GOING, GOING, GONE!

It’s outta here! Bye, Bye Baby! So long!

One of the things that makes baseball the great game it is: is monster homeruns. That #3 or #4 hitter gets the sweet part of the bat on the ball in his wheelhouse and it’s ‘Good by!” Watching a monster homerun leave the bat and sail away is truly exciting. There are many who have had the talent to do just that. Guys like Mickey Mantle, Willie McCovey, Richie Allen and Willie Stargell could all do that. But there is always that question: Who hit the longest homer ever?

A lot has to come into play for a pitch to be deposited in the great beyond, batter/pitcher matchups, righty vs. lefty, wind conditions, individual strengths of batters and speed of pitch.

Here are a few to consider:

Connor

The American baseball fan first fell in love with these feats ways far back on Opening Day 1883. The Polo Grounds in New York was the place for Hall of Famer Roger Conner to hit one that day that many people in attendance, claim was a thing of beauty. The only homer Conner hit that season: no one knows how far it went.

Mantle

Two of the longest Home Runs ever hit are credited to Mickey Mantle. As a young hitter, while playing in Washington’s Griffith Stadium, Mantle launched one 656 feet on April 17, 1953. This shot first coined the phrase "tape measure job." Then on September 10, 1960, at Detroit’s Brigg’s Stadium he hit one an estimated 643 feet!

Dick Allen noted for his power and long homeruns, hit a ball that that reached the roof facade in center field in Detroit. The distance measured at 415 feet, 85 feet high. That was July 6, 1974.

Dave Nicholson slugged a 600 foot ball that cleared the roof and an alley before landing on a softball field at old Comisky Park.

Lombardi

Speaking of balls that carried: This was posted in the New Baseball Catalog. In the 1930's a ball was hit by catcher Ernie Lombardi in Cincinnati hit one over the center field fence, landing in a truck that carried it 30 miles.

Sometimes legends are made but not confirmed. Folklore has it that Josh Gibson of the old Negro League hit a ball that went 911 feet! A little hard to believe since the claim goes that the ball was in the air for 668 feet with no fences to block it, and no one taking measurements down to record it.

That’s all I wrote, folks!