Get out the tape measure

DETROIT, MICHIGAN - Some say the ball traveled over 600 feet. That's probably more hyperbole than fact, but there is no doubting that on this date in 1960 Mickey Mantle hit a tape measure home run to beat all tape measures - well, except maybe for one.

United Press International (UPI) reported the next day that Mantle's home run, "... was a tremendous shot that soared over the third deck of the right field stands and into the street outside the park." You can see by the photograph that Briggs Stadium, later known as Tiger Stadium, was almost completely enclosed, so hitting a ball "into the street" is nothing short of Herculean.

UPI went on to say that "... it was only the fourth time in the history of Briggs Stadium that a fair hall has cleared the roof." Three of them were hit by Mantle. Ted Williams hit the other.

Mantle hit 40 home runs and had 94 RBI that year. The Yankees went to the World Series for the 8th time in his career, losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Bill Mazeroski's walk-off home run to win game 7.

CONTRIBTING SOURCES:
United Press International (UPI), Detroit, Michigan, September 11, 1960
September 10, 1960 box score, play-by-play, etc.

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