After watching the annual All Star Game Home Run Contest that was held at Citi Field this year, it got me thinking about the longest home run I had ever seen hit in person. That particular moon-shot belonged to Mo Vaughn. Although I had no idea how it ranked along with the other longest home runs ever hit by a Mets player, I knew, when I saw it hit the Budweiser sign at eye level from my Mezzanine seat in right field, it had to be among the furthest. I decided to research it and came across some cool information that I wanted to share.
Many long home runs were hit at Shea Stadium in its 44 years of existence. Hank Aaron was said to have hit the flagpole in center field. Eddie Matthews, Richie Allan and Willie McCovey were among the first to hit the scoreboard in the 1960's, and Frank Robinson may have hit the longest home run in post season play during game 5 of the 1969 World Series when he hit one over the bleachers and into the parking lot. Unfortunately, none of these blasts were actually measured and there is little to no video footage showing where these balls landed.
As great as those players and home runs were, this is a list of Mets who have hit the furthest home runs. Shea Stadium is the scene of the top 5 longest home runs hit by a Mets player at "home".
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5) Tommie Agee 4/10/69 - 480+ ft - Although there is no video footage of this shot, it is known as the only upper deck Home run ever hit at Shea Stadium and was commemorated with only a sign and stories of legend.
4) Mike Piazza 9/4/98 - 485 ft - This shot sailed past the Diamond Vision board and was just the beginning of many awesome Piazza Home runs we would get to watch over the next 7 years.
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3) (Tie) Dave Kingman 5/13/77 - 495 ft - This home run was hit over the left field seats, and amazingly was not his furthest homer.
(Tie) Daryl Strawberry 7/3/90 - 495 ft - Everyone remembers Straw hitting the roof in Montreal but this may have been just as far. This shot almost hit as high off the scoreboard as the next one on the list, but not quite.
2) Mo Vaughn 6/26/02 - 505 ft - This hit just below the letter "t" on the Budweiser Born on Date sign. This prompted a long "Moooooooooooo" serenade by everyone who was there to witness it. I'm still in awe!
1) Dave Kingman 8/14/81 - 515 ft - According to Bill Jenkinson's book Baseball's Ultimate Power, this was the longest of long balls hit at Shea, traveling well over the 396 sign in left center field and short-hopping the outer fence. I haven't seen it for myself but I'm sure this was just as memorable to witness as my Mo Vaughn memory.
To date in Citi Field, no one has been able to reach the distances of the Home runs hit at Shea. So far, Giancarlo Stanton has hit the furthest home run ever at Citi Field. It was hit on 5/16/11 and traveled 465 ft to straight away center field, according to ESPN's Home Run Tracker. Carlos Beltran is the Mets player that comes the closest with a 459 ft shot hit on 6/18/11.
