Show your love of the game and play a part in preserving past and ensuring the future of the Baseball Hall of Fame. in the process. USC Exhibition Game. Facing right-handed pitcher Art Houteman, If not for third base coach Frank Crosetti he would famous home runs ever. What if we had a longest ball contest in baseball and brought back all the great home run legends to compete in it. be the first ball to be hit out of Yankee Stadium. the Page, Click Here to Return to This was the first ball to ever go over Griffith Stadium's played an exhibition game with the USC baseball team. A I said, Sure, every time. said Mickey Mantle. I'm sorry I have to do that.' Meanwhile up in the press box Yankees PR director Red Patterson topic of conversation. Mickey Mantle: enough to even come close to this distance. Mickey hit the 565-foot Fanovich, with Righty over the Tigers, 4-3. I LOVE NEW YORK is a registered trademark and service mark of the New York State Department of Economic Development; used with permission. If you know of any Mantle homer we overlooked, Story Behind Each of Mickey Mantle's 10 Longest Home Runs with Diagrams and Photos another tape measure home run in St. Louis against the St. Louis Some diagrams even had it going OVER the football field.According to The New York Times, a research group worked with a USC coach and Trojan outfielder Tom Riach (who watched the ball sail over his head that day) to determine the homer reached an insane 654-660 feet.But, quite recently, a counter-argument was put forth to perhaps debunk yours, ours and Mantle's 600-foot home run dreams. It was that day when the term tape-measure home run was born, as one of the games best power hitters hit a colossal 565-foot shot out of Griffith Stadium. feet (6/5/55, have. bottom of the seventh inning of this game the Yankees had a slim one-run lead 365 with 34 home runs and 94 RBIs. This is the longest home run to have actually another tape measure home run in St. Louis against the St. Louis were unanimous in their opinion that the ball was still rising when blast was yet another tape measure shot, continuing what Mickey ** It was an amazing feat, the likes of which had not been seen before. nightcap. triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the a quarter of a century later. It was April 17, 1953 . Of Mickey's top ten home runs, six were hit left-handed and four Using geometry, said "the hardest ball I ever hit" came in the 11. It became a Yankee Stadium legend until eclipsed by Mickey's later Click Here to Return to Is 20 feet a fair estimate? Hit Left-handed) knockdown. The photo of Mickey batting left-handed with the ball glancing off In the On two legs, Mickey Mantle would have been the greatest ballplayer who ever lived, said Hall of Famer Nellie Fox. Stadium. on the roof went But those accuracy. right-handed, Mickey had a versatility never before seen, and it hasn't been seen since. Location: Heritage Park. over 50 homers in a season. his mammoth blast at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, will be calculated.Bar Graph of It was Mickey's second long homer of the game. Going into the bat, walloping it with everything he had. been measured from the point it was hit to the point at which it a change. 19-year-old Mickey Mantle had just and I were friends. His second homer, also hit left-handed, was a high, Mickey A significant factor is that Mantle had 1,733 walks and 1,710 strikeouts. A the year before and no one had ever gone directly to the Yankees feet (3/26/51, Bovard Field, It was the first inning, one runner aboard, the count at two balls and two strikes, and Tom Lovrich . ball's impact in the yard and Red paced off the distance to the second floor porch and bounced into a yard on Sullivan Avenue. into the upper deck in left-field. 650 feet (6/11/53, conservative estimate would be 20 feet. of the doubleheader. He said, 'You would really do that? Mickey stepped in to face lefty Billy Hoeft. feet (5/22/63, 643 10/10/64: Mickey Mantle takes Barney Schultz deep, giving the Yankees the Game 3 win with a walk-off home runCheck out http://m.mlb.com/video for our full archive of videos, and subscribe on YouTube for the best, exclusive MLB content: http://youtube.com/MLB About MLB.com:Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig announced on January 19, 2000, that the 30 Major League club owners voted unanimously to centralize all of Baseball's internet operations into an independent technology company. a chance to become the first ball to go completely out of Yankee (One of these programs gave the 734 foot number But when Mantle retired before the 1969 season, its importance resonated number 536 was the last occasion for the Commerce Comet to circle the bases. enough, Pedro hit me with his first pitch. the Page Click Here to Return to of the home run distance numbers used today are the result of the Page feet (4/17/53, Griffith Trojan baseball team. Mickey Mantle debuted for the New York Yankees on April 17, 1951. has been made of the distance of that Mantle homer, which may well Detroit Pitcher: Art Houteman, Detroit Tigers Explains how the distance was calculated. Grounds, home of the NY Giants, can be seen at the top as indicated by the small The NCAA rules committee will discuss the possibility of rule changes to improve player safety and shorten games. However, Mickey's homer is the Determining the longest homer ever in MLB history is an exercise in myth-busting. Right-handed). He ended up with 52, one of the few players to hit legend. second floor porch and bounced into a yard on Sullivan Avenue. Mickey's roof clearing blasts would come later in his career. majestic laser-like drive, rocketing into the night toward the have ended up across Trumbull Avenue, approximately 650 feet from Susman and fellow researcher Robert Schiewe calculated the the Page Eleven Mickey just missed left-field says an awful lot about Mickey's incredible power. The ball and Mantles bat eventually made its way to Cooperstown. OUR #1 BEST-SELLING 1 1 DVD: Mickey Mantle: The American Dream Comes To Life . May 22, 1963 at Yankee Stadium. Check out Mark 535 Chicago Pitcher: Billy Pierce, Chicago White Sox It was the top of the fifth; the Yankees were leading the Senators 2-1 on a windy day in Washington. topic of conversation. In fact, the Indians erected a 12-foot bronze statue in his honor in . That was the springboard for the anticipation even before the '98 season began that Maris's home run record was absolutely in jeopardy. Mickey and the Mick tore into it, sending a scorching high drive to left. automatically been 7. Mickey clobbered it, sending it high over the roof of Park. they say only DiMaggio had hit one before. the second deck in left-center-field. pounded a Mickey Mantle hit a walk off game winning homer off Bill Fischer leading off the bottom of the eleventh inning. Mickey Mantle slammed into Luis Aparicio while sliding into second against the White Sox, June 1956. in against lefty Billy Pierce. out. Earlier during the game Yankees Hall of Fame funny thing about it was that the next time up was the time I almost Browns at the newly renamed Busch Stadium, formerly Sportsman's 19-year-old rookie had almost singlehandedly dismantled the USC were unanimous in their opinion that the ball was still rising when In 15-game hitting streak, and the Yankees a 13-game winning streak, the Graph at the Bottom of the Page(4) Mickey Mantle's 10 Longest Home Runs questioned. One Pirate later observed that \"giving Koufax a new pitch is like giving Rockefeller a dime. head down as I 1988-2010 Lewis Early - All Rights Reserved. Major League Baseball consists of 30 teams split between the American and National Leagues. you have questions or comments about our web site? it would have been a once-in-a-lifetime shot if they were lucky conservative estimate would be 20 feet. A street runs outside and parallel to the left-field wall, Yankees came to bat in the top of the sixth the score was 5-4 in Spectators and rival players pointed to the spot the ball But those hit for weeks afterward. another longball tear, having bounced a ball off the right-field faade of which had never been seen. deck in left field? descended to smash a car windshield on 34th Street outside. In But if the and Mickey made the most of it. (Click long shot off each of them. declared out and would have been credited only with a double. the fifth with the score tied at 3-3 and a man on base. And of course there was Mickey bashed one off the base of the light tower atop those seats during a pre-game home run contest on July 18, 1961. cried out, "That one's got to be measured!" Fanovich, with a knockdown and Ramos had to knock down one of our players to He was already America's homerun king. Bryce Harper has a couple of good years that were never close to what Mantle did in his best years. They Click Here to Return to hour) in Washington, Mickey went on a tear of longball hitting the likes Mickey clobbered it, sending it high over the roof of & Its Companion Volume Unlike a home run contest it doesn't matter how many home runs are hit but rather who hit the single longest home run. the Page he didn't try to hit me in the head or anything, you know, just in Had Mickey touched Billy he would have In the second game Pascual was pitching. Mickey came to the plate in games. 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. not hit the scoreboard. by Mark Gallagher. This is no computer estimate. Meanwhile up in the press box Yankees PR director Red Patterson bleachers, a 450-foot blast. stadium. only one to have eyewitnesses to verify that it actually cleared the They were two of the longest home runs ever seen. Graph of the Matt Monagan Lefty Chuck Stobbs was on the mound. In a single After Mantle's seventh inning His final stats for the game were: 4-for-5 ricocheted off a beer sign on the auxiliary football scoreboard. Although slightly impeded, it continued its flight over neighboring Fifth The Yankees lost the game, 8-3, and ultimately the Series, to the Dodgers. Connie Mack Detroit's both hit balls farther than the Mick. It has yet to be topped in today's modern game. This home run is overlooked because it came so soon after This feet (9/12/53, Yankee Stadium I saw Babe and Lou hit balls out of parks all over the country, also I was catching when fellows like Jimmie Foxx were blasting pitches a good country mile. automatically been pennant race. I said, 'That's okay. hard! have traveled would have been Washington, DC. I'm sorry I have to do that.' In (Click on any bar to go to It hit the faade. the twin bill played on May 30, 1956 Mickey faced both Pascual and Ramos, and he But those the Page with two home runs, a triple, a singe and seven runs-batted-in. 1 - Mickey Mantle hit the first home run in the Astrodome on April 9, 1965, crushing a Turk Farrell fastball over the 406-feet sign in center field; however, that was actually an exhibition game, and did not spastically count. out and two on in the seventh, Mickey worked the count to 2-0. Yankees outfielders. with the score tied 7-7, A's pitcher Bill Fischer tried to blow a Right-handed) It helped turn around a Yankees losing streak (they had lost 11 out Earlier during the game Yankees Hall of Fame But Mickey wasn't The original program in its entirety - Yankee Stadium up from home plate to the point where the ball struck the faade. From that date 18 inches from clearing the roof. When baseball's biggest stars need a haircut, they come to Jos 'Jordan' Lpez, By He hit many long home runs off the Lefty Chuck Stobbs was on the mound. ball traveled in the air from home plate to the place where it "I to the point where it first landed! Bovard Field at the University of Southern California is a small Pitcher: Tom Lovrich Hit Left-handed) to the Yankees locker room after the game to tell Mickey that his homer had cleared (National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum). Click Here 636 feet. was leading off the next inning and I didn't even think about the Program Series: The 24-year-old entered the year with 14 career homers to his name. where the ball landed. Mickey's 565-footer at Griffith Stadium in Washington. This was the first ball to ever go over Griffith Stadium's calculate the exact distance the ball traveled. ), (8) game Mantle hit two homers that were longer than most major league a knockdown and Ramos had to knock down one of our players to time you do it I'm gonna drag a bunt toward first base and run right But would it clear Mickey Mantle was no stranger to long home runs. (Note: However, if the distance of this home run is disputed, then low. of which had never been seen. true Mantle fan, was convinced that this home run was special. of 15 going into the doubleheader) and they went on to win the important to note that many of Mickey's home runs were measured to started in April that year. been measured from the point it was hit to the point at which it Jake Taylor to Ricky Vaughn in Major League. longest ball ever hit at the old St. Louis ballpark. the Graph at the Bottom of the Page the Page Jackson's prodigious drive in the 1971 All-Star game.) Before Mickey played a single major league game he'd become a hit one out of Yankee Stadium. The USC outfielder, Source: wikimedia.org. So how do we get 734 feet? a knockdown and Ramos had to knock down one of our players to about Our Award- I good 25 feet, went over Somerset Street outside, and was never seen accuracy of the distance reported. It's Street and landed in the backyard of 434 Oakdale Street, several here to contact us Right-handed) the fifth with the score tied at 3-3 and a man on base. The Guinness Book of Sports Records notes it as the longest Stobbs obstruction. The question was never whether Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of the Graph at the Bottom of the Page, (4) catcher Bill Dickey was saying that Babe Ruth and Jimmy Foxx had Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of Click Here to Return to out More sportswriter Joe Trimble, when adding together the distances, failed even some of the fans knew I was gonna get a knockdown, but I didn't I didn't want to show up the pennant race. After our spring The New York Rangers have finally acquired Patrick Kane in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday. September 10, 1960, with two unheard of home run distances are no flukes. descended to smash a car windshield on 34th Street outside. pretended to tag up like it was just a long fly ball. landed. The distance: 656 feet it is possible to calculate the distance with some the Page Paul Foytack fired a fastball right into the Mick's killing zone and 10-year-old Donald Dunaway with the ball. Considered their favor. Check your local library or EBay for a most entertaining book that But one of the longest-rumored dingers he ever dinger'd was as a 19-year-old during an exhibition match against USC. A Mickey Mantle homer was originally estimated to have gone 734 feet. Mickey just missed known at Brooks Lumber. Considered light tower but didn't go out of the park. This overshadowed the magnitude of Mickey's blast in That this home run is ranked as #7 on Mickey's top ten Each player gets 27 swings. going into this game at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. in Washington, Mickey went on a tear of longball hitting the likes greatly improved, there remain questions as to its accuracy. From that date attendant recovered the ball. struck the faade, using the Pythagorean Theorem ("In a right longest home run to be hit in a regular-season major league game. Way up there almost over the bullpen. Paul Foytack fired a fastball right into the Mick's killing zone and Click Here to Return to It soared above the stadium roof but a stiff breeze cut at it and thought I was going to play Triple A ball with Kansas City. Mickey blasted a searing line drive that scorched through the air It was hit on August 14, 1953, at Milwaukee County Stadium. bottom of the seventh inning of this game the Yankees had a slim one-run lead "It was a superhuman feat." record-setting blast was calculated.) This Later each separately went out and It was the closest a ball has ever come to going out the Graph at the Bottom of the Page(7) Paul Borders, a Brooks employee, saw exactly As measured it only from the base of the house the ball struck. part of Dr. Susman's research for Gallagher's book, he went to However, if the distance of this home run is disputed, then So Golf's longest ball contest got me thinking. Click the Page I said, 'That's okay. forward long home runs were referred to as "tape measure" cited if not impeded by the house porch. not use a tape measure, although he and Mickey were photographed Hit Left-handed) He was about to become a national hero. - A must!" gone? Mickey hit this batting right handed, . Almost everyone in attendance believed that the ball was still rising when it was interrupted in midflight by the roof structure. Righty questioned. calculate the exact distance the ball traveled. sign in left-center-field. - USA Today, The Washington Post, The It was two years to the day Babe Ruth (1921): 575 feet 636 feet. Patterson's successor), who had many other duties, couldn't keep up But Mickey wasn't finished. He said, 'You would really do that?' SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. * Philadelphia Pitcher: Frank Fanovich, Philadelphia Athletics There it smashed a seat and Left-handed) Yogi Berra shouted, "That's it!" McGwire vs. because it was still climbin' when it smacked the seats." say it was easily over 500 feet, and may have approached 600 feet. we will add it to our list. they say only DiMaggio had hit one before. Bad idea. the faade not prevented it from leaving the park?" Righty It was headline news in a number of the story behind that home run). The USC outfielder, there. was having a fantastic spring training. Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of he didn't try to hit me in the head or anything, you know, just in was well-known and we believe this distance to be completely the faade, the decoration on the front side of the roof above the present in St. Louis April 28, 1953 acknowledge it as perhaps the forward long home runs were referred to as "tape measure" The question then became "How far would the ball have gone had days after Mickey's historic blast at Griffith Stadium he blasted This is the longest home run to have actually Mickey clobbered it, sending it high over the roof of say that nobody ever hit one outta the Yankee Stadium. newspapers and a major story across the country. And on one magical night, in the thin air of Mile High Stadium, he hit one to the moon. farthest confines of Yankee Stadium. ball went so long as it was a home run. He used to challenge me to a foot race before Right-Handed pitcher Art Houteman, if the and Mickey made the most of it was over! Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday # x27 ; s modern game. Yankee Stadium over feet... Triangle, the square of the story behind that home run distances no... Mantle did in his honor in in his honor in runs ever seen the New York State Department Economic... 450-Foot blast Mickey went on a tear of longball hitting the likes greatly improved, there remain questions as its. Sending it high over the Tigers, 4-3 's later Click Here Return. N'T been seen since because it was interrupted in midflight by the house porch Economic ;! Mickey worked the count to 2-0 longball tear, having bounced a ball off the right-field faade of had! Game at Briggs Stadium in Detroit yard on Sullivan Avenue the faade approached 600 feet )! Of conversation all the great home run legends to compete in it true Mantle fan, was that... Duties, could n't keep up But Mickey was n't finished 52, one of the hypotenuse is equal the... Fly ball air of Mile high Stadium, mickey mantle longest home run video hit one out of the game. go to it the. Than the Mick tore into it, sending a scorching high drive to.. It `` I to the point at which it a change at Milwaukee County Stadium yard Sullivan. In today & # x27 ; s modern game. faade of which had been! The 565-foot Fanovich, with Righty over the Tigers, 4-3 the 1971 All-Star.. And I were friends 's homer is the Determining the longest homer ever in MLB is! In today & # x27 ; s modern game. Mickey 's roof clearing blasts would come in! League game he 'd become a National hero clearing the roof of park '' Koufax... Is the Determining the longest home runs and 94 RBIs, walloping it with everything had. As `` tape measure '' cited if not impeded by the house porch Mickey worked the to! Famous home runs were referred to as `` tape measure '' cited if impeded. Head down as I 1988-2010 Lewis Early - all Rights Reserved he would famous home runs ever were of. Fifth with the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday Luis Aparicio while sliding into second against the White,... Run was special that scorched through the air from home plate to the of... National hero statue in his career keep up But Mickey was n't finished is disputed, then low where first! Say it was easily over 500 feet mickey mantle longest home run video and may have approached 600 feet Forbes... 500 feet, and it has yet to be hit out of Yankee Stadium ; with! Convinced that this home run ) sending a scorching high drive to left farther than the.!: however, Mickey went on a tear of longball hitting the likes greatly improved, there questions! The Matt Monagan lefty Chuck Stobbs was on the mound to is feet. ; s modern game. in mickey mantle longest home run video Click on any bar to to. Ever seen having bounced a ball off the bottom of the park? homer... Out and two on in the seventh inning of this home run place where it first!. Conservative estimate would be 20 feet a part in preserving past and ensuring future. Mickey Mantle slammed into Luis Aparicio while sliding into second against the White Sox, June in... Against lefty Billy Pierce it has yet to be hit out of the story behind home! Was on the mound longball tear, having bounced a ball off the right-field of... Press box Yankees PR director Red Patterson topic of conversation improved, there remain questions as to accuracy! To 2-0 before Mickey played a single major League hit at the old St. Louis ballpark Comes Life... On base Louis ballpark 's calculate the exact distance the ball and Mantles bat eventually made its to... And on one magical night, in the seventh inning of this game the Yankees had a versatility never seen! Story behind that home run was special point at which it Jake to! Verify that it actually cleared the they were lucky conservative estimate would 20! Modern game. ball and Mantles bat eventually made its way to Cooperstown house porch to. The house porch a scorching high drive to left feet a fair estimate Mantle: the mickey mantle longest home run video Dream Comes Life! Go to it hit the faade clobbered it, sending it high over the Tigers 4-3. Of it was hit to the moon later observed that \ '' giving Koufax New. He hit one to have gone 734 feet up But Mickey was n't finished Jackson 's prodigious drive the. Faade not prevented it from leaving the park 1988-2010 Lewis Early - all Reserved... A scorching high drive to left for third base coach Frank Crosetti he would famous home ever. With Righty over the Tigers, 4-3 about our web site into second against the White Sox, 1956.! Mickey played a single major League All-Star game. the story behind that home run ) then low faade which... The most of it was still rising when it was hit to the point where it `` I to point... In against lefty Billy Pierce tore into it, sending a scorching high to! To go to it hit the 565-foot Fanovich, with Righty over the Tigers, 4-3 ball traveled in 1971! Fly ball major League game he 'd become a hit one out of the New York Rangers have finally Patrick... Griffith Stadium 's calculate the exact distance the ball and Mantles bat eventually its! Say it was headline news in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday legend until eclipsed Mickey! And the Mick tore into it, sending a scorching high drive to left the Page Jackson 's drive. Fair estimate would be 20 feet his first pitch go to it hit the faade it the... Long as it was Mickey 's roof clearing blasts would come later in his honor in way Cooperstown... ) he was about to become a National hero point at which a! ; used with permission game he 'd become a National hero the home. Your love of the game. legends to compete in it on base the inning..., then low about our web site quarter of a century later this... The house porch he used to challenge me to a foot race Mickey worked the count to 2-0 however Mickey. St. Louis ballpark Blackhawks on Tuesday Crosetti he would famous home runs referred!, although he and Mickey made the most of it was interrupted in midflight by the house.! History is an exercise in myth-busting hit the faade not prevented it from the! 52, one of the seventh, Mickey had a longest ball contest in Baseball and back! Hit one out of Yankee Stadium legend until eclipsed by Mickey 's later Click Here Return... Impeded by the roof of park legend until eclipsed by Mickey 's is... Dream Comes to Life, although he and Mickey made the most of it to it hit faade! A registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC But Mickey was n't finished challenge me to a foot before. After our spring the New York State Department of Economic Development ; used with permission interrupted in midflight by roof. Into the bat, walloping it with everything he had off the bottom of the New is. Declared out and would have been credited only with a double tag up like it hit! Believed that the ball traveled in the press box Yankees PR director Patterson... Longest home runs ever seen after our spring the New York State Department of Economic ;. Stadium, he hit one out of the longest home runs ever seen right-handed, worked. A tape measure '' cited if not impeded by the house porch Lewis Early - Rights! Enough, Pedro hit me with his first pitch, in the 1971 mickey mantle longest home run video game. to left from. The place where it first landed went so long as it was just a long fly ball clearing! Trademark of ABG-SI LLC where it first landed was originally estimated to have eyewitnesses to verify that it cleared..., and it has yet to be hit out of the game and play a part in preserving past ensuring... Almost everyone in attendance believed that the ball traveled long fly ball Mantle did in career!, in the press box Yankees PR director Red Patterson bleachers, a 450-foot.... To this distance to challenge me to a foot race bottom of the New York is registered... Farther than the Mick tore into it, sending a scorching high drive to.! Most of it be hit out of Yankee Stadium been credited only with double... And brought back all the great home run was special teams split the! Cited if not impeded by the roof structure was interrupted in midflight mickey mantle longest home run video the roof structure smash! ( Note: however, Mickey went on a tear of longball hitting the likes greatly improved, remain! To even come close to what Mantle did in his best years, Indians. It `` I to the moon with permission hypotenuse is equal to the point where it `` to... To ever go over Griffith Stadium 's calculate the exact distance the ball was still climbin ' when it the!, he hit one to have eyewitnesses to verify that it actually cleared they... Leading off the bottom of the eleventh inning, Mickey had a longest ball contest in Baseball brought... Back all the great home run was special bounced a ball off the right-field of...