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Longest Long Ball?

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Longest Long Ball?
dajnj-san writes:


In this the year of the long ball in the Pacific League, I was wondering if anyone has kept records of the longest homerun in Japan or in either league for that matter.  I know this is a very subjective stat (and I still doubt Mantle's 600+ ft. ball was really still going up...).


My son (alias rithifrus) and I saw what was definitely the longest HR I've ever seen way back in the late 80's at Nishinomiya Kyujo by Boomer Wells of the then Hankyu Braves.  It dwarfed the little foul pole as it flew well over it.  It was estimated at about 528 ft. and I think I heard that it was at that time considered to be the longest?


Any help?

Comments
Cabrera tied it recently
[ Author: westbaystars | Posted: Jul 12, 2001 6:03 PM | YBS Fan ]

When Cabrera hit that monster home run above the billboards on the Seibu Dome's roof back in May, it was called a tie with the Briant's 170 meter home run that hit the speakers at Tokyo Dome on June 6, 1990.  Those two are the "official" longest hit balls in Japan.  (Sorry, I don't know how many feet that is.  I don't use that archaic system any more.)


The longest ball hit by a Japanese player was hit by Futoshi Nakanishi on August 29, 1953, measured at 161 meters.

Re:Cabrera tied it recently
[ Author: moto-dajnj | Posted: Jul 13, 2001 5:08 AM ]

Thanks.
528 ft is 160 m (which may have been the longest at that time).
170 is 558 ft.
(1 ft = 0.3048 m)
Longest Hr in NPB History
[ Author: seiyu | Posted: Jul 13, 2001 5:50 AM ]

The longest homerun in NPB history is hit by a Nishitetsu Lions slugger, Futoshi Nakanishi at the Heiwadai Stadium in 1953. Nakanishi was the most
feared slugge in the 50's and the early 60's in Japan. It is estimated to be somewhere between 530 to 550 ft (160-170 m) I would say this is similar to Mickey Mantle's 550ft shot which left the Washington Senator's Griffith Park. Unlike the baseball these days which can measure moonshot length, both Mantle's and Nakanishi's shot was unofficial I guess. But it is safe to say that Nakanishi's shot is the most celebrated moonshot in NPB history. Several witness told that this homerun was so powerful that the shortstop jumped to try to catch the ball but it kept elevating until it disappeared from the park. He was so powerful that Stan Musial who was touring Japan
nicknamed him "the buffalo." FYI, Sadaharu Oh's longest Hr was 155m (510 ft) at Korakuen Stadium. It made a huge dent on the rooftop of a concession
stand outside of the stadium.
Nakanishi's Bazooka Shot
[ Author: Guest | Posted: Jul 14, 2001 6:44 PM ]

I think I've expounded on this before, but I saw some film footage of Nakanishi's homer when
Nakanishi was on one of the Japanese sports shows
and it's something that Mike Piazza would envy, a
cruise missile that got out in a blink, still one
of the hardest hit balls I have ever seen from any
player in any league.


As for Cabrera, some reports had his prodigious
blast at as much as 180 meters (about 580 feet),
which is absolutely unreal. And he did this on a
forkball! This wasn't like he was facing Matsuzaka
or Ishii and got a 95 mph heater ala McGwire taking Randy Johnson something like 550 feet. Whether it was 170 or 180 meters, it was one I'm
sure Cabrera will be bragging about for decades to
come and rightfully so.

Re: Longest Long Ball?
[ Author: greggy1287 | Posted: Aug 11, 2002 3:56 PM ]

I would just like all of you to know that the longest homerun recorded was over 575 feet. It was somewhere between 575 and 600 feet. That would probly be about 193 meters (approxamatly). I do not know who it was hit by but I am sure it was Babe Ruth, Hank Arron, Jimmie Foxx, or maybe Mickey Mantle.
Re: Longest Long Ball?
[ Author: greggy1287 | Posted: Aug 11, 2002 4:04 PM ]

Hello, it is me again. I just found the longest homerun ever. YES!! I said I found the longest homerun ever hit. You may spread this to all you know and so can they. His name was Rodger Conner. It was hit in the 1938 Season or maybe the World Series. But I am for definitly sure it was hit by Rodger Conner.

L8ER,
Greggy
Re: Longest Long Ball?
[ Author: GottaHaveWa | Posted: Jan 17, 2004 3:36 AM ]

It's funny that if it's definitely the longest HR ever that you don't know how long it was, and there was no Rodger Conner in the bigs in 1938. Here are the homers that I've heard of that are at least as long as Mantle's shot in Washington:
  • Gil Carter's minor league shot of 730' in 1959
  • Ruth's 567' HR in 1919 was in a preseason game
  • Josh Gibson's 580' HR in Yankee Stadium hit the rim
  • Last game Ruth HRed in, his HR was about 600'
  • Dave Nicholson 573' HR in 1964
  • Harry Heilmann 610' HR in 1921
For whatever it's worth.
Re: Longest Long Ball?
[ Author: Guest: mick ogle | Posted: Jul 7, 2004 4:13 AM ]

Mickey Mantle - 734 feet, May 22, 1963, vs. Kansas City, at Yankee Stadium, Pitcher: Bill Fischer
Re: Longest Long Ball?
[ Author: Guest: Andrew Cafferky | Posted: Jan 16, 2004 4:16 AM ]

Longest was Babe Ruth in Tampa April 4, 1919 - 619 feet.

The University of Tampa has a monument where it came to a stop.
Re: Longest Long Ball?
[ Author: Guest: Derm | Posted: May 5, 2004 2:06 AM ]

Jimmie Foxx hit several super-long blasts.
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