The 500 ft home run?

[seenoevil]

How much is it a myth or real. I always hear stories of MIckey Mantle and Babe Ruth hitting tape measure shots. I even heard of Babe Ruth hitting a 600 foot shot lol. Mantle was a physical freak and naturally strong it is possible. Don't you think though in todays time with the bigger,  stronger athletes that their would be more shots in the 500 feet range. With the nutrition, suppliments, and work out programs.

 

Do you think that Trumbo will ever hit a 500 foot shot in a game. He does have the longest home run this season with a 475 ft shot

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=26704051&topic_id=10025018&c_id=mlb

[Tyler]

Dem corked bats back then.

[gotbeer]

Problem with the measurements now is there are eventual impediments, and most of the time it's just guess work.  A ball could hit position A for 475 feet.  But from how I understand these measurements work, and I can be totally wrong here, but a line drive hit to position A counts the same as a lofted ball hit to position A.  

 

Back in the Mantle and especially Ruth days, there was no impediments.  So you pretty much could measure where it landed in the parking lot.  Thus have a possible 500+ foot shot.  

 

Trumbo should just dispel it all, and hit one out of Doggie park and onto Mattingly's car.

[fan_since79]

This is a clip of a prodigious home run Ruth hit on April 7, 1935 in Newark, NJ in an exhibition game. He was 40 years old at the time. The home run was estimated at 500 feet. It will give you an idea of his amazing swing and his sheer power.

 

http://www.t3licensing.com/video/clip/331745_019.do

[greginpsca]

The home run Mantle hit off of Chuck Stobbs was measured at 535 feet. Supposedly the longest ever hit. Completely out of the park, over the cf fence, at old Washington Senators park. A stadium vendor saw the ball land near him, outside the stadium, marked the location where the ball landed. My memory must be going, cuz i just now recall that being 565 feet. I am too lazy to look it up, but it is one of those distances. I was just a young kid when it happened.

[Angel Oracle]

Good ole Griffith Stadium, like many in that era snack in the middle of a neighborhood. At one time, LF down the line was 400 ft, and the RF fence was not as far away but it took a 30 foot high fence to hit over to homer. Before later changes, a couple of handfuls of HRs were normally hit per home season by the Senators.

The Redskins also played their home games at Griffith Stadium until RFK Stadium was built around 1962.

[fan_since79]

Some cool footage of Gehrig and Ruth's swings. Clip ends with Gehrig's emotional farewell speech.

 

 

[Troutipoo27]

Trumbo hits them 500 in BP I've seen it. Top row behind the bullpens. I mean it's gotta be close. I've seen Hamilton hit one 3/4ths of the way up on the grass in center. But the farthest ball I've seen was Matt wieters hit one in the tunnel closest to the grass in CF, it bounced and went half way the seats to the big jumbotron in right. All of these of corse being in BP. But still bombs.

[Lou E Ville]

Bonds had to have done it in the apex of one of his cycles.

[YouthofToday]

Adam Dunn hit a legit 500+ HR in 2008. I think it's the only one since the start of the 2006 season.

Quite frankly I doubt Mantle or Ruth would be even above average players in today's game unless they got in shape and drank substantially less.

[Angelsjunky]

It wasn't in a major league game but Bryce Harper supposedly hit one 500+ feet...when he was 16 or 17.

[gotbeer]

Adam Dunn hit a legit 500+ HR in 2008. I think it's the only one since the start of the 2006 season.

Quite frankly I doubt Mantle or Ruth would be even above average players in today's game unless they got in shape and drank substantially less.

 

Ruth could actually be more of a monster at the plate though.  Remember, back in Ruth's day.  Strike zone was from the shoulders to the knees.  And spitballs and anything else were common.

[gotbeer]

It wasn't in a major league game but Bryce Harper supposedly hit one 500+ feet...when he was 16 or 17.

 

Possibly.  Of course he was using a very juiced bat at the time.

[shellback]

at last years all star game that shot trumbo hit to left field that landed on the roof had to have been 500+ feet (home run derby)

 

also i saw reggie jackson as an oakland a hit one into the light standard in r field that went 500+

[shellback]

its said mantle hit one 600+ feet in a practice game against USC. frank howard also hit some monster shots for the senators and doggies.

[sneaky_flute]

there were lots of elite hitters during that era because there was a much bigger gap in talent. pitchers weren't that good despite the spitball and other tactics. fielding conditions also weren't ideal. players like mantle and ruth would probably be average or even below average today. 

[shellback]

jmo mantle as a drunk could hit with the best of em today.

[Redondo]

This is a clip of a prodigious home run Ruth hit on April 7, 1935 in Newark, NJ in an exhibition game. He was 40 years old at the time. The home run was estimated at 500 feet. It will give you an idea of his amazing swing and his sheer power.

 

http://www.t3licensing.com/video/clip/331745_019.do

 

Ruth still had a nice swing and quick hands at that age.

[Angel Oracle]

The longest in person I saw hit was by Frank Howard off of Andy Messersmith in July 1970. Went about 460/470 and landed out towards the original Big A location, and came shortly after Messersmith's no hit bid was stopped in the 6th.

[EDinTUSTIN]

Some cool footage of Gehrig and Ruth's swings. Clip ends with Gehrig's emotional farewell speech.

 

That was very cool, thanks for posting it.

[HaloMilliVanilli]

there were lots of elite hitters during that era because there was a much bigger gap in talent. pitchers weren't that good despite the spitball and other tactics. fielding conditions also weren't ideal. players like mantle and ruth would probably be average or even below average today. 

Clearly this is sarcasm.......or you are drunk!

[steveuk]

Adam Dunn hit a legit 500+ HR in 2008. I think it's the only one since the start of the 2006 season.

Quite frankly I doubt Mantle or Ruth would be even above average players in today's game unless they got in shape and drank substantially less.

 

I guess Ruth could aim at being a supreme athlete like Prince Fielder...

[fan_since79]

its said mantle hit one 600+ feet in a practice game against USC. frank howard also hit some monster shots for the senators and doggies.

We just had the 50th anniversary of what Mantle himself called "the hardest ball I ever hit", a walk-off home run that hit the facade of the Yankee Stadium roof, 117 feet high and 500 feet away. 

 

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/eye-on-baseball/22285092/happy-50th-birthday-hardest-ball-mickey-mantle-ever-hit

[shellback]

while avoiding becoming sentimental, ruth, mantle, howard and the other guys we are discussing played against the absolute elite players of thier era. scouting and development were state of the art for thier time (see st louis cardinals farm system history).  year over year the competition was just as great in those days as it is today.

these players can be compared to todays primarily due to the lack of the free agent system- under complete control of thier original team if they didn't preform they didn't get paid. 

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

Where is Willits in this discussion?