You know the urban legend about how a library was built and they forgot to factor in the weight of the books? It's like that, except they forgot to factor in that they would be outside in Seattle.
Nice work, Amanda! I was at the game when Sheffield pulled that ball so high and far foul it went over the roof at about section 342 or 344. My seats are directly across the ballpark from there, in section 106, and we had a clear view, and still couldn’t believe our eyes. We had become accustomed to some players, like Darnell Coles in the Kingdome, pulling foul screamers deep into the first level or occasionally the second deck, and a few others doing it in Niehaus Park, But never in our most ridiculous imaginings did we it possible to hit a foul ball out of the park. I am astonished also to read that you bore witness to such madness. You are the only other person I am aware of to acknowledge this feat.
As for fair balls, only in batting practice has it occurred. I had heard that Richie Sexson was the first to accomplish this. We were told by workers, and confirmed it players, that he had done it with a metal bat. Other metal users were members of the Long Haul Bombers softball exhibition team. (In one of their videos I myself can be seen catching a shot four rows down from the back wall. The ball itself had a Trump Logo on it, and declared the ball (?) “The Ultimate Evil”.) These barrel chested guys blasted ball after ball into the upper reaches of the left field deck, and finally, one brute got one out of the park entirely. I have yet to find video evidence of this feat.
The first player to hit one all the way out in batting practice? Nelson Cruz. Just down the line in left. I read somewhere that it was estimated that it would take a 425’ shot right down the line to get a ball to leave the park. Nellie’s was probably 20 feet fair of the pole, so, what, 450? 460? All the folks around me who saw it couldn’t be quite sure, watching from right field, but the fact that there was no fan in left field with the ball, and that there was copious laughter and celebration around the cage, told the tale. Later, asking a worker at what was then the bullpen gate if they had seen anything like a ball bounding around the street, I was told, “Well, no, but there was a guy about 40 minutes ago who came up wondering if someone had lost their ball….” Jeesh. The next and, as far as I know, only other player to send one out to Royal Brougham was Aaron Judge. A monstrous shot, a thing of beauty. The ball was hit so far I suspected it landed on the ramp leading to the WAMU garage. Stupid. Ridiculous. Lovely.
It should also be noted that Glenallen Hill, on his Wikipedia page, claims he hit one all the way out of the park, but I can bear witness to the fact that he did not. The ball in question went through a walkway opening in the second deck and then bounced out. Ichiro, too, bounced one out. One day, in those glorious days where we fans were actually let in early enough to even see Mariners players take batting practice, Ichiro pulled a deep foul between the edge of the second deck and the Hit It Here Cafe. The ball bounded cleanly on the concourse, then again onto the switchback walkway to the lower level, and finally out of the yard. I ran over to the lowest part of the switchback to look for the ball and there it sat in the little worker’s alleyway between the fence that bordered the railway tracks and the outer wall of the stadium. There was a rotund, grey-topped usher down there having a smoke, and I hollered to him that I had “dropped my ball” and pleaded with him to try to throw it back to me. Which he did! After three tries he got it to me, and I have rarely been so grateful for the efforts of a seating host. I tried for years to get Ichiro to sign my silly keepsake but it was only after I had won a baseball lottery of sorts by catching his final Niehaus Park home run, and he wanted the ball back, that I was I able to get him to sign it.
But that’s as much as I know. Now that teams are hitting before fans are allowed in (unless you pay extra, mind you) we may have to rely upon eyewitnesses as reliable as Glenallen Hill.
Keep up the great work! Thanks again!
PS,
I have always believed Dave Niehaus created more Mariners fans before Griffey, and truly set the stage for the new stadium to be built even if voters didn’t want their money spent on it, thus “Niehaus Park”, or, “The Haus”. T-Mobile Field at Niehaus Park, yes? Some dollars aren’t worth earning….
Kevin, thank you so much for all this!! It was maddeningly difficult to find good information on the balls that went out, so this is fantastic!
I also wanted the new park to be named after Dave Niehaus. It may have been weird to do it while he was still working, but now it would be such a beautiful way to honor him. It's not like they're using the corporate name money to bring in free agents anyway!
Nice work, Amanda! I was at the game when Sheffield pulled that ball so high and far foul it went over the roof at about section 342 or 344. My seats are directly across the ballpark from there, in section 106, and we had a clear view, and still couldn’t believe our eyes. We had become accustomed to some players, like Darnell Coles in the Kingdome, pulling foul screamers deep into the first level or occasionally the second deck, and a few others doing it in Niehaus Park, But never in our most ridiculous imaginings did we it possible to hit a foul ball out of the park. I am astonished also to read that you bore witness to such madness. You are the only other person I am aware of to acknowledge this feat.
As for fair balls, only in batting practice has it occurred. I had heard that Richie Sexson was the first to accomplish this. We were told by workers, and confirmed it players, that he had done it with a metal bat. Other metal users were members of the Long Haul Bombers softball exhibition team. (In one of their videos I myself can be seen catching a shot four rows down from the back wall. The ball itself had a Trump Logo on it, and declared the ball (?) “The Ultimate Evil”.) These barrel chested guys blasted ball after ball into the upper reaches of the left field deck, and finally, one brute got one out of the park entirely. I have yet to find video evidence of this feat.
The first player to hit one all the way out in batting practice? Nelson Cruz. Just down the line in left. I read somewhere that it was estimated that it would take a 425’ shot right down the line to get a ball to leave the park. Nellie’s was probably 20 feet fair of the pole, so, what, 450? 460? All the folks around me who saw it couldn’t be quite sure, watching from right field, but the fact that there was no fan in left field with the ball, and that there was copious laughter and celebration around the cage, told the tale. Later, asking a worker at what was then the bullpen gate if they had seen anything like a ball bounding around the street, I was told, “Well, no, but there was a guy about 40 minutes ago who came up wondering if someone had lost their ball….” Jeesh. The next and, as far as I know, only other player to send one out to Royal Brougham was Aaron Judge. A monstrous shot, a thing of beauty. The ball was hit so far I suspected it landed on the ramp leading to the WAMU garage. Stupid. Ridiculous. Lovely.
It should also be noted that Glenallen Hill, on his Wikipedia page, claims he hit one all the way out of the park, but I can bear witness to the fact that he did not. The ball in question went through a walkway opening in the second deck and then bounced out. Ichiro, too, bounced one out. One day, in those glorious days where we fans were actually let in early enough to even see Mariners players take batting practice, Ichiro pulled a deep foul between the edge of the second deck and the Hit It Here Cafe. The ball bounded cleanly on the concourse, then again onto the switchback walkway to the lower level, and finally out of the yard. I ran over to the lowest part of the switchback to look for the ball and there it sat in the little worker’s alleyway between the fence that bordered the railway tracks and the outer wall of the stadium. There was a rotund, grey-topped usher down there having a smoke, and I hollered to him that I had “dropped my ball” and pleaded with him to try to throw it back to me. Which he did! After three tries he got it to me, and I have rarely been so grateful for the efforts of a seating host. I tried for years to get Ichiro to sign my silly keepsake but it was only after I had won a baseball lottery of sorts by catching his final Niehaus Park home run, and he wanted the ball back, that I was I able to get him to sign it.
But that’s as much as I know. Now that teams are hitting before fans are allowed in (unless you pay extra, mind you) we may have to rely upon eyewitnesses as reliable as Glenallen Hill.
Keep up the great work! Thanks again!
PS,
I have always believed Dave Niehaus created more Mariners fans before Griffey, and truly set the stage for the new stadium to be built even if voters didn’t want their money spent on it, thus “Niehaus Park”, or, “The Haus”. T-Mobile Field at Niehaus Park, yes? Some dollars aren’t worth earning….
Kevin, thank you so much for all this!! It was maddeningly difficult to find good information on the balls that went out, so this is fantastic!
I also wanted the new park to be named after Dave Niehaus. It may have been weird to do it while he was still working, but now it would be such a beautiful way to honor him. It's not like they're using the corporate name money to bring in free agents anyway!