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
Quarterbacks from the 1970s who “Maybe” should be in the Hall of Fame
I know that I will be getting a lot of feedback on this topic,
Super Bowl XXIX (Chargers vs. 49ers): An Ultimate Recount of the Game
Today we have Super Bowl XXIX, which was held on January 29, 1995, at
NFL Sponsorships and Their Influence on the Online Casino Industry
The National Football League has long been not just a sports organization, but a
Little Big Man: Joey Sternaman of the Chicago Bears
It is now common in the National Football League to have quarterbacks who are
3 Legendary Dirt Bike Events Shaping Riding Culture
The smell of castor oil, the thwap of two-strokes ricocheting off canyon walls, and
The Match Starts at Tea Time: Football Fever and the Numbers Behind Bets
Football fandom here is rarely quiet. It’s the sport that sneaks into daily life:
Football Learning Academy: An Online Resource Of Gridiron History
In this episode, I talk to Ken Crippen about his new company, the Football
Tales From Pro Football Hall of Fame Players (My Personal Accounts)
Roughly twenty years ago, while browsing the Pro Football Hall of Fame website, I