Question

[mrow1927]

I don't know if this was posted or not, but I was just wondering what stadium, past or present, is the hardest to hit a homerun out of? This includes any changes made to the stadium over the years. Does anybody know?

[Williamsburg2599]

I would go with Braves Field.


Left field: 402 (1915), 375 (1921), 404 (1922), 403 (1926), 320 (April 21, 1928), 353.5 (July 24, 1928), 340 (1930), 353.67 (1931), 359 (1933), 353.67 (1934), 368 (1936), 350 (1940), 337 (1941), 334 (1942), 340 (1943), 337 (1944)



Left-center: 402.5 ft. (1915), 396 (1916), 402.42 (1921), 404 (1922), 402.5 (1926), 330 (April 21, 1928), 359 (July 24, 1928), 365 (1942), 355 ft. (1943)



Center field: 440 ft. (1915), 387 (April 21, 1928), 417 (July 24, 1928), 387.17 (1929), 394.5 (1930), 387.25 (1931), 417 (1933), 426 (1936), 407 (1937), 408 (1939), 385 (1940), 401 (1941), 375 (1942), 370 (1943), 390 (1944), 380 (1945), 370 (1946)



Center field at the flag pole: 520



Deepest center field corner, just to the right of straightaway center: 550 (1915), 401 (1942), 390 (1943)



Right-center: 402 (1915), 362 (1942), 355 (1943)



Right field: 402 (1915), 375 (1916), 365 (1921), 364 (1928), 297.75 (1929), 297.92 (1931), 364 (1933), 297 (1936), 376 (1937), 378 (1938), 350 (1940), 340 (April 1943), 320 (July 1943), 340 (April 1944), 320 (May 1944), 340 (April 1946), 320 (May 1946), 318 (1947), 320 (1948), 319 (1948)



Backstop: 75 (1915), 60 (1936).

[mrow1927]

Was it at one point Ebbets Field had a distance of at least 400 ft. to right-field too? I think it was in the early 1900s to maybe the 30s. Not sure though.

[jrh31584]

No, left field was over 400 feet when it first opened, and right field always was around 300 feet away.

[TJH1923]

So much depends on where one hits it. No matter what ballpark, if the ball was pulled it would go out. Some parks new and old were "easy". Some of those same parks were extremely hard to hit a home run to the gaps and center field. Parks that come to mind are the Polo Grounds, Yankee Stadium (original post 1937 and especially pre 1937), Forbes Field, Tiger Stadium, Shibe Park, Braves Field, The original dimensions of Cleveland's Municipal Stadium, original Comiskey Park and you could even make an argument for just to the right of center and right field at Fenway Park. I'm sure there are more that I have missed, but your hitters of the day generally earned their round trippers. The difference today, in my opinion, is the gaps have been shortened because of ego (see Dave Winfield, 1980's, Yankee Stadium fromm 430 ft to 411ft to present 399ft.

[StanTheMan]

Braves Field... has to be.


The Polo Grounds was defitely the hardest park to hit a HR in... to CENTER FIELD. Only four men ever hit a HR to the Center Field Bleachers. Luke Easter in a Negro League game, Joe Adcock, and then Lou Brock of all people, followed by Hank Aaron the next day in June 1962. 483 feet to dead center field... No batted ball EVER struck the clubhouse wall.

Down the lines, however, was another story. In fact, the Polo Grounds saw the HIGHEST frequency of HR's all time, until Coors field.

It's just than probably 70% of the HR's (my guess) were hit down the lines, or between the foul pole and what would be straight away left and right. To even hit the ball to the Power Alleys was out of range for most players. 450+ there.

The great thing about the park is that the HR frequency was the highest of all time (again, until Coors) but the overall runs scored were very neutral. Must have been a great game to watch.

Pitching inside took some stones. Absolutely anybody in the league could hit a 270 foot HR (closer to 250 to left with the porch overhanging by 21 feet!!) down the line... on ANY pitch. But get them to hit a fly ball anywhere between straight away left and straight away right... and you get an out most of the time. I read somewhere that the Polo Grounds had the highest amount of instances where the player hit his ONLY carreer HR in that park, and never hit one ever again.

[Williamsburg2599]

Braves Field... has to be.


The Polo Grounds was defitely the hardest park to hit a HR in... to CENTER FIELD. Only four men ever hit a HR to the Center Field Bleachers. Luke Easter in a Negro League game, Joe Adcock, and then Lou Brock of all people, followed by Hank Aaron the next day in June 1962. 483 feet to dead center field... No batted ball EVER struck the clubhouse wall.

Down the lines, however, was another story. In fact, the Polo Grounds saw the HIGHEST frequency of HR's all time, until Coors field.

It's just than probably 70% of the HR's (my guess) were hit down the lines, or between the foul pole and what would be straight away left and right. To even hit the ball to the Power Alleys was out of range for most players. 450+ there.

The great thing about the park is that the HR frequency was the highest of all time (again, until Coors) but the overall runs scored were very neutral. Must have been a great game to watch.

Pitching inside took some stones. Absolutely anybody in the league could hit a 270 foot HR (closer to 250 to left with the porch overhanging by 21 feet!!) down the line... on ANY pitch. But get them to hit a fly ball anywhere between straight away left and straight away right... and you get an out most of the time. I read somewhere that the Polo Grounds had the highest amount of instances where the player hit his ONLY carreer HR in that park, and never hit one ever again.

It's a comforting thought after hitting a pop fly down the right field line for me that it would of been out at the PG.:laugh

[StanTheMan]

It's a comforting thought after hitting a pop fly down the right field line for me that it would of been out at the PG.:laugh

You are absolutely right... I could have hit one out at the PG. I could have also hit one out to center.... if you let me hit it, walk out to where it landed, toss it up and hit it again!!!

The foul poles had to look ridiculously close to the hitter. Think of how the box seats down the line are set up in most modern parks. There is part of the box seats which usually jut out towards the foul line, (well past first base) and a ground ball down the line is easily scooped up by fans in these seats, or sometimes the ball takes a funny carom off the wall in front of the front row, and bounds out towards the outfiled. Go ahead and just stick a foul pole where those seats are, or where that funny carom takes place....the foul poles were about that distance from the plate at the PG.

Great place, my fav of all time.

[mrow1927]

I could imagine that old Ebbets Field must have been torture for right-handers since left field was over 400 feet from home plate. Shibe Park and Forbes Field weren't easy either. Griffith Stadium was another nightmare for right-handers were left field was 405 feet from home plate. It seemed that a lot of the old parks were made for left-handers because if you were a righty, the dimensions were ridiculously big.

[2Chance]

This may not be the definitive answer, but Forbes Field in Pittsburgh was the first thing that came to my mind.

From http://home.mindspring.com/~gearhard/stadiums.html

The dimensions of Forbes Field changed several times over the years. Her original dimensions were 462 to center, 360 to left, and 376 to right field. The final dimensions in Forbes were:

• Left Field: 365 feet
• Left-Center Field: 406 feet
• Deepest Part of the Park; Left-Center: 457 feet
• Center Field: 435 feet
• Right-Center Field: 408 feet
• Right Field: 300 feet

The Left-Center corner was so deep that the batting cage was stored there during the games. That deep center field allowed a lot of room for triples and inside the park home runs; Pirate "Chief" Owen Wilson set the major league record for triples (36) in a season in this park.
A little piece of trivia for you: In 1955, Pirates' 1B Dale Long, a slugger never known for his speed (10 SB in 10 years), tied Willie Mays for the league lead in triples with 13.

[DevilRays1969]

Two that come to mind in the modern era are the Astrodome and Busch Stadium II pre-renovation. Both parks were about 340 down the line, 385 in the alleys and about 408 to dead center but in the Astrodome the walls were about 25 feet high down the lines and about 12 feet in dead center (if you remember the layout, the ball had to be hit all the way into the stands). In the late 80s when the upper deck was added in the outfield the fences were moved in several feet and lowered to a uniform 8 feet. Same thing with Old Busch but what killed balls there was the dead humid air.

[StanTheMan]

Busch Stadium (the one most recently demolished... not the one demolished in the 60's) was 330 down the line, always. The power alleys were 383 for just about the parks entire life, and center was 414 when it first opened. (maybe 412?)

Gradually, and especially during the parks biggest renovation, when the upper deck seats were removed for the big scoreboard, grass was put back in, etc... the dimensions changed.

Still 330 down the lines, but 375 in the alley, and 402 to center, I think.... maybe 404. (tries in vain to picture Edmonds going back and crashing into the wall...... I can see him, but not the marker!!)

With Power alleys at 383 and center well over 400 back in the days of Gibson/Cepeda, then the Brock years, and then Ozzie Smith and "Whiteyball" the team was usually filled with speed demons, good defenders and pitching. Jack Clark used to lead the team with 30-35 Homers in the 80's. I remember George Hendrick hitting 25 HR's one year, and thinking he was a slugger beyond compare. Please forgive me, I was about 7!!. The Cardinals were smart to build the team around the dimensions of the park, and of course had great success.

The new Busch Stadium is no hitters heaven, however. Lines at 330, which jut out to about 340-345 very quickly, power alleys at 379, I think. No Problem for Pujols, however!!

[brewers96]

Busch Stadium (the one most recently demolished... not the one demolished in the 60's) was 330 down the line, always. The power alleys were 383 for just about the parks entire life, and center was 414 when it first opened. (maybe 412?)

Gradually, and especially during the parks biggest renovation, when the upper deck seats were removed for the big scoreboard, grass was put back in, etc... the dimensions changed.

Still 330 down the lines, but 375 in the alley, and 402 to center, I think.... maybe 404. (tries in vain to picture Edmonds going back and crashing into the wall...... I can see him, but not the marker!!)

With Power alleys at 383 and center well over 400 back in the days of Gibson/Cepeda, then the Brock years, and then Ozzie Smith and "Whiteyball" the team was usually filled with speed demons, good defenders and pitching. Jack Clark used to lead the team with 30-35 Homers in the 80's. I remember George Hendrick hitting 25 HR's one year, and thinking he was a slugger beyond compare. Please forgive me, I was about 7!!. The Cardinals were smart to build the team around the dimensions of the park, and of course had great success.

The new Busch Stadium is no hitters heaven, however. Lines at 330, which jut out to about 340-345 very quickly, power alleys at 379, I think. No Problem for Pujols, however!!
I totaly agree with that:clapping

[drtybUsch025]

Any dome stadiums like Tropicana Field.....

Someone said Mark McGwire hit one out of the old Busch Stadium, I don't believe it though....

I couldnt imagine a ball going out of Citizens Bank Park....

[RuthMayBond]

As far as parks, I'd imagine it'd pretty hard to hit one out of . . .

. . . YELLOWSTONE !!! :laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh

[drtybUsch025]

Players and 'roids these days, you never know!! :laugh

[DevilRays1969]

Any dome stadiums like Tropicana Field.....

Someone said Mark McGwire hit one out of the old Busch Stadium, I don't believe it though....

I couldnt imagine a ball going out of Citizens Bank Park....

If you're talking about hitting a ball completely out of the stadium, obviously it's impossible to hit a ball OUT of a dome. Of course at Tropicana I've seen several balls hit over the D-ring and hit the back wall--Griffey (when he was with Seattle) and Big Papi come to mind.

No way any ball could be hit out of old Busch. Or Riverfront, 3 Rivers, The Vet or Atlanta-Fulton County for that matter.

And it's never been done atYankee Stadium although Mantle came very close at least once.

But what always amazed me was how many balls were hit out of old Tiger Stadium considering it was double decked all the way around. Seems like Old Commiskey would be a tough one to hit a ball all the way out and New Commiskey is downright impossible.

[Elvis]

But what always amazed me was how many balls were hit out of old Tiger Stadium considering it was double decked all the way around. Seems like Old Commiskey would be a tough one to hit a ball all the way out and New Commiskey is downright impossible.

Well in Tiger Stadium, the upper deck is about 80 feet closer to the field than in those other parks you mentioned. A homer hit out of Tiger Stadium probably wouldn't have even made it to the upper deck in the Vet.

[drtybUsch025]

Pujols almost cleared Minute Maid.....not altitude wise, but through the square circuit near the train.

[mrow1927]

And it's never been done atYankee Stadium although Mantle came very close at least once.

It was once said that Josh Gibson of the Negro Leagues hit one out of Yankee Stadium. Don't know if that was true or not. From what I heard, he was strong enough to do it.