June 3, 1937 – One of the most prolific power hitters of all time, Josh Gibson of the Homestead Grays in the Negro Leagues, crushed a ball that still makes people gasp in awe. The slugger belted a shot in Yankee Stadium that traveled some 580 feet.
That distance eclipsed anything that the American and National Leagues had to offer, even Mickey Mantle’s 565-foot HR blasted out of Griffith Stadium in 1953 years later. Legend has it that earlier in his career in 1934, Gibson did what no player had ever done, and hit a ball out of the House that Ruth built.
To find more great daily sports history make sure to check out the Sports Jersey Dispatch and Pigskin Dispatch.
More From Sports History Network
Peter Bonert Shares Stories of the Link Between Germany and the NFL
In this episode, Peter Bonert rides shotgun in the DeLorean to take us back
Sports History On This Day: April 20
Three MLB ballparks had debuts into the Big Leagues on this day in history.
Sports History On This Day: April 19
April 19, 1947 – Maurice Richard is named as the National Hockey League’s Most Valuable
Swinging A’s (The Oakland Athletics of the 1970s)
Just how good were the Oakland Athletics from 1971-to-1975? They were good enough to
Sports History On This Day: April 18
April 18, 1942 – It was a miraculous comeback in the Stanley Cup Finals! The
Sports History On This Day: April 17
April 17, 1911 – Clarence DeMar won his first Boston Marathon race. The victory was run at
Sports History On This Day: April 16
April 16, 1912 – The Pittsburgh Pirates turned in a fielding rarity of a 5-3-7
Good Friday 1972 (Bloody ‘Bedlam’ at the Civic Centre
Over the years, there have been many instances in hockey arenas in which a