The Yankees Twenty-Five Most Memorable Home Runs

Video Courtesy Of YanksAtShea

#2 The Mick’s 500th Home Run

By the time 1967 rolled around, Mickey Mantle was a mere shell of himself, having survived his previous 16 years with the Yankees playing on broken knees, stemming from an injury in a World Series game in which his cleats caught in a drainage ditch at the old Yankee Stadium.

Yankees fans lament as to what Mantle’s numbers might have been if not for this injury that came on a ball that many still believe Joe DiMaggio should have caught.

“That boy hits baseballs over buildings. He runs as fast as Ty Cobb.” (Casey Stengel)

Including this home run, The Commerce Comet would hit a total of 22 in 1967 and follow that up with 18 more the next season, ending with a career total of 536 home runs before retiring following the 1968 season.

His 500th home run came off Baltimore Orioles pitcher, Stu Miller, a noted junkball wizard.

Notice in the footage what appears not to be the expected majestic swing of a superstar. Instead, it’s more of a lunge at the ball.  Ironically, this was Mantle’s natural swing from the left side of the plate. His power, though, as you’ll also note, is generated by his massive upper body strength.

The call on the play comes from former Yankees second baseman, Jerry Coleman, and is from the era when New York’s local station, WPIX-11 aired nearly all of the Yankees televised games.