25 Greatest Home Runs

The absolute final word on the greatest home runs ever struck. At least until Mark McGwire hits No. 62. And No. 65. And No. 70 . . .

1. Bobby Thomson, 1951. The Shot Heard ‘Round The World. The Miracle of Coogan’s Bluff. “The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!”

2. Kirk Gibson, 1988. Roy Hobble manages but one plate appearance in the 1988 World Series--and should have been voted Series MVP for it. The most influential, inspirational single at-bat in World Series history.

3. Bill Mazeroski, 1960. Still the only home run to decide a World Series in the bottom of ninth of the seventh game.

4. Carlton Fisk, 1975. Prime-time television’s first great World Series moment. Fisk hopping up and down at home plate, frantically waving his arms for the ball to stay fair, has practically become the logo for ESPN Classic Sports.

5. Joe Carter, 1993. He tagged Philadelphia’s Mitch Williams with the only other home run that won a World Series on the last at-bat. Two months later, the Phillies, fearing for Williams’ physical well-being at future home games, traded the embattled pitcher to Houston.

6. Roger Maris, 1961. He endured a season of torment and abuse to hit the record-breaking 61st home run--and all he got was this lousy asterisk.

7. Hank Aaron, 1974. His 715th home run eclipsed the most sacred of all sporting records. By the time he got there, Aaron could more than empathize with Maris.

8. Ted Williams, 1960. Homered on his final major league at-bat, disappeared into the Boston dugout and never looked back.

9. Babe Ruth, 1932. The so-called “called shot” against Charlie Root in the ’32 Series, now the subject of much debate. Did he really call it . . . or was he just bellyaching at some Chicago Cub bench jockeys before digging in and going deep?

10. Mickey Mantle, 1953. Another myth getting brushed back by contemporary historians. Mantle’s fabled shot against Chuck Stobbs probably didn’t travel the 565 feet as claimed by Yankee PR man Red Patterson, but it did usher the term “tape measure” into the baseball lexicon.

11. Reggie Jackson, 1971. What would the tape measure have shown had this rocket in the ’71 All-Star game not been interrupted by a Tiger Stadium light transformer?

12. Bucky Dent, 1978. Out of nowhere, Little Bucky Dent clears the Green Monster to win the one-game AL East playoff, putting Boston out of the postseason but not Red Sox fans out of their misery.

13. Babe Ruth, 1927. “Sixty!” Ruth crowed after notching this one against Washington’s Tom Zachary. “Count ‘em, sixty! Let’s see some other SOB match that!” For more than three decades, no one could.

14. Gabby Hartnett, 1938. The “Homer In The Gloamin’ ” that helped the Cubs hold off the Pirates for the National League pennant, struck just before sunset. And after that, 60 years of darkness for Cubs fans.

15. Dick Sisler, 1950. Long before the Collapse of ‘64, the Phillies were headed for the Collapse of ’50 before Sisler’s 10th-inning three-run home run salvaged the pennant from the Dodgers on the last day of the regular season.

16. Mickey Mantle, 1963. He would have surely cleared 565 feet, and maybe 600, if the right-field facade on the roof of Yankee Stadium hadn’t got in the way.

17. Reggie Jackson, 1977. His third home run in Game 6 of the ’77 World Series turned Dodger Charlie Hough’s ill-fated offering into a white-knuckleball.

18. Chris Chambliss, 1976. Once spoiled by success, Yankee fans had gone 11 pennant-less seasons before Chambliss clinched this one on the last at-bat of the 1976 ALCS. Which partially explains why Chambliss had to reach out and touch second base during his triumphant trot; the bag had already been uprooted and grabbed by a delirious souvenir collector.

19. Dave Henderson, 1986. In 1986, the Angels were one pitch away from their first World Series. As if they need reminding.

20. Jack Clark, 1985. Dodger faithful, all together now: Why in the world did Lasorda let Niedenfuer pitch to Clark?

21. George Brett, 1983. The longest home run ever hit, if we’re measuring by calendar. Brett hit it on July 24, had it nullified by umpire Tim McClelland after Yankee Manager Billy Martin cited an obscure rule about the amount of pine tar permitted on a bat handle, then had it reinstated four days later “upon further review” by AL President Lee McPhail.

22. Mark McGwire, 1998. He has to be on this list somewhere. For the time being, the 545-footer he hammered in May--now marked by a giant Band-Aid in the Busch Stadium outfield bleachers--will do.

23. Dusty Rhodes, 1954. Thirty-four years before Gibby, there was Dusty. Another pinch-hit home run in Game One of the World Series inspires another just-can’t-happen upset--in this case the no-chance Giants over the 111-win Cleveland Indians.

24. Stan Musial, 1955. He called the shot that mercifully ended the ’55 All-Star Game, telling AL catcher Yogi Berra in the bottom of the 12th inning, “I’ll get you out of here in a hurry.” Next pitch, everyone’s out of there.

25. Jackie Robinson, 1951. His 14th-inning home run against the Phillies on the last day of the regular season kept the Dodgers tied with the Giants, forcing the legendary three-game playoff. Without it, Bobby Thomson is just another name that appears to be misspelled.