Inside-The-Park HR (1 Viewer)

[Encyclopedia Brown]

I watched the Philadelphia/Colorado game, and Jayson Werth's inside-the-parker.

Totally misplayed by Taveras. The ball was hit deep to right center, and instead of trying to play it off the fence Taveras tried to track it down. He looked to be about 10 feet from the fence when the ball hit near the top and caromed past him.

That made me think about all the times I've seen this type of play. It seems like it is always the result of a bad angle by the OF or the ball getting lost in a bullpen.

Maybe in one of the old-time parks like Yankee Stadium or the Polo Grounds when they had dimensions of 450+ feet, and a batter got one in the gap that rolled all the way to the wall?

My favorite one ever is Ron Cey getting at Wrigley Field about twenty five years ago. It was early in the year at Wrigley, before the ivy on the wall bloomed, and his liner hit hard off the brick wall in left center and bounced back all the way to the infield. It took him about two and a half minutes to circle the bases.

 

[daddymag]

Very rarely, it's perfect. I remember Devon White hitting one once... can't remember the park. Hit it into the right-center gap, but the ball didn't bounce back hard from the wall so the OF had to go get it, and relay it to the cutoff man. But I swear off the replay I timed White going from second base to home in about four seconds. : D

 

[Koya]

In certain stadiums (ie No mans lands at Fenway) do provide the possibility of a fairly well hit ball, VERY well placed from splitting the outfielders and rolling 430 or so feet giving a select few (ie Reyes) the opportunity for a clean inside the park home run.

Not sure if this counts as a weird bounce, but you can also forsee a ball hit high and deeps but careening off the top of the walls, then rolling back to the infield with enough time for a super speedster to make it around the bases before an OF or IF can get out to the ball and throw it home - but that may count as a weird bounce.

 

[NY/NJMFDIVER]

I seem to remember Willie Wilson hitting at least one in KC, I feel like Deion Sanders might have done it before.