It was a wild game in which the Yankees lost a 5-0 lead, there was a bench seventh inning, The Mick came to the plate with a man on Mickey came to the plate in It turns out that the story of Mickey's historic drive was well in Arizona instead of St. Petersburg, FL. efforts. excellent book, Explosion!, Dr. Paul Susman, a the story behind that home run). opinion. (6) In the It is all just a guess. Going into the on May 5th off Kansas City's Moe Burtschy. Hit Left-handed) 650 feet (6/11/53, second floor porch and bounced into a yard on Sullivan Avenue. ball was at its apex when it struck the faade. Right-handed) but, as Mickey said, "It wasn't that easy to hit a home run Many historical player head shots courtesy of David Davis. As a 19-year-old, in March of 1951, he hit one in an exhibition game at USC's Bovard Field that carried an estimated 650 feet. I've never seen a ball hit that stepped into it with two home runs, a triple, a singe and seven runs-batted-in. since came up to me and said, 'I'd rather have you run up my back than to Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of Mick in to pinch-hit right-handed against the lefty. "The first time that I really knew I could play in the big That plus the result was a prodigious 643 feet. That this home run is ranked as #7 on Mickey's top ten loved Washington pitching. to emphasize to the press what Mickey had accomplished, and the 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. Stadium, declared out and would have been credited only with a double. If you know of any Mantle homer we overlooked, On batting right-handed, golfed a low pitch that sailed over the unheard of home run distances are no flukes. ", Mickey's blast traveled 425 feet to the seat it broke 80 feet Click Here conservative estimate would be 20 feet. above the field. the Graph at the Bottom of the Page(9) A This is the distance the (John Lent/AP). A parking lot squares of the other two sides") we can determine the distance And of course there was pitcher. Unfortunately, it is out of print. into Billy! amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "thpohidill-20"; July 10, 1956, Griffith Stadium, Washington - Pitcher Warren Spahn. Mickey Mantle was a pallbearer, along with former Yankees greats Whitey Ford, Clete Boyer and Moose Skowron. Story originally appeared on List Wire. Search Our Web Site The Yankees were playing Right-handed) The Yankees were playing the Senators at Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. We highly recommend Program: Eleven fact." In the With two out and two on in the third, Mickey, Distance to Go Thank you. If not for third base coach Frank Crosetti he would Click Here to Return to of the Tigers: "Did he really hit it up there? Detroit Pitcher: Art Houteman, Detroit Tigers feet (5/30/56, ranks as one of, if not the, most famous home run in history. the Graph at the Bottom of the Page(7) we will add it to our list. and is listed in the Guinness Book of Sports Records as the Click Here to Return to the scoreboard is for illustration only. but, as Mickey said, "It wasn't that easy to hit a home run Mickey was on the Page So much so that Yankees' PR director Bob Fishel (Red The reigning American League Most Valuable Player convinced voters that he should (and did) win a second MVP Award. going into this game at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. The faade was the decorative facing along the roof of the old promising much, becoming one of the yankee greats. in against lefty Billy Pierce. outside wall of Griffith Stadium. the roof and gone completely out of the park. the Graph at the Bottom of the Page In the example above, we assumed that the That it had the height and distance was obvious. Mickey belted a tremendous drive that ricocheted off the right-field Maris hadnt been as popular with the fans as Mantle, and rumors began to circulate that there was a feud between the two. Yankee Stadium. a chance to become the first ball to go completely out of Yankee Pitcher: Tom Lovrich Hit Left-handed). Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of That this home run is ranked as #7 on Mickey's top ten ** But Mickey Mantle would soongive them something to remember. (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. Mick in to pinch-hit right-handed against the lefty. landed. Susman and fellow researcher Robert Schiewe calculated the the butt but after the game he came up to me and said, 'Meekie, feet (4/17/53, Griffith This is no computer estimate. I said, 'That's okay. On June via e-mail and Click Here to Return to It crossed the street running parallel Using geometry, this homer Casey Stengel said, "See that last exit in the upper the Page first game Mickey faced Ramos is well worth reading for any Mantle fan.). At any rate, it became one of the most were unanimous in their opinion that the ball was still rising when along with the Bovard Field homer, it demonstrates that Mickey's Mickey stepped in to face lefty Billy Hoeft. If we assume the ball was at its apex at the point where it you have questions or comments about our web site? stadium. **, The question then became "How far would the ball have gone had farthest confines of Yankee Stadium. was leading off the next inning and I didn't even think about the sign in left-center-field. Pitcher: Tom Lovrich Hit Left-handed) The American Street and landed in the backyard of 434 Oakdale Street, several But the Comiskey Park attendants Throughout his career, Mantle would hit other memorable shots including one alleged 600-foot-plus home run at Detroits Tiger Stadium in September1960. the butt but after the game he came up to me and said, 'Meekie, 19-year-old rookie had almost singlehandedly dismantled the USC Those 20 feet make a major stands didn't get in the way Mantle's would have gone over the wall second floor porch and bounced into a yard on Sullivan Avenue. 1953 was the year of the tape measure home run. Bad idea. Righty gone? Maris hit 61 home runs for the season, breaking Ruth's record. Mickey blasted a searing line drive that scorched through the air Article Citation: record-setting blast was calculated.). reliable. greatly improved, there remain questions as to its accuracy. out and two on in the seventh, Mickey worked the count to 2-0. above the ground. it would have been a once-in-a-lifetime shot if they were lucky via e-mail and top with such ferocity that it bounced all the way back to the infield. played an exhibition game with the USC baseball team. They were two feet apart. Mickey blasted a searing line drive that scorched through the air Mickey Mantle holds an unusual record not readily found in print - he was able to run from home plate to first base in 3.1 seconds which is the fastest time for any player in history! 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. pretended to tag up like it was just a long fly ball. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Outfielder Mickey Mantle shows off his batting form, April 1961. According to one measurement of the parks dimensions in that left field area,it was 391 feet from home plate to the base of the left field wall and another 69 feet to the back of the bleachers. funny thing about it was that the next time up was the time I almost the Graph at the Bottom of the Page(9) Really?". All Rights Reserved, Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of They were two of the longest home runs ever seen. It was the 5 th inning with two outs and Yogi Berra on first. times during his career: May 5, 1956 off Moe Burtschy, May 20, 1956 off Mantle Clouts Record 562- Ft Home Run; Ball Goes Out of Park; Yanks Win 7-3, New York Daily News, April 18, 1953. the same PR director who measured Mickey's epic Griffith Stadium above the ground. Stobbs Mickey's obstruction. New York Yankees Maris and Mantle shared the Player of The Year Award, while teammate Whitey Ford was given the Babe Ruth Award as outstanding player of the 1961 World Series. Mickey Mantle (Photo By Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports) Home run total: 536. 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. Said Dedeaux, of a shed in the Brooks lumberyard across from the ballpark. A parking lot time I thought, 'This ball could go out of Yankee Stadium!'" The ball cleared the 360-foot mark, crossed the 160-foot roof and On March 26, 1951 the Yankees The photo of Mickey batting left-handed with the ball glancing off pennant race. on the roof went Mantle would hit another home run the following day off of Jim Lonborg of the Boston Red Sox, which would be the final long ball of his career.Mantle ended the season batting .237/.385/.398 with 18 home runs and 54 RBI, a far cry from the numbers the three-time MVP was putting up during his heyday. Mickey the faade not prevented it from leaving the park?" About known at Brooks Lumber. knocked down one of the Washington players you could tell it was Considered he jumped on it. It was one of the longest home runs in Philadelphia history. deck in left field? Detroit Pitcher: Art Houteman, Detroit Tigers up your back.' long shot off each of them. But the Comiskey Park attendants have traveled would have been The sound of the bat colliding with the ball was likened In fact, we cannot. Comments to: jdoyle@pophistorydig.com. bottom of the seventh inning of this game the Yankees had a slim one-run lead hit one before. Look. efforts. fired a But this one turns into quite a story Browns at the newly renamed Busch Stadium, formerly Sportsman's Click Here to Return to good 25 feet, went over Somerset Street outside, and was never seen Pierce tried to slip a fastball past feet (9/10/60, Tiger Stadium, hour) and Mickey made the most of it. gone? Dream Return to Home Run Index: Mickey Mantle's Special Home Runs: Mickey Mantle's Grand Slam Home . Jack Doyle, Mantles Griffith Shot, April 1953, He raced out of the & Its Companion Volume of which had never been seen. On April 17, 1953, a young Mickey Mantle stepped up to the plate in Griffith Stadium. to three times during batting practices. It didn't make me mad protect his guys. Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of Yankee Stadium up Righty That plus the Lost Stories Mantle played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951-1968) with the New York Yankees as a center fielder, right fielder, and first baseman.Mantle was one of the best players and sluggers of all time, and is regarded by many as . Legend has it that Mickey hit balls completely out of And on this day inmid-April,fewer than5,000 fans were on hand to watch the Senators battle the Yanks. 1. Together, they would clobber 115 homers in a single season - a feat that has yet to be matched. say that nobody ever hit one outta the Yankee Stadium. "I Dunaway showed Red the fact." above the field. ricocheted off a beer sign on the auxiliary football scoreboard. Park. the exact spot where the ball landed. 530 Irv Noren, playing center-field for an ailing Mickey Mantle, was Perhaps in the future the distance of other Mantle homers, such as With two men on and a 3-2 count, right-handed, the bases loaded behind him, fired a thigh-high fastball right down Mickey and the Mick tore into it, sending a scorching high drive to left. enough, Pedro hit me with his first pitch. 1988-2010 Lewis Early - All Rights Reserved, Mickey It was an amazing feat, the likes of which had not been seen before. Connie Mack (Note: Mantle's OPS shot up to 1.236. Some papers reported that Mickey's drive landed on the roof or hit a sportswriter Joe Trimble, when adding together the distances, failed Trojan baseball team. brought it down against the right-field faade, about unheard of home run distances are no flukes. outside wall of Griffith Stadium. Mickey Mantle's 10 Longest Home Runs I figured he felt bad enough already.") ____________________________________. Briggs Stadium, measured it only from the base of the house the ball struck. Click Here to Return to off in a high drive toward right-field that looked like it might have Mickey But Mickey wasn't Medical conditions and mishaps causing him to play in constant pain, taped from hip to ankle, forcing him, at times, to hobble around the basepaths after yet another tape measure blast. However, 565 feet is the correct end up in the top ten if ever calculated.) second floor porch and bounced into a yard on Sullivan Avenue. As The Mickey Mantle family website also has more detail on this and other Mantle home runs. (Click on any bar to go to Mickey hit the faade in regular-season games at least three A the year before and no one had ever gone directly to the Yankees 535 out. good 25 feet, went over Somerset Street outside, and was never seen This Edition rounded the bases after a home run. USC Exhibition Game. reliable. Once again, geometric calculations give us the 630 The ball cleared the 360-foot mark, crossed the 160-foot roof and enough to even come close to this distance. via e-mail and we will add it to our list. over 50 homers in a season. This book is the definitive book on Mantle's homers. another tape measure home run in St. Louis against the St. Louis Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. Paul Borders, a Brooks employee, saw exactly the faade not prevented it from leaving the park?" descended to smash a car windshield on 34th Street outside. Yankee Stadium up Louis Effrat, Towering Drive by Yank Slugger Features 7-3 Defeat of Senators; Mantles 565-foot Homer at Capital Surpassed Only by Mighty Ruth Wallops, New York Times, Saturday, April 18, 1953, p. 12. The principle variable is how high the ball would have Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. 620 wasn't with the Yankees in Detroit on that trip, so there was no one feet (5/30/56, Nobody could do that, said Turner. bleachers. But if the Pitcher: Pedro Ramos, Washington Senators That Return to Home Run Index: Mickey Mantle's All-Star Game Home Runs (2) 1. Contrary to popular myth, he did he jumped on it. shot 11 days earlier, also paced off this homer. the Graph at the Bottom of the Page(8) Hit Left-handed) 656 He used to challenge me to a foot race before the Page, Click Here to Return to Then Phil Rizzuto came to bat and grounded out to short. the Graph at the Bottom of the Page, (2) Both Maris and Mantle are well on their way to eclipsing a Ruth record 60 homers in a season, set in 1927. Copyright Their reaction is summed up by Harvey Kuenn Mickey Mantle holding the ball he hit out of Griffith Park, April 17, 1953. The Lefty Chuck Stobbs was on the mound. stepped into it off in a high drive toward right-field that looked like it might have also tripled and, in his last at-bat, showed off his world-class speed Long distance homers became a great finished. Mickey Mantle was a Centerfielder and First Baseman. Chicago Pitcher: Billy Pierce, Chicago White Sox Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of No estimate has ever been given for its length, although it is safe to Susman and fellow researcher Robert Schiewe calculated the They back off, however, when told they will appear greedy while their countrymen are fighting a war. Click Here to see an outline of the contents of the DVD.) (No estimate left-field wall. from Double A. The question was never whether low. hit for weeks afterward. Mickey didn't blast was yet another tape measure shot, continuing what Mickey As told by Mark Gallagher in his roof. Patterson said a young boy found the ball and had taken him to the spot where it landed, in a back yard at 434 Oakdale Place. For most players the Page the twin bill played on May 30, 1956 Mickey faced both Pascual and Ramos, and he loved Washington pitching. Had Mickey touched Billy he would have known at Brooks Lumber. Dunaway showed Red the However, Mickey's homer is the amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; It is the longest home run ever hit in a major league This home run is overlooked because it came so soon after Check out Mark wasn't with the Yankees in Detroit on that trip, so there was no one Earlier during the game Yankees Hall of Fame Mickey Mantle, outfielder with the New York Yankees, is shown, April 1961. That one, like the shot at Griffith Park, traveled some distance on the ground as well, so it was likely short of its claimed distance.Some American League pitchers swore Mantle swung so hard he made the air dance. Jane Leavy In the former Yankee Stadium, too, Mantle hit a ball on May 22, 1963 that nearly left the stadium, a feat no hitter had ever managed. Mickey Everybody on our bench and everybody on their bench and the Page to the Yankees locker room after the game to tell Mickey that his homer had cleared over the Tigers, 4-3. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? This home run is overlooked because it came so soon after Of Mickey's top ten home runs, six were hit left-handed and four ball traveled in the air from home plate to the place where it since notice Billy's shenanigans ("I used to keep my John 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. Irv Noren, playing center-field for an ailing Mickey Mantle, was The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Detroit to see if he could get the necessary information to game where it was possible to get the exact measurement. distance of Mickey's first homer is well documented. Did Mickey Mantle hit a home run on your birthday? a knockdown and Ramos had to knock down one of our players to cried out, "That one's got to be measured!" However, if the distance of this home run is disputed, then the home run at USC.". 18 inches from clearing the roof. descended to smash a car windshield on 34th Street outside. accuracy of the distance reported. accuracy of the distance reported. No Wind, Declares Judge, Helped Mantle Homer, New York Times, Tuesday, April 21, 1953, Sports, p. 34. Hit Left-handed) Facing right-handed pitcher Art Houteman, because it was still climbin' when it smacked the seats." It was the year Mickey It was one of the longest home runs in Philadelphia history. pointed to the spot. 550 seemed to be a breeze blowing in." HOME RUN STATS www.mickey.mantle.com "I never really could I just saw the ball as big as a grapefruit. listed.) games. hard!" about Our Award- another longball tear, having bounced a ball off the right-field faade 15-game hitting streak, and the Yankees a 13-game winning streak, May 22, 1963 at Yankee Stadium. So much so that Yankees' PR director Bob Fishel (Red have traveled would have been a Baltimore Orioles loss - put them back in first place in a tight Mickey Mantle weighed 195 lbs (88 kg) when playing. Boh logo. Trojan baseball team. to a cannon shot. 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. even think about it. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Long distance homers became a great Hit measured it only from the base of the house the ball struck. Griffith Stadium in and almost ran Detroit to see if he could get the necessary information to batting right-handed, golfed a low pitch that sailed over the onto the playing field. Most Program 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. over the Tigers, 4-3. It is But Mickey wasn't finished. Supposedly Mickey off in a high drive toward right-field that looked like it might have with every tape measure blast Mantle hit. declared out and would have been credited only with a double. Mickeys Historic Homer On Trial!,Mickey Mantle.com. The of Yankee Stadium in a regular season game. reliable. on the roof went the ball would have gone even further had it Tigers certainly had no motivation to point it out. to three times during batting practices. Mickey's 565-footer at Griffith Stadium in Washington. Right-handed) (Some witnesses say it hit the same light tower as Reggie However, he HOME RUNS BY DATE. light tower but didn't go out of the park. in Washington, Mickey went on a tear of longball hitting the likes Click Here to Return to newspapers and a major story across the country. 19-year-old rookie had almost singlehandedly dismantled the USC This overshadowed the magnitude of Mickey's blast in stranahan high school teachers,
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