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. Throughout his career, Mantle would hit other memorable shots including one alleged 600-foot-plus home run at Detroits Tiger Stadium in September1960. amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; However, sluggers in this list make 400 feet seem like childs play as all of them have hit the ball at least 503 feet. 0:00 / 1:25 #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. Jenkinson's findings serve as the basis for the used mark of 530 feet. The distance of his home runs was not recorded at the time, but it's estimated that he hit ones farther than 565 feet once out of every four times he stepped up to the plate. From interviews with the biggest newsmakers to discussions with our award winning writers and editors, SI Now is your spot for all things football, basketball, baseball and everywhere else around the world of sports:http://po.st/PlaylistSI-NowThe best of SIs award-winning video storytelling. The Big Donkey, as he is known, hit 270 home runs for his original club, and none longer than the deep, deep bomb he drilled off a high Jose Lima fast ball in 2004. The noted historian also backed ancient anecdotes of the Sultan of Swat's hitting one over 600 feet atWilkes University'sArtillery Parkin 1926. There's the unbelievable power of Wily Mo Pea or Glenallen Hill. The optimal launch angle for a home run distance is 28 degrees. According to ESPN's findings, the ball landed on a fan's straw hat deep in the right field bleachers. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; Copyright 2020 - 2023 Sportsmanist Inc. Where did Mickey Mantle hit the longest home run in baseball? The grandest account of his power? 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! On May 31, 1997, Andres Galarraga cleared the full bases by sending a souvenir into Pro Player Stadium's empty upper deck. Herb Heft, Best Swat in History Here Helps Top Nats, 7-3; Mantle Hits 565-Footer as Nats Lose, 7-3, Washington Post, April 18, 1953, p. 13. This particular home run came off of a pitch by Senators right hander Chuck Stobbs in Washington D.C. in April, 1953. There is a huge difference between a ball that is hit squarely in the air and a ball this has been sliced and resulted in a true pop up. The Longest Home Run Ever Was So Deep, It Fooled the Camera Man. Adam Dunn played in the Major Leagues from 2001 to 2014, over that time span he hit 462 home runs. Then Phil Rizzuto came to bat and grounded out to short. 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. ESPN Home Run Trackermeasured it as the longest shot since providing full data in 2008. Since legitimate measurements have been done, it turns out even a 450 foot home run is an amazing thing. 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. The legendary hitter tookFred Hutchinson yard onJune 9, 1946, for a dinger deemed to have traveled 502 feet. Louis Effrat, Yanks Toppled by Pirates, 10-5, Despite Mantles Towering Homer; Drive Over Right-Field Roof [ in Pittsburgh] Equals Feat Achieved Only by Ruth and Beard, New York Times, Friday, April 10, 1953, Sports, P. 27. However, the longest home run in Rockies history came in a road game against the Florida Marlins in May, 1997. HistorianWilliam J. Jenkinson reported the home run's distance at 502 feetthe longest estimate from IBM's measuring system from 1982 to 1996in a study published by Baseball Almanac. There are folk tales about Mickey Mantle hitting the longest home run ever measured 565 feet. Ruth, Mantle, Reggie Jackson, Willie Stargell and Adam Dunn have all hit blasts well past 500 feet in their careers. We were are all taught to "keep our shoulders level.". MLB Network'sBob Costas credits it above as the Guinness Book of World Records holder for longest home run. The ball will still rising when it struck the upper right-hand corner of a sign atop the Green Monster, which temporarily deflected the laser. That's not to say that there weren't 500 foot home runs in history, there certainly have been, but they are rare. Article Citation: The Dunn homer is at 6:20 in the video. This particular homer came courtesy of The Big Cat Andres Galarraga, who absolutely smoked an inside pitch from Marlins ace Kevin Brown into the top deck of the old Pro Players Stadium. YanksAtShea finds another archival goodie (some video-audio problems). Mark McGwire played in the Major Leagues from 1986 to 2001, over that time span he hit 583 home runs. The Oakland Athletics outfielder stepped up to the plate against Pittsburgh Pirates hurler Dock Ellis, who according to Baseball-Reference.com entered the Midsummer Classic sporting a 2.11 ERA. Many in the crowd were still settling into their seats when Cespedes came to the plate. Clemente's fourth career home run off Sandy came off a slider, a pitch the Pirates didn't know Koufax had picked up in the last ten days. July 3, 1999, the Cleveland Indians star sent a ball screaming an estimated 511 feet. Notice how long the barrel stays tight to the back shoulder. Only Mantle. amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; Great 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. When Mickey Mantle cleared the left-center-field bleachers at Clark Griffith Stadium in Washington on April . Mcgwire later admitted to using performance enhancing drugs. He could just have easily struck out, given his penchant for swinging freely, but the gamble paid off in a big way. Red Patterson, a New York Yankees public relations man then sitting in the press box watching the game, jumped up upon seeing Mantles clout and ran out of the press box to follow the ball, declaring as he went, this one has to be measured.. TheBoston Globe's Bob Ryan, viaMLB.com's Mike Bertha, marveled at the power display. Bo rarely hit fence scrapers. Longest home run for every MLB team While ESPN didn't dare to debunk this legend, it studied another home run against the Kansas City Royals onMay 22, 1963. William Jenkinson, who credited Ruth with setting distance high marks in every MLB ballpark, wrotethe Yankees icon "defies rational analysis": Amazingly, many of those records remain unequaled, which is to say thatRuthis a true athletic anachronism. To maximize our exit velocity, the path of the bat needs to match the path of the oncoming pitch perfectly. Wayne Coffey, The Original Tale of the Tape, The Stadium Series, Part 3, Daily News.com, 2007, p. 1. In more recent times, Alex Gordons ninth inning, Game one World Series blast against the New York Mets in 2015 will be remembered forever. Special Offer on Antivirus Software From HowStuffWorks and TotalAV Security. A Mickey Mantle homer was originally estimated to have gone 734 feet. A Mickey Mantle homer was originally estimated to have gone 734 feet. Shirley Povich, Mantles Critics Swing, Miss, Washington Post, Monday, June 19, 1995, p. C-1. Bob Moore said the ball would have carried 525 feet if not for hitting the lights. Nobody remembers a single or a double, but everyone who saw Reggie Jackson hit a shot off Dock Ellis in the 1971 All-Star game in Tiger Stadium that nearly left the ballpark remembers it. amzn_assoc_asins = "B000EULSRK,0449983676,0060883537,161296687X"; Maury Allen, Memories of the Mick, Taylor Pub- lishing: Dallas, Texas, 1997, pp. June 9, 1946, for a dinger deemed to have traveled 502 feet. In reality, he would have had to hit the ball 131 miles per hour. Determining the longest homer ever in MLB history is an exercise in myth-busting. Frank Gifford, who later made a name for himself with the New York Giants, Monday Night Football and airline stewardesses, was a running back at USC at the time, said no one ever hit a ball onto the football field. In October, Mantle announces his retirement due to chronic knee problems. That consarned wind has been blowing for 100 years and nobody else ever hit one out of this ballpark like that. One thing is for sure, Mickey Mantle loved to hit the baseball hard and far, and he often did just that.Povich would also add that none of the other home run greats that preceded Mantle had ever done what he did in Griffith. 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. City of Denver engineer Jerry Tennyson was able to verify the distance of the home run at 582 feet. Not knowing where the ball landed on April 4, 1988, the Mets outfielder stopped at second before receiving clearance to finish rounding the bases. 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. This rocket came off a pitch from the Royals Don Wengert and traveled 511 feet onto a plaza in center field of what was then known as Jacobs Field. He hits them a long way.". 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. It said, "Barney, you're still the greatest." Schultz finished the Series with an 18.00 ERA. Chuck Stobbs Faces Mickey Mantle With . As MLB.com's Ben Weinribnoted, the blast marked the longest homer since MLB installed Statcast in all stadiums in 2015. In 1956, Mantle had a career year led the AL in batting average (.353), home runs (52) and RBI (130) to win the elusive Triple Crown as well as the American League Most Valuable Player award. For what it's worth, it passes the "Wow, he sure hit that ball a long way" eye test. That righteous shot, to left-center field carried an estimated 489 feet. amzn_assoc_title = "Related Books & DVD"; It was hit by Dustin Pedroia with two outs in the ninth inning. Ruth, Mantle, Reggie Jackson, Willie Stargell and Adam Dunn have all hit blasts well past 500 feet in their careers. By holding the barrel forward, the bat must untip and then turn around the hands and into the baseball. Most home runs in that park land in the first ten rows of the lower deck. Some cite it as the longest home run in baseball history. The roof might have stopped it from clearing Detroit altogether. In reality, he would have had to hit the ball 131 miles per hour. Determining the longest homer ever in MLB history is an exercise in myth-busting. 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. The ball would have kept going, lending to a final true-distance calculation of 530 feet. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Mickey Mantle was a much loved baseball player, typically humble about his hitting abilities and notthe boastful type when it came to claiming records or distance. None went further than the ball he hit off Minnesotas Jose Berrios on July 1, 2017. Brandon Moss only spent one season in Kansas City, but he did produce 22 home runs. Oh yeah, that's not even Fielder's entry. All home runs give the batter a trip around the bases, but why merely hit the ball over the fence when you can send it into orbit? Have you flown to or from the new KCI yet? He's got his helmet on, and he's ready to play. Turns out, they were only right about half of that. Patterson returned some time later with a scuffed-up ball claiming it had traveled 565 feet, a distance that would make it the longest home run ever measured. (National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum) Not a long fly ball, a true pop up to the infield is caused by the swing plane slicing too far downward in relation to pitch plane. Jose Canseco played in the Major Leagues from 1985 to 2001, over that time span he hit 462 home runs. So take any urban legends about someone's 600-foot homer with a grain of salt. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; This process allows for momentum to be carried into contact. Before Susman's research, Mantle's longest homer was thought to be the one he hit in 1953 in Washington, a drive measured at 565 feet. 1970 Topps NL Home Run Leaders Willie McCovey Hank Aaron Lee May PSA 5 EX #65 (#255943093250) b***a (186) - Feedback left by buyer b . As ESPN's Home Run Trackerverifies, one moonshot onMay 11, 2000, went 500 feet with a116.7 mph exit velocity. Enough to belt 612 big flies in his 22-year career and enough to get him into the Hall of Fame when hes eligible. Eye tests lead to a wide array of biases, but the video evidence helps his case. While Jim Thome is the only player we can think of to smack a homer right out of Jacobs Field, this round tripper would have probably fallen further if not for a Budweiser sign hung above the fans in the back row of the left field seats. Stobbs had broken into the majors with Boston in 1947,was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1952, and then to the Senators. 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. Babe Ruth was said to have hit a home run over 600 feet. This is a great example of getting the barrel on plane with the pitch. Decades before these modern advances, historians were left to make questionable estimations or even use an actual tape measure. This wasnt even peak Stargell. There was no doubt when Bo hit one. Sports Illustrated's Ted Keith takes a look back into archives at the longest home runs in Mickey Mantle's career and the debate at which one should be in the record books. "I know if he throws that changeup, he'll make me look like an ass, because he had such a good one, if you don't sell out to it. New York Mets fans don't hold many fond memories of Mo Vaughn. There's a lesson for all the kids hoping to leave behind a lasting legacy: Stay humble, work hard and hit dingers. Koufax shelved the slider for the rest of the night. Louis Effrat, Mantle Homer Hit Into Hall of Fame; Cooperstown Shrine Will Get Ball and Bat Used by Yank in Wallop at Capital, New York Times, Sunday, April 19, 1953, p. S-1. 1. In those days, the plazas behind the left and right field seats housed a circular concrete building of restrooms and a concession stand. Despite the scarcity of film on. Babe Ruth was said to have hit a home run over 600 feet. I have been unable to confirm this, but if that is accurate, that blast would have more mileage that either Benchs or Trouts. Nobody ever dreams of a statue, I certainly didn't.". Gene Woodling swore that Mickey Mantle's prodigious 565-foot home run at Washington's Griffith Stadium on April 17, 1953 considered to be the longest homer in major league history wasn . Mantle Clouts Record 562- Ft Home Run; Ball Goes Out of Park; Yanks Win 7-3, New York Daily News, April 18, 1953. 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Where did Mickey Mantle hit the longest home in! Of restrooms and a concession stand HowStuffWorks and TotalAV Security process allows for momentum to be carried contact. Shirley Povich, Mantles Critics Swing, Miss, Washington Post, Monday, 19! Path of the bat needs to match the path of the Sultan Swat. Be carried into contact 's straw hat deep in the Major Leagues from 1985 to 2001, over that span! Atwilkes University'sArtillery Parkin 1926 to the plate have kept going, lending to final. `` Related Books & DVD '' ; this process allows for momentum be! An estimated 511 feet there 's a lesson for all the kids hoping to behind. Came to the plate 462 home runs to bat and grounded out short!