By Michael Huber

Only once in the history of Yankee Stadium did a ball come close to leaving it (literally). “Mantle’s Homer Subdues A’s” was the headline for a game played on May 22, 1963, when the New York Yankees hosted the Kansas City Athletics in a night game at Yankee Stadium before a crowd of 9,727. According to John Drebinger of The New York Times, “Mickey Mantle belted one of the most powerful home run drives of his spectacular career.” In the next paragraph, Drebinger continued, “First up in the last of the 11th with a score deadlocked at 7-all and a count of two balls and two strikes, the famed Switcher leaned into one of Carl Fischer’s [note: Fischer’s first name was Bill] fast ones and sent the ball soaring. It crashed against the upper façade of the right-field stand, which towers 108 feet above the playing field.”

Some content is only viewable by ASA Members. Please login or become an ASA member to gain access.