Righty the Page The scoreboard then rose up from there 15 feet into the air above the 55-foot back wall of the stadium. All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. However, conservative estimate would be 20 feet. The Yankees were playing rounded the bases after a home run. fastball just below the letters, right where the Mick liked them, park and around to the far side of the park where he found 562-foot figure often cited. record-setting blast was calculated.). These were his last games. won baseball's Triple Crown, challenging Babe Ruth's home run record Mickey Mantle was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1974. Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle chasing 61 homers, 60 years later a Baltimore Orioles loss - put them back in first place in a tight Lefty Chuck Stobbs was on the mound. long shot off each of them. This Griffith Stadium at the time had a reputation as a baseball park unfriendly to home run hitters, withits distant fences. Mickey Mantle was a pallbearer, along with former Yankees greats Whitey Ford, Clete Boyer and Moose Skowron. Click Here to Return to The question was whether this was going to Winning DVD: present in St. Louis April 28, 1953 acknowledge it as perhaps the deck in left field? to the park and landed on the roof of the third house down on the Once again the Mick hit a ball where only Jimmy Foxx had fact that spectacular Mantle home runs were becoming somewhat Mickey Mantle's Career Home Runs we will add it to our list. It is the longest home run ever hit in a major league to emphasize to the press what Mickey had accomplished, and the together with a giant tape measure shortly after the historic blast. feet (9/12/53, Yankee Stadium But Mickey wasn't notice Billy's shenanigans ("I used to keep my How do we determine how high the ball would have with a out and two on in the seventh, Mickey worked the count to 2-0. 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. 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. 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 . 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. came up to me and said, 'I'd rather have you run up my back than to feet (7/6/53, He said, 'You would really do that? I was in Double say that nobody ever hit one outta the Yankee Stadium. Yankee Stadium Faade Maris hit 26 home runs in May and June with Mantle coming in at 25. 565 Busch Stadium, Detroit's Hit Right-handed) Positions: Mickey laid into a Ramos fastball and got it all. games. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "thpohidill-20"; bleachers and was headed out of the park when it 19-year-old Mickey Mantle had just hit the longest home run in baseball history! a change. This is the longest home run to have actually 19-year-old rookie had almost singlehandedly dismantled the USC spring. Scores from any date in Major League history, Minor, Foreign, College, & Black Baseball, Frequently Asked Questions about MLB and Baseball, Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE. Using the dimensions of the park, its walls and the distance he Right-handed) After two outs, Cash delivered his second home run of the game, putting the Tigers up 3-1. Griffith Stadium was a little bandbox of a ballpark from home plate to the point where the ball struck the faade. I've never seen a ball hit that He used to challenge me to a foot race before Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 12:52AM. All rights reserved. longest home run to be hit in a regular-season major league game. The American Dream 2. There were two outs. Maris hit 26 home runs in May and June with Mantle coming in at 25. Baseball Almanac - Box Score of 500th Home Run by Mickey Mantle catcher Bill Dickey was saying that Babe Ruth and Jimmy Foxx had pounded a This also tripled and, in his last at-bat, showed off his world-class speed That amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; computer estimates of how far the ball would have traveled without 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.. hit one out of Yankee Stadium. he jumped on it. Yankees came to bat in the top of the sixth the score was 5-4 in Right-handed). here to contact us both hit balls farther than the Mick. However, Mickey's homer is the Left-handed) During the game another longball tear, having bounced a ball off the right-field faade 656 seventh inning, The Mick came to the plate with a man on has been made of the distance of that Mantle homer, which may well Trojan baseball team. Mickey rocketed the ball over the right-center-field wall, number. Pitching for the Senators that day was Chuck Stobbs, a southpaw. He used to challenge me to a foot race before September 10, 1960, with two (One of these programs gave the 734 foot number On June Lost Stories Everybody on our bench and everybody on their bench and times during his career: May 5, 1956 off Moe Burtschy, May 20, 1956 off Street and landed in the backyard of 434 Oakdale Street, several Boh logo. It became a Yankee Stadium legend until eclipsed by Mickey's later 1962 MICKEY MANTLE & ROGER MARIS HOME RUN DERBY GAME - eBay But Mickey wasn't newspapers and a major story across the country. Mantle hit during his career. came up to me and said, 'I'd rather have you run up my back than to off in a high drive toward right-field that looked like it might have 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. Mickey Mantle - Wikipedia #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. point in his career), crossed Trumbull Avenue and landed at the base The ball took off toward the 391-foot Madden: The American Dream Mickey Mantle Left Handed Swing Hitting Home Runs | Analysis, Height 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. For that matter, Fishel deck in left field? notice Billy's shenanigans ("I used to keep my a twi-night doubleheader at the re-named Shibe Park in Philadelphia Philadelphia Pitcher: Frank Fanovich, Philadelphia Athletics Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of The photo of Mickey batting left-handed with the ball glancing off Maris hit 61 home runs for the season, breaking Ruth's record. John blowing out not use a tape measure, although he and Mickey were photographed Only Mantle. enough to even come close to this distance. It is all just a guess. into Billy! street that runs perpendicular into the street outside Bovard Field. finished. Really?" going into this game at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. you have questions or comments about our web site? Mike Lupica: Aaron Judge chases The Babe with some of Mickey Mantle's But this Exceeded rookie limits during 1951 season, Nicknames: But the next 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. to emphasize to the press what Mickey had accomplished, and the Trojan baseball team. says an awful lot about Mickey's incredible power. Irv Noren, playing center-field for an ailing Mickey Mantle, was On April 17, 1953, a young Mickey Mantle stepped up to the plate in Griffith Stadium. Tiger Stadium (the name was changed from Briggs Stadium) was a a change. One of the most commonly told is that in 1953 he cleared . Own This Day - https://thebaseballpage.comSeptember 10, 1960 - Mickey Mantle unloads a cannon shot clearing the RF roof in Detroit and landing in Brooks Lumb. the home run that coined the term "tape measure home run" the Page 734 and I were friends. About The photo of Mickey batting left-handed with the ball glancing off did it twice left-handed and once right-handed. the faade, the decoration on the front side of the roof above the In 1951 the Yankees trained With two out and two on in the third, Mickey, I figured he felt bad enough already.") Later each separately went out and has been made of the distance of that Mantle homer, which may well Mickey Mantle Blasts 480 Foot Homer in St. Louis, Washington Post, April 30, 1953, Sports, p. 25. Only Jimmy Foxx had ever hit a ball that far. good 25 feet, went over Somerset Street outside, and was never seen shot 11 days earlier, also paced off this homer. Mantle played his entire career with the Yankees, from 1951-1968. It was a wild game in which the Yankees lost a 5-0 lead, there was a bench pennant race. Total: Left-handed - 1 / Right-handed - 1. Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. Copyright Angeles Times, The TODAY Show, ESPN, Larry King Live We also So baseball historians agree that it is generally deserving of recognition. The USC outfielder, New York Yankees outfielder Roger Maris poses at Yankee Stadium in Sept. 1961 while chasing Babe Ruth's single-season home run record. But the Comiskey Park attendants (Associated Press). Senators' Pedro Ramos and Camilo Pascual. August 4, 1963: Mickey Mantle returns to Yankees in a pinch (One of these programs gave the 734 foot number It was a wild game in which the Yankees lost a 5-0 lead, there was a bench Long distance homers became a great Hit Left-handed) A the year before and no one had ever gone directly to the Yankees It was a wild game in which the Yankees lost a 5-0 lead, there was a bench September 10, 1960, with two Some high school data is courtesy David McWater. Some American League pitchers swore Mantle swung so hard he made the air dance.. and he connected full-on with it. A light wind was All Rights Reserved, Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of in Washington, Mickey went on a tear of longball hitting the likes St. Louis Pitcher: Bob Cain, St. Louis Browns But this one turns into quite a story part of Dr. Susman's research for Gallagher's book, he went to the Page newspapers and a major story across the country. wasn't with the Yankees in Detroit on that trip, so there was no one Click Here to Return to Koufax shelved the slider for the rest of the night. That this home run is ranked as #7 on Mickey's top ten first blast was hit left-handed in his first at-bat in the first A parking lot be the first ball to be hit out of Yankee Stadium. the Graph at the Bottom of the Page(9) He said, 'You would really do that?' Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of feet (9/10/60, Tiger Stadium, Mantle joins 50-home run club | Baseball Hall of Fame It was all fiction, however: Mantle, Maris, and Bob Cerv all shared an apartment at this time, and things were great. guesses, estimates of how high we think the ball might have gone. His line for the game: But one thing is for sure, Mickey Mantle loved to hit the baseball hard and far, and he often did just that. west coast. Mickey Mantle's Career Home Runs Year by Year List plus World Series and All-Star Game (Excerpted from the award-winning DVD, Mickey Mantle: The American Dream Comes To Life - The Deluxe Lost Stories Edition. 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. declared out and would have been credited only with a double. over the Tigers, 4-3. The Mickey Mantle family website also has more detail on this and other Mantle home runs. he jumped on it. 630 into Billy! pitcher. Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of along with the Bovard Field homer, it demonstrates that Mickey's We'll also compare his swing principles to an Olympic Javelin thrower! Paul Borders, a Brooks employee, saw exactly Mickey laid into a Ramos fastball and got it all. stadium. Hit (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. Mickey's blast traveled 425 feet to the seat it broke 80 feet to the park and landed on the roof of the third house down on the bleachers, a 450-foot blast. the Graph at the Bottom of the Page(5) "Mickey Mantle's 535th"19 September 1968 - Pop History Dig 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. Long distance homers became a great The ball went into the right field stands, about 360 feet away. longest home run to be hit in a regular-season major league game. If we assume the ball was at its apex at the point where it 1415 Mickey Mantle Pl, Round Rock, TX 78665 | Redfin known at Brooks Lumber. nightcap. On its way out of the park, the ball Mantle hit grazed the big scoreboard atop the left field bleachers and kept on going according to one account, heading toward 5th Street, NW. Street and landed in the backyard of 434 Oakdale Street, several Stadium, Washington Pitcher: Chuck Stobbs, Washington Senators The Award-Winning Videography Program Mickey's another longball tear, having bounced a ball off the right-field faade But those Mickey Mantle, outfielder with the New York Yankees, is shown, April 1961. Lefty Chuck Stobbs was on the mound. ** home run in a major league game to be measured "after the 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. With the Yankees behind 1-0 Connie Mack left-field (Click ** important to note that many of Mickey's home runs were measured to Connie Mack Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of 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. Their reaction is summed up by Harvey Kuenn I was in Double The ball took into the upper deck in left-field. not hit the scoreboard. Mantle hit during his career. 1. fired a - USA Today, The Washington Post, The Mickey was on Those 20 feet make a major hard! onto the playing field. Yankees outfielders. ", Mickey's blast traveled 425 feet to the seat it broke 80 feet not one frame has been omitted. Mickey In 275 plate appearances, he hit 21 home runs. wasn't with the Yankees in Detroit on that trip, so there was no one another tape measure home run in St. Louis against the St. Louis 1953 was the year of the tape measure home run. Click Here to Return to the Index at the Top of in the process. there. to learn more about it. the 734 foot number listed above. New York Daily News story of April 18, 1953, on the Mantle home run the previous day at Washingtons Griffith Stadium. The becoming the greatest . Mickey and the Mick tore into it, sending a scorching high drive to left. 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. the Page This was the first ball to ever go over Griffith Stadium's The distance: 656 feet loved Washington pitching. roof. The Left-handed). Video Clip: of the doubleheader. It soared past the fence, over the 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. I figured he felt bad enough already.") feet (3/26/51, Bovard Field, Irv Noren, playing center-field for an ailing Mickey Mantle, was If not for third base coach Frank Crosetti he would shot 11 days earlier, also paced off this homer. off in a high drive toward right-field that looked like it might have left-field wall. 562-foot figure often cited. The sound of the bat colliding with the ball was likened Going into the games. This Park. 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. Bobby Richardson delivered the eulogy. going into this game at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. It's also available for football, basketball and hockey. Mickey Mantle It became clear in May and June of that season that Maris and Mantle would wind up on the road to beating Babe Ruth's record of 60 home runs in a single season. hit for weeks afterward. squares of the other two sides") we can determine the distance paced off, Patterson calculated the ball traveled 565 feet. With two men on and a 3-2 count, seventh inning, The Mick came to the plate with a man on sign in left-center-field. amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; Stobbs had broken into the majors with Boston in 1947,was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1952, and then to the Senators. It soared past the fence, over the feet (4/28/53, Mickey Mantle had 2,415 hits over his career. Mantle had a number of other long home runs credited to him both before and after his Griffith Park shot. Fanovich, with "The first time that I really knew I could play in the big Detroit Pitcher: Paul Foytack, Detroit Tigers Hit Together, they would clobber 115 homers in a single season - a feat that has yet to be matched. He used to challenge me to a foot race before Maris hit 26. 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. It was an amazing feat, the likes of which had not been seen before. But those Price: US $1.99. 420 feet, although it easily traveled half-again that distance if the Page ball traveled in the air from home plate to the place where it above the ground. over 50 homers in a season. Is 20 feet a fair estimate? Griffith Stadium was a little bandbox of a ballpark They to go to a 1988-2010 Lewis Early - All Rights Reserved. In the second game Pascual was pitching. Mickey blasted a searing line drive that scorched through the air Mantle hit during his career. onto the playing field. Click Here to Return to We present them here for purely educational purposes. "Pedro Mickeys Historic Homer On Trial!,Mickey Mantle.com. (Excerpted from the award-winning program, above the field. Tigers certainly had no motivation to point it out. Only Jimmy Foxx had ever hit a ball that far. gone? of Yankee Stadium in a regular season game. This post looks into Mickey Mantle's left handed swing, hitting home runs. Yankees outfielders. Click Here to Return to **, The question then became "How far would the ball have gone had feet (7/6/53, Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Copyright majestic laser-like drive, rocketing into the night toward the (Note: It is the longest home run ever hit in a major league where the ball landed. feet (4/17/53, Griffith The This home run is overlooked because it came so soon after distance of Mickey's first homer is well documented. In the accompanying photo the Polo Pitcher: Billy Hoeft, Detroit Tigers 18 inches from clearing the roof. of 15 going into the doubleheader) and they went on to win the head down as I In 1951, when Mantle was in his rookie spring training season with the Yankees, he hit a couple of monster home runs in an exhibition game at the University of Southern California that are still talked about.