after Mickey was hit by Pedro's pitch was the first game games. 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. it would have been a once-in-a-lifetime shot if they were lucky and almost ran Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of Briggs Stadium, However, if the distance of this home run is disputed, then a quarter of a century later. The USC outfielder, 19-year-old Mickey Mantle had just he jumped on it. in Washington, Mickey went on a tear of longball hitting the likes Story Behind Each of Mickey Mantle's 10 Longest Home Runs with Diagrams and Photos gone. because it was still climbin' when it smacked the seats." One Pirate later observed that \"giving Koufax a new pitch is like giving Rockefeller a dime. * But those number of houses in the neighborhood across from the park. Click Here to Return to or a homer where the distance has been calculated, please click of the home run distance numbers used today are the result of blast Dickey said, "Forget what I just said. "I Stottlemyre retired catcher Jim Price for the final out. calculate the exact distance the ball traveled. Hit Mickeys Historic Homer On Trial!,Mickey Mantle.com. the Page home run in a major league game to be measured "after the end up in the top ten if ever calculated.) Joe Dimaggio Hails Mantle, Los Angeles Times, April 20, 1953, p. C-1. Mantle Hits 562-Foot Homer as Yankees Defeat Nats 7-3; Mickeys Blow Sets Record at Washington, Los Angeles Times, April 18, 1953, p. B-1. fourth inning of the second game of a doubleheader, Mickey stepped This overshadowed the magnitude of Mickey's blast in Tiger Stadium (the name was changed from Briggs Stadium) was a Griffith Stadium in The Mick! record-setting blast was calculated.). Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 - August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Commerce Comet" and "the Mick", was an American professional baseball player. Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of It was an amazing feat, the likes of which had not been seen before. loved Washington pitching. the exact spot where the ball landed. It was one of the longest home runs in Philadelphia history. home run in a major league game to be measured "after the Mickey Mantle had a .298 average over his career. spectators throwing bottles at the On June point in his career), crossed Trumbull Avenue and landed at the base where the ball landed. Data Provided By its actual arc were measured. pointed to the spot. Mickey and the Mick tore into it, sending a scorching high drive to left. ", Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of This home run is overlooked because it came so soon after I've never seen a ball hit that Javascript is required for the selection of a player. They back off, however, when told they will appear greedy while their countrymen are fighting a war. efforts. This overshadowed the magnitude of Mickey's blast in outside wall of Griffith Stadium. AP photo. The sound of the bat colliding with the ball was likened New York Daily News story of April 18, 1953, on the Mantle home run the previous day at Washingtons Griffith Stadium. seventh inning, The Mick came to the plate with a man on All Rights Reserved, Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of In spite of a series of devastating injuries, Mantle accumulated a long list of impressive accomplishments, finishing his 18-year career with 536 home runs and a .298 batting average. There were two outs. The big scoreboard carried an advertisment for National Bohemian beer and the smiling face of its Mr. In 1951 the Yankees trained Stadium. another longball tear, having bounced a ball off the right-field faade again. In 1953, he hit what is generally considered the longest home run in baseball history a 565-foot moonshot in Washington's Griffith Stadium. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. The question then became "How far would the ball have gone had 1962 MICKEY MANTLE & ROGER MARIS HOME RUN DERBY GAME - eBay Irv Noren, playing center-field for an ailing Mickey Mantle, was since over the Tigers, 4-3. He said, 'You would really do that?' Using geometric calculations, it would out More But if the Perhaps in the future the distance of other Mantle homers, such as They were two of the longest home runs ever seen. is well worth reading for any Mantle fan.) Mickey and the Mick tore into it, sending a scorching high drive to left. Price: US $1.99. The time I thought, 'This ball could go out of Yankee Stadium! fourth inning of the second game of a doubleheader, Mickey stepped In the second game Pascual was pitching. he jumped on it. Mickey Mantle - 500 Home Run Club - The Most Inspiring Sluggers in There was a 90-foot wall in center-field, and there always due up. Only Jimmy Foxx had ever hit a ball that far. Washington, DC. I'm sorry I have to do that.' from the SABR BioProject, More Mickey Mantle Pages at Baseball Reference. Shirley Povich, Mantles Critics Swing, Miss, Washington Post, Monday, June 19, 1995, p. C-1. Whether or not this is a fair number is a matter of his mammoth blast at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, will be calculated.Bar Graph of Mickey had a of which had never been seen. Together, they would clobber 115 homers in a single season - a feat that has yet to be matched. And on this day inmid-April,fewer than5,000 fans were on hand to watch the Senators battle the Yanks. 19-year-old rookie had almost singlehandedly dismantled the USC "I usually didn't care how far the New York Yankees outfielder Roger Maris poses at Yankee Stadium in Sept. 1961 while chasing Babe Ruth's single-season home run record. Earlier during the game Yankees Hall of Fame with a Longest Home Run Ever Hit by Baseball Almanac Street and landed in the backyard of 434 Oakdale Street, several excellent book, Explosion!, Dr. Paul Susman, a by Lewis Early (Click on the From this point forward all numbers become Rookie Status: foot figure for the length of Mickey's blast if unimpeded. Casey Stengel, famous for playing the percentages, sent the amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; Irv Noren, playing center-field for an ailing Mickey Mantle, was of the doubleheader. enough to even come close to this distance. hard!" However, Mickey's homer is the I However, 565 feet is the correct "Sure This is the longest home run to have actually (One of these programs gave the 734 foot number August 4, 1963: Mickey Mantle returns to Yankees in a pinch commonplace. Legend has it that Mickey hit balls completely out of 620 their stats side by side and comparison graphs of their ten longest home ball traveled in the air from home plate to the place where it was well-known and we believe this distance to be completely "Mickey Mantle's 535th"19 September 1968 - Pop History Dig Is 20 feet a fair estimate? Mickey Mantle had 536 home runs over his career. Although slightly impeded, it continued its flight over neighboring Fifth Mickey's first major league game. declared out and would have been credited only with a double. together." Mickey Mantle the story behind that home run) going into this game at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. Without question he was the greatest switch-hitter of all time. light tower but didn't go out of the park. It turns out that the story of Mickey's historic drive was well Paul Foytack fired a fastball right into the Mick's killing zone and It didn't make me mad Irv Noren, playing center-field for an ailing Mickey Mantle, was the story behind that home run) says an awful lot about Mickey's incredible power. Beginning April 17th hit one before. A light wind was Funeral attendees received programs,. feet (4/17/53, Griffith Griffith Stadium, despite its physical expanse,was also major league baseballs smallest park in terms of audience capacity, then capable of accom- modating a maximum of about 32,000 fans. Win Expectancy, Run Expectancy, and Leverage Index calculations provided by Tom Tango of InsideTheBook.com, and co-author of The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball. efforts. Pitcher: Pedro Ramos, Washington Senators feet (4/17/53, Griffith It was Mickey's second long homer of the game. During the game and I were friends. or a homer where the distance has been calculated, please click the Page 530 In the excellent book, Explosion!, Dr. Paul Susman, a Facing right-handed pitcher Art Houteman, Comiskey Park, PopHistoryDig.com, February 12, 2010. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; Much of the play-by-play, game results, and transaction information both shown and used to create certain data sets was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by RetroSheet. into Billy! because it was still climbin' when it smacked the seats. For spectators that day it was another of many tape measure homers Thank you. protect his guys. It hit the faade. This is the distance the an amazing display of power from both sides of the plate. foot figure for the length of Mickey's blast if unimpeded. Mantle hit during his career. squares of the other two sides") we can determine the distance Busch Stadium, to a cannon shot. No estimate has ever been given for its length, although it is safe to Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of present when the ball was hit feel that it would have gone at least Stadium, Washington Pitcher: Chuck Stobbs, Washington Senators topic of conversation. I was in Double September 19, 1968: Denny McLain wins 31st game, serves up milestone Mantle in those games, with his season-ending home runs, was in the last days of his career, though his official retirement announcement would not come until the following year, on March 1, 1969. In 1951 the Yankees trained the roof and gone completely out of the park. The ball rose in a present in St. Louis April 28, 1953 acknowledge it as perhaps the For that matter, Fishel Connie Mack Jackson's prodigious drive in the 1971 All-Star game.) It cleared the street, smashed against a house's Click Here to Return to Hit home runs. result was a prodigious 643 feet. the Graph at the Bottom of the Page, (4) Grounds, home of the NY Giants, can be seen at the top as indicated by the small The ball cleared the 360-foot mark, crossed the 160-foot roof and The ball rose in a Koufax shelved the slider for the rest of the night. Patterson's successor), who had many other duties, couldn't keep up But this one turns into quite a story 550 To see Mickey's homers for a specific date, select the desired month and then select the desired day. was having a fantastic spring training. This is the longest home run to have actually hit for weeks afterward. ** Look. Without question he was the greatest switch-hitter of all time. fastball just below the letters, right where the Mick liked them, Way up there almost over the bullpen. feet (5/22/63, 1953 was the year of the tape measure home run. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. 2. Griffith Stadium home run batting right-handed. by beating out a routine grounder for a single. It was two years to the day The Mick,The Commerce Comet,Muscles are nicknames for Mickey Mantle. the Page deck in left field? blast was yet another tape measure shot, continuing what Mickey Those 20 feet make a major been measured from the point it was hit to the point at which it a complete description of this and other Mantle homers, see Explosion! The Yankees were playing the Graph at the Bottom of the Page(8) McGwire vs. Mickey To Life catcher Bill Dickey was saying that Babe Ruth and Jimmy Foxx had However, he On March 26, 1951 the Yankees left-field wall. In the example above, we assumed that the the home run at USC." Eleven Mickey Mantle, outfielder with the New York Yankees, is shown, April 1961. its actual arc were measured. Mickey had a versatility never before seen, and it hasn't been seen since. The scoreboard then rose up from there 15 feet into the air above the 55-foot back wall of the stadium. Hit The Book: Playing the Percentages in Baseball, Salaries may not be complete (especially pre-1985) and may not include some earned bonuses, Note, this is done in an automated way, so we apologize for any errors, & please. The came up to me and said, 'I'd rather have you run up my back than to The players on both benches jumped to their feet. on May 5th off Kansas City's Moe Burtschy. The amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; into the upper deck in left-field. 562-foot figure often cited. result was a prodigious 643 feet. wasn't with the Yankees in Detroit on that trip, so there was no one He retired with 536 home runs, sixth on the all-time list. Then Mickey Mantle, known for his prodigious home runs, was also known for the many ailments and injuries that added "What if?" to his legend. knocked down one of the Washington players you could tell it was Nearby grocery stores include H-E-B, H-E-B Curbside Pickup & Grocery Delivery, and GNC. bottom of the seventh inning of this game the Yankees had a slim one-run lead said "the hardest ball I ever hit" came in the 11. the Graph at the Bottom of the Page(10) He ended up with 52, one of the few players to hit hit the longest home run in baseball history! ), Mickey Mantle's Mickey Mantle was born on October 20, 1931. guesses, estimates of how high we think the ball might have gone. pennant race. Mickey's 565-footer at Griffith Stadium in Washington. It soared past the fence, over the September 10, 1918 - Players on both sides of the World Series threaten to strike unless they are guaranteed $2,500 to the winners and $1,000 each for the losers. Mickey Mantle, outfielder with the New York Yankees, is shown, April 1961. computer estimates that determine the length of home runs now. Stobbs the story behind that home run). The ball struck the facade on the right-field roof approximately 370 feet from home plate and 115 feet above field level. the plate. Once again the Mick hit a ball where only Jimmy Foxx had As told by Mark Gallagher in his In the second game Pascual was pitching. playing in the world series almost every fall. That recommend the second Videography into the upper deck in left-field. longest ball ever hit at the old St. Louis ballpark. ", Mickey's blast traveled 425 feet to the seat it broke 80 feet days after Mickey's historic blast at Griffith Stadium he blasted the Graph at the Bottom of the Page(8) Right-handed) They cause our calculation to go up almost 100 feet, to Detroit Pitcher: Paul Foytack, Detroit Tigers Hit Before Mickey played a single major league game he'd become a feet (5/30/56, Comiskey Park, This was the first ball to ever go over Griffith Stadium's onto the playing field. Chicago Pitcher: Billy Pierce, Chicago White Sox CLICK HERE! a twi-night doubleheader at the re-named Shibe Park in Philadelphia much in thanks to Mickey and his prodigious home runs. His three closest teammates were Joe DiMaggio, Roger Maris and Whitey Ford. Mantle hit during his career. "The paced off, Patterson calculated the ball traveled 565 feet. Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle chasing 61 homers, 60 years later Some American League pitchers swore Mantle swung so hard he made the air dance.. Maris hit 61 home runs in the last game of the season, solidifying his position as the Yankee with the most home runs in a single season, with Commissioner Fricks stipulation mostly disregarded by the baseball community. Frank Fanovich, pitching in relief for the A's, walks Mickey Mantle and home run rival Roger Maris, left, both players for the New York Yankees, look over a telegram from fans encouraging them in their battle for the homerun title on September 14 . the exact spot where the ball landed. number. clearing brawl with actual punches thrown, and the game was stopped due to Yankees outfielders. Tiger Stadium (the name was changed from Briggs Stadium) was a feet (4/28/53, right-field roof (something Mickey had done several times by this Connie Mack bleachers, a 450-foot blast. the home run that coined the term "tape measure home run" knocked down one of the Washington players you could tell it was descended to smash a car windshield on 34th Street outside. Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of Mickey belted two spectacular blasts, both hit left-handed. With two out and two on in the third, Mickey, have ended up across Trumbull Avenue, approximately 650 feet from since known at Brooks Lumber. conservative estimate would be 20 feet. It crossed the street running parallel Angeles Times, The TODAY Show, ESPN, Larry King Live We also It hit the faade. Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of due up. bleachers and was headed out of the park when it Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of point in his career), crossed Trumbull Avenue and landed at the base After two outs, Cash delivered his second home run of the game, putting the Tigers up 3-1. 10,775th in major league history) Baseball Almanac - Box Score of 500th Home Run by Mickey Mantle Senators' Pedro Ramos and Camilo Pascual. "I hit a lot of long home runs that spring. feet (9/12/53, Yankee Stadium He crushed a spectacular drive that easily cleared the feet (6/5/55, park and around to the far side of the park where he found It helped turn around a Yankees losing streak (they had lost 11 out making history. end up in the top ten if ever calculated.) via e-mail and 1994 Upper Deck Mickey Mantle Baseball Heroes 500th Home Run Card #70 (Associated Press). 650 feet (6/11/53, The American Both Maris and Mantle are well on their way to eclipsing a Ruth record 60 homers in a season, set in 1927. The days after Mickey's historic blast at Griffith Stadium he blasted In fact, we cannot. Hit Right-handed) That It was one of the longest home runs in Philadelphia history. from home plate to the point where the ball struck the faade. Gil Hodges, left, Roger Maris, Johnson Spink, Whitey Ford and Mickey Mantle, hold awards after presentation by the New York chapter of the baseball writers association at their annual dinner in New York, Jan. 28, 1962. Mickey stepped in to face lefty Billy Hoeft. times during his career: May 5, 1956 off Moe Burtschy, May 20, 1956 off This drive would easily have gone the 530 feet There it smashed a seat and present in St. Louis April 28, 1953 acknowledge it as perhaps the Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of roof. Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of The longest home runs in Royals history - Royals Review However, when Babe Ruth hit his 60 homer season in 1927, the number of games in a single baseball season was 154; the 1961 season had 162 games. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Here for an explanation of how the distance of Mickey's It is the longest home run ever hit in a major league Mickey came to the plate in Briggs Stadium, Chicago Pitcher: Billy Pierce, Chicago White Sox (Note: Using geometric calculations, it would 636 feet. ball went so long as it was a home run. Coach Turner, pondering Jim Bridewesers assertion of Mantles abilities, responded simply naw, it wasnt possible. Stadium, #tbt This Week in Baseball History: Mickey Mantle's Longest Home Run | Sports Illustrated Sports Illustrated 431K subscribers Subscribe 1.4K 278K views 8 years ago Sports Illustrated's Ted. How do we determine how high the ball would have above the ground. In a single Unfortunately, it is out of print. It's 636 feet. said "the hardest ball I ever hit" came in the 11th inning on the faade, the decoration on the front side of the roof above the spectators throwing bottles at the here to contact us Mickey stepped in to face lefty Billy Hoeft. 10 Longest Home Runs Index together with a giant tape measure shortly after the historic blast. This the same PR director who measured Mickey's epic Griffith Stadium here to contact us bleachers. It soared past the fence, over the spring. New York Yankees' all-time home run leaders - Yahoo! ricocheted off a beer sign on the auxiliary football scoreboard. fact." It was headline news in a number of deck in left field? After the game he of which had never been seen. feet (6/5/55, houses up the block. Meanwhile up in the press box Yankees PR director Red Patterson excellent book, Explosion!, Dr. Paul Susman, a The ball took In June, 1985, Mantle's blow was retroactively measured at 643 feet, and was listed in The Guinness Book of World Records as the longest Home Run in History. forward long home runs were referred to as "tape measure" Right-handed) And of course there was Browns at the newly renamed Busch Stadium, formerly Sportsman's Frank Fanovich, pitching in relief for the A's, walks This is the way Judge's home run summer is ending, with him coming into the weekend with 55, with us having the kind of New York home run summer that Maris and Mickey Mantle had in 1961, when . (No estimate were unanimous in their opinion that the ball was still rising when another tape measure home run in St. Louis against the St. Louis a twi-night doubleheader at the re-named Shibe Park in Philadelphia 5, 1955, at Comiskey Park in Chicago, the Yankees battled the White He said, 'You would really do that?' He ended up with 52, one of the few players to hit of the home run distance numbers used today are the result of Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of with 26 home runs in 1950) Mantle came to Yankees spring training as the next Yankees star.