Almost everyone in attendance believed that the ball was still rising when it was interrupted in midflight by the roof structure. 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.". Detroit Ruth crushed a pitch out of Navin Field versus Ty Cobbs Tigers on July 18, 1921. Lynne asked what I was interested in and presented me with a great selection of Tigers caps and T-shirts. The first time, though, was in 1977, when Jason Thompson clubbed one out, literally seconds after my dad told me I think Thompson is gonna crush one out of the stadium. Not many balls are hit farther than 500 feet, and Killebrews was measured at 522. Seeing great drives land atop distant upper-deck roof, sportswriters observing the occurrence from a press box would resort to their limited skills in mathematics without any regard for the laws of physics. This was the second, as he jumped on a 3-2 fastball from then-Marlins pitcher Dustin McGowan and hit it off the base of the brick wall behind the seats. 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. Similarly, Comiskey's left-field roof was also visited by many batted balls, but only one is confirmed to have cleared it on the fly. His regular bombardment of the left-field roof at Tiger Stadium has not been approximated in the 60-year history of that structure. Several players have landed balls in top of it images, but never completely over it in the air. I was in desperate need because of a upcoming event to make purchase I could get same day while searching for the item I quickly realized there wasn't just limited availability of the item but very limited locations in Metro Detroit i could purchase the item. Reggie came off the bench in the 1971 Midsummer Classic and golfed a ball off Pirates righty Dock Ellis that traveled an estimated 530-some odd feet. I'm here to drive home runs. ORDER YOURS NOW! She is very accommodating and made me feel at home, especially since I was unaware they don't operate a standard retail shop. Oliva said it was harder to hit one out at Metropolitan than at the Metrodome. Long gone! Others who should be recognized are Jose Canseco, Fred McGriff, Mark McGwire, Ken Griffey, Jr., Frank Thomas, and Andres Galarraga. 12/9 Tennessee. J.P. Arencibia, Sept. 7, 2015 (464 feet)Sadly, there is no video archive of this launch by the then-Rays catcher off Tigers starter Randy Wolf. On May 4, 2018, Washington Nationals Bryce Harper hit a 473-foot home run to center field off Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Nick Pivetta. 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. If Bo Jackson had not been forced into early retirement, he might have challenged Fielder for modern supremacy. The home run was Reyes sixth of the season. Martinez last season -- a ball that traveled 466 feet and ended up on top of the camera well in center field. Ruth's 575-foot blast against the Detroit Tigers in 1921 often comes up. Not surprisingly, all of the great true distance hitters have also been the source of the greatest exaggerations. Shoutout is also due to Dave Kingman, who knocked one into a front yard on Kenmore Avenue in a 23-22 loss to the Phillies on May 17, 1979. Allen could not hit with the same power in those directions as when he pulled the ball, but he seems to have lost less distance than almost anyone else when hitting to the opposite field. And while were unable to go back and superimpose exit velocities and projected distances on homers from the past, we can certainly gawk at them and wonder, "What if they were tracked?" Not for long. Let it be emphasized that the mighty Mick was undoubtedly one of baseball's all time longest hitters. 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. There were some very big hitters in the American League, but that was unbelievable.. So Kight, who was working as the Twins chief usher on June 3, 1967, instantly knew Harmon Killebrew had hit the sweet spot when Kight looked up from counting the turnstile numbers. Mike, I was at that game in 1996 when Delgado hit that blast, sitting the Box Seats in the upper deck in right. In 1962, he became the first of only four batters to hit a ball over the left-field roof at Tiger Stadium. Source: wikimedia.org. Determining the longest homer ever in MLB history is an exercise in myth-busting. As of 1995, the Mantle of baseball's longest hitter can probably best be worn by Cecil Fielder. Cecil Fielder at Tiger Stadium (Aug. 25, 1990)The roof at the old Tiger Stadium was one of the most time-honored and imposing challenges for right-handed launchers, but it was bested in style by Detroits hulking slugger. The ball struck the facade on the right-field roof approximately 370 feet from home plate and 115 feet above field level. His tremendous blow to right-center field in Detroit on June 8, 1926, has often been reported as traveling over 600 feet. Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Alan Foster. 4. "You guys got to see this kid we have in camp. 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. Mickey Mantle 1973 - His Last Home Run in Yankee Stadium, OTD, 8/11/1973 YanksAtShea 6.23K subscribers 1.4M views 11 years ago YanksAtShea finds another archival goodie (some video-audio. It was one of the longest home runs anybody has ever seen, reportedly up to 539 feet from home plate. The great Honus Wagner is said to have hit a drive of comparable length at the Polo Grounds, and Sam Crawford was credited with a 473-foot home run in Detroit. The homer had an exit velocity of 111.3 mph. Not since Hank Greenberg in the 1940s, had Tiger fans seen a power hitter like Cecil Fielder. We had five, six guys here on our ballclub who could hit the ball farther than anybody Killebrew, Allison, (Don) Mincher, Jimmie Hall, myself. As a lifelong Tigers fan, I have been fortunate enough to see two players clear the fence. 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! 3. Bonus points for clubbing this off As ace Dave Stewart, when Smoke was near the peak of his powers. The trajectory had it coming near me but it just never came down inside the ballpark! 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. These unidentified individuals based their calculations on the assumption that the ball traveled completely over the left-center-field roof. The home run went to straightaway center field, clearing the stadium and landing into the street. I found it refreshing to be served by people who truly knew everything and who came across as glad i stopped in and only care about me getting the service beyond what i deserved. On June 26, 2021, St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt hit a 470-foot home run to center field off of Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher J.T. The 22-year-old, who was called into England camp under Eddie Jones, fell awkwardly after being tackled by Tommy Reffell and injured his leg. It is the longest home run ever hit in a major league game where it was possible to get the exact measurement. * Click on a player to see more information about their specific events including videos of plays if available. Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Willie Stargell hit a 507-foot home run to right field on August 5, 1969. Advertisement That puts it up there with legendary home runs from the likes of Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle. Perhaps the ball had already flown over 400 feet, whereupon it was interrupted in midflight at a height of 70 feet above field level. On Sept. 27, 2008, Adam Dunn hit the longest home run of the last 6-plus major-league seasons, a 504-foot home run off the scoreboard in center field at Chase Field in Phoenix. The same home runs that had once been described as 500 footers were now being scientifically calculated in the 450-foot range. J.D. Barry Bonds at Yankee Stadium (June 8, 2002)Has there ever been a more satisfying payoff from a hitter stepping to the plate and doing exactly what everyone hopes he would do? I highly recommend if you live within a 30 minute drive of this place and you are looking for authentic NBA NFL and MB items stop in and see them they also have a lot of very rare items which will make you stand out. Giancarlo Stanton hit the longest home run ever made in Coors Field to date when he played against the Rockies in 2016. 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. Home runs in MLB arent as hard to come by as they used to be. Machados home run had an exit velocity of 114.3 mph. Thank you so much, I can't wait to wear my jersey to a Wings game! One might say the Reds fans sitting up there werent expecting a home run souvenir that day, but then again, they were already plenty familiar with Wily Mos work. - Bill Dickey. The most common cause for overstatement has been the basic misconception about the flight of a batted ball once it has reached its apex. It was not until Babe Ruth came upon the scene that we can find confirmed accounts of batted balls that can favorably compare with any hit during subsequent generations. Since 2015, Nomar Mazara owns the longest homer distance at 505 feet. Mantle hit the facade on two or perhaps three occasions, but never cleared it. Americans, along with people everywhere, are fascinated with power. And if Harmon Killebrew ever hit one farther, the 49th anniversary of that home run is today. Directly behind Allen in the historic ranking of tape measure hitters were contemporaries Willie Stargell and Willie McCovey. 1969 i attended my first game at Tiger Stadium the next day, Self correction. 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. In 1932, the muscular "Double X" almost equaled Ruth's season record of 60 home runs. Comerica Park is big enough all around that there are no cheap home runs. In 1921, major league teams averaged 59 home runs. Amazingly, many of those records remain unequaled, which is to say that Ruth is a true athletic anachronism. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. Awed by such a demonstration of power, the writers would then describe the event for posterity as a 500-and-some-foot home run. The ball cleared the wide breadth of Grand Boulevard and landed on the sidewalk approximately 470 feet from home plate. Anything in the 500-foot range is genuinely historic. He can still hear the ball . Franmil Reyes, Aug. 14, 2020 (462 feet)Reyes hit four of his nine home runs in 2020 off Tigers pitchers, but this was the memorable one. The longest home run ever hit at Comerica Park came off the bat of J.D. On April 14, 1961, Post hit a home run that struck an Anheuser-Busch sign high atop the scoreboard in left. Bob Cerv's Hrs were from both KC Blues and A's. His longest measured at 528' was when' he was with the A's. Mantle's to extreme right field in the cluster was on the porch roof of a house and 43 feet above the playing field in BP. In 1921 there was no SportsCenter, no 24-hour highlight machine called the Internet. On July 6, 1974, he powered a torrid drive that crashed against the roof facade in deep left-center field at Tiger Stadium. I thought I saw Tony Clark hit a monster on the roof, but Im so old my memory is shot. Since this home run was the only one that ever cleared those bleachers during decades of major league and Negro League competition, it is genuinely deserving of recognition. On June 14, 1983, Gibson belted a blast over the right field roof against the Red Sox. The Tigers' Kirk Gibson hit a home run onto the street in 1983 but it was less than 600 feet. But where was Ruths longest homer? 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! 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. Foxx never quite measured up to Ruth, but it is remarkable that no once since Foxx has measured up to him. On July 21, 1915, as a rookie with the Boston Red Sox, Ruth struck a prodigious drive that sailed far over the rightfield bleachers at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. 15 15. As long as baseball has been played, observers and participants alike have been fascinated with those rare individuals who have been capable of batting balls farther than others of their time. Jason Thompson. That ball is measured at 634 feet by the Guinness Book of World Records, but few really believe it went that far on the fly. It is only fair to also mention the great distance sluggers of the old Negro Leagues. Bobby Allison called me from the dugout and said, How can you measure that at 435 feet? Yon Moncada, April 19, 2019 (458 feet)The ball doesnt normally carry well at Comerica Park during cold weather early in the season, but Yon Moncadas drive off Jordan Zimmermann had no regard for the 40-degree temperature at first pitch. Yet again, we have an example of a genuinely epic home run that has been grievously overstated. Killebrew was a big man, as were Mickey Mantle and Reggie Jackson and Dave Kingman, all known for their power. The enigmatic Dick Allen was also one of baseball's greatest long-distance hitters. On July 7, 2021, Texas Rangers Joey Gallo hit a 462-foot home run off of Detroit Tigers pitcher Casey Mize. Ted Williams called it one of the hardest hit balls hed ever seen. It was the 26th homer of the 2015 season. The distance of the home run has been estimated at up to 575 feet (175 m). Ruth later claimed this was the longest home run he ever hit, the News-Sentinel reported. When you consider that the other baseball towns average about five comparable publications, it is clear that we can draw upon approximately 15 descriptions of most of the hundreds of four-base blows struck during his career. Martinez, July 21, 2015 (467 feet)This is the standard by which all Comerica Park homers are measured these days. The homer was Machados 11th of the season. Ted Williams, June 9, 1946. Martinez hit the longest home run in Comerica Park history last season at an estimated 467 feet. Customer Service Houston Astros Jake Marisnick hit a 469-foot home run to center field off Boston Red Sox pitcher David Price on June 18, 2017. It was heresy to suggest that Ruth's accomplishments could be surpassed, but for a few seasons it appeared that Foxx might do just that. J.D. While those feats would shatter Meyer's mark, there was no technology or tool that could give an exact measure of those distances. They have always liked them, and always will. Excited to work with Vintage Detroit on future orders. Yes, Killebrew did it again, the next day. Stantons homer had an exit velocity of 119.2 mph. A table displaying leaders in Statcast metrics such as Sweet Spot % (SwSp%), Barrels, Exit Velocity (EV), Batted Ball Distance (DST), Projected Home Run Distance (HR-DST), Launch Angle (LA) and Batted Ball Events (BBE) . A short while later I left with a new cap and a custom Fidrych T-shirt. And yet, everyone in attendance was apparently moved to awe and admiration by this single event, which resulted in the scoring of the lone run. Only six batters hit as many as 20 homers that year. Guys, we think . Regardless, do we really need any excuse to revisit some classic dingers? This ball cleared the Hard Rock Cafe and landed well into the fifth deck, and Griffeys classic swing made the feat look effortless. On June 2, 2017, Manny Machado hit a 465-foot home run off Boston Red Sox pitcher Rick Porcello. Negro Leagues star Josh Gibson is said to have actually cleared that old park in the Bronx. This home run was hit at Tiger Stadium in Detroit on September 10, 1960. Willie Stargell blasted a home run estimated to be 535 feet long at Montreal's Olympic Stadium, the stadium's biggest blast in history. The place was. During Mantle's rookie season in 1951, he had struck several impressive drives, but it was not until he cleared the left-center-field bleachers at Griffith Stadium two years later that he was crowned as the new King of the Tape Measure. Its remarkable, and comforting, that, despite their conspicuous increase in muscle mass, todays sluggers dont really hit the ball any farther than their predecessors. This years World Series games at Wrigley Field remind us of Babe Ruths legendary home run there, when he allegedly called his shot in Game 3 of the 1932 Fall Classic in Chicago. Enjoy the dingers. Though its difficult to get an official handle on home run distances, the clout would rank, by any measure, among the longest of all time. This was one of seven home runs hit in this game, which the Dodgers won 10-4. Have Your Own Jersey? Dozens of players have peppered the left field roof at batting practice, though. I could hit for average, but thats not my job. Part of the Baseball Almanac Family, Long Distance Home Runs by William J. Jenkinson 1996. 507 meters (right field) Only four times in history has a ball been hit entirely out of Dodger Stadium, with two of those balls being hit by Pirates legend Willie Stargell. Jackson told the Associated Press postgame that he wasnt even trying to hit a home run. Imagine if he was! During those years, only one drive of 500 feet was confirmed by this system. Must have been 1977 or 1978. The crowd stood at attention, and at first there was a sense of awe, Kight recounted. Martinezs 113.1 mph drive off a Taijuan Walker fastball hit the roof of that perch, more than midway up the batters eye. Reggie Jackson's 1971 All-Star Game shot at Tiger Stadium would have travelled more than. This one hit the second-deck facade in left-center. Lynn worked with me to swap out to something similar excellent customer service. Since 2015, Nomar Mazara owns the longest homer distance at 505 feet. I told Bob Casey about the cover we put on the seat to commemorate the home run, Mee said, and he was telling the fans over the loudspeaker as Killebrew was coming up to bat. Top 10 Tigers homers of the decade. Dick Allen, too, played in both leagues, thereby providing himself the advantage of leaving his signature on more ballparks than those who only played in one league. Guinness also clarifies that Mickey Mantle's home run measured at 643 feet (approximately 196 meters) is the longest home run measured "mathematically after the fact." This home run was hit at Tiger Stadium in Detroit on September 10, 1960. But not so fast. 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. 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. At least six cities claim the Bambinos biggest blast. A local youngster finally ran it down some 825 feet from home plate. His most impressive, though, may have been . I also saw Reggie Jackson with the As strike out about 3 times late in the 1969 season at Tiger Stadium. They did not or could not find a way to further reward the batter who hit a ball significantly farther than the established home run distance. Extremely satisfied with the wonderful personable service! 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. Schoenfield: There have been only five home runs hit out of Dodger Stadium during an action game -- two by Willie Stargell and one each from Mark McGwire, Mike Piazza and Giancarlo Stanton. I think the Tigers won that game in the bottom of the 9th, when they were losing but then Jim Northrup hit a grand slam to win the game. He actually did it twice that season, the first of two straight seasons he was an All-Star for the Tigers. "Hat worn by J.A. There have been claims . While All-Stars like Joey Gallo, Shohei Ohtani and Salvador Perez will try to crush balls deep into the Denver . Check the home run lengths of all seventy Mark McGwire blasts and all sixty-six Sammy Sosa's shots in the fabulous feats section. The ball struck the facade on the right-field roof approximately 370 feet from home plate and 115 feet above field level. Babe Ruth was said to have hit a home run over 600 feet. Entering the 1970s, Reggie Jackson was already established as one of the best ever. By his own account he hit the longest home run of his career on May 22, 1963 at Yankee Stadium. Storys 487-footer from 2018 reached the concourse down the left-field line; Piazza hit the concourse in the left-center power alley. Almost everyone in attendance believed that the ball was still rising when it was interrupted in midflight by the roof structure. This dinger off Torontos Giovanni Carrara was pretty much that scene come to life. On the first strike out , he threw his bat, so the fans were booing loudly, and banging the wood seats each time he came up to bat! 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. Other great distance hitters from the sixties were Harmon Killebrew, Dick Stuart, and Boog Powell. ET, 5:00 p.m. MT on Monday, July 12. Well, the whole Yankees roster did in 1929 for an exhibition against Sing Sing Correctional Facility inmates. Although I'm not one to argue with science and advanced metrics, Cabrera's home run still . The pitch came from Chicago Cubs righty pitcher Francis Beltran. 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. On September 10, 1960, with two out and two on in the seventh, Mickey worked the count to 2-0. . How long will it take the next Olympic champion to run the 100-meter sprint? Stopped by Wed morning 7/6 and had the pleasure of dealing directly with Lynne. 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. Killebrew hit 44 home runs in 1967 and entered the Hall of Fame with 573. 5. Recently got a blank jersey stitched at Vintage Detroit and the finished product looks awesome! I don't live nearby so the ability to have it shipped for $10 was well worth the cost. Thome had over 600 home runs in his career. On April 4, 2001, Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Vinny Castilla hit a 478-foot home run to left field off of Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Joey Hamilton. On May 4 of that year, Williams cleared the towering right-field grandstand in Detroit and served notice that he was as powerful as he was refined with a bat in his hands. Ted Williams' most famous home run was his last, No. Privacy Policy Glenallen Hill - 500 Feet. A-Gon Goes a-Golfing 19 of 20 Just when we thought we had seen everything from Adrian Gonzalez, here he is hitting the longest home run in the history of PetCo Park, a ridiculous pitcher's.