Top Homers of All-Time

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Okay, so I couldn’t take a break from baseball for too long.

Given that it was the home run derby I began thinking about my favorite bombs of all time.

Let’s count them down:

5). George Brett - the pine tar homer.

This was actually a home run AGAINST the Yankees! In a big spot. Brett hammered it for miles! Then he was called out because Billy Martin challenged how much pine tar was on the bat.

Brett was called out and went absolutely insane!

That’s why it makes my list.

4) Kirk Gibson off Dennis Eckersly in the World Series. The A’s were heavily favored (I hated them) so I was rooting for the Dodgers (who I hated a little less). 

Gibson was hobbled. He could barely stand up. Eck was cocky and the best closer that year. 

I got goose bumps when that ball went over the wall and can still see Gibson’s hobbled move around the bases as he did the fist pump.

Go watch it again.

3). Tino & Brosius in back to back games in 01’ series.

The Yankees were going for their 4th straight World Series win.

They didn’t get it, but in games 4 & 5 they snatched victory out of the jaws of defeat with homers in the bottom of the 9th.

I was watching, of course, but I wasn’t listening. I could never stand Buck and McCarver so I would shut the sound off when I couldn’t take anymore - they were usually gone by the bottom of the first.

It’s so great to watch outfielders head to the wall and see the fans go crazy.

That series was a mess as Mariano blew game 7 and Jake underwent his life-saving operation the next day.

Baseball didn’t matter much that week, but I remember those two silent homers.

2). Chris Chambliss

Before Yankees-Red Sox there was a great rivalry between the Yankees and Kansas City Royals. 

They battled hard for the right to go to the World Series in the late ‘70’s and I watched every pitch with my Dad.

One of the pitches to Chris Chambliss was sent over the wall and was a walk-off before anyone knew what a walk-off was.

Me and Dad cheered and then we went to the kitchen and he made me a salami and peppers sandwich.

We were so damn happy.

And the Yankees won back to back titles in ‘77 & ‘78.

Which leads me to #1.

1). My favorite home run ever was the third and final one that Reggie Jackson hit in Game 6 of the ‘77 series.

Dad was there.

Another salami and pepper sandwich followed, but the amazing thing about that homer was that it was just the 3rd pitch Reggie saw.

He hit 3 homers off of 3 different pitchers on 3 straight swings of the bat.

Did I mention that it was my 13th birthday?

Of course, I’ve seen thousands of homers in the 50 years I’ve been watching the sport.

Those are my top ones.

Reggie!

Reggie!!

Reggie!!!

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