Highlight Homers

Glenallen Hill, Wrigley Field, May 11, 2000 |Ted Williams, Fenway Park, June 9, 1946 |Mickey Mantle, Yankee Stadium, May 22, 1963 |Barry Bonds, Angels Stadium, Oct. 26, 2002 |David Ortiz, Fenway Park, May 1, 2006 |Albert Pujols 10/17/2005 |Richie Sexson, Bank One Ballpark, April 26, 2004 |Ryan Howard, Citizens Bank Park, June 20, 2006 |Reggie Jackson, 1971 All-Star Game, Tiger Stadium, July 13, |Roberto Clemente, Forbes Field, May 31, 1964 |Mark McGwire, Jacobs Field, April 30, 1997 |Daryle Ward, PNC Park, July 6, 2002 |Mark McGwire, Busch Stadium, May 16, 1998 |Manny Ramirez, SkyDome, June 3, 2001 |Andres Galarraga, Pro Player Stadium 1997

Daryle Ward, PNC Park, July 6, 2002 During the 2006 Home Run Derby, MLB's best sluggers launched 5 different balls that landed in the Allegheny River on the fly, but only one player has ever done this in a major league game: Daryle Ward. Ward was playing for the Houston Astros on July 6, 2002 when he ripped a Kip Wells pitch over the right field bleachers and all the way to a watery landing a few feet into the river. Ward's homer left the bat at approximately 120 mph, and soared an impressive 463 horizontal feet against a slight breath of breeze. However, to put this blast in proper perspective with other Highlight homers, we have to account for the fact that the Allegheny River lies about 20-25 feet below field level. By reconstructing the flight path of Ward's homer, we can determine that the ball covered only about 447 feet before it had returned to field level, and so this is the proper distance to quote (and this is shown in the path diagram, where the last red dot is the location of the ball when it returned to field level - in fact, it carried those extra 16 feet before splashing...). No matter how far it flew, Ward's shot will forever be remembered in the history of PNC Park...