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“Historic Bats” Photo Gallery
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Incredible Home Runs That Actually “Broke the Bat!”
Today we welcome a guest post from Mike Epson. Mike has chosen an interesting topic to write about, broken-bat home runs. It’s a bit different for us at Baseball History Comes Alive, but it’s well worth reading. Bats are certainly an important part of the sport we all love, and it’s long overdue to pay them a little attention.
To stay within our web page theme of baseball history, I’ve supplemented Mike’s fine essay with a photo gallery highlighting some of baseball’s most well-known bats. In the featured photo, we see Shoeless Joe Jackson with probably the most famous bat of all, Black Betsy.
I think you’ll find what Mike has to say about broken bat home runs interesting. If you get a chance, visit Mike’s web site: The Smart Consumer. He is also the author of two other sites: BatsFinder and BatCritic. Here’s Mike’s essay:
Bats break in major league games. In fact, during the 2008 season over 2,000 bats broke. That was a league-high, and the MLB hired engineers to work with bat makers after the season to make bats sturdier. A major cause of the high number of broken bats in the aughts was the rise in maple.
The reasons why maple breaks more easily than other types of wood is a discussion too involved for this article. Still, we use this example to illustrate that bats breaking are not a rare occurrence in the major leagues. What is unusual is a bat breaking during a home run hit. Those are few and far between.
Home run hits that cause a broken-bat are given the, probably expected, name of broken-bat homers. There is no official source that counts broken-bat homers, even though they are extremely exciting to watch. That is why we have compiled the top five broken-bat homers over the last thirty years in this article. But first, we need to discuss why bats break during homers at all.
What causes a broken-bat homer?
The experts at Batsfinder.com had this to say “As with all other reasons that bats break, physics plays a large role in broken-bat homers. Because of Newton’s Second Law of Physics, we can calculate that there are 5800 lbs. of force on a ball that is hit by a bat. The assumes, of course, a complete, head-on hit. Newton’s Third Law of Physics tells us that the force on the bat will be the same as the force on the ball. Therefore, in a head-on hit, there are 5800 lbs. of force on the bat.”
It’s a wonder bats don’t break during every hit.
When a bat breaks during a hit, the result is not usually a home run. It can be nearly impossible to control the trajectory of the ball. And, most importantly, not enough force will be transferred to the ball to get it out of the park.
Clearly, broken-bat home runs are one-in-a-million. Everything has to line up perfectly for the bat to break and still achieve a home run. There is a sweet spot further up the barrel of the bat that allows for the home run.
Five Incredible home runs that broke the bat
It may be impossible to practice broken-bat home runs. However, when everything lines up perfectly, watching one is amazing. Here are five home runs that actually broke the bat.
- Bryce Harper vs. Mets
Bryce Harper; Photo Credit: Arturo Pardavila,
On April 16, 2018, Bryce Harper, who played for the Nationals, achieved a broken-bat homer. The game was against the Mets. After the home run, the Nationals went on to win the game 8-6. Harper’s broken-bat homerun helped propel the Nationals to Victory.
The broken-bat homer occurred during the top of the 1st. The Met’s starting pitcher, Jacob deGrom, threw a 95 MPH fastball. Harper hit the ball 406-ft. for the first run of the game.
- Miguel Cabrera vs. Giants
Miguel Cabrera; Photo Credit: CB162
During the 2012 World Series Game Four against the Giants, Miguel Cabrera hit a broken-bat homer. The homer provided the Tigers an early two-run lead in the game. The pitcher in the Cabrera was Giants’ reliever Sergio Romo. Unfortunately, the broken-bat homer did not ultimately help the Tigers, as the Giants won 4-3 for the championship.
What’s most interesting about the Cabrera broken-bat homer is the fact that he didn’t actually hit the sweet spot. Instead, the ball hit a little lower on the bat. There was enough bend, however, for the home run.
- Barry Bonds vs. Marlins
Barry Bonds ushered in the popularity of maple bats in the early 2000s. It is no surprise then that on August 17, 2002, he used one of his famed maple bats in a broken-bat homer. The hit occurred against the Marlins. During the top of the 1st against Marlins’ rookie pitcher Josh Beckett, Bonds hit a homer that broke his bat into two pieces.
- Bill Haselman vs. Blue Jays
Bill Haselman’s broken-bat homer against the Blue Jays on June 27, 1995, is a classic. It was the first home run of the season for Haselman. He hit it against the Blue Jays’ reliever Woody Williams. The Boston Red Sox (Haselman’s team) went on to win the game 6-5.
- Jack Howell vs. Yankees
The final broken-bat homer worth mentioning here is quite old. On September 5, 1987, Jack Howell of the Angels hit a broken-bat homer on a pitch by right-hander Tim Stoddard. Howell finished the season with twenty-three home runs, a career-high. This was his only broken-bat homer. What’s amazing is that his bat broke with so much force that part of it flew past first base.
Conclusion
Broken-bat homers are always dramatic to watch. They are so rare, that seeing one is a treat. As you can tell from the five examples in this article, every broken-bat homer is slightly different. Whether the player’s team went on to win or lose, it doesn’t take away from the drama of watching physics in action.
Keep your eye peeled for a home run that breaks a bat the next time you watch a game. If you’re lucky, there just might be one.
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Mike Epson
About Mike Epson: I’m a real estate investor, author for batcritic.com, and batsfinder.com, and all-around sports fan. I love that the great American past time is making a comeback. Please let me know what you think of my writing below.
Gallery Photo Credits: All from Google search
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Hi Mike:
I stepped away from baseball fandom about 35 years ago, but was an avid follower for 40 years before that. In those 40 years, I saw a number of broken bat hits and outs and other anomalies. I can honestly say I never remember seeing a broken bat home run. I never thought about it until I read your essay. Thanks for this enlightening information.
My love of the game was rekindled through this sight and Gary’s desire to see Gil Hodges in the Hall of Fame and all the stories of baseball when it was a great game before it was corrupted by MONEY.
Posts like yours add to the mystique of lore that made baseball so unique.
Thanks again,
Joan
Thanks Joan…so glad my humble efforts have played a small part in bringing you back to the game. So glad to have you with us….and I always enjoy your insightful, thoughtful comments! Best, Gary
Wow, Gary, you make me feel important. Thanks for those kind words.
J.