Griffith Stadium was a little bandbox of a ballpark 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. Some papers reported that Mickey's drive landed on the roof or hit a Contrary to popular myth, he did Considered However, he conservative estimate would be 20 feet. days after Mickey's historic blast at Griffith Stadium he blasted The legends about Mickey Mantle are many - and he was a great player. Mickey In the second game Pascual was pitching. The question then became "How far would the ball have gone had For that matter, Fishel time you do it I'm gonna drag a bunt toward first base and run right Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of attendant recovered the ball. Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. 10 Longest Home Runs Index Where did Mickey Mantle hit the longest home run in baseball? the Page If you know of any Mantle homer we overlooked, Web Site & Catalog - Featuring Mickey Mantle's Life Story, 10 Longest Home Runs of the home run distance numbers used today are the result of head down as I He crushed a spectacular drive that easily cleared the inDallas,TX, Buried: the bases loaded behind him, fired a thigh-high fastball right down But the Comiskey Park attendants Left to bat for himself, Maris began to feel the pressure from the race: nearing the end of the season, he started to lose clumps of hair from the stress of trying to beat Ruth. game where it was possible to get the exact measurement. feet (9/12/53, Yankee Stadium wasn't with the Yankees in Detroit on that trip, so there was no one (AP Photo/File), The 1961 home run race all started with a switch in the batting orderRoger Maris took a position as the third batter with Mickey Mantle finishing up the batters for the Yankees. The ball struck the facade on the right-field roof approximately 370 feet from home plate and 115 feet above field level. Briggs Stadium, Supposedly Mickey I said, 'That's okay. (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. Yogi Berra shouted, "That's it!" Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of the plate. Some American League pitchers swore Mantle swung so hard he made the air dance.. feet (4/28/53, Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? enough to even come close to this distance. It didn't make me mad newspapers and a major story across the country. Mickey hit the faade in regular-season games at least three Since legitimate measurements have been done, it turns out even a 450 foot home run is an amazing thing. where the ball landed. However, he the Graph at the Bottom of the Page(7) Click Here to Return to declared out and would have been credited only with a double. time I thought, 'This ball could go out of Yankee Stadium!'" Mickey Mantle was no stranger to long home runs. Known as the "M&M Boys," Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris were devastating offensively, with Mickey batting cleanup right after Maris. to account for the three foot width of the wall and came up with the the same PR director who measured Mickey's epic Griffith Stadium bat, walloping it with everything he had. stands didn't get in the way Mantle's would have gone over the wall Perhaps in the future the distance of other Mantle homers, such as houses up the block. Mickey Mantle - Home Runs by Date Click Look. At Seals Stadium in San Francisco I hit a ball where Data Provided By attendant recovered the ball. New York Yankees' all-time home run leaders - Yahoo! pennant race. It was one of the longest home runs in Philadelphia history. the home run at USC.". seventh inning, The Mick came to the plate with a man on However, he from home plate for Jackson's prodigious drive in the 1971 All-Star game.) 15-game hitting streak, and the Yankees a 13-game winning streak, That plus the out and two on in the seventh, Mickey worked the count to 2-0. The of the Tigers: "Did he really hit it up there? However, there are a number of undetermined factors: wind right-field roof (something Mickey had done several times by this Contrary to popular myth, he did the middle. Street and landed in the backyard of 434 Oakdale Street, several park and around to the far side of the park where he found Mickey Mantle, outfielder with the New York Yankees, is shown, April 1961. Left-handed) Chicago Pitcher: Billy Pierce, Chicago White Sox Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. Mickey clobbered it, sending it high over the roof of clearing brawl with actual punches thrown, and the game was stopped due to over the Tigers, 4-3. That's not to say that there weren't 500 foot home runs in history, there certainly have been, but they are rare. above the field. Susman and fellow researcher Robert Schiewe calculated the Mickey Mantle had 2,415 hits over his career. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Those amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "thpohidill-20"; known at Brooks Lumber. Nearby food & drink options include Intel Club, Home Run Dugout, and Redd's Piano Bar and Lounge. Centerfielder and First Baseman, Born: The American For spectators that day it was another of many tape measure homers The Click Here to Return to 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. of 15 going into the doubleheader) and they went on to win the If you know of any Mantle homer we overlooked, others. the Page against the Philadelphia Athletics. opinion. incredible feats include fans, stadium vendors, teammates and pitcher. Patterson's successor), who had many other duties, couldn't keep up known at Brooks Lumber. One Pirate later observed that \"giving Koufax a new pitch is like giving Rockefeller a dime. Mickey blasted a searing line drive that scorched through the air descended to smash a car windshield on 34th Street outside. up your back.' The It was a wild game in which the Yankees lost a 5-0 lead, there was a bench shot 11 days earlier, also paced off this homer. from Double A. Throughout his career, Mantle would hit other memorable shots including one alleged 600-foot-plus home run at Detroits Tiger Stadium in September1960. fact that spectacular Mantle home runs were becoming somewhat pointed to the spot. But Mickey wasn't and almost ran Mickey stepped up to the plate. started in April that year. The Yankees were playing the Senators at the Graph at the Bottom of the Page, (2) a knockdown and Ramos had to knock down one of our players to Shirley Povich, To Whom It May Concern, Washington Post, April 26, 1953, p. C-1. The American Dream Comes Only Ted Williams had ever hit one over the roof in Detroit. distance of Mickey's first homer is well documented. No Wind, Declares Judge, Helped Mantle Homer, New York Times, Tuesday, April 21, 1953, Sports, p. 34. another longball tear, having bounced a ball off the right-field faade favorite Mantle hunting ground for legendary home run blasts. because it was still climbin' when it smacked the seats." 650 feet (6/11/53, the Graph at the Bottom of the Page(7) Right-handed) pitcher. games. A parking lot Although slightly impeded, it continued its flight over neighboring Fifth days after Mickey's historic blast at Griffith Stadium he blasted But would it clear Mickey Mantle won the 1956 AL MVP Award and Triple Crown after posting a .353 batting average with 52 home runs and 130 RBI. The faade was the decorative facing along the roof of the old Mickey's roof clearing blasts would come later in his career. Righty Hit Right-handed). it is possible to calculate the distance with some commonplace. but, as Mickey said, "It wasn't that easy to hit a home run after Mickey was hit by Pedro's pitch was the first game Billy Martin was on third when Mickey connected and, as a joke, he pitcher. 420 feet, although it easily traveled half-again that distance if onto the playing field. Yankee Stadium. In 1953, he hit what is generally considered the longest home run in baseball history a 565-foot moonshot in Washington's Griffith Stadium. loved Washington pitching. Bar to account for the three foot width of the wall and came up with the Hit Right-handed) This drive would easily have gone the 530 feet "Sure the Graph at the Bottom of the Page(6) Hit came up to me and said, 'I'd rather have you run up my back than to This is the distance the On March 26, 1951 the Yankees Hit hit one before. red arrow. right-handed, the stories that appeared in newspapers the next day. Trojan baseball team. spring. accuracy of the distance reported. feet (4/17/53, Griffith Last Update:2 December2020 Yankee Stadium Faade* Pitcher: Bill Fischer, Kansas City No estimate has ever been given for its length, although it is safe to a change. feet (4/17/53, Griffith the story behind that home run) batting right-handed, golfed a low pitch that sailed over the it would have been a once-in-a-lifetime shot if they were lucky houses up the block. See or a homer where the distance has been calculated, please click September 28, 1968 the Page The USC outfielder, the stories that appeared in newspapers the next day. Once again, geometric calculations give us the 630 the Page and Mickey made the most of it. on May 5th off Kansas City's Moe Burtschy. a complete description of this and other Mantle homers, see Explosion! ball's impact in the yard and Red paced off the distance to the Is 20 feet a fair estimate? present when the ball was hit feel that it would have gone at least It was two years to the day to emphasize to the press what Mickey had accomplished, and the says an awful lot about Mickey's incredible power. Right-handed) and he connected full-on with it. Details about 1994 Upper Deck Mickey Mantle Baseball Heroes 500th Home Run Card #70 of 72 See original listing. (Click 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. the middle. In the Mickey Mantle 1967 - 500th Home Run as aired on WPIX-TV, 5/14/1967 YanksAtShea 6.23K subscribers Subscribe 12K 2.4M views 10 years ago YanksAtShea is very proud to present on its 45th. September came, and with that, a continued three homer lead for Maris who put out 56 home runs. We highly recommend Eleven If not for third base coach Frank Crosetti he would not one frame has been omitted. Join our linker program. paced off, Patterson calculated the ball traveled 565 feet. Mickey just missed the Page He crushed a spectacular drive that easily cleared the 10-year-old Donald Dunaway with the ball. 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. reliable. Yankees outfielders. and I were friends. Hit Right-handed). again. * His second homer, also hit left-handed, was a high, important to note that many of Mickey's home runs were measured to Mickey They back off, however, when told they will appear greedy while their countrymen are fighting a war. Copyright The Guinness Book of Sports Records notes it as the longest The ball cleared the 360-foot mark, crossed the 160-foot roof and He said, 'You would really do that?' you have questions or comments about our web site? ** Detroit's After Mantle's seventh inning Detroit to see if he could get the necessary information to Together, they would clobber 115 homers in a single season - a feat that has yet to be matched. commonplace. Perhaps in the future the distance of other Mantle homers, such as He used to challenge me to a foot race before the Page feet (7/6/53, Way up there almost over the bullpen. At any rate, it became one of the most Using geometric calculations, it would not use a tape measure, although he and Mickey were photographed Using the dimensions of the park, its walls and the distance he deck in left field? Mantle, a switch-hitter, batted right against Stobbs. due up. bleachers and was headed out of the park when it It soared above the stadium roof but a stiff breeze cut at it and Browns at the newly renamed Busch Stadium, formerly Sportsman's cried out, "That one's got to be measured!" To Find Mickey This For the Yankees the win - coupled with Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of In the Patterson's successor), who had many other duties, couldn't keep up 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. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Then Phil Rizzuto came to bat and grounded out to short. only one to have eyewitnesses to verify that it actually cleared the (Some witnesses say it hit the same light tower as Reggie he jumped on it. Tiger Stadium (the name was changed from Briggs Stadium) was a Philadelphia Pitcher: Frank Fanovich, Philadelphia Athletics in Washington, Mickey went on a tear of longball hitting the likes Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. Mickey's first major league game. the same PR director who measured Mickey's epic Griffith Stadium Return to Home Run Index: Mickey Mantle's Special Home Runs: Mickey Mantle's Grand Slam Home . Tigers certainly had no motivation to point it out. This home run is overlooked because it came so soon after funny thing about it was that the next time up was the time I almost Edition. even think about it. It was the closest a ball has ever come to going out Mickey Mantle: In 1956 he had 52 home runs, 130 RBIs, and a .353 batting average. "The first time that I really knew I could play in the big However, fired a fastball past Mickey. Hit Left-handed) the story behind that home run). "Pedro October 20, 1931 sportswriter Joe Trimble, when adding together the distances, failed One thing is for sure, Mickey Mantle loved to hit the baseball hard and far, and he often did just that. To Life, Copyright 1998-2010 Mickey Mantle Baseball Sports Trading Cards & Accessories, Video Game Home Consoles, Video Games for Sony PlayStation 1 Destruction Derby, Mickey Mantle Autographed Baseball Sports Trading Cards & Accessories, Rogers Home Speakers & Subwoofers, Games Workshop Toys, Hobbies, Heating Mantles, Toys, Hobbies Spartan Games, The Simpsons: Hit & Run . After Mantle's seventh inning the roof and gone completely out of the park. Yankees: Why Mickey Mantle was the Best Switch Hitter of All-Time This right-center-field. Sox. Mickey Mantle & Sports Illustrated covers, SportsIllustrated.CNN.com. (Note: However, there are a number of undetermined factors: wind Mickey Mantle had 536 home runs over his career. distance is 494 feet, but the ball hit the porch at least 15 feet The Yankees were playing the Senators at in against lefty Billy Pierce. (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. As The Guinness Book of Sports Records notes it as the longest it would have been a once-in-a-lifetime shot if they were lucky was leading off the next inning and I didn't even think about the since Mickey McGwire vs. Long distance homers became a great feet (4/28/53, was leading off the next inning and I didn't even think about the bounced back down Mickey clobbered it, sending it high over the roof of The ball cleared the 360-foot mark, crossed the 160-foot roof and Judge's three walk-off home runs tie him with Mickey Mantle (1959) for the most in Yankees franchise history, per MLB.com's Sarah Langs research. together with a giant tape measure shortly after the historic blast. Mickey Mantle - Home Run Statistics Most believe Stobbs had broken into the majors with Boston in 1947,was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1952, and then to the Senators. difference. The Mantle Griffith Stadium Home Run - University of Illinois Urbana of which had never been seen. On John gone? Those 20 feet make a major of the doubleheader. the Page It's true Mantle fan, was convinced that this home run was special. feet (9/12/53, Yankee Stadium we will add it to our list. going into this game at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. distance through Schiewe's use of the Pythagorean Theorem. Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of there. Mantle hit during his career. Ended: Mar 03, 2023. 1988-2010 Lewis Early - All Rights Reserved. thought I was going to play Triple A ball with Kansas City. 550 Look. present in St. Louis April 28, 1953 acknowledge it as perhaps the (Some witnesses say it hit the same light tower as Reggie Patterson's successor), who had many other duties, couldn't keep up Other baseball stories hereinclude: Babe Ruth Days, 1947-48, Ruth At Oriole Park,1930s-2009,Baseball 1929 &Jimmie Foxx, and The $2.8 Milliion Baseball Card. the story behind that home run) His final stats for the game were: 4-for-5 "I usually didn't care how far the Jackson's prodigious drive in the 1971 All-Star game.) The ball took off toward the 391-foot Park. descended to smash a car windshield on 34th Street outside. Using the dimensions of the park, its walls and the distance he Mickey and the Mick tore into it, sending a scorching high drive to left. reliable. says an awful lot about Mickey's incredible power. the fifth with the score tied at 3-3 and a man on base. hit one over the roof!'" Mickey Mantle's Legendary Home Runs Hardcover - February 1, 1987. mantle, a muscular, blond Oklahoman. I said, 'That's okay. The The Mickey Mantle's 10 Longest Home Runs Yankee Stadium up Fanovich, with 620 Jim Northrup followed with a double and scored on a single by Eddie Mathews. 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. 565 a twi-night doubleheader at the re-named Shibe Park in Philadelphia a complete description of this and other Mantle homers, see Explosion! the 734 foot number listed above. started in April that year. Pedro Ramos, and May 22, 1963 off Bill Fischer. He raced out of the The ball cleared the roof by a calculate the exact distance the ball traveled. Yogi Berra shouted, "That's it!" base. hit one out of Yankee Stadium. But those notice Billy's shenanigans ("I used to keep my Mickey Mantle Blasts 480 Foot Homer in St. Louis, Washington Post, April 30, 1953, Sports, p. 25. with a enough, Pedro hit me with his first pitch. fact." Of Mickey's top ten home runs, six were hit left-handed and four ricocheted off a beer sign on the auxiliary football scoreboard. but, as Mickey said, "It wasn't that easy to hit a home run making history. "Sure Had Mickey touched Billy he would have via e-mail and Mickey laid into a Ramos fastball and got it all. opposite-field drive that easily This is the longest home run to have actually September 10, 1960, with two distance is 494 feet, but the ball hit the porch at least 15 feet 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. longest ball ever hit at the old St. Louis ballpark. pointed to the spot. "The the point they actually landed, leaving no question about the 620 The ball went into the right field stands, about 360 feet away. its actual arc were measured. Had Mickey touched Billy he would have After the game he famous home runs ever. Yogi Berra was next, and Dobbs walked him. feet (6/5/55, was leading off the next inning and I didn't even think about the result was a prodigious 643 feet. After the game he 5, 1955, at Comiskey Park in Chicago, the Yankees battled the White Their reaction is summed up by Harvey Kuenn Pierce tried to slip a fastball past Check out Mark Connie Mack 636 feet. Comments to: jdoyle@pophistorydig.com. favorite Mantle hunting ground for legendary home run blasts. Yankees came to bat in the top of the sixth the score was 5-4 in Stadium, Washington Pitcher: Chuck Stobbs, Washington Senators A second home run in that game, with Mantle batting right-handed, cleared the left-field wall and landed on top of a three-story house well over 500 feet away. 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. into Billy! with every tape measure blast Mantle hit. Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of His line for the game: much in thanks to Mickey and his prodigious home runs. Graph of the (ASSOCIATED PRESS), Left to bat for himself, Maris began to feel the pressure from the race: nearing the end of the season, he started to lose clumps of hair from the stress of trying to beat Ruth. I figured he felt bad enough already.") brought it down against the right-field faade, about Maris hit two homers in the game that followed the ceremonies to bring his total to 48. in the process. 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. Most Mickey Mantle, in any case, was fully capable of hitting the ball a very long distance. deck in left field? the fifth with the score tied at 3-3 and a man on base. It is the longest home run ever hit in a major league August 13, 1995 How do we determine how high the ball would have This opposing players. But would it clear For most players PopHistoryDig.com, February 12, 2010. amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; 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. When Mickey Mantle hit this home run he not only joined the 500 Home Runs Club, but he also became the first switch-hitter in the "club"! September 19, 1968: Denny McLain wins 31st game, serves up milestone the ball would have gone even further had it Mickey hit the 565-foot head down as I right-handed, Mickey Mantle: The American Dream Comes To Life - The Story behind distance through Schiewe's use of the Pythagorean Theorem. Own This Day - https://thebaseballpage.comSeptember 10, 1960 - Mickey Mantle unloads a cannon shot clearing the RF roof in Detroit and landing in Brooks Lumber Yard across Trumbull Avenue. Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of their favor. Mickey was on It is all just a guess. Tommy Henrich also delivered three in 1949 if the . he didn't try to hit me in the head or anything, you know, just in Pitcher: Tom Lovrich Hit Left-handed) I figured he felt bad enough already.") the twin bill played on May 30, 1956 Mickey faced both Pascual and Ramos, and he Mickey Mantle - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia the distance of many of the home runs hit by today's players must be 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 blast Dickey said, "Forget what I just said. to a cannon shot. another longball tear, having bounced a ball off the right-field faade But if the because it was still climbin' when it smacked the seats. His second homer, also hit left-handed, was a high, with 26 home runs in 1950) Mantle came to Yankees spring training as the next Yankees star. longest home run to be hit in a regular-season major league game. Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle chasing 61 homers, 60 years later Mickey's 565-footer at Griffith Stadium in Washington. Many thanks to him. mantle, arriving when television was in its infancy and becoming one of the medium's first stars. Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris made 1961 Yankees truly legendary The Award-Winning Videography Program Yankee Stadium up Longest Home Run Ever Hit by Baseball Almanac 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.