OT: 46 years ago today I saw the greatest HR in my lifetime
What was the most impressive home run you ever saw?
Mine was at the 1971 All Star game held at Tiger Stadium that featured some of the greatest players ever assembled: Rose,Mays, Bench, McCovey, Aaron, Stargell,Carlton, Seaver, Brock , Clemente, Yaz, Palmer, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Carew, Killebrew, Kaline and it just went on and on ...a total of 26 future HOFers !
In the bottom of the third, a young Reggie Jackson, was sent to pitch hit and sent a pitch into orbit off Doc Ellis. The ball was RISING as it hit the light transformer on the top of the right field roof. It has been estimated to have traveled 539 feet had it not hit the transformer. Ernie Harwell said it was the hardest hit ball he ever saw.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2D9mBNnpUY . I will embed below.
Those troughs sure sped up the whole process. Miss them at Michigan Stadium too although the waterless system is probably better for the environment.
Comerica is better in every respect...except for watching the actual game.
Of the upper deck were terrific seats. You were right on top f the action.
Only ball I ever caught was front row upperdeck leftfield. Mickey Stanley hit it and it came almost straight down and hit the rail and bounced up then down into my hands. Other than the time I had first row tickets behind home plate they were the best seats ever.
Municipal stadium was exactly the same, nothing like going to a ball game with your Dad only go to the troughs and be eye level with strange dicks. As a bonus, there was always at least one turd in there.
I don't know if anyone is an F is for Family fan, but Bill Burr animated this experience perfectly.
I have the game on DVD.
Holy hell, the names that played in that game. Six homers hit in that game, and all six came off the bat of guys that wound up in Cooperstown. You know the NL side is loaded when Willie Mays is hiting leadoff, and Hank Aaron is right behind him in the #2 spot.
10 Hall of Famers in the starting lineups. 7 more on the bench/pitching staff in the NL, and 4 more on the AL bench/staff, plus both managers (Weaver and Sparky).
EDIT: 13 NL players in the HOF, plus Sparky and Walter Alston. 9 on the AL roster, plus Earl Weaver, for a total of 25.
I was at the game Bonds hit 752 and 753 at Wrigley Field. 752 is memorable for how much he crushed it and it was the first pitch of his first at-bat.
Impressive lineups
Fielder's 51 was a huge deal as the last player to do it before him was George Foster all the way back in 1977.
The first HR in '84 World Series. Goose Gossage wanted to pitch to Gibby while Manager Dick Williams wanted to walk him. Gossage talked Williams out of it and paid the price.
The second was when a hobbled Gibby (bad left hamstring and swollen right knee) Pinch hit with 2outs in the 9th and blasted one out vs Eck and the A's in '88. Down 4-3 bottom 9th, 2 outs, full count, runner on 2nd. Hollywood couldn't have written a better scene. Dodger fans loved Gibby like we did. I hated to see him leave Detroit.
then telling Gibby to knock it out of the part--wow. That is unforgettable.
I still, to this day, don't understan Lasorda putting Gibby at bat. The guy could hardly walk and even his practice swings looked painful. EVERYTHING fell into place on that at bat and Gibby made the most of it. He remains my favorite Sparty (I actually can't think of another one I like).
IIRC, the story goes Gibby went to Lasorda and said "I have 1 good at bat in me. Use me." It was Gibby's decision to PH.
An interesting sidenote: A friend of mine was a family aquaintance of Lasorda. Before it was public news that Gibby was signing with the Dodgers as a free agent, Lasorda told my friend that they just picked up a player that'll change the team.
Hit a monster HR to the upper deck in centerfield. Years ago I read somewhere that he said it was one of the longest HRs he ever hit but no one remembers it. i'm guessing it was over 450ft.
I understand the new ballpark is why they got the game, but it would've been awesome to see a HR Derby there in such a small HR friendly ballpark.
Also was on the RF narrow walkway in SF when Bonds hit his 500th over my head into McCovey Cove.
Not a HR (or even a hit) but was at Safeco when Junior had his last AB. Weak grounder to the right side. He looked old and tired jogging to 1B. I literally thought at that moment that he should hang it up. Next day he unexpectedly left Seattle and his career was over. Saw him at Tiger Stadium when he was a rookie and his last AB in Seattle. Bookends of what I think is one of the best careers by a classy, no-controversy player in an era riddled with scandal.
from Lincoln Park after he bought his "home case" (case of beer to consume on the way home).
RIP Bubba.
Just a little kid, but I'll never forget the sound of the crowd when Regjacks hit that colossal shot:
"oooooooooohhhhhh"
50,000 awestruck people.
For a long time, that was the only game in my life the American League won - NL won 19 of 20. Seems strange now that the AL dominates.
Unforgettable game, incredible array of talent.
I was at that game as well (see post below for a link to video).
My favorite Tiger is Johnny B Wockenfuss. I copied his batting stance when I was a kid.
did you wiggle your fingers too?
Everything else was the same. And I couldn't hit to right field to save my life. :(
He had the best batting stance ever!
It took my dad years to forgive the Tigers for trading Kueen. I loved Rocky though. As a kid every time I was in the ondeck circle I'd do that behind the back with the bat stretch.
When I was in 14 year old AAA ball I threw a 1-2 curve down and away, great pitch if I do say so myself, and this mutant kid who may have turned into Aaron Judge (never seen them both in the same place at least) went down Vlad style and clubbed it out of the yard. I was both intensely disappointed and impressed.
And then we traded him for Al Cowens. Fucking AL Cowens.
He did it twice in 77 and off the Yankees both times if I remember correctly. I was at one of those games and again if memory serves, Rausty Staub followed it up with a homer to the RF upper deck.