Long Long Homeruns

[jay]

Can anyone tell me what the longest home runs in Major League history are. Thanks

[ZbiSal]

I've read that the longest home run in ML history is 634 feet,hit by Mickey Mantle for the New York Yankees vs. the Detroit Tigers at Briggs Stadium ,Detroit in September 1960.

[jay]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-04-01 AT 10:41 PM (EST)[p]Thanks ZbiSal. Do you get your info. from a list, or do you know of one. Thanks

[Ytown_Tribe_fan]

That's the longest by a major leaguer in a regular baseball season, but did you know that ONE man hit a fair ball completely OUT of Yankees Stadium?

That man was Josh Gibson, playing for the Crawfords in an exhibition game against the Philly Stars in 1934. The ball went over the triple deck next to the bullpen in left, and OUT.

In 1987, Bo Jackson hit one in Spring Training completely out of the Baseball City complex and into the parking lot - at least 600 feet. According to the Royals, that ball is STILL rolling, somewhere in Florida! ;-)

[Ytown_Tribe_fan]

That could well be. My 'source' is Jack Marshall, of the Chicago American Giants (the other team in that double-header), quoted in Robert Petersons "Only the Ball was White".

[Kroxquo]

I heard a funny Mantle-related story one time. The Yankees were playing the Dogers in an exhibition game and Mantle hit a monster home run. Ron Fairly was on the Dodger bench and said, "Heck, I hit one that far once." Fairly took some razzing until he added, "Of course I was using a two-wood at the time."

[The Commissioner]

There's a very interesting article on this topic right here at the Baseball-Almanac: http://baseball-almanac.com/art_hr.shtml

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Hard to really detemine who hit the longest, but from the past, one of Babe Ruth's was mentioned in the book, "The Home Run Encyclopedia". August 16, 1927, Ruth hit a ball completely out of Comiskey Park over the double grandstand and roof. Sportswriters at the game said the ball cleared the 52 foot wide roof with room to spare and landed on the side walk accross the street on Wentworth avenue. Again, like most long home runs hard to determine the exact footage but estimated at close to 600 feet.

[researcher]

[updated:LAST EDITED ON Mar-10-02 AT 04:54 AM (EST)]Another story has Ruth hitting one 600' during spring training. And
all the fabricated tales about Jose Gibson, are just that, fabricated!

The ball (especially those old balls) could only compressed so much!
It's really unlikely, that any ball traveled, w/o a strong wind, much
farther than 530-540 feet.

Most likely there were a few caught just right, that got up into a
wind, and cleared these stadiums,; but 600 ft? I doubt it!

The longest I ever saw, was hit by Frank Howard in 1969 in RFK
stadium...There couldn't have been 2000 fans in attendence, and I
was walking around the upper deck, down near the right field corner
when he came up.

He hit a line drive over the 376 sign in LCF, 1/3 the way up in the
2nd deck. You could hear the wooden seat crack! the outfielders never
turned around; but the SS did, he never moved his feet after turning
around, and the ball came all the way back to him! The ball was still
climbing when it hit the seat! It took about 3 seconds to get there.

After the "shot" I looked around and took notice of 10-15 seats in
LCF and straight away in CF, all in the upper deck painted white
where he had hit them. Nobody hit them any farther than this Giant
of a man, and most certainly not as many!

In 1957 when he came to Japan w/ Ohio State team, I saw a wierd thing
happen. In the old days we had bats w/ lead plugs in them to use for
limbering up. Howard had 3 or 4 of them, swinging them around, waiting
for his AB. One plug came out and hit a woman who looked 8 months pregnant...in her shoulder, thank God......He of course was concerned
and very upset..........After things died down, Frank Howard hit a
ball down the LF line over the 375' sign (field on a football field)
over the road, over the top of the power plant! That one must have
traveled over 500'

[SHOELESSJOE3]

I agree, no way to ever tell who hit the longest. I did use the word "estimated" when referring to Ruth's home run that cleared the roof at Comiskey.I am sure that tape measure home runs hit by Ruth, Foxx, Mantle , Dick Allen, Killebrew, Frank Howard, Joe Adcock, McGwire and a few more power hitters are not that far apart in distance. There is probably not that much of a difference between the furthest ever hit and the ones that were close to the furthest ever hit. I also have my doubts about balls being hit 600 feet and more, although I can't say for sure it's never been done.

[The Mick]

[updated:LAST EDITED ON Mar-12-02 AT 05:08 PM (EST)]Here are The Mick's 10 longest homeruns: (He was in my opinion, the best pure-power switch-hitter of all-time)

1. 734 ft. – 5/22/63, vs. Kansas City, at Yankee Stadium, Pitcher: Bill Fischer

2. 660 ft. – 3/26/51, vs. USC, at Bovard Field, USC, Pitcher: Unknown

3. 650 ft. – 6/11/53, vs. Detroit, at Briggs Stadium, Pitcher: Art Houteman

4. 643 ft. – 9/10/60, vs. Detroit, at Tiger Stadium, Pitcher: Paul Foytack

5. 630 ft. – 9/13/53, vs. Detroit, at Yankee Stadium, Pitcher: Billy Hoeft

6. 620 ft. – 5/30/56, vs. Washington, at Yankee Stadium, Pitcher: Pedro Ramos

7. 565 ft. – 4/17/53, vs. Washington, at Griffith Stadium, Pitcher: Chuck Stobbs

8. 550 ft. – 6/05/55, vs. Chi. White Sox, at Comiskey Park, Pitcher: Billy Pierce

9. 535 ft. – 7/06/53, vs. Philadelphia A's, at Connie Mack Stadium, Pitcher: Frank Fanovich

10. 530 ft. – 4/24/53, vs. St. Louis Browns, at Busch Stadium, Pitcher: Bob Cain

[The Real McCoy]

As a sidebar to Howard, I remember Game 1, 1963 in the old (and thats important) Yankee Stadium when Howard hit a shot in the first inning off Ford which went on a low line (Kubeck actually jumped for the ball) to the left center field wall (this was before renovation so its over 400 ft) in the blink of an eye. The ball got to the wall so fast and hit with such force and it carommed back to Mantle so quickly that Howard was held to what had to be one of the longest singles ever. Frank Howard may not have hit the longest home runs but not many players hit the ball harder.

[trosmok]

[updated:LAST EDITED ON Mar-14-02 AT 12:25 PM (EST)]Most everyone who saw him play, agreed that Josh Gibson hit the longest homers ever. After reading this thread, and the similar one about longest homers by ballpark, it amazes me that the Ph.D.s of this world have not yet figured out how to accurately estimate the length of some of these monster shots. Based on speed and trajectory, air resistence, and some other basic rules of physics, one would think there would be some formula to more definitivily assess the projected distance a batted ball will travel. But, since all we have is anecdotal evidence and some guesswork, allow me to concur with some earlier observations. I've seen some real dingers, including Kingman, Glenallen Hill, Cecil Fielder, and , of course, Sosa, Bonds and McGuire. Boog Powell could knock the stuffing out of the ball when he got a hold of one, but in the sixties, the hardest hitter was easily Big Frank Howard. More than once he hit shots that were still ascending when they left the yard, or crashed through outfield seats. There was a persistent legend that he actually hit one between the pitcher's legs and out of the ballpark, (Griffith?) but that is one feat I would have had to see to believe.

[researcher]

Even with a strong wind no one ever hit a ball 734 ft! You could
give Mantle a 50mph tail wind, and he wouldn't hit it 650 ft.

Must have been the same air-head that said Gwynn was the greatest
ever compiling that list.

[EnglishRoger]

While I was over last year, Manny Ramirez hit one 501'in The Skydome which was, apparently, the second-longest ever by a Red Sock. Teddy's at Fenway (The red seat in RF, if you ever go) was 502'. I think that anything over 500' is simply amazing, and that much of the stuff over 550' has to be apocrhyphal, surely?!

[The Mick]

I've received a lot of questions in regards to Mantle's 734 ft HR. Here is the only information I could find to support it from one of my favorite sites: themick.com.

734 feet (5/22/63, Yankee Stadium Façade* – Pitcher: Bill Fischer, Kansas City Athletics – Left-handed)

Mickey said that the "hardest ball I ever hit" came in the 11th inning on May 22, 1963 at Yankee Stadium. Leading off in the bottom of the 11th, with the score tied 7-7, A's pitcher Bill Fischer tried to blow a fastball past Mickey.

Bad idea. Mickey stepped into it and, with perfect timing, met the ball with the sweet spot of his bat, walloping it with everything he had. The sound of the bat colliding with the ball was likened to a cannon shot. The players on both benches jumped to their feet. Yogi Berra shouted, "That's it!" The ball rose in a majestic laser-like drive, rocketing into the night toward the farthest confines of Yankee Stadium. The question was never whether it was a home run or not. The question was whether this was going to be the first ball to be hit out of Yankee Stadium.

That it had the height and distance was obvious. But would it clear the façade, the decoration on the front side of the roof above the third deck in rightfield? "I usually didn't care how far the ball went so long as it was a home run. But this time I thought, 'This ball could go out of Yankee Stadium!'"

Just as the ball was about to leave the park, it struck the façade mere inches from the top with such ferocity that it bounced all the way back to the infield. That it won the game was an afterthought. Mickey just missed making history. It was the closest a ball has ever come to going out of Yankee Stadium in a regular season game.**

The question then became "How far would the ball have gone had the façade not prevented it from leaving the park?" Using geometry, it is possible to calculate the distance with some accuracy. The principle variable is how high the ball would have gone. If we assume the ball was at its apex at the point where it struck the façade, using the Pythagorean Theorem ("In a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides") the distance would have been 636 feet. (For a more complete explanation of the calculations and complete description of this and other Mantle homers, see Explosion! by Mark Gallagher. This book is the definitive book on Mantle's homers. Unfortunately, it is out of print. It may be available at your local library.)

So how do we get 734 feet? In the example above, we assumed that the ball was at its apex when it struck the façade. However, observers were unanimous in their opinion that the ball was still rising when it hit the façade. How do we determine how high the ball would have gone? In fact, we cannot. From this point forward all numbers become guesses, estimates of how high we think the ball might have gone. A conservative estimate would be 20 feet. Those 20 feet make a major difference. They cause our calculation to go up almost 100 feet, to the 734 foot number listed above. Is 20 feet a fair estimate? Those present when the ball was hit feel that it would have gone at least that much higher, and many feel that the 20 foot number is far too low. It is all just a guess.

This is a good example of what can happen with estimates, especially computer estimates that determine the length of home runs now. Most of the home run distance numbers used today are the result of computer estimates of how far the ball would have traveled without obstruction. (One of these programs gave the 734 foot number listed.) Whether or not this is a fair number is a matter of opinion. However, if the distance of this home run is disputed, then the distance of many of the home runs hit by today's players must be questioned. While the software used for home run distances has greatly improved, there remain questions as to its accuracy. It is important to note that many of Mickey's home runs were measured to the point they actually landed, leaving no question about the accuracy of the distance reported.

* The façade was the decorative facing along the roof of the old Yankee Stadium. Mickey hit the façade in regular-season games at least three times during his career: May 5, 1956 off Moe Burtschy, May 20, 1956 off Pedro Ramos, and May 22, 1963 off Bill Fischer.

** Legend has it that Mickey hit balls completely out of Yankee Stadium up to three times during batting practices. Supposedly Mickey did it twice left-handed and once right-handed. Witnesses of these incredible feats include fans, stadium vendors, teammates and opposing players.

[The Mick]

I agree that HR estimations are not mathmatically perfect, but it is one of the great parts of this game... the legends and folklore. All we can do (if we weren't actual eyewitnesses) is try to research accounts from different sources and draw our own conclusions.

I believe Mickey (and other batters) are capable of defying logic and launching these rockets "out of the park", but it would have to be a perfect situation: perfect contact (on the sweet spot), at the perfect moment (ball spinning etc.) with the perfect conditions (wind speed and direction etc.) in order for this to happen. I really think it is possible, but very rare indeed.

[qual101]

>The question then became "How far would the ball have gone
>had the façade not prevented it from leaving the park?"

I am disallusioned! Until now, I thought that "home run distance" referred to how far the ball ACTUALLY traveled before it hit something -- not "how far it WOULD HAVE GONE (had it not hit something on the way)".

[trosmok]

Wanted to revive this thread because I earlier complained about the lack of scientific substantiation for really long homeruns. Eureka! I have found what may be the most accurate study of this, and the equation F=ma is what I had been after. F is force resulting, m is mass, and a is acceleration. The study was conducted using 100 mph. fastballs, heavy bats, and the fastest timed human swing, at sea level with no wind, at 72 degrees. Guess what? The guys in lab coats concluded that the furthest a batted ball under these conditions would travel is approximately 570 feet. Rarefied air, a tail wind, today's juiced ball, and the heavy bats being swung at greater acceleration than known since Ruth and Gibson could yield results 10-20% higher. I'm now satisfied that 700ft+ homeruns are only minor exagerations.

[researcher]

[updated:LAST EDITED ON Apr-21-02 AT 03:50 PM (EDT)]No one can swing Ruth's bat (46oz) as fast as needed. No one has
ever hit a ball 700 ft.

The test if correct says max 570 ft...I'll buy that, and its unlikely
to have been done more than a few times. But now deduct for the lack
of 100 mph fastballs..how far if 95 mph? then you are looking at a
realistic speed.

The correct reading on this is found in the Home Run Encyclopedia.

"...those regular references over the years of the 500-600 foot HR's
were born out of scientific INGORNANCE, MISINFORMATION, OR EVEN
DELIBERATE EXAGGERATION!"

"The most common cause for overstatement statement has been the basic misconception about the flight of the batted ball once it has reached
its apex."

Balls that have hit the stadiums at app 400' from the plate and 70'
above the ground have been said to travel 550'...not so, more likely
a 100 ft less! or 450 ft.

Once the ball reaches its apex, it has lost most of its speed, and
drops rapidly.

Mantle's Hr in Washington 4/17/53 thought to be 565 feet, but in fact
that is where it was picked up by a child after it rolled to a stop.

ALL THESE TYPES OF REPORTS WERE MEDIA GENERATED BY THE NY PRESS

From 1982-1995, after an IBM computerized ststem was in place in all
the parks...ONLY ONE 500 FOOT HR WAS HIT! by Cecil Fielder on 9/14/91
in Milwaukee. (502 ft.)

What does that tell you about all the BS the press has people still
believing.

The players are bigger and stronger than Mantle ever was, and hit the
ball farther.

You can take all the 600 ft + hr's and trash them; then take off 50 ft
from the rest of the suspected distances, and you may be close to the
truth.

Any talk of 734 feet was a total fabrication on the NY press' part
and anyone who knows anything about the game knows that it was impossible, even with today's baseball.

McGwire, who could squeeze Mantle's body into a rag, wasn't credited
with a HR more than 540 ft as I recall, the year he hit 70.

The computerized system has stopped the lies about how far the ball
goes.

So in view of the fact that McGwire, Fielder and others are much
bigger and stronger than Mantle ever was, and todays ball is more
likely to travel farther...and only one HR between '82 and '95
before the "Hot Ball", was hit 500 ft, and none since the "Hot Ball"
have gone even 575 ft...why would anyone continue to promote the
rediculas idea that Mantle ever hit a ball 734 ft, which is impossible
to do, even with a "Hot Ball" and a 50 mph wind.

Get over it, Mantle never hit a ball 700', he never hit a ball 650'
and he never hit a ball 600'..

That trumped up list on a previous post, was nothing more than the NY media hype BS.

Ruth is the only one credited with hitting multiple 500 ft HR's, one
in each park in 1921..these were measure by media people who stayed
outside the stadiums to se where the ball actually hit the ground
before rolling.

Some of these may be incorrect, due to the apparent quality of the
logical thinking, and mathematical experts we have in this country.

734 feet, right...and "Cool Papa" could hit the light switch, and be
under the covers before the light went out......

[The Mick]

[updated:LAST EDITED ON Apr-22-02 AT 02:17 PM (EDT)]It's sad that we have become so anal retentive in this post... Your right, I agree that a lot of these homeruns were exaggerated by the press, but that's what made these players larger than life heroes. What happened to the mystery, legends and folklore of the past? We could probably sit down with a Baseball Almanac or Encyclopedia at a computer and crunch numbers for hours disproving many records, facts and statistics that were recorded "back in the day", but why would you even want to? Part of the magic of this game is the "unknowns"... Did Ruth really call his shot? Did Mantle almost hit one out of Yankee stadium? Who cares? It's a great story and baseball is full of them.

Part of my post did say that: "This is a good example of what can happen with estimates, especially computer estimates that determine the length of home runs now. Most of the home run distance numbers used today are the result of computer estimates of how far the ball would have traveled without obstruction. (One of these programs gave the 734 foot number listed.) Whether or not this is a fair number is a matter of opinion. However, if the distance of this home run is disputed, then the distance of many of the home runs hit by today's players must be questioned. While the software used for home run distances has greatly improved, there remain questions as to its accuracy."

This was taken directly off of themick.com. As well as this:

"No one in the history of the game has hit the ball farther than Mickey Mantle. His 565-foot home run hit at Griffith Stadium in Washington on April 17, 1953 is the home run that coined the term "tape measure home run." It's listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest home run ever measured. Guinness also notes that Mickey's 643-foot homer hit at Detroit's Tiger Stadium on September 10, 1960 is the longest home run measured "mathematically after the fact."

Yes, we know it may be exaggerated, but stop taking this so seriously and sit back and enjoy the game of baseball. It is a GAME that does not require the use of scientific theory in order to appreciate it.

And don't compare a "pharmaceutically enhanced athlete" like Mark McGwire (by his own admissions) to a player like Mickey Mantle, who was lucky if he could walk out on the field and played constantly in pain. It's not fair as he suffered from osteomyelitis, numerous injuries and had frequent surgeries. McGwire is a great hitter, but he plays in a different game in a different era.

[The Mick]

[updated:LAST EDITED ON Apr-22-02 AT 02:16 PM (EDT)]True. I don't argue that fact and I don't mean to insult McGwire, (he is a great power hitter) BUT I think it's inappropriate to compare many players of today to the players of yesterday. Athletes in general have access to more physical conditioning enhancements and options than the players "back in the day". They eat healthier today (due to their own nutritionists), work out better (due to their own personal trainers), and have many other options at their disposal.

Give me those old time, crusty ballplayers that chain-smoked non-filtered cigarettes or cigars, drank booze (instead of spring water), lived off of old fashioned, fatty, greasy All-American cooking and still made it to the ballpark everyday! haha!

[SHOELESSJOE3]

We will never know who hit the longest home run, impossible to say with any certainty.I would be willing to bet that there is not that much difference in footage if you ranked the 10 longest home runs ever. When you talk about balls hit in the 475 to 500 plus foot distance how much further can hitter "A" hit a ball than hitter "B", "C" or "D". At the expense of opening that can of worms again there appears to be little doubt that the number of home runs exploded in the early to mid 1990s and the every day long home run was born in the early to mid 1990s due to the smaller strike zone and a suspect ball.There are a few other factors,smaller parks, death of the knock down pitch, and expansion. I discounted bigger and stronger players because I am dealing with one decade, the 1990s. I find it hard to believe hitters got that much stronger in the middle to late 1990s compared to the hitters of the early 1990s.One look at home run stats, individual and team before 1995 and after 1995 tells one the game changed, not the players, even if you omit the short season in 1994 and 1995.
Unfair to compare Mantle to McGwire with out factoring in the conditions in Mantle's May's and Killebrews time. No one can knock Mac, amongst the best at hitting many and hitting them far. That being said after watching ESPN highlights of Mac's home runs,a very, very high percentage were in the same location between the knees and the belt, right where he likes them. The lower strike zone in the 1990s gave the hitters an advantage, a smaller zone to watch, more favorable hitters counts and the luxury of not worrying about the high hard one, let it go by and it will be called a ball almost every time.
Batting average in the NL was .256 in 1990 and .266 in 2000. Batting aveage in the AL was.259 in 1990 and .276 in 2000.
Not discussing home runs or strength here, just to show the rise in batting averages in one decade, yet Bud Selig claims the offensive explosion in the mid 1990s is the result of bigger stronger players. Not in one decade Bud, it's a whole new ball game. Averages did drop a bit in 2001, probably to a little correction in the strike zone. Yes we had an explosion in the 1920s but we know why, a tighter wound ball, scuffed up balls tossed out of the game and the banning of trick deliveries. Mantle and Killebrew to name a few did not have the privilege of having their bombs etched in the fans minds via nightly ESPN highlights, as todays player do. These two guy on average hit them as far as any hitter in the game, under tougher conditions.
Well, some how I strayed off the main theme here, the longest home runs but felt like I had to get out the point when comparing the long ball, lets look at the whole picture. If we are to compare the 1990s to the 1920s-50s or 1960s lets factor in the the changing conditions.

[researcher]

[updated:LAST EDITED ON Apr-23-02 AT 05:21 AM (EDT)]Don't take me wrong, I always liked Mantle, and I understand what a
media person's job is, or a publicist job(spelling??)

#42 has me nuts
over my spelling; little does he know, that I am on medication, and sometimes dbl hit the same key, and if I don't check, I let mistakes slip through; not withstanding other mistakes, and the fact that my
eyesight is rapidly declining)

Its just when it appears that if someone trying to learn something
about the history of the game, to promote the absolute wrong infro
is wrong.

I EDITED OUT A EST OF THE DISTANCE A BALL TRAVELS AFTER REACHING ITS
APEX....MY ORIGIONAL THOUGHT MAY BE INCORRECT...NOT SURE OF % OF DROP

Mabe I am unclear when I talk about "illusions" etc...that's what
certain people get paid to do. But in a previous post, I had a like-
able contributor take it as an attack against his favorite player,
where that wasn't the intention.

When statements of fact become a problem, in the minds of a few, and
when political correctness takes over any open discussion, our ability
to learn is jeopardized...ie: an edited post of mine, using the big
bad "N" word, relating to how Gibson straightened McCarver out, after
he chased a little black kid off the spring training field.

And all you have to do is turn on the tv and listen to what's being
said, or roll down your car window at a red light and listen to the
"INTELLIGENT LYRICS" of our esteemed youth.

I admit I am a little too adamit about it, and I'll try to tone it
down...but reserve the right to react when someone misreads my posts
and start accusing me of slandering some retired players memory...
I will state the facts, which speak for themselves.

"PHARMACEUTICALLY ENHANCED"....you got that right...And I had the
privilge of being at the game when Az disposed of the Cardinals last
year, and watched in delight as the big ape struck out three times,
and ended his careear walking back to the dougout being lifted for
a pinch-hitter.

I developed a dislike for him, when he ran around hugging the Maris
family after he hit #62...like he was King Kong, beating his chest.
....WHAT A JOKE!....Am I the only one who saw those "GROVED" pitches
the last two games of that year...4 hr's; I don't recall one pitch
being above the belt...they made sure Sammy didn't win the race.

I'am sorry about slaming the #'s..but 734 drives me nuts, when its
physically impossible....Take the experiment...100mph 46oz bat=570'
w/o wind...now take 95% of that 100mph (a more likely speed) and
all of a sudden your at 541.5 ft....But the players can't swing that 46 oz bat through the zone in order to catch the 95+mph ball.

The big ape w/ all the "Legal Drugs" and the "Hot" ball never hit
one 575 that year...no one ever did, especially with the old ball.

But I believe that Mantle would have hit 70 if playing in his prime under these conditions. And Ruth 80+ with the 46oz'er he was a freak!

[The Mick]

Sorry guys, I didn't mean to come off so seriously either. I completely understand your points. My intetention was to put out what I have read to be "accurate estimations" from the official Mickey Mantle site and then in another reply, to state that there are so many questions in baseball history that we will never know the definitive answers.

We all love the game and probably spend more time on it than the average fans. I had a problem with Mickey being called a "drunk". Yes he was an alcoholic and it eventually killed him, but there no reason to bring that up. It's cool. Lets move on and enjoy the rest of the season!

[bucsparrothead]

[updated:LAST EDITED ON Apr-23-02 AT 12:27 PM (EDT)]In physics, you must know TIME and ACCELERATION in order to calculate the EXACT distance without knowing the exact distance. Since neither is possible to accurately find (ESPECIALLY ACCELERATION) you CANNOT do it. When that ball hit the facade, it removed ANY chance of it EVER being found.


'...to the wall, GONE AND THE PIRATES WIN!' -Maz and the ORIGINAL home run WS blast!

[researcher]

[updated:LAST EDITED ON Apr-24-02 AT 07:20 PM (EDT)]That is what's in the computer program, I believe; the replay will
clearly show the time it took the ball to hit the roof line, or
whatever,..then the exact distance is programed in, then the time it
took to get to a certain point will determine if it had reached its apex, or how much farther it would have traveled to reach its apex.

Thus it is likely to be 99% accurate as to the exact total distance the ball would have traveled before it hit the ground, w/o obstruction.

In other words (I don't know the figures) if the ball traveled 370 ft,
then hit something 60 ft up in the air...they know, based upon the 6-7
seconds it took the ball to get there, how fast the ball was traveling
and they know based upon the weight of the ball, if it had reached its apex...etc etc etc...it's down to a science, and if they say it was a
447 ft hr...take it to the bank!

[bucsparrothead]

I just thought that 600+ feet was a TAD crazy, and 447 is a LOT more reasonable. I didn't know that there would be any replays of that shot that would give them any accurate reference. If there is, then it is most certainly possible...but it would take a LOT of time and effort in studying drafts and the video to come to that conclusion. Impressive stuff indeed!

'...to the wall, GONE AND THE PIRATES WIN!' -Maz and the ORIGINAL home run WS blast!

[researcher]

All the accidental, and deliberate mis caculations that started many
years ago..have blurred the fact, that to hit a baseball 475 feet is
a monumental feat...The the few that have gone over 500 ft are truly gigantic.

I don't know exactly how they do it, but the use of instant replay,
could tell them how long it took to get to the point of hitting the
stadium, thus calculating the speed, by which all other deductions
are easy to come by.

I doubt that many players other than Ruth, Foxx, Mantle, Howard have
hit more than 2-3 legit HR's that traveled 475+ ft.

And the computer tells us that Big Mac didn't hit one 500', until the
"Hot" ball and smaller strike zone came into play.

[Calif_Eagle]

Dave Kingman hit one on 4-14-76 off the 3rd house down Waveland Ave playing for the Mets against the Cubs that was confirmed by the New York Times to have traveled 530 feet in the air. Another blast felt to be in the top 10 of all time was Reggie Jackson's 1971 All-Star game home run into the light towers of Tiger Stadium. A Great discussion of some of the longest home runs ever hit can be found in the SABR book "The Home Run Encyclopedia". My copy goes through the 1995 season. This book also has a discussion of the physical limits of just how far a ball can really be hit. It concludes 600 feet and up is not likely, but this discussion occurs in the pre-steroid era. Many new homer friendly parks have opened since then also. I would be curious as to the longest NCAA homer ever (i.e. aluminum bat HR.) The true "longest HR ever" was hit at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. I think Ernie Lombardi may have hit it. It landed in a moving delivery truck & was found over 40 miles away.... lol! Perhaps another fan with more precise knowledge of this "shot" can fill in some more of the details.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Dave Kingman hit one on 4-14-76 off the 3rd house down Waveland Ave playing for the Mets against the Cubs that was confirmed by the New York Times to have traveled 530 feet in the air. Another blast felt to be in the top 10 of all time was Reggie Jackson's 1971 All-Star game home run into the light towers of Tiger Stadium. A Great discussion of some of the longest home runs ever hit can be found in the SABR book "The Home Run Encyclopedia". .
That was a heck of a shot that Reggie hit but not sure if it makes the tyop ten. Simply because although it was headed for a long trip, no way to tell where it would have landed because it struck that tower.

I did see one shot that Glennallen Hill hit at Wrigley, one of the longest and highest that I ever saw. Accross the strret in left and either hit on the roof or over the roof of a fairly high building across the street.

I've done a great deal of research on some of Ruth's long ones. Hard to judge some that were hit deep in bleachers in the power alleys and center field. Easier to at least realize to be long are the ones that he hit out of stadiums because we know they had to be hit not only far but high.

His "roof topper' at Comiskey in 1927. After making some changes at the park after the 1926 season owner Charles Comiskey said, " no one will hit one out of here." I believe it was on August 16, 1927 Ruth hit one over the roof in RF. At least a dozen sports reporters at the game said the ball cleared the 52 foot wide roof with room to spare.

His last home run in 1935, his third of that game, cleared the roof at Forbes Field.

In a long distance hitting contest at Sportsmans Park in St. Louis with Dolph Camilli, Joe Medwick, Johnny Mize and some others Ruth came out on top. His drive estimated at 430+ feet was the longest. The ball hit over the stands in right field, cleared the street behind the wall Grand Avenue and landed on the second set of street car tracks.

For sure he hit more than a few in his career further than that 430+ footer to win that contest. What made it more impressive was the age of those hitters and the year that took place, an indication that the Babe still had it.

Camilli was 31, Mize was 25, Medwick was 26. Ruth was much older 43 and was out of baseball for 3 seasons. This contest was held in 1938 when Ruth was a coach for the Dodgers. I believe he won 50 dollars, Medwick 25 dollars.

[Sultan_1895-1948]

Bonds' dinger in the 2002 WS was pretty large. Off Krod I think.

It might not have been the longest, but one of my favorite Babe homers came in '19 against the White Sox in the first game of a double header.

Babe had 26 dingers at the time, and the Sox held a Babe Ruth Day at Fenway Park to honor his hitting. The Knights of Columbus were there to salute him and give him a diamond ring; all that good stuff.

As he often did back then, he started on the mound for this game, more for the fans than anything. He didn't throw too good, only going 6 innings before heading out to left field. In the 9th inning though, he gave the crowd what they wanted. Facing Lefty Williams, he hit a curveball out to left center field, over the scoreboard (25 ft wall at the time) and across Landsdowne street, breaking a window on the fly.

The homer was his 27th, tying Williamson's single season record, and winning the game for the Sox. The players and fans were pretty much in awe. Lefties just didn't hit like that off anyone, let alone a lefty pitcher of Williams' caliber. In between games, Weaver came by the Sox's dugout and commented, "That was the most unbelievable poke I ever saw."

His next homer that broke Williamson's record was the longest ever at the Polo Grounds, going over the furthest part of the roof. That one came in the ninth, with the Sox down 1-0 and sent it into extra innings.

Anyway, I scrounged up a couple pictures and marked in yellow where the ball likely passed the fence and where landed.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

It might not have been the longest, but one of my favorite Babe homers came in '19 against the White Sox in the first game of a double header.
In the 9th inning though, he gave the crowd what they wanted. Facing Lefty Williams, he hit a curveball out to left center field, over the scoreboard (25 ft wall at the time) and across Landsdowne street, breaking a window on the fly.

Lefties just didn't hit like that off anyone, let alone a lefty pitcher of Williams' caliber.


I could account for at least 9 home runs that Ruth hit off a pretty good lefty, Lefty Grove. Ruth lost one home run off of Grove in 1930 when he hit a drive at Shibe that cleared the wall but struck speaker supports and bounded back on to the playing field. He was sent back to second base. Later that season he hit the speaker support again, another double off of a different pitcher.

Twice he hit two home runs in one game batting against Grove. They both had long careers but Grove came in later so he faced Grove between the years of 1925 to 1934.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Speaking of long balls... May 21, 1930 at Shibe Park, Yanks and Athletics, two of the big guys put on a show, Jimmie Foxx and Babe Ruth. I would loved to have sat in on this one.

It was a double header the Athletics won both games 15-7 and 4-1.
In the first game Ruth hit 3 home runs, the second the longest ever hit at Shibe, clearing the roofs of the first row of houses across the street. In his last at bat in the 9th inning Ruth decided to bat right handed against spitballer Jack Quinn. Took two strikes batting RH went over to the left side and struck out. I have heard that he batted RH because he believed they were going to walk him, I doubt that the Yanks were down 15 to 7. In his career there was a number of times when he did bat RH when he was going to be walked intentionally. I think he was just Ruth being Ruth, down 15 to 7 and just clowning around, he blew his chance at a 4 homer game.

Jimmie Foxx put on a show of his own. In the first game, a monster shot that disappeared over the roof in left field. Also in that first game probably one of the longest triples, this was no gapper. The ball was hit 468 to dead center on the fly just missed landing in the bleachers.

[Honus Wagner Rules]

That's the longest by a major leaguer in a regular baseball season, but did you know that ONE man hit a fair ball completely OUT of Yankees Stadium?

That man was Josh Gibson, playing for the Crawfords in an exhibition game against the Philly Stars in 1934. The ball went over the triple deck next to the bullpen in left, and OUT.
Josh's HR is an urban legend. It never happened.

[Bob Hannah]

The longest I ever saw, was hit by Frank Howard in 1969 in RFK
stadium...

After the "shot" I looked around and took notice of 10-15 seats in
LCF and straight away in CF, all in the upper deck painted white
where he had hit them. Nobody hit them any farther than this Giant
of a man, and most certainly not as many!


See posts 30 and 31 of this thread (http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=27276&page=2&highlight=Frank+Howard+white+seats) for a photo of the white seats that remain at RFK.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

See posts 30 and 31 of this thread (http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=27276&page=2&highlight=Frank+Howard+white+seats) for a photo of the white seats that remain at RFK.

I'm sure that big Frank hit some of the longest. For sure he hit some of the "quickest". I saw him hit one at Yankee Stadium that never appeared to be more than 15 or 20 feet high and into the bleachers in couple of seconds.

[enixon2@msn.com]

In Harvey Frommer's book, "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball", he states that in 1913, at the Polo Grounds, Joe Jackson hit one completely out of the stadium, clearing the right field roof. I have no idea as to the distance of that shot.

[Sultan_1895-1948]

In Harvey Frommer's book, "Shoeless Joe and Ragtime Baseball", he states that in 1913, at the Polo Grounds, Joe Jackson hit one completely out of the stadium, clearing the right field roof. I have no idea as to the distance of that shot.

I remember ShoelessJoe3 posting something about this some time ago. Before Ruth came along and started crushing the ball over the Polo Grounds roof, Joe Jackson was the only other person to have done it before. I believe his landed on top of the roof though, didn't go completely over it.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

I remember ShoelessJoe3 posting something about this some time ago. Before Ruth came along and started crushing the ball over the Polo Grounds roof, Joe Jackson was the only other person to have done it before. I believe his landed on top of the roof though, didn't go completely over it.

Maybe I can get lucky and remember where I saw those same words, that Jacksons did not clear the roof but landed on top of it. It's a long shot to find that article, could have been in a book or a game report the day after the game that was written in the N.Y.Times, tough to find. I would have to say that even that may not be the final word. Now that I think about it I saw conflicting articles, one saying that Jackson's landed on the roof and one that said he cleared it, I'll have to search. Anyway up until Ruth came along that was the only time the roof was reached or cleared, Ruth did it a great many times.

BTW no parks had foul lines painted any further than the base of the walls until Ruth came along. Don't recall the year but Ruth's high soaring home runs made it neccessary for the ground crew to paint foul lines to new heights, the precursor to what we now call the foul or fair pole.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Jacksons bomb, not bad, hitting that dirty, beat up out of round ball.

Source, the book " Big Sticks, page 45, the best book I've ever seen that covers the ball and lots of info on the bat, going way back

[SHOELESSJOE3]

More on the foul or fair line, the change.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Sorry for that hugh size of those two posts. They were well under the 100 KB limit, only about 72KB. I think the problem is unlike most photos these articles are so much bigger in length than height. probably around 50 KB would do. .

[Sultan_1895-1948]

Sorry for that hugh size of those two posts. They were well under the 100 KB limit, only about 72KB. I think the problem is unlike most photos these articles are so much bigger in length than height. probably around 50 KB would do. .

Here ya go Joe.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Thanks SULTAN. I'll have to remember when inserting articles in that proportion, where the length is so much longer than the height in a smaller fashion than I do with photos, maybe around 50 KB.

[Budtaff]

Here are The Mick's 10 longest homeruns: (He was in my opinion, the best pure-power switch-hitter of all-time)

1. 734 ft. – 5/22/63, vs. Kansas City, at Yankee Stadium, Pitcher: Bill Fischer

2. 660 ft. – 3/26/51, vs. USC, at Bovard Field, USC, Pitcher: Unknown


I had a Mickey Mantle book that was about every homerun he ever hit. It had a brief story about the homer and some had pics. There was an overhead shot of the USC baseball field, and directly behind the baseball field was a football field. This ball supposedly landed on the far sideline of the football field beyond the outfield fence! (How wide is a football field?) I'm sure there may have been some exaggeration involved but where they say the ball landed was just shocking when I saw the picture.

[Sultan_1895-1948]

Those numbers are hilarious, they make for great folklore. It's physically impossible to hit a ball that far on the fly though. It had to have rolled. I think a football field is just over 50 yards wide, not 100% sure on that though.

[Metal Ed]

734 feet, right...and "Cool Papa" could hit the light switch, and be
under the covers before the light went out......


I understand that Satchel Paige once threw a baseball so hard, it disappeared into thin air before ever reaching the plate.

Ah yes, and then there's the story of the changeup that physically stopped in mid-air on its way to the plate.

[Metal Ed]

Ok, here's one name that hasn't been mentioned yet: Bo Jackson. That guy hit some absolute bombs. Supposedly he hit one over the scoreboard in Kansas City; how far would have to be?

[SHOELESSJOE3]

Ok, here's one name that hasn't been mentioned yet: Bo Jackson. That guy hit some absolute bombs. Supposedly he hit one over the scoreboard in Kansas City; how far would have to be?

That might be the one estimated at 475 feet. This guy was a real animal. Can anyone refresh my memory, I'm not sure of the following but I believe I saw these two incidents on some highlights. Bo striking out , angered as he walks away he breaks his bat over his thigh. Kind of like I might do with a broom stick.. like I might try with a broom stick.. like I would probably just wind up hurting my leg.

I thought I saw this one. Going back to the wall for a long drive he actually took two or three steps up the wall, almost as though he was going to run up the wall. I don't think he caught the ball but amazingly he almost landed on his feet when he came down, never saw anything like it.

[Sultan_1895-1948]

That might be the one estimated at 475 feet. This guy was a real animal. Can anyone refresh my memory, I'm not sure of the following but I believe I saw these two incidents on some highlights. Bo striking out , angered as he walks away he breaks his bat over his thigh. Kind of like I might do with a broom stick.. like I might try with a broom stick.. like I would probably just wind up hurting my leg.

I thought I saw this one. Going back to the wall for a long drive he actually took two or three steps up the wall, almost as though he was going to run up the wall. I don't think he caught the ball but amazingly he almost landed on his feet when he came down, never saw anything like it.

He did break a bat over his leg after a strikeout. Snapped it like a toothpick.

The running was was classic. I believe he was playing centerfield, and made a long running catch toward left center a few steps from the padded wall. He did catch the ball, and instead of putting his hand out to stop his momentum, he just kept on running, and went sideways along the wall for two or three quick steps, landing back on his feet.

Real freaky athlete. On the short list for sure.

There was something about him throwing from basically a standstill, from the warning track to the plate on the fly. Not a rainbow either. A "laser."

One long dinger of his I think was in an All Star Game to centerfield. Not sure about the KC homer over the scoreboard, but others have done that I believe.

[SHOELESSJOE3]

He did break a bat over his leg after a strikeout. Snapped it like a toothpick.

The running was was classic. I believe he was playing centerfield, and made a long running catch toward left center a few steps from the padded wall. He did catch the ball, and instead of putting his hand out to stop his momentum, he just kept on running, and went sideways along the wall for two or three quick steps, landing back on his feet.
Real freaky athlete. On the short list for sure.

There was something about him throwing from basically a standstill, from the warning track to the plate on the fly. Not a rainbow either. A "laser."

One long dinger of his I think was in an All Star Game to centerfield. Not sure about the KC homer over the scoreboard, but others have done that I believe.


Thats it, now I remember, what a physical marvel Bo was.

[Metal Ed]

There was something about him throwing from basically a standstill, from the warning track to the plate on the fly. Not a rainbow either. A "laser."



That was when he threw out Harold Reynolds at the plate. It was a 300 ft throw, basically flatfooted like you said, and it was indeed a laser. The catcher remarked "it was a strike on the outside corner."

The All-Star game HR was only 448 ft.

The bat breaking thing...... the first time he did that, the reporters were in awe of him. After the game, they asked him if he had ever done that before. Seeing their admiration and awe, and realizing that they would basically believe anything he told them at that point, he stated:

"In college, I once broke a metal bat."

(Reporters furiously jot down quote)

"Naw, just kidding."

[elmer]

"I heard a funny Mantle-related story one time. The Yankees were playing the Dogers in an exhibition game and Mantle hit a monster home run. Ron Fairly was on the Dodger bench and said, "Heck, I hit one that far once." Fairly took some razzing until he added, "Of course I was using a two-wood at the time."

Using Sanborn Insurance Maps and Aerial Photo Maps for this home run the distance can be determined within a few feet.

Don Demeter who was in center field when the home run was hit stated that the ball CLEARED a tree line well beyond RC. Mr. Demeter placed a dot on
an aerial photo map of Holman Stadium and surrounding area. The dot
measured 500 feet from home plate.

[elmer]

I had a Mickey Mantle book that was about every homerun he ever hit. It had a brief story about the homer and some had pics. There was an overhead shot of the USC baseball field, and directly behind the baseball field was a football field. This ball supposedly landed on the far sideline of the football field beyond the outfield fence! (How wide is a football field?) I'm sure there may have been some exaggeration involved but where they say the ball landed was just shocking when I saw the picture.

With the use of aerial photo maps (not aerial photos) and Sanborn Insurance maps this home runs distance, if the arrow in the aerial photo can be considered fact of landing point, is between 548 and 552 feet.
Jim Barrett from the LA area, a witness to this home run, states the ball landed adjacent to the 35 yard line as best he remembers, making the distance around 525 feet. Mr Barrett remembers where he was shown
the ball landed by actual witnesses who said the ball stuck in the mud.
it was March 22, just Spring.
Jerry Coleman did not see the landing of the ball but indicated a flight path for the homer on a diagram that would have taken the ball to a point opposite the 12 yard line.

The right handed home run in the same game on a low 60's day when the humidity was from 62 to 65 percent, was hit into a cross wind with an approximate 25 degree angle of impediment. The wind that day was very constant. The hourly readings from the records of the National Climatic Data Center state between 8 and 13 miles per hour and mostly around 10 or 11 miles per hour. The impeding angle of the wind would likely affect the ball by perhaps 10 feet.
The house the ball landed on was on a street running perpendicular to the Left to Center field fence at USC's Bovard Field. Jim Barrett states that the ball disappeared over the roof just left of the center point on the house. the house was a 2 story dwelling, with a steep pitch roof.
This ball probably landed on the far side of the house about 20 feet from the nearest corner of the house to home plate, which was 519 feet from home plate.
The ball slightly impeded by the wind and the roof landed about 530 feet
from home plate at least 25 feet above the ground. Allowing 2 feet for a foundation, 11' for each floor of the house and at least 10 more for the peak of the roof makes the house about 34 feet high.

[elmer]

I've received a lot of questions in regards to Mantle's 734 ft HR. Here is the only information I could find to support it from one of my favorite sites: themick.com.

* The façade was the decorative facing along the roof of the old Yankee Stadium. Mickey hit the façade in regular-season games at least three times during his career: May 5, 1956 off Moe Burtschy, May 20, 1956 off Pedro Ramos, and May 22, 1963 off Bill Fischer.

** Legend has it that Mickey hit balls completely out of Yankee Stadium up to three times during batting practices. Supposedly Mickey did it twice left-handed and once right-handed. Witnesses of these incredible feats include fans, stadium vendors, teammates and opposing players.

Mickey's other facade home runs were hit off Babe Birrer on August 7th 1955, June 23rd 1957 off Dick Donovan, and one in his first year on September 13, 1951.

[Sultan_1895-1948]

Elmer, maybe this is a good time to uncover the 565 ft. myth?

[AstrosFan]

http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=83718163&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=10&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=HNP&TS=1177986382&clientId=18949

I've never really posted an image before, so I don't know if this will post. But it's supposed to be an article on the 565 foot home run by Mantle in the New York Times.

[Sultan_1895-1948]

See pages 196-199 in Jenkinson's book.

[elmer]

See pages 196-199 in Jenkinson's book.

Alternative theories:

Re: Mantle's home run in '53 at Griffith.
The most likely theory is that the ball bounced in the road onto the roof of one of the houses
fronting 5th street, (they were 22' high) first traveling through tree branches. the ball would then
have bounced and or rolled off the back of that house or another in the same row of houses to fall
into the yards behind those fronting 5th street. The yards were narrow and the ball could then have
either rebounded off the side of 434 Oakdale toward the direction of the houses fronting fifth street or
even fallen off the roof into 434 Oakdale's backyard.

The less likely theory is that the ball landed on the roof of one of the houses across from the ballpark
then bounced or bounced and rolled to a point somewhere in the back yards of 434 Oakdale or the houses
fronting fifth street.

[Sultan_1895-1948]

Well, there are a few key points that Jenkinson brings up. He estimates that the ball traveled about 510 feet, which is still pretty remarkable. Red Patterson admitted to him that he had no idea where the ball actually landed. He simply found a ten year old holding the ball in a yard and said 563', and two feet were later added because of the wall thickness. Jenkinson says that Red always wondered why nobody ever questioned him about the distance. Mantle himself told Jenksinson that he hit that ball well, but he hit five or six balls a lot better. Jenkinson states the distance where it left the yard to be at 462 feet, and it was fifty feet high on a quickly declining trajectory. And yes, it reportedly glanced off an advertising sign as it left the building. Not that Mantle didn't have well over 500' power, but I just don't see that ball, that day, being anything close to 565'. Btw, the ball Mantle hit off the 100 foot roof facade 370' away, according to him as told to Jenkinson, was the hardest ball he ever hit.

[elmer]

I would agree whole-heartedly I think that Bill's estimate is about right for the home run unaided.

With the wind and no carom, the ball might have actually traveled farther than 506'-510'. If so, there should be room for the theory above.
There are too many questions involving 565' and area ball landed in that I would like to see answered.

The wall was 50' high the ball caromed 5 feet above the top.

Mickey also stated he could no longer remember many of his long home runs. He hit more than a half dozen harder than the one in Griffith. For instance the one on Sep 12, 1953 off Billy Hoeft that landed in the 14th row just right of the last exit next to the bullpen in the LF UD at YS. Yankee's winning pitcher Jim McDonald stated he felt it was hit harder than the griffith homer. Yankee Gil McDougald made an identical statement.
Mickey hit one or two higher in the LF UD, ie to the 20th of 23 rows; not an easy feat-- The bottom of the facade is 15' below the front edge of the roof, which in Mickey's time was 108' above the playing field. the top of the arches in the facade were 3 feet higher. The back edge of the roof was 5' lower than the front edge. The top (23rd) level of the 3rd deck was 10' below that. 3 rows down is 5.5 feet lower than that top row above the playing field. The 20th row then is 90 feet to someones lap above the playing field. The facade then was 92-95 feet above the field. The 20th row was 55 or 56 feet behind the facade.
He and Foxx both hit this row and broke seats. The Foxx home run may have been a little closer to the bullpen (one description says "20" feet from the end of the deck) possibly making it the longer of the two. These home runs were in the 545-549 foot range. Foxx later said this was his second longest. His top homer was the Comiskey tennis court home run or the one he hit over the roof in LC. It landed
across the street on a playground.

[elmer]

Babe Ruth Historian now has a website to be updated from time to time

It will feature music, videos, photos, a little about Bill
and articles in his own unique style.

Visit often

http://www.billjenkinsonbaseball.webs.com/

Bill Jenkinson

[paulamarty601]

I heard that one time, Dick Allen of the Phillies hit a 500 ft homer, hitting the flagpole of dead center field at Connie Mack stadium. At least this was asked of him by Bob Costas on MLB Network.

[carlton72]

Holy jeez, I didn't know Baseball-Fever.com had been around as long as 2002!

[elmer]

I heard that one time, Dick Allen of the Phillies hit a 500 ft homer, hitting the flagpole of dead center field at Connie Mack stadium. At least this was asked of him by Bob Costas on MLB Network.

On June 1, 1966 he landed one on the batting cage over the 447 sign.
he hit many homers over the roof in Left, hitting signs, over each and in-between. Hit 4 over Philco sign Longest 530' and one to the right of it, Very long.

[elmer]

Jane Leavy's latest on Mickey Mantle has new information on his April 17, 1953 homer
at Griffith Stadium.
It gives an estimate that says it would have landed on the house across the street
and bounced off the back roof where it was discovered by 14 year old Donald
Dunaway. Jane states he found it behind the 3rd or 4th house (2029 or 2027 5th St.) from the corner under a window
on top of some leaves. Dunaway was not sure which house.
The graphic given in the book indicates it struck the beer sign almost 60 feet
above the field. The book relates that two different park officials stated the wall height was
48 and 55 feet above the playing field. My own investigations based on photos indicates
a wall height of 43 feet and no higher than 48 feet.
The books estimate is based on a height of 55-60 feet above the field where the ball caromed
off the sign. The books graphic (on page 102) indicates no deterioration of trajectory after the ball
caromed off the sign and striking the sign about 55' high. The ball, later ensconced in the hall of fame definitely shows 2 serious scuff marks. The trajectory given has the ball just barely clearing the 22 foot high row house roof. If there was any downward change in the trajectory, would the ball still land on the roof?
If the rear wall was not 55' high as believed but 43-48 feet and the initial trajectory higher could the ball then have bounced to the roof and off the back?
go to this page and click on 'Download Powerpoint' http://convention.sabr.org/archive/sabr40/presentations/260-revisiting-mantles-griffith-stadium-home-run

[WhiteSoxFan22]

Mickey Mantle was claimed to have hit a 660 ft home run

The highest one Listed By Guinness World records is hist 643 ft home run.

[elmer]

the 660' homer was closer to 550'.
see http://baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?t=93908

[elmer]

Casey Stengel Homer May 15, 1917 Ebbets Field

[elmer]

El Paso Herald Dec. 26, 1912

[elmer]

Mickey Mantle home run May 4, 1951 Sportsman's Park,

Information supplied by right fielder Roy Sievers indicating a landing point at the edge
of the sidewalk in front of the same car dealership Ruth hit twice, measures
493 feet from home plate. Other accounts state 500 feet and 'hit' car dealer.

[elmer]

Harmon Killebrew Home Runs
Fenway Park May 17, 1964

[GiambiJuice]

There's another, much longer, thread on this topic: http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?48265-mammoth-homeruns

[csh19792001]

There's another, much longer, thread on this topic: http://www.baseball-fever.com/showthread.php?48265-mammoth-homeruns


Most vintage/nascent "Researcher" thread up for revival.

2001, folks!!!!!

[JR Hart]

[updated:LAST EDITED ON Mar-12-02 AT 05:08*PM (EST)]Here are The Mick's 10 longest homeruns: (He was in my opinion, the best pure-power switch-hitter of all-time)

1. 734 ft. – 5/22/63, vs. Kansas City, at Yankee Stadium, Pitcher: Bill Fischer

2. 660 ft. – 3/26/51, vs. USC, at Bovard Field, USC, Pitcher: Unknown

3. 650 ft. – 6/11/53, vs. Detroit, at Briggs Stadium, Pitcher: Art Houteman

4. 643 ft. – 9/10/60, vs. Detroit, at Tiger Stadium, Pitcher: Paul Foytack

5. 630 ft. – 9/13/53, vs. Detroit, at Yankee Stadium, Pitcher: Billy Hoeft

6. 620 ft. – 5/30/56, vs. Washington, at Yankee Stadium, Pitcher: Pedro Ramos

7. 565 ft. – 4/17/53, vs. Washington, at Griffith Stadium, Pitcher: Chuck Stobbs

8. 550 ft. – 6/05/55, vs. Chi. White Sox, at Comiskey Park, Pitcher: Billy Pierce

9. 535 ft. – 7/06/53, vs. Philadelphia A's, at Connie Mack Stadium, Pitcher: Frank Fanovich

10. 530 ft. – 4/24/53, vs. St. Louis Browns, at Busch Stadium, Pitcher: Bob Cain

In NO WAY do I believe this

[elmer]

In NO WAY do I believe this
9. and 10. are the closest actually 525-530 for 9 and 493' for 10.

the others are way over estimated.