There was also Clint Hartung "The Hondo Hurricane" who came up to the NY Giants shortly after World War 2. He was a phenom because he was supposed to be the new Babe Ruth in that he was a great pitcher and a HR hitter. It turned out he wasn't too good at either, starting as a pitcher, then being converted to outfielder. This lead to his second, less flattering nickname: Floppy. He was on 3rd base when Bobby Thomson hit his famous pennant winning HR. Turns out that Hartung, who was 6'5" and weighed 220, another big guy, was called the "Hondo Hurricane" because he came from Hondo, Texas. So that's where the name "Hondo" comes from. Texas. Where else?
Game I was watching on TV, I'd guess around 1970. The Senators were playing the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Steve Hamilton was pitching for the Yankees, and he was a pretty tall guy himself (I think 6 foot 6). He was known for sometimes throwing his "Folly Floater", a blooper pitch that would go maybe 30 feet in the air. before coming back down to the catcher. Frank Howard was batting against Hamilton and Hamilton threw him one of his floaters. Howard struck and missed, but dared Hamilton to throw another. Hamilton did and Howard hit a booming shot to center field. Unfortunately center field in Yankee Stadium was 461 feet, and Bobby Murcer caught it with his back against the wall. I'd add that I once saw Kingman hit an even longer one than the one in Wrigley. It was in his brief time with the Yankees. At Fenway Park against the Red Sox, it looked like his shot went over the Citgo sign behind the left field wall. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any video of that one. I also got to see his shortest HR, which was against the St. Louis Cardinals when Kingman was with the Mets. He hit a high pop up about half way down the left field line, maybe 250 feet. It took a big bounce over the Cardinals' left fielder head and went all the way to the wall and Kingman got an inside-the-parker. It might have also been his only home run to the opposite field. There is video of that one.
Thanks, Mike! When I see the little bit of film that's available on him, I wish I had been able to witness it, too. Keep an eye out Friday evening! I covered another power hitter of interest to you, (Frank Robinson), on a collaborative video with another O's fan who covered Brooks. It's a good one.
I remember buying a bunch of Joey Meyer rookie cards back then because I thought he was going to be the next big homerun hitter. That bomb is legendary though
that was a good video but why did you miss our fantasy league draft? I was hoping my favorite youtuber would be there but I guess you're too busy partying with Mr. Beast in your mansion
I was sharing this video with my father who BTW is hanging in there.He grew up on the MD and District of Columbia line as a kid and attended alot of games at Griffith Stadium.He shared with me that Mickey Mantle and Frank Howard were the two players that came closest to hitting a dinger out of that stadium.Three players that come to my mind when comparing size to homers in my teenage years are as follows Gorman Thomas,Greg Luzinski,and Don Baylor.Would like to hear any other players that come to mind in the comments.
Dave Winfield. 6'6", drafted to play MLB, NFL and NBA. But, while he hit his share of home runs, he was more of a scary line-drive hitter, who didn't strike out near as often as what Hatbilly is looking for in his archtype.
Good to hear about your father, Joe! All those guys are fantastic power hitters, for sure. I was eyeing making a Gorman Thomas video, but boy, Brewers footage from those days is scarce online.
@@big8dog887 Winfield was my original suitor for Stanton, but I found his career so interesting that I put him on the backburner because I felt he deserves his own video one day.
@@Hatbilly Thanks for that.He has alot of tests he needs done.Thanks for asking and keep him in your prayers.Btw can't wait for the season to start.Wbc has been great!
@@big8dog887 I remember when he left San Diego and signed with the Yankees.That was big money 💰 back in those days.Of course I hated it, because I am a Orioles fan.Great athlete from Minnesota.
Mickey Mantle said Frank Howard hit the ball harder than anyone he saw play. Hondo was a John Wayne movie from 1953, maybe that is where they got the name.
Man you had me worried there for a minute. Your 4 month hiatus was well earned, and I pray you’re doing alright. Thanks for coming back and making videos, thanks for your hard work and dedication to the sport, and thanks so much for being here to make these great videos for us all to enjoy.
Everything's decent on my end, thanks for asking. I'm sorry to have been cause for concern! I'm planning to get back on a routine of making these, hang in there. 😃
Reading my mind... I quite literally forgot him. Had a video of one of his towering Camden Yards homers and failed to transfer it into the video project. 🤣
Walter Young (315+325 lbs) and CC Sabathia (300 lbs) are the only MLB players to officially crack the 300 pound mark. Dmitri Young (no relation to Walter) got up to 295 lbs at one point. Jonathan Broxton was 285 lbs. All these guys i listed were over 6 feet tall, but Prince Fielder was 270-275 lbs and only 5'10" or 5'11" (some sites have him listed at 5'10" & 270 lbs but others say 5'11" & 275 lbs). Bartolo Colon might have been bigger than Fielder. He was 5'11" and anywhere from 270-285 lbs depending on the site.
What is the point of this video? I know baseball very well but what is the point here? Big guys hit long home runs if they swing from their heals?? I saw everybody in this video from Frank Howard on and this makes very little sense.
Another excellent video by one of my new favorite channels. ... As a St. Louis guy, I'm obligated to bar-bro blab about Mike Laga, who hit a (foul) ball out of Busch Stadium 1.
I appreciate the kind words! I was unfamiliar with Mike Laga hitting the foul ball out of Busch. Sure enough, found the video on it, that's impressive. If only he'd have straightened it out...
My favorite Cardinals home run was from Tom Lawless in the 1987 World Series. Lawless couldn't hit at all. He was a little utility guy with great speed, career batting average of about .180 and just a couple home runs. Dude hit a clutch home run in the World Series against Frank Viola, a top pitcher at the time. Not only did this dude hit a no-doubter in the WS against a great pitcher, Lawless also strolled down the first base line watching it go out, and then he did something that wasn't done back then - he flipped the bat away and jogged the bases. Tom Lawless had one huge moment in his career and he had an instinct to soak up the moment. I'll never forget that moment. Amazing!
Dave Kingman was doing pretty well at the end of his career as a DH in Oakland (except for batting average, of course). Despite his production, Kingman couldn't land a contract after 1986 due to collusion amongst the owners to try to thwart salaries by low-balling or ignoring free agents. Kingman finished his career (not by his choice) at age 37 and with 442 home runs. Considering he had just come off a three year run of 30+ home run seasons and 1987 being a home run happy season for hitters, it's a safe bet that Kingman would have achieved 58 home runs over the next two or three seasons had he been allowed to extend his career. It would have been interesting to see HOF voters debate Kingman's HOF worthiness if he had reached the 500 home run club. Back then, the 500 mark was a lock like 3000 hits, but Kingman was largely one dimensional; so he probably would not have been elected into the HOF regardless of his home run tally. Too bad the owners were being so shifty during that time. Kingman might have had 500 homers and Al Oliver might have reached 3000 hits. It's a shame the owners couldn't have just let nature take its course. I'm sure it's difficult for guys on the short end of the owners' collusion to not be bitter about having the carpet yanked out from underneath them.
Thanks for sharing all this here! That's a great point about that 500 HR milestone and how it would help his case. Owner collusion was a nightmare in that era, seems to rear it's ugly head in nearly every baseball story I read.
@@Hatbilly Collusion is why Andre Dawson signed a blank contract with the Cubs, who got an elite player and a MVP for $500K out of this deal. I appreciate your content, Hatbilly. I've been looking for a place for intellectual, deep-dives into baseball without all the trolls and name calling. I think I've found what I've been looking for in your channel. Keep up the great work!
@@positively_broad_st3780 That means a lot to me! I'll try and keep it rolling. RUclips can be thankless, but having a core of guys who show up for every video and add to the conversation makes it worthwhile.
I never heard of Frank Howard and I’m 61, he seems like a nice person. I wasn’t allowed to play baseball which was my mom’s idea and I never let her forget it. I missed out on a lot of fun. When she was in her 80’s she said she remembered bringing me to tryouts which never happened so I knew it was time to let it go.
@@mikekeeler6362 I was 10 in 1972 which is when I first heard about the A’s. I watched the 1975 World Series with my dad which was very good. The home runs by Bernie Carbo and Carlton Fisk were great in game 6.
It's too bad, you missed out on a fun game, and between the 1950's-1980's some great long ball hitting. As for Frank, he was a super nice guy, and I was lucky enough to be married into a baseball family, the Washington Senators. Frank played for them I believe after the Dodgers and was a great HR hitter. He played college at OSU which included both baseball and basketball.
I remembered drinking Nestle Quik growing up. The giant Q on that rabbit’s neck reminds me of Flavor Flav clocks. I wonder who inspire who. Thanks for documenting classic baseball in particularly the D.C. area - it is nostalgic for me!
i live my life 24/7 according to Alfred Delia aka Big Al when I do something, and that is when i do something, "I HIT DINGERS". it's weird we cheer for a ball going as far as possible, but goddamn isn't a thing of beauty. big dudes, just like chonks, will always have a place in this game.
@@Hatbilly appreciate it! yeah, talking about this kind of stuff and all the fun stuff that the main stream sports media doesn't cover is always great. especially once you start researching stuff, because then you learn even more stuff. it's all great!
"Hondo" was the title character in a popular John Wayne movie. Also the nickname of Boston Celtics legend John Havlicek.
Thanks for clarifying that! I clearly need to brush up on my westerns.
@@Hatbilly Interestingly, the baseball "Hondo" was 2 inches taller than the basketball one.
There was also Clint Hartung "The Hondo Hurricane" who came up to the NY Giants shortly after World War 2. He was a phenom because he was supposed to be the new Babe Ruth in that he was a great pitcher and a HR hitter. It turned out he wasn't too good at either, starting as a pitcher, then being converted to outfielder. This lead to his second, less flattering nickname: Floppy. He was on 3rd base when Bobby Thomson hit his famous pennant winning HR.
Turns out that Hartung, who was 6'5" and weighed 220, another big guy, was called the "Hondo Hurricane" because he came from Hondo, Texas. So that's where the name "Hondo" comes from. Texas. Where else?
Game I was watching on TV, I'd guess around 1970. The Senators were playing the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Steve Hamilton was pitching for the Yankees, and he was a pretty tall guy himself (I think 6 foot 6). He was known for sometimes throwing his "Folly Floater", a blooper pitch that would go maybe 30 feet in the air. before coming back down to the catcher. Frank Howard was batting against Hamilton and Hamilton threw him one of his floaters. Howard struck and missed, but dared Hamilton to throw another. Hamilton did and Howard hit a booming shot to center field. Unfortunately center field in Yankee Stadium was 461 feet, and Bobby Murcer caught it with his back against the wall.
I'd add that I once saw Kingman hit an even longer one than the one in Wrigley. It was in his brief time with the Yankees. At Fenway Park against the Red Sox, it looked like his shot went over the Citgo sign behind the left field wall. Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any video of that one. I also got to see his shortest HR, which was against the St. Louis Cardinals when Kingman was with the Mets. He hit a high pop up about half way down the left field line, maybe 250 feet. It took a big bounce over the Cardinals' left fielder head and went all the way to the wall and Kingman got an inside-the-parker. It might have also been his only home run to the opposite field. There is video of that one.
Great job as usual! As a kid,I remember seeing Frank play, mostly when the O's were playing the Senators, and it happened to be televised.
Thanks, Mike! When I see the little bit of film that's available on him, I wish I had been able to witness it, too. Keep an eye out Friday evening! I covered another power hitter of interest to you, (Frank Robinson), on a collaborative video with another O's fan who covered Brooks. It's a good one.
I grew up in Oxon Hill, Md. don't think there was a boy in the DC area that didn't want to be Frank Howard.
Play some pretty good stuff bro really appreciated the post huge Dodger fan huge baseball fan again thank you happy trails
Hondo was a western tv show back in the day....The connection, idk.
I freaking love these videos.
Thank you! I'll keep slapping them together.
At times Frank Howard was over 300 lb
I remember buying a bunch of Joey Meyer rookie cards back then because I thought he was going to be the next big homerun hitter. That bomb is legendary though
Unfortunately, that big step up to the majors stymies so many. Better to be a minor league hero than not be a hero at all!
@@Hatbilly I agree!
Well at least even back then they shouldn't have cost you much more than pocket change.
@@unkledoda420 yeah it was pretty much pocket change but for an 11 year old kid it was a lot 😅
that was a good video but why did you miss our fantasy league draft? I was hoping my favorite youtuber would be there but I guess you're too busy partying with Mr. Beast in your mansion
FUCK. I think my alerts for the facebook group got turned off or something. I hope my ragtag groups of autodrafted players makes a run this year...
I was sharing this video with my father who BTW is hanging in there.He grew up on the MD and District of Columbia line as a kid and attended alot of games at Griffith Stadium.He shared with me that Mickey Mantle and Frank Howard were the two players that came closest to hitting a dinger out of that stadium.Three players that come to my mind when comparing size to homers in my teenage years are as follows Gorman Thomas,Greg Luzinski,and Don Baylor.Would like to hear any other players that come to mind in the comments.
Dave Winfield. 6'6", drafted to play MLB, NFL and NBA. But, while he hit his share of home runs, he was more of a scary line-drive hitter, who didn't strike out near as often as what Hatbilly is looking for in his archtype.
Good to hear about your father, Joe! All those guys are fantastic power hitters, for sure. I was eyeing making a Gorman Thomas video, but boy, Brewers footage from those days is scarce online.
@@big8dog887 Winfield was my original suitor for Stanton, but I found his career so interesting that I put him on the backburner because I felt he deserves his own video one day.
@@Hatbilly Thanks for that.He has alot of tests he needs done.Thanks for asking and keep him in your prayers.Btw can't wait for the season to start.Wbc has been great!
@@big8dog887 I remember when he left San Diego and signed with the Yankees.That was big money 💰 back in those days.Of course I hated it, because I am a Orioles fan.Great athlete from Minnesota.
Diving deep again. Fun video as always, Hatbilly. How about that pinch on the cheek and complete emasculation all in the name of Nesquik?
Glad you enjoyed it! Finding classic baseball footage is fun, finding other obscure TV appearances of the players is an absolute blast!
Mickey Mantle said Frank Howard hit the ball harder than anyone he saw play. Hondo was a John Wayne movie from 1953, maybe that is where they got the name.
Man you had me worried there for a minute. Your 4 month hiatus was well earned, and I pray you’re doing alright. Thanks for coming back and making videos, thanks for your hard work and dedication to the sport, and thanks so much for being here to make these great videos for us all to enjoy.
Everything's decent on my end, thanks for asking. I'm sorry to have been cause for concern! I'm planning to get back on a routine of making these, hang in there. 😃
This was another great cast. I am gradually learning tons of baseball facts and having fun doing it. Thanks Hatbilly.
You're the best, mom!
Don't forget about Walter Young...I think he's one of the few Major Leaguers to ever be 300+ lbs
Reading my mind... I quite literally forgot him. Had a video of one of his towering Camden Yards homers and failed to transfer it into the video project. 🤣
Walter Young (315+325 lbs) and CC Sabathia (300 lbs) are the only MLB players to officially crack the 300 pound mark. Dmitri Young (no relation to Walter) got up to 295 lbs at one point. Jonathan Broxton was 285 lbs. All these guys i listed were over 6 feet tall, but Prince Fielder was 270-275 lbs and only
5'10" or 5'11" (some sites have him listed at 5'10" & 270 lbs but others say 5'11" & 275 lbs). Bartolo Colon might have been bigger than Fielder. He was 5'11" and anywhere from 270-285 lbs depending on the site.
What is the point of this video? I know baseball very well but what is the point here? Big guys hit long home runs if they swing from their heals?? I saw everybody in this video from Frank Howard on and this makes very little sense.
The game would be better off without my analysis, for sure.
Barry Bonds wasn't as big as Aaron judge and he hit way more
The Washington Monument is such a great nickname. We need more like those in today's game.
Agreed. Is it that all the good nicknames are taken, or just that fans don't have those big imaginations anymore?
Another excellent video by one of my new favorite channels. ... As a St. Louis guy, I'm obligated to bar-bro blab about Mike Laga, who hit a (foul) ball out of Busch Stadium 1.
I appreciate the kind words! I was unfamiliar with Mike Laga hitting the foul ball out of Busch. Sure enough, found the video on it, that's impressive. If only he'd have straightened it out...
My favorite Cardinals home run was from Tom Lawless in the 1987 World Series. Lawless couldn't hit at all. He was a little utility guy with great speed, career batting average of about .180 and just a couple home runs. Dude hit a clutch home run in the World Series against Frank Viola, a top pitcher at the time. Not only did this dude hit a no-doubter in the WS against a great pitcher, Lawless also strolled down the first base line watching it go out, and then he did something that wasn't done back then - he flipped the bat away and jogged the bases. Tom Lawless had one huge moment in his career and he had an instinct to soak up the moment. I'll never forget that moment. Amazing!
@@positively_broad_st3780 Heck yeah! Nobody hardly ever pimped dingers back then, and that would have been epic today.
And you can't have brain fog
Great job Hatbilly - always interesting and informative.
I appreciate it!
Joey Meyer!
Minors legend!
Horacio Pena Oakland A's 1973.
Haven't been able to find any footage on him. I'll dive deeper soon. Thanks!
Dave Kingman was doing pretty well at the end of his career as a DH in Oakland (except for batting average, of course). Despite his production, Kingman couldn't land a contract after 1986 due to collusion amongst the owners to try to thwart salaries by low-balling or ignoring free agents. Kingman finished his career (not by his choice) at age 37 and with 442 home runs. Considering he had just come off a three year run of 30+ home run seasons and 1987 being a home run happy season for hitters, it's a safe bet that Kingman would have achieved 58 home runs over the next two or three seasons had he been allowed to extend his career. It would have been interesting to see HOF voters debate Kingman's HOF worthiness if he had reached the 500 home run club. Back then, the 500 mark was a lock like 3000 hits, but Kingman was largely one dimensional; so he probably would not have been elected into the HOF regardless of his home run tally. Too bad the owners were being so shifty during that time. Kingman might have had 500 homers and Al Oliver might have reached 3000 hits. It's a shame the owners couldn't have just let nature take its course. I'm sure it's difficult for guys on the short end of the owners' collusion to not be bitter about having the carpet yanked out from underneath them.
Thanks for sharing all this here! That's a great point about that 500 HR milestone and how it would help his case. Owner collusion was a nightmare in that era, seems to rear it's ugly head in nearly every baseball story I read.
@@Hatbilly Collusion is why Andre Dawson signed a blank contract with the Cubs, who got an elite player and a MVP for $500K out of this deal.
I appreciate your content, Hatbilly. I've been looking for a place for intellectual, deep-dives into baseball without all the trolls and name calling. I think I've found what I've been looking for in your channel. Keep up the great work!
@@positively_broad_st3780 That means a lot to me! I'll try and keep it rolling. RUclips can be thankless, but having a core of guys who show up for every video and add to the conversation makes it worthwhile.
4:42 had me both laughing and starting to question whether Aaron Judge is doing his best Frank Howard impersonation… Great vid Hatbilly!
It's a pretty striking comp, but I suppose the 1969 Senators don't go through people's minds much. 😂
I never heard of Frank Howard and I’m 61, he seems like a nice person. I wasn’t allowed to play baseball which was my mom’s idea and I never let her forget it. I missed out on a lot of fun. When she was in her 80’s she said she remembered bringing me to tryouts which never happened so I knew it was time to let it go.
You must have not followed baseball back in the 60s and 70s
@@mikekeeler6362 I was 10 in 1972 which is when I first heard about the A’s. I watched the 1975 World Series with my dad which was very good. The home runs by Bernie Carbo and Carlton Fisk were great in game 6.
@@patfromamboy yeah I remember big Frank Howard when I was a kid I've got some of his baseball cards
It's too bad, you missed out on a fun game, and between the 1950's-1980's some great long ball hitting. As for Frank, he was a super nice guy, and I was lucky enough to be married into a baseball family, the Washington Senators. Frank played for them I believe after the Dodgers and was a great HR hitter. He played college at OSU which included both baseball and basketball.
I remembered drinking Nestle Quik growing up. The giant Q on that rabbit’s neck reminds me of Flavor Flav clocks. I wonder who inspire who. Thanks for documenting classic baseball in particularly the D.C. area - it is nostalgic for me!
Nice observation! I haven't thought about that. And no worries, I find the area's history fascinating.
i live my life 24/7 according to Alfred Delia aka Big Al when I do something, and that is when i do something, "I HIT DINGERS". it's weird we cheer for a ball going as far as possible, but goddamn isn't a thing of beauty. big dudes, just like chonks, will always have a place in this game.
I have to say, your "chonks" segment definitely helped jog my memory that I had intended to make a video like this for a while. Thanks, Dutch!
@@Hatbilly appreciate it! yeah, talking about this kind of stuff and all the fun stuff that the main stream sports media doesn't cover is always great. especially once you start researching stuff, because then you learn even more stuff. it's all great!
Yet another great video. That closing commercial is 🤌🏼
I appreciate it, Jon!
A glass of Nestle Quik sounds OK, but a 24oz can of beer seems more appropriate!
You ain't wrong, brother!!