ESPN's Home Run Tracker tells a different story, calculating the final distance of Piazza's slam at 515 feet. It was the kind of place that inspired the best in players. The big guy came to Detroit in 1990 as a free agent after a season in Japan. By AdamBishop. In 1921, major league teams averaged 59 home runs. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. I think they left Dick Allen in 1973 for the White Sox. The Times reported that Cecil Fielder became the first Detroit player to hit a home run over the left-field roof at Tiger Stadium (''Fielder Belts Two as Tigers Rout A's, 14-4,'' Aug. 26), and . In 1970, when ABC signed on to carry Monday Night Football on a weekly basis, the network came to Detroit to do a trial run at an exhibition game. In the 22nd inning, Jack Reed hit the only home run of his 129-at bat career off Phil Regan for a 9-7 win. The following year, his five postseason home runs led the Pirates to a World Series championship. I just saw and heard the crowd going crazy.. On June 14, 1983, Gibson belted a blast over the right field roof against the Red Sox. A World Series victory in 1984 didnt seem to help. "Examination of satellite and ground-based digital photos suggests that the 502-foot figure is an accurate measurement of the horizontal distance to the 'Red Seat,' but since the impact point was approximately 30 feet above field level, the ball would have covered more distance before landing at field level, had its flight not been interrupted.". In data analyzed by Baseball Savant's Statcast from 2019-21, the 27-year-old stadium generated 14% more offense, compared to fellow MLB ballparks, including 19% more hits, 16% more home runs, and the second most triples (behind Comerica Park) in that three-year span, due to Coors Field's enormous outfield. Privacy Policy There was a huge outcry from traditionalists that the ballpark needed be saved as a historical monument (it had been placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989). It was the 485th home run of his career. Minute Maid Park upgrades I grew up in Bridgeport Michigan. Ranking the 20 Most Legendary All-Star Game Home Runs of All Time That much is known. You are correct about Howard. One of the hardest ever at the corner was a blast by Jimmie Foxx deep into left center, just to the left of the center field scoreboard. . Ernie Harwell and Al Kaline both dubbed it the hardest-hit ball they'd ever seen, and even Jackson himself agreed: "I think this would have to be the longest one I've ever hit," he said afterward. I was very happy for Cecil.. In 1977, a fire wiped out the press box. The winning pitcher that day for the Blue Jays was Pat Hentgen of Fraser. Sure, Tiger Stadium was a famously hitter-friendly ballpark, especially for lefties. By the 1970s, the ballpark was beginning to show its age. Awesome article Dan as usual! The park estimated his powerful swing at 505 feet, making it one of the longest homers to invite a Big Apple rising. The club went 68-86 and hit 18 fewer home runs than the year before. I found it refreshing to be served by people who truly knew everything and who came across as glad i stopped in and only care about me getting the service beyond what i deserved. 12, Todd McShay reveals Detroit Lions best draft pick, Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes puts NFL on HIGH ALERT, 3 Michigan State football players selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, Detroit Tigers SP Tarik Skubal takes big step forward, AJ Hinch on Zack Short Shorty brings a different skill set to that spot on the roster. Al Kaline told the. Not since Hank Greenberg in the 1940s, had Tiger fans seen a power hitter like Cecil Fielder. A 575-foot dinger at Navin Field in Detroit isn't the most interesting of the tales, but it'd top this list. 51 to complete the Tigers 10-3 victory. What existed was simply a wall, and many players hit home runs over that wall and out of the stadium into Cherry Street, which paralleled the wall. Although the ballpark suffered little damage, the citys name was sullied. "It has been confirmed that the ball struck against the third house beyond Waveland Avenue, which is situated about 530 feet from home plate," Jenkinson wrote. Using the best information available, let's take a stab at locating the longest recorded home runs ever. On April 15, 1999, Torii Hunter hit a home run off Brian Moehler at Tiger Stadium while playing for the Minnesota Twins. OnJuly 3, 1999, the Cleveland Indians star sent a ball screaming an estimated 511 feet. Innovative Field (Rochester Red Wings) upgrades Matt Monagan Al Kaline.). If in doubt, leave it out. The ball soared out of Wrigley Field and landed on the rooftop of a building across the street. When Ted Williams cleared the roof at Briggs Stadium , Competition, joy and a little pain: Beep Baseball is a world of freedom for blind athletes, By Although it came nowhere close to 734 feet, ESPN determined an impressive true distance of 503 feet. I also saw Reggie Jackson with the As strike out about 3 times late in the 1969 season at Tiger Stadium. I was a little concerned it would let look as good as I hoped, but when I put it on, I loved it. LSU Captures Game 1 Over Alabama, 8-6 - LSU Two months later, the Cubs traded him to the Yankees, wherehe put together the best stint of his career. After the game, Yankees management sent a 3-liter bottle of champagne to the Tigers clubhouse. In 1967, the race riots that tore up the city of Detroit started less than two miles from the ballpark. See More by this Creator. On Sept. 27, 2008, the slugger secured his fifth season with 40 deep flies. As a kid in May 1967? Nobody ever dreams of a statue, I certainly didn't.". Whitaker hit 146 homers at the old ballpark, most of them after he matured into a better power hitter in his late 20s. Having hit 31 home runs in 506 at-bats with Toronto, in Japan Fielder produced 38 in only 384 at-bats. In his first season wearing the Old English D, Big Daddy hit 51 homers. A Mickey Mantle buff claims a 1960 home run hit out of Tiger Stadium by the former New York Yankees star is the longest ever measured 643 feet, .0069 inches. Reggie Jacksons 1971 All-Star Game shot at Tiger Stadium would have traveled more than 600 feet had it not struck the transformer on the light tower in right center and bounced onto the field. But he is prouder of the fact that he won three consecutive RBI titles (1990-92) than joining the 50-home run club, pointing out the only other players to do it in the American League are Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth. He hit some long HRs at Tiger Stadium. What are your home run memories of Tiger Stadium? Bookmark Quiz Bookmark Quiz Bookmark. "I don't think anyone could ever be comfortable getting a statue, I mean that respectfully," Thome said during the unveiling ceremony, per. It was the longest ball I ever saw, Tigers broadcaster George Kell told Susman. Reggie Jackson's All-Star Game homer off the Tiger Stadium roof is When I hit it, I knew it was gone, I just didnt know where it was going. I don't live nearby so the ability to have it shipped for $10 was well worth the cost. Ive spent more than two years of research on this.. But it burns bright in the memories of hitters like Tom Matchick. I don't live nearby so the ability to have it shipped for $10 was well worth the cost. A shot like that you remember because you had to have some pretty good hang time to get it up and over that left field roof, which was much farther back than right, where a lot of other balls had gone out, Roe said from this home in Florida. In 1921 alone, which was, best tape measure season, he hit at least one 500 foot home run in all eight American League cities. Hinchliffe Stadium renovations Righty Paul Foytack fired a fastball right into the Mick's killing zone and he jumped on it. Ruth hit 60 homers there, the most by any visiting ballplayer. Statcast data, however, is still a relatively new tool. There were home runs that didnt seem to be home runs. (The movie Detroit Rock City was based on this concert.). "I wasn't cheating, I was real. The people there are awesome and they clearly don't get much walk in business however they know their product while intending in only buying one jersey I walked out with much more! Skeptics will certainly be forgiven for doubting that distance, but others will prefer to simply believe. On November 28, 1974, the Lions played their last game at Tiger Stadium. *(previously Briggs Stadium & Navin Field), Most Homers hit by opposing players The Longest Home Runs in MLB History - Bleacher Report Among the dignitaries on hand that day: David Eisenhower (nephew of the president and the person for whom Camp David was named) and Dizzy Dean, who had been baseballs last 30-game winner. Its like the difference between hearing a PGA player tee off and an everyday golfer.. There should be no doubt about the authentication of these conclusions. Out of concern for the neighborhood, the team moved a series to Baltimore. MLB Network'sBob Costas credits it above as the Guinness Book of World Records holder for longest home run. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. A few players, very few, hit home runs into the bleachers in straightaway center field, an incredible 440 feet away. Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM) was formed and charged with developing, building and managing the most comprehensive baseball experience available on the Internet. Jason Thompson. Everyone wanted to talk about them but they werent the only ones because there was a guy in Detroit named Fielder.". Off-field problems derailed his path to superstardom, but his Montreal moonshot serves as a reminder of his off-the-charts power. Bullying, racism, personal attacks, harassment, or discrimination is prohibited. I thought I saw Tony Clark hit a monster on the roof, but Im so old my memory is shot. But . It's foolish to take hearsay as concrete evidence, but it's also difficult to believe the man who hit 714 home runs during the dead-ball era wasn't capable of abnormal results. The Tigers Kirk Gibson hit a home run onto the street in 1983 but it was less than 600 feet. Took everyones breath away. Because Tiger Stadium is the oldest major league baseball stadium in the United States, and because superb home run hitters such as the Tigers' Harry Heilmann and the Yankees' Babe Ruth, played there many years before Fielder, Killebrew and Howard, readers may wonder why it took so many years to accomplish the rare feat of clearing that left-field roof. By the time Detroit's Tiger Stadium bade farewell 87 years, it had witnessed 11,111 home runs, six World Series, three memorable All-Star games, NFL Championship games and championship boxing . While the Miami Marlins slugger doesn't need a ballpark's help to punish a baseball, he collaborated with the high-altitude venue to produce a 504-foot homer on Aug. 6, 2016. This pole was in play. Because owner Walter Briggs believed baseball should be played in the daytime, the Tigers were the last team in the American League to install lights, putting in the arcs in 1948. There was a one-year spike in attendance but the 1994 baseball strike wiped out a lot of good will earned. The only time Fielder went more than a week without a homer was June 1829. Initial estimates credited him with hitting a 656-foot bomb in college, a mark outlandish even for an MLB star using performance-enhancing drugs. The slam hit the right field roof and became the . Only six batters hit as many as 20 homers that year. I did feel the pressure, said Fielder, who was thrilled that his mother, who had flown in from California, saw him hit No. Writers described fire and smoke behind the outfield walls as a game went on. Copyright 2023 August Publications. He retired with 536 home runs, sixth on the all-time list. The 1971 All-Star Game was held at Tiger Stadium, a stadium that, according to Ballparks.com, saw 19 players hit 28 home runs that cleared the roof and left the parkliterally. Reggie Jackson: Reggie's blast in the 1971 All-Star Game was headed out of Tiger Stadium, but it hit a transformer on the right field roof. He never played another game. Progressive Field renovations This never happened. The second one was Gibbys blast in 1983, when some friends and I got bleacher tickets, and sat dead center, giving us a great view of the ball as it sailed out of the ballpark. "Straw hit it so far and so high that I just stood and watched.". Later in the same game, Cecil Fielder hit a home run over the left field roof to show Canseco who was stronger. Ranking each MLB ballpark by distance to center field All rights reserved. Future Legends Sports Complex (Northern Colorado Owlz) Robert Fick hit a grand-slam homer to help Detroit to an 8-2 win over Kansas City. Ficks homer hit the roof in right and just missed going out of the stadium. The final act came on September 27, 1999. Jim Thome has to be in there for homeruns to it seemed like every time I was at a game he hit one to right field. Homer History At Tiger Stadium - The New York Times "The ball assumed what can only be called a majestic arc and landed on the left-field roof in Tiger Stadium," Ryan wrote. Doak Field at Dail Park upgrades (NC Wolfpack) On July 19, 1968, the Tigers trailed Baltimore 4-3 with one runner on and two out in the bottom of the ninth inning when Matchick, a .226 hitter, lofted a fly ball to right. Detroit was one of the first powers in the new league, advancing to the World Series three years in a row from 1907-09. When Ford Field hosted the 2006 Super Bowl, a tent on Tiger Stadiums field played host to the Bud Bowl, an event that featured (among other things), a performance by Snoop Dogg. This wasnt even peak Stargell. On May 2, 1939, Lou Gehrigs streak of 2,130 consecutive games ended when he asked out of the Yankees lineup complaining of a headache. ESPN Home Run Trackermeasured it as the longest shot since providing full data in 2008. A few times, he was able to send the baseball up and out of Tiger Stadium with his left-handed swing. The exact distance, however, remains disputed. Over the roof, gone, home run for Cecil!. Privacy Policy (Rumor was this came at the behest of the teams first star, Ty Cobb.) The casual fan might not fully appreciate the modest masher, who becomes eligible for Hall of Fame consideration next year. On a ball that sped 124 mph off the bat, ESPN's Home Run Tracker estimated a distance of 539 feet if unhindered. Navin bought up the rest of the city block of Michigan and Trumbull, stationed a flagpole inside the field of play, moved home plate in a different direction (so that the batter would not be looking into the sun) and opened for business on April 20, 1912, the same day Fenway Park in Boston debuted. Excludes Adidas Primegreen jerseys and e-Gift Cards. Thank you so much, I can't wait to wear my jersey to a Wings game! The field ran from the first base line, across the infield to the left-center-field fence. Kept me posted every step of the way, literally. , The Metropolitan Museum of Art has one of the best baseball card collections in the world thanks to one man, By Sweet Lou Whitaker, at just over 5 foot 10 and weighing a slim 160 pounds, was probably the least-likely prolific home run hitter at Tiger Stadium. Navin Field got a lot of play in the newsreels that winter but it was not the sort of publicity one desires. New Hagerstown Atlantic League ballpark See the article in its original context from. I had always been a tremendous Mantle fan my growing years, Susman said. Longest Home Run Ever Hit by Baseball Almanac In 1921 there was no SportsCenter, no 24-hour highlight machine called the Internet. Detroit responded quickly, trailing 7-6 after just three innings. In 1964, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle had an idea he wanted to try. Monaghan had to get a helicopter to fly in pizzas to writers working inside the old ballpark while overzealous fans partied too hard directly outside Tiger Stadium. Makes me even more envious of the fans in Boston whose ownership had the wisdom to preserve their historic ballpark. So take any urban legends about someone's 600-foot homer with a grain of salt. This did not include wildcat seats that were built on the rooftops on houses located behind the left-field fence. In 80-degree weather on Aug. 25, 1990, Tiger Stadium hosted 45,474 fans eagerto watch the Oakland Athletics' Bash Brothers, Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco, face off against the Tigers' Cecil Fielder, the league leaderin home runs. Norm Cash hit the most Homeruns over the Stadium. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. At 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, he was an imposing figure for pitchers. I know Alan Trammell hit a lot of homeruns on the road while playing for Detroit, and as a total for his career, he hit 185 HRs total both on the road and at home. There's no way to say for sure whether Reggie Jackson's homer at the 1971 All-Star Game is the longest in the history of the Midsummer Classic -- the game is over 80 years old, after all, and data is incomplete.Here's what we do know, though: 46 years to the day after Jackson's blast, it remains the only baseball in All-Star Game history to nearly turn out the lights. Enter your email address to subscribe to Ballpark Digest and receive notifications of new posts by email immediately when a new story is posted. In 1961, John Fetzer bought the team and renamed its home Tiger Stadium. Decades before these modern advances, historians were left to make questionable estimations or even use an actual tape measure.
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