Posted on 03/25/2011 9:19:30 PM PDT by Altura Ct.
Sixty years ago in an exhibition game against USC, a young Mickey Mantle hit a home run that became baseball legend and spawned a mystery: Just how far did it go?
It was the first inning, one runner aboard, the count at two balls and two strikes, and Tom Lovrich stared down the 19-year-old rookie batter.
USC's junior ace didn't know much about him, except that he more than filled out his gray New York Yankees uniform.
"He was a strong, country kid from Oklahoma," Lovrich said, recalling the legendary at-bat that took place 60 years ago Saturday. "Very strong."
Lovrich figured the rookie would chase something low and away for strike three, so the 6-foot-5 right-hander known as "Tall Tom" began his sidearm windup and fired.
His head sank as soon he heard the devastating crack of the wooden bat.
"My God," said USC second baseman Stan Charnofsky, watching the ball scream over the wire fence in right-center field. "Look at that."
USC's football practice field ran adjacent to Bovard Field. The ball bounced at midfield and rolled into a huddle.
"Who the hell hit that?" one player asked.
And as they walked off the field, their spring practice complete, another football player learned the answer to that question and told the others.
"Some kid named Mickey Mantle."
Introducing himself
The black-and-white clip is grainy, but the narrator's voice is sharp and upbeat:
"It's big league baseball on Bovard Field as the Trojans become the first college team ever to host a world champion," he begins. "The guests of the day: the New York Yankees."
The myth of Mantle and the legend of "The Mick" began at USC that day.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
I believe Mantle is still considered the fastest runner from home plate to first base in baseball history.
He did hit them further than anyone.
LOL
What a dork.
Thanks for the post.
He is more of a legend than the roid heads of today.
527 feet?
Dear Gawd!!!
You can clearly see God gave him a band of ropes for his forearms!!!
What beginning, middle and ending swing!!!
He drops into his perfect center and crushes that ball!!!
Amazing!!!
Thank you!!!
Thank you!!!
Thank you!!!
Thank you!!!
Thank you!!!
Mantle came the closest of any player to hitting one OUT of Yankee Stadium...the original one, before the 70’s renovation. I think it was the late 50’s..and it’s 2:30am now so I’m not going to Google it..I’m going to bed....others can do so...but it hit the facade just a fet feet below the right field roofline. Eyewitnesses sad that the ball was STILL rising when it hit..otherwise it might have reached the Grand Concourse...
Mantle came the closest of any player to hitting one OUT of Yankee Stadium...the original one, before the 70’s renovation. I think it was the late 50’s..and it’s 2:30am now so I’m not going to Google it..I’m going to bed....others can do so...but it hit the facade just a fet feet below the right field roofline. Eyewitnesses said that the ball was STILL rising when it hit..otherwise it might have reached the Grand Concourse...
I’m told Mickey Mantle in his off-season did actual farm work and worked in a rock quarry smashing rocks with a sledge hammer.
I went to my first game at Yankee Stadium in 1953. I was 6 years old. It was summer, mid week...probably August. I went with my day camp. Back then, just about every game was a day game. Memories are still fresh. The place was cavernous, and nearly empty...just a few thousand. back then..that’s about the average crowd. Heck..in 61..when Mantle and Maris were both chasign Ruth, when Maris finally hit #61, there were only about 30,000 in attendance..less than 50% capacity..hard to believe. The other thing I rememebr was how GREEN the grass was at the stadium. I’d only seen games on a black and white TV...the grass in the staium was gorgeous....perfect in every way..
The purpose of bodybuilding is to shape the muscles into their maximum size and shape. It doesn’t build strength to the same degree that powerlifting would build strength.
There is no better grass than ballpark grass.
I was 11 years old and my mom and dad brought me to Fenway Park on a friday night in Sept. 1967.The Mick in the twilight of his career came up to pinch hit with the Yankees down 7-2 late in the game and singled up the middle he promptly pinch run for.The Fenway crowd gave him a standing O. I remember that distinctly along with the smell of cigar smoke,hot dogs,beer and popcorn hanging in the air on warm late summer nite.(heaven on earth)
I hated the Yankees all my life but loved Mickey Mantle, that was baseball as it was and always should be.
Makes sense I guess. Still, I should have just said weightlifting in general. What I think is, in a lot of strenuous jobs, you probably get a more natural range and variety of movements vs weightlifting, so that maybe these can result in just a different kind of muscle growth, or strengthening some muscles that are difficult to build with weightlifting.
Maybe whoever proof read the article is a Yankees hater and was happy to see the slight.
GOTTA Ping myself on this one!
Mike
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.