raker quickly set a gaudy benchmark duringGreat American Ball Park's second season on Aug. 10, 2004, when he crushed a Jose Lima offering well beyond the fence in center field, which stands 404 feet out. Patterson then did some pacing at the site to estimate the distance the ball traveled outside the park, using his footsteps as measure. Turns out, they were only right about half of that. The Yankee's PR director measured it at 565 feet using a tape measure, while later researchers have suggested it travelled a somewhat shorter distance. Ive witnessed hundreds of long balls. Big Mo struggled with injuries late in his career, but youd never know it witnessing this moon shot he hit as a member of the New York Mets. Whats most impressive about the moon shot is that McGwire hit it off of Mariners ace Randy Johnson, who would go on to win 20 games that year and nearly capture his second Cy Young. He crushed it. Estimates have the blast traveling at least 600 feet. Everyone else does too. Whether because of overinflated estimations or technical questions of eligibility for a list of MLB home runs, these notable exceptions missed the cut: Joey Meyer, a minor league first baseman for theDenver Zephyrs, hit a long ball onJune 3, 1987, which reportedly went a staggering 582 feet. In reality, he would have had to hit the ball 131 miles per hour. A sixth ball was thrown by a fan in the tenth but it was credited to the batter so it didn't reach the stands. Not bad at all, but ESPN's Home Run Tracker determined that Williams deserves even more credit. With no concrete numbers for anything before 2006, evaluating all-time distances remains an inexact science. The roof might have stopped it from clearing Detroit altogether. Here's Mickey Mantle, the magnificent Yankee, hitting his last (unofficial) home run i. So take any urban legends about someone's 600-foot homer with a grain of salt. "It looks like beer's coming down.". amzn_assoc_title = "Related Books & DVD"; That's not to say that there weren't 500 foot home runs in history, there certainly have been, but they are rare. It was hit on August 14, 1953, at Milwaukee County Stadium. We now present to you the 15 longest home runs ever hit. Randall Swearingen, A Great Teammate: The Legend of Mickey Mantle, Sports Publishing LLC, 2007, 232 pp. Others claim the longest jack was hit by the Angels Mike Trout in June of 2014 off Jason Vargas. The noted historian also backed ancient anecdotes of the Sultan of Swat's hitting one over 600 feet atWilkes University'sArtillery Parkin 1926. In more recent times, Alex Gordons ninth inning, Game one World Series blast against the New York Mets in 2015 will be remembered forever. ESPN's Home Run Tracker tells a different story, calculating the final distance of Piazza's slam at 515 feet. Comments to: jdoyle@pophistorydig.com. The Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati isnt a classic hitters field, statistically at least, but Adam Dunn sure tamed it. 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. The fastest exit speed velocity in the MLB over the last decade is 122 MPH. Sports Illustrated cover story, July 2, 1962, "Mickey Mantle, The Indispensable Yankee.". The front of the card featured an aerial view of cavernous Griffith Stadium in Washington and showed the purported flight of the ball. The bat tip allows for more bat speed to be carried into the baseball. A ball hit 122 mph can normally travel 500-515 feet. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. What is the distance between home plate and the mound? His second homer, also hit left-handed, was a high, opposite-field drive that easily cleared the left-field wall. 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.. This particular home run came off of a pitch by Senators' right hander Chuck Stobbs in Washington D.C. in April, 1953. When Mickey Mantle cleared the left-center-field bleachers at Clark Griffith Stadium in Washington on April . What is the longest home run wall in the MLB? In October, Mantle announces his retirement due to chronic knee problems. Ready for a breakdown of the longest home runs ever? Jack Doyle, Date Posted: 12 February 2010 (National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum) 1964 WS Gm3: Mantle hits a walk-off home run MLB 4.05M subscribers Subscribe 2.9K Share 525K views 8 years ago 10/10/64: Mickey Mantle takes Barney Schultz deep, giving the Yankees the Game. It was mid-April 1953. (Courtesy the National Baseball Hall of Fame) The longest home run ever hit. The Baseball Hall of Fame, in fact, thought it important enough that Mantles bat and the Griffith Park home run ball were collected for historic purposes. The previous record was held by Babe Ruth, who is considered the greatest hitter in baseball history. One thing is for sure, Mickey Mantle loved to hit the baseball hard and far, and he often did just that. This measurement is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest home run ever measured. A Mickey Mantle homer was originally estimated to have gone 734 feet. A hearty hack on May 20, 1978 which went further than any ball ever hit at Montreal Stadium. So baseball historians agree that it is generally deserving of recognition. Yet near the top sits a journeyman who belted 186 home runs over a career devoid of regular playing time. Not knowing where the ball landed on April 4, 1988, the Mets outfielder stopped at second before receiving clearance to finish rounding the bases. Dave Kingman hit one entirely out of Wrigley Field onApril 14, 1976. He made the majors the next season but lasted just 156 games with the Milwaukee Brewers. amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; Thats right, Mantle actually topped himself. This wasnt even peak Stargell. The sign, a piece of monetary-inspired visual pollution besmirching the beauty of Fenway, is situated in left-center field. Although it came nowhere close to 734 feet, ESPN determined an impressive true distance of 503 feet. The second came on August 3 off Kyle Gibson and traveled an estimated 465 feet. As a fan of the game, I love to see the ball exit speed and launch angles displayed while watching games. 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. Now, more than ever, we are able to accurately estimate where a ball hit at a certain velocity, at a certain angle, might land. That game ended in a 1-1 tie after nine innings with both teams having scored twice. With the data we have, heres the verdict on the longest home runs in baseball history: Here is the longest verified home run in professional baseball history! Many fans in attendance believed that the ball was still rising when it hit the roof structure. ESPN's Home Run. There's the 565-footer at Griffith Stadium or the prodigious blasts off the tops of the old Yankee Stadium facade. Fans of an earlier generation remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when Bobby Thompson beat the Brooklyn Dodgers with a ninth inning walk off or when Bill Mazeroski dispatched the Yankees in the ninth inning of the seventh game of the 1960 World Series. That righteous shot, to left-center field carried an estimated 489 feet. Maybe Mantle didn't quite hit it 565 feetWilliam Jenkinson suggested 510 feet as a better approximation. In 565 feet, Mickey Mantle (1953). "I was sitting on a changeup, because he only threw like 88," Dunn recalled to Cincinnati Enquirer's C. Trent Rosecrans a year later. In conclusion, yes, Mickey Mantle really did clear the left-center-field wall at Griffith Stadium. On September 17, he hits his final home run at Yankee Stadium against Los Angeles Angels' pitcher Bill Renna. Had the ball not hit a light standard on the way out, it would have cleared the right field roof and landed on Trumbull Avenue. May 22, 2014. They never spoke about the home run that broke . amzn_assoc_linkid = "a21f09e861185b9fce4ae88cc0fe0a70"; He also blasted what may have been the longest home run in Major League . Mickeys Historic Homer On Trial!,Mickey Mantle.com. The ball landed in a huddle of USC football players practicing on a field behind Bovard. So even though many people think that Ruth's shots were all over the field, some of them had to have been less than this distance. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; He led the National League in home runs on four occasions on his way to 755 career home runs. One of his greatest moments, however, came in a game that didnt mean anything. Not bad at all, but. Mcgwire later admitted to using performance enhancing drugs. "You play the game as a kid, you progress through high school, you get drafted, you go through the minor leagues. Thome had a sweet, sweet home run swing. Off-field problems derailed his path to superstardom, but his Montreal moonshot serves as a reminder of his off-the-charts power. But not so fast. He's been an agent for over 10 years and his favorite thing to do is negotiate contracts for professional athletes. The grandest account of his power? David Halberstam, October 1964, Villard Books, New York, 1994, 380pp. There should be no doubt about the authentication of these conclusions. Longest home run for every MLB team According to one measurement of the parks dimensions in that left field area,it was 391 feet from home plate to the base of the left field wall and another 69 feet to the back of the bleachers. Griffiths answer: I dont care about that, he said. Mantle finished his career with 13 walkoff home runs. Domo Arigato, Big Papi. Eye tests lead to a wide array of biases, but the video evidence helps his case. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; He was Big Papi before Big Papi. This cannon shot to straightaway center carried an estimated 474 feet. Teammate Frank Howard said, Youll never see five balls hit like that in a lifetime. Yet the story of his 565-foot moonshot still lives strong. Joe Dimaggio Hails Mantle, Los Angeles Times, April 20, 1953, p. C-1. Mr. October was the architect of many classic post-season memories while wearing New York Yankees pinstripes. Own This Day - https://thebaseballpage.comSeptember 10, 1960 - Mickey Mantle unloads a cannon shot clearing the RF roof in Detroit and landing in Brooks Lumber Yard across Trumbull Avenue. Joseph M. Sheehan, 3-Run Hit Wins, 6-3, For Series Sweep; Mantles Homer, Carrying 400 Feet This Time, Sets Back the Red Sox, New York Times, Friday, April 24, 1953, p. 31, 982 words.