Baltimore Orioles History: Boog Powell’s Iconic Home Run

In 1954, the Baltimore Orioles as we know them came into existence and made their home at Memorial Stadium.

The eventual home of the Baltimore Orioles was originally built in 1922, and named Municipal Stadium, then Babe Ruth Stadium after the city’s favorite son.

Babe Ruth Stadium was the home of the Orioles of the International League. But, when the O’s moved in as an MLB team, the facility was in version two and had been renamed as Memorial Stadium. At the time, the stadium was not only the home of the MLB team, but also of the Baltimore Colts. To get the stadium MLB-ready, Baltimore invested over $6 million. The project lasted into the inaugural season.

Several unusual and catastrophic events happened at that stadium throughout its lifetime. It was eventually torn down in 2001.

Like all MLB stadiums, there have be firsts accomplished within their confines. On June 22, 1962, Boog Powell accomplished a notable feat that will forever be recorded in the history of the Memorial Stadium. His feat was eventually eclipsed by a Frank Robinson milestone in 1966.

In 1962, the center field wall was an eye-popping 410 feet from home plate. And on June 22, 1962, Boog Powell became the first player to hit a home run over that wall. Consider, that in 2019, the farthest center field fence belongs to Minute Maid Park at 409 feet.

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Unfortunately, Powell’s home run came before the days of Statcast, so we don’t have those fascinating statistics. But anyone hitting over a 410-foot fence had to have serious bat speed, launch angle, and exit velocity.

On that day, the O’s had a double-header against the Red Sox. In the first game, Powell struggled at the plate, going 0-4 against Ike Delock. But, in the second game, it was another story. He went 2-4 in the second game and the monster home run came in the bottom of the 7th off of Don Schwall.

That home run was the seventh of Powell’s career. Prior to the bomb over the Memorial Stadium wall, he hit one over the center-field fence at White Sox Park on May 19. That was the warm up for the one a month later at the home field. He was all of 20 years old, and in his first real season after a cup of coffee in 1961. Powell went on to hit 339 home runs and 1187 RBI in his career.

The Orioles won that day by a score of 4-3. Powell’s home run tied the game, and a clutch two-run home run in the ninth by Hobie Landrith sealed the deal.