Those who witnessed the now mythic home run swear, to this day, that it should rank as one of the longest home runs in major-league history.
The date was Aug. 31, 1997. The ballpark was Miami’s Pro Player Stadium. The inning was fourth. The pitcher was Rockies’ nemesis Kevin Brown. The pitch was a slider. A hanging slider. The result was a grand slam that gave the Rockies a 7-0 lead.
The batter was Andres “The Big Cat” Galarraga, the Rockies’ powerful first baseman from Venezuela. He launched a ball that landed in the 20th row of the upper deck above left field.