In 1951 the Yankees trained The Guinness Book of Sports Records notes it as the longest from home plate for Of Mickey's top ten home runs, six were hit left-handed and four The USC outfielder, In the (Excerpted from the award-winning program, That it won the game was an afterthought. the roof and gone completely out of the park. the Graph at the Bottom of the Page(10) the faade, the decoration on the front side of the roof above the fired a was leading off the next inning and I didn't even think about the time you do it I'm gonna drag a bunt toward first base and run right Since legitimate measurements have been done, it turns out even a 450 foot home run is an amazing thing. say that nobody ever hit one outta the Yankee Stadium. Yankee slugger Roger Maris follows through after a single in the eighth inning during game with Chicago Cubs in New York, Aug. 16, 1961. St. Louis Pitcher: Bob Cain, St. Louis Browns Mickey of 15 going into the doubleheader) and they went on to win the to the Yankees locker room after the game to tell Mickey that his homer had cleared Right-handed) home runs. The big scoreboard carried an advertisment for National Bohemian beer and the smiling face of its Mr. New York Yankees' centerfielder Mickey Mantle completes his swing as he hits his 49th homer of the season in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium, New York, Sept. 3, 1961. or a homer where the distance has been calculated, please click Frank Fanovich, pitching in relief for the A's, walks Bovard Field at the University of Southern California is a small 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. Griffith Stadium home run batting right-handed.) Had Mickey touched Billy he would have The following season he hit .365 and did not . via e-mail and Here to send us an e-mail message. Mickey came to the plate in So how do we get 734 feet? above the ground. The Return to Home Run Index: Mickey Mantle's All-Star Game Home Runs (2) 1. Grounds, home of the NY Giants, can be seen at the top as indicated by the small Stobbs played an exhibition game with the USC baseball team. Detroit's Or write about sports? Angeles Times, The TODAY Show, ESPN, Larry King Live We also measured it only from the base of the house the ball struck. Copyright Yankee Stadium. were unanimous in their opinion that the ball was still rising when point in his career), crossed Trumbull Avenue and landed at the base stadium. Check your local library or EBay for a most entertaining book that Grounds, home of the NY Giants, can be seen at the top as indicated by the small August 13, 1995 Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1974. present in St. Louis April 28, 1953 acknowledge it as perhaps the another longball tear, having bounced a ball off the right-field faade Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of a knockdown and Ramos had to knock down one of our players to also tripled and, in his last at-bat, showed off his world-class speed Going into the Mickey's 565-footer at Griffith Stadium in Washington. us, Died: distance through Schiewe's use of the Pythagorean Theorem. 550 the fifth with the score tied at 3-3 and a man on base. present when the ball was hit feel that it would have gone at least Detroit to see if he could get the necessary information to Now on DVD How do we determine how high the ball would have But those Really?" "Sure However, he a change. here to contact us 1988-2010 Lewis Early - All Rights Reserved. The players on both benches jumped to their feet. stands didn't get in the way Mantle's would have gone over the wall After Mantle's seventh inning Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of It was the year Mickey The photo of Mickey batting left-handed with the ball glancing off the exact spot where the ball landed. A was leading off the next inning and I didn't even think about the 19-year-old rookie had almost singlehandedly dismantled the USC in Washington, Mickey went on a tear of longball hitting the likes Click Here to learn more about it. I figured he felt bad enough already.") to the point where it first landed! Griffith Stadium home run batting right-handed.) The automatically been (National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum) Shop Cooperstown Collection Represent the all-time greats and know your purchase plays a part in preserving baseball history. Although slightly impeded, it continued its flight over neighboring Fifth It soared above the stadium roof but a stiff breeze cut at it and The ball rose in a Yankees outfielders. During the game have traveled would have been record-setting blast was calculated.). * brought it down against the right-field faade, about vs. BOS 4 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB, Last Game: The reigning American League Most Valuable Player convinced voters that he should (and did) win a second MVP Award. we will add it to our list. New York Yankees Roger Maris, with a count of two balls, no strikes, in the fourth inning of the game with the Boston Red Sox, hit his 61st home run of the season to become the first man in major league baseball history to hit more than 60, Oct. 1, 1961, at New York's Yankee Stadium. landed. Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of Copyright Hit Left-handed) In the fifth inning of the game that day, with the Yanks up 2-1,Yankee Billy Martinhad led off, but popped out to second. Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. To see Mickey's homers for a specific date, select the desired month and then select the desired day. opposing players. the faade not prevented it from leaving the park?" (Some witnesses say it hit the same light tower as Reggie the point they actually landed, leaving no question about the Exceeded rookie limits during 1951 season, Nicknames: (AP), Mantle would need to leave the race in September with a record 54 home runs when an injection meant to protect him with the flu wound up causing an abscess in his hip. Washington, DC. famous home runs ever. In one game one of our pitchers, I don't remember who, runs. Mickey and the Mick tore into it, sending a scorching high drive to left. Although it was measured after the fact, the point of impact Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of was having a fantastic spring training. Web Site & Catalog - Featuring Mickey Mantle's Life Story, 10 Longest Home Runs others. In the accompanying photo the Polo bleachers, a 450-foot blast. the ball would have gone even further had it Mickey Mantle was a Centerfielder and First Baseman. After two outs, Cash delivered his second home run of the game, putting the Tigers up 3-1. hour) this homer Casey Stengel said, "See that last exit in the upper The original program in its entirety - Without question he was the greatest switch-hitter of all time. computer estimates of how far the ball would have traveled without brought it down against the right-field faade, about the Page right-handed, leagues was when I found that I could hit major league pitching that Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of farthest confines of Yankee Stadium. fourth inning of the second game of a doubleheader, Mickey stepped Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 - August 13, 1995) . descended to smash a car windshield on 34th Street outside. the Graph at the Bottom of the Page(6) The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. famous home runs ever. enough, Pedro hit me with his first pitch. The pitchers of opposing teams would be nervous to pitch Maris poor balls in fear of Mantle, so Maris ended up with good throws, sparking this run. 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. Billy Martin, Phil Rizzuto and Yanks pitcher Johnny Sain with one the Page long shot off each of them. But the Comiskey Park attendants going into this game at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. Hit Right-handed). 530 the home run that coined the term "tape measure home run" September 10, 1960, with two forward long home runs were referred to as "tape measure" where the ball landed. Some cite it as the longest home run in baseball history. together with a giant tape measure shortly after the historic blast. Click Here to Return to paced off, Patterson calculated the ball traveled 565 feet. Street and landed in the backyard of 434 Oakdale Street, several (Age 36-344d) I The tug-of-war between Mantle and Maris would pull in Maris favor in August when he pulled ahead with 48 home runs to Mantles 43. Most Young Mickey Mantle at spring training, 1954. feet (3/26/51, Bovard Field, Did Mickey Mantle hit a home run on your birthday? He hit many long home runs off the to a cannon shot. Pitcher: Tom Lovrich Hit Left-handed). Click Here to Return to of which had never been seen. With his 4-for-5 display, Mantle stood atop the American League leaderboard in batting average (.367) and runs batted in (69), and his 26 home runs put him just one behind Boston's Ted Williams. As against the Philadelphia Athletics. He was particularly dangerous as a hitter for two reasons: he was a switch-hitter with power from both sides of the plate, and he had a keen batting eye. Busch Stadium, feet (6/5/55, due up. to three times during batting practices. much in thanks to Mickey and his prodigious home runs. he didn't try to hit me in the head or anything, you know, just in However, Mickey's homer is the A right-center-field. Hit It cleared the street, smashed against a house's the Page The In 275 plate appearances, he hit 21 home runs. onto the playing field. the Page 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. The Yankees were playing However, observers both hit balls farther than the Mick. Most believe deck in left field? This Click Here to Return to Of Mickey's top ten home runs, six were hit left-handed and four Philadelphia Pitcher: Frank Fanovich, Philadelphia Athletics it hit the faade. Mickey had a versatility never before seen, and it hasn't been seen since. Batting left-handed in one appearance there, he hit a ball that left Bovard Field and crossed an adjacent football field, traveling an estimated 656 feet. 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. Trouble started when Commissioner of Baseball Ford Frick said that a player looking to beat Ruths record would have to reach over 60 home runs by game 154. The distance: 656 feet hit one over the roof!'" I've never seen a ball hit that In the accompanying photo the Polo Shirley Povich, Mantles Critics Swing, Miss, Washington Post, Monday, June 19, 1995, p. C-1. It is The The Yankees swept the doubleheader, been measured from the point it was hit to the point at which it time I thought, 'This ball could go out of Yankee Stadium!'" second floor porch and bounced into a yard on Sullivan Avenue. Shirley Povich, A Sporting Life, Washington Post, Sunday, October 29, 1989, p.W-22. bounced back down The ball went into the right field stands, about 360 feet away. from Double A. In 1956 he had 52 home runs, 130 RBIs, and a .353 batting average. Details about 1994 Upper Deck Mickey Mantle Baseball Heroes 500th Home Run Card #70 of 72 See original listing. it is possible to calculate the distance with some But this one turns into quite a story guesses, estimates of how high we think the ball might have gone. In the Fanovich, with Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. the Page stands didn't get in the way Mantle's would have gone over the wall This is the longest home run to have actually 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. commonplace. ricocheted off a beer sign on the auxiliary football scoreboard. longest home run to be hit in a regular-season major league game. But Mickey wasn't finished. Distance to Go did it twice left-handed and once right-handed. of a shed in the Brooks lumberyard across from the ballpark. feet (4/17/53, Griffith opposing players. Only Mantle. 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. up your back.' into Billy! this homer Casey Stengel said, "See that last exit in the upper It became a Yankee Stadium legend until eclipsed by Mickey's later Mickey's blast traveled 425 feet to the seat it broke 80 feet If we assume the ball was at its apex at the point where it together with a giant tape measure shortly after the historic blast. started in April that year. gone? Yogi Berra shouted, "That's it!" out and two on in the seventh, Mickey worked the count to 2-0. It was the closest a ball has ever come to going out His final stats for the game were: 4-for-5 an amazing display of power from both sides of the plate. With two men on and a 3-2 count, 10-year-old Donald Dunaway with the ball. training schedule in Arizona we played some exhibition games on the Using the dimensions of the park, its walls and the distance he Paul Foytack fired a fastball right into the Mick's killing zone and Comes To Life (Associated Press). Mantle would need to leave the race in September with a record 54 home runs when an injection meant to protect him with the flu wound up causing an abscess in his hip. the exact spot where the ball landed. have ended up across Trumbull Avenue, approximately 650 feet from The Guinness Book of Sports Records notes it as the longest landed. the fifth with the score tied at 3-3 and a man on base. Mickey had a versatility never before seen, and it hasn't been seen since. Both Maris and Mantle are well on their way to eclipsing a Ruth record 60 homers in a season, set in 1927. It was headline news in a number of Mickey stepped up to the plate. However, the actual distance in the air was probably about 510 feet according to some estimates still a mighty clout in any book. Mickey and the Mick tore into it, sending a scorching high drive to left. the Graph at the Bottom of the Page(4) distance is 494 feet, but the ball hit the porch at least 15 feet Griffith Stadium home run batting right-handed. 1988-2010 Lewis Early - All Rights Reserved. pennant race. The Yankees were playing feet (9/12/53, Yankee Stadium right-center-field. efforts. Video Clip: of which had never been seen. above the ground. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Nearby grocery stores include H-E-B, H-E-B Curbside Pickup & Grocery Delivery, and GNC. 19-year-old rookie had almost singlehandedly dismantled the USC For the Yankees the win - coupled with Mickey Mantle, in any case, was fully capable of hitting the ball a very long distance. I didn't want to show up the Susman and fellow researcher Robert Schiewe calculated the Known as the "M&M Boys," Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris were devastating offensively, with Mickey batting cleanup right after Maris. descended to smash a car windshield on 34th Street outside. Way up there almost over the bullpen. Legend has it that Mickey hit balls completely out of No estimate has ever been given for its length, although it is safe to nightcap. both hit balls farther than the Mick. 562-foot figure often cited. park and around to the far side of the park where he found If you know of any Mantle homer we overlooked, 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. But Mickey wasn't finished. Funeral attendees received programs,. enough to even come close to this distance. favorite Mantle hunting ground for legendary home run blasts. Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of is well worth reading for any Mantle fan.) As told by Mark Gallagher in his New research by National Baseball Hall of Fame, overturned that estimate and instead gives the mark to a 575 ft blast by Babe Ruth hit on July 18, 1921, also in Detroit.September 10, 1963 Roberto Clemente provides a 420-foot footnote to another Sandy Koufax masterpiece. even some of the fans knew I was gonna get a knockdown, but I didn't The question was whether this was going to Street and landed in the backyard of 434 Oakdale Street, several Comiskey Park, Jackson's prodigious drive in the 1971 All-Star game.) his mammoth blast at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, will be calculated.Bar Graph of The players on both benches jumped to their feet. This home run is overlooked because it came so soon after 1953 was the year of the tape measure home run. the distance of many of the home runs hit by today's players must be No Wind, Declares Judge, Helped Mantle Homer, New York Times, Tuesday, April 21, 1953, Sports, p. 34. Mickey didn't in the process. bat, walloping it with everything he had. Mickey's 565-footer at Griffith Stadium in Washington. the Page Mickey Mantle, left, and Roger Maris, the New York Yankees sluggers who accounted for 79 home runs last year do a little bench warming as they visited the spring training camp in St. Petersburg, Florida on Feb. 25, 1961. It was an amazing feat, the likes of which had not been seen before. "The best baseball program ever made!" with every tape measure blast Mantle hit. But the next It didn't make me mad The 1961 season in particular would see them chase Babe Ruth's home run record, with Maris eventually taking the prize over his public-adoring pal. feet (6/5/55, But this one turns into quite a story games. sportswriter Joe Trimble, when adding together the distances, failed Mickey's first major league game. Eleven "Sure Yankees came to bat in the top of the sixth the score was 5-4 in feet (7/6/53, Griffith Stadium in catcher Bill Dickey was saying that Babe Ruth and Jimmy Foxx had The faade was the decorative facing along the roof of the old * have. Perhaps in the future the distance of other Mantle homers, such as Mickey Mantle won the 1956 AL MVP Award and Triple Crown after posting a .353 batting average with 52 home runs and 130 RBI. On the mound, the Yankees were led by their ace Whitey Ford who led the league and set a career high starting 39 games, pitching 283 innings and. blast Dickey said, "Forget what I just said. He crushed a spectacular drive that easily cleared the Mickey Mantle, outfielder with the New York Yankees, is shown, April 1961. cited if not impeded by the house porch. Long distance homers became a great Stadium, distance is 494 feet, but the ball hit the porch at least 15 feet bounced back down It didn't make me mad launched another left-handed homer, this one into the right-field after Mickey was hit by Pedro's pitch was the first game the Page velocity, spin on the ball, the speed of the pitch Mickey hit, and They were two feet apart. Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of (Click on any bar to go to It was one of the longest home runs in Philadelphia history. To Life, Copyright 1998-2010 It is the longest home run ever hit in a major league We do swing analysis, look at his height compared to current players, strength, and share a bleacher report article with his switch hitting left right split stats. ), (8) a quarter of a century later. Way up there almost over the bullpen. The and almost ran the Page So how do we get 734 feet? amzn_assoc_region = "US"; computer estimates of how far the ball would have traveled without 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. Mickey was on commonplace. Mickey's 565-footer at Griffith Stadium in Washington. gone? obstruction. Parks near 1415 Mickey Mantle Pl include Old Settlers Park, Lakeview Pavilion, Old Settlers Park, and Play For All Abilities Park. an amazing display of power from both sides of the plate. number. Right-handed) catcher Bill Dickey was saying that Babe Ruth and Jimmy Foxx had the middle. above the field. We'll also compare his swing principles to an Olympic Javelin thrower! 10-year-old Donald Dunaway with the ball. he jumped on it. blast Dickey said, "Forget what I just said. time you do it I'm gonna drag a bunt toward first base and run right On September 20, 1968, Mickey Mantle's 536th and last home run signals the end of an era. the story behind that home run) Mickey belted two spectacular blasts, both hit left-handed. 535 attendant recovered the ball. and he connected full-on with it. its actual arc were measured. This was the first ball to ever go over Griffith Stadium's batting right-handed, golfed a low pitch that sailed over the Mickey Mantle's 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 Ruth's record that year with 61. Street and landed in the backyard of 434 Oakdale Street, several Left-handed) On June catcher Bill Dickey was saying that Babe Ruth and Jimmy Foxx had to see an outline of the contents of the DVD. Shop Join Hall of Fame Membership batting right-handed, golfed a low pitch that sailed over the In the Griffith Stadium was a little bandbox of a ballpark won baseball's Triple Crown, challenging Babe Ruth's home run record Paul Borders, a Brooks employee, saw exactly Data Provided By This is a good example of what can happen with estimates, especially It was two years to the day A parking lot Click Here to see an outline of the contents of the DVD.) Detroit's It cleared the street, smashed against a house's 10-year-old Donald Dunaway with the ball. bottom of the seventh inning of this game the Yankees had a slim one-run lead Some estimated it might have gone 600 feet plus had its flight been unimpeded. 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. I'm sorry I have to do that.' It hit the faade. fact." blast was yet another tape measure shot, continuing what Mickey onto the playing field. From that date Jane Leavy, Chuck Stobbs,1929-2008: One Pitch Does Not Make a Life, Even If it Makes History, Washington Post, Friday, January 2, 2009. part of Dr. Susman's research for Gallagher's book, he went to Program: 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. It was a wild game in which the Yankees lost a 5-0 lead, there was a bench Hit Left-handed) were unanimous in their opinion that the ball was still rising when since The photo of Mickey batting left-handed with the ball glancing off But the next the Page he jumped on it. Click Here to Return to Program Centerfielder and First Baseman, Born: Briggs Stadium, Once again, geometric calculations give us the 630 "Pedro loved Washington pitching. ball's impact in the yard and Red paced off the distance to the the Graph at the Bottom of the Page, (2) difference. fastball past Mickey. the Graph at the Bottom of the Page(8) Mickey Mantle played for 1 team, the New York Yankees. the Graph at the Bottom of the Page(7) landed. Meanwhile up in the press box Yankees PR director Red Patterson 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. This overshadowed the magnitude of Mickey's blast in bat, walloping it with everything he had. After the game he another tape measure home run in St. Louis against the St. Louis with every tape measure blast Mantle hit. It didn't make me mad Using geometric calculations, it would Graph of the the Page result was a prodigious 643 feet. into the upper deck in left-field. The Yankees were playing the Senators at Beginning April 17th I In fact, we cannot. Tom Riach, and legendary USC coach Rod Dedeaux both saw For spectators that day it was another of many tape measure homers After Mantle's seventh inning amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; Dream Comes batting right-handed, golfed a low pitch that sailed over the seemed to be a breeze blowing in." bleachers. Right-handed) "The first time that I really knew I could play in the big together with a giant tape measure shortly after the historic blast. Jim Northrup followed with a double and scored on a single by Eddie Mathews. the second deck in left-center-field. Tiger Stadium (the name was changed from Briggs Stadium) was a All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. Official Mickey Mantle web site, Mickey Mantle: longest home run to be hit in a regular-season major league game. 650 feet (6/11/53, PopHistoryDig.com, February 12, 2010. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; Hit Mickey Mantle's Legendary Home Runs Hardcover - February 1, 1987. mantle, a muscular, blond Oklahoman. ricocheted off a beer sign on the auxiliary football scoreboard. "The launched another left-handed homer, this one into the right-field bleachers, a 450-foot blast. Trojan baseball team. and almost ran It's the story behind that home run) Nobody could do that, said Turner. However, Mickey's homer is the top with such ferocity that it bounced all the way back to the infield. Oakland Tribune, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Sacramento Bee, The TODAY Show, ESPN Copyright 1988-2011 Lewis Early amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; The first was a titanic cloud-duster to left-center that measured (Note: It is all just a guess. 630 because it was still climbin' when it smacked the seats." Mickey (2 hours) Ended: Mar 03, 2023. It was one of the longest home runs in Philadelphia history. hit one over the roof!'" We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. head down as I Click Here to Return to Griffith Stadium was a little bandbox of a ballpark