Today in 1974… Schmidt goes deep for a single

Jun 10, 2020 | Friends, On this Day

Most Used Tags

Phillies (96)White Sox (40)Dodgers (21)Pirates (18)Cardinals (15)Legacy Card Project (13)Hall of Fame (13)Athletics (12)Mike Schmidt (12)Friends (12)Wallpaper Wednesday (10)Cubs (10)Roberto Clemente (8)Willie Mays (7)Tony Taylor (7)Braves (7)Astros (7)Family (6)Ernie Banks (6)Teammates (6)Ed Herrmann (6)Giants (6)World Series (6)Yankees (5)Reds (5)Hank Aaron (5)Jim Bunning (5)Charlie Manuel (5)Wampum (5)Willie Stargell (5)Larry Bowa (4)JR Richard (4)Jackie Robinson (4)All Star Game (4)Greg Luzinski (4)Fun stuff (4)Angels (4)Goose Gossage (3)NLBM (3)Topps (3)Twins (3)Garry Maddox (3)Hank Allen (3)Mets (3)Lou Brock (3)HallofGame (3)Ryan Howard (3)Dave Cash (2)Steve Carlton (2)Brewers (2)Tony Perez (2)Robin Roberts (2)Jay Johnstone (2)Fergie Jenkins (2)Chase Utley (2)Bob Gibson (2)Eddie Murray (2)Roy Halladay (2)Spring Training (2)Negro League (2)website (2)Indians (2)Ryne Sandberg (2)Horse Racing (2)Dallas Green (2)Lyman Bostock (2)Bill Buckner (2)Larry Hisle (2)Comiskey Park (2)Jim Bibby (1)Rangers (1)Dave Parker (1)Larry Shenk (1)Cards (1)Nationals (1)Newark Eagles (1)Johnny Callison (1)Cookie Rojas (1)Rookie of the Year (1)Pete Rose (1)Carlos May (1)Bill Melton (1)Jimmy Rollins (1)Sadaharu Oh (1)Connie Mack Stadium (1)Larry Doby (1)Satchel Paige (1)Reggie Jackson (1)Joe Torre (1)Babe Ruth (1)Blue Jays (1)helmets (1)Manny Sanguillen (1)Pat Corrales (1)JT Realmuto (1)Carlton Fisk (1)Dock Ellis (1)Keith Moreland (1)Thurman Munson (1)Jerry Reuss (1)Tony Armas (1)George Scott (1)Steve Stone (1)Rod Carew (1)Tom Seaver (1)Fun (1)Little League (1)Jackie Robinson West (1)Joe Morgan (1)Chris Short (1)NLDS (1)Sparky Lyle (1)Pat Burrell (1)Jimmy Wynn (1)Willie Montanez (1)Vida Blue (1)Richie Ashburn (1)Andrew McCutchen (1)Rick Wise (1)Jim Rooker (1)Von Hayes (1)Steve Jeltz (1)Bob Watson (1)John Herrnstein (1)Bart Johnson (1)Tommy Hutton (1)Jim Lonborg (1)Frank Robinson (1)Al Kaline (1)Tigers (1)Sandy Koufax (1)Don Drysdale (1)Don Sutton (1)John Kennedy (1)John Olerud (1)Wilbur Wood (1)Jim Kaat (1)Minors (1)Jose Abreu (1)Bob Kendrick (1)Ozzie Smith (1)Kenny Lofton (1)Interviews (1)Coy Allen (1)Tony Gwynn (1)Padres (1)Williamsport (1)Ron Allen (1)Dennis Eckersley (1)Kirk Gibson (1)Red Sox (1)Shea Stadium (1)Tug McGraw (1)Harry Caray (1)Saratoga (1)Johnny Velazquez (1)Harry Kalas (1)Ed Spiezio (1)Richie Zisk (1)Matt Stairs (1)Roland Hemond (1)Harold Baines (1)Wes Covington (1)Bob Uecker (1)Todd Radom (1)Rhys Hoskins (1)Jorge Orta (1)Ron Guidry (1)Monte Irvin (1)Ted Williams Hitters Hall of Fame (1)Royals (1)basketball (1)Wilt Chamberlain (1)video (1)Johnny Oates (1)Opening Day (1)Manny Mota (1)2008 NLCS (1)Johnny Briggs (1)VOTE (1)
Show More Show Less
Radio call of the longest single in baseball history

On the night of June 10, 1974, in Houston, Schmidt gave the baseball world a taste of his hall of fame power in the first inning against the Astros’ Claude Osteen. With runners on first and second, Schmidt drove a ball off a public-address speaker hanging from the Astrodome roof in center field. The speaker was 117 feet up and 300 feet from home plate — and cost Schmidt a sure home run by deflecting the ball. It fell for a single, moving Dave Cash to third and Larry Bowa to second.

Bill Robinson followed with a double, scoring Cash and Bowa and giving the Phillies all the runs they would need in a 12-0 victory. Schmidt added two more hits and three RBIs later in the game.

After the game Schmidt professed frustration at the loss of a home run. “There’s no doubt it would have been a home run,” he reasoned, “and I said to myself, ‘That damn speaker cost me a homer.’ If for some reason late in the season I’m one short [of the home run lead], I’ll think back about it.”

He needn’t have worried. Schmidt ended the season with a major-league-leading 36 home runs. It was the first of six times he led the major leagues in homers and the first of eight NL home-run titles.

So how far would Schmidt’s ball have gone had it not hit the speaker 117 feet above the playing field? Some days after the game, a reporter asked Dr. Martin Wright, head of the University of Houston’s department of mathematics, how far he estimated the ball would have traveled unimpeded. Wright replied: “The ball probably reached its maximum height 50 feet before it hit the speaker, or 250 feet from home plate. That would make it travel about 500 feet.

Dick Allen on Twitter

Dick Allen Pinterest