Inspired by our real pals over at Amazin' Avenue, we're going to look at the five longest home runs of the 2012 season. Except I'm going to be all goth and review the five longest home runs surrendered by Phillies pitching, as listed at the indispensable HitTrackerOnline. Let's begin.
5. Wilin Rosario, Colorado Rockies (at Coors Field) - July 14, 2012
Eighth inning, one out, runners on first and second. Phillies leading 6-2.
Pitcher - Brian Sanches
Distance - 449 feet
Probably the most disturbing part of this home run is that it reminded me that Brian Sanches was on the Phillies' roster in 2012. It's not necessarily embarrassing to surrender a long home run at Coors Field, and Rosario has some pop (28 home runs in 426 plate appearances), but that 88 miles per hour grooved piece of crap could have been hammered by the dessicated corpse of Dante Bichette.
Yuck.
It would be Sanches' last appearance for the Phillies.
4. Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins (at Marlins Park) - June 30, 2012
First inning, no baserunners, two outs. No score.
Pitcher - Cole Hamels
Distance - 450 feet
I'll admit to being a little surprised that the mighty Giancarlo Stanton didn't appear more than once in the top five, his majestic home runs already things of legend around baseball. But what this home run lacked in distance, it made up for in its haste to get out of the ballpark.
The pitch from Cole Hamels wasn't even that terrible. OK, it was bad, but a 3-2 change-up on the outside corner doesn't often get hammered like this, even belt-high change-ups like this one. Few hitters have the extension and bat speed that Stanton has, however.
The Marlins would win the ballgame, 3-2.
3. Michael Morse, Washington Nationals (at Citizens Bank Park) - September 27, 2012
Sixth inning, no outs, runner on second. Nationals leading 4-3.
Pitcher - Tyler Cloyd
Distance - 451 feet
Welcome to the show, Tyler Cloyd.
After a season spent dominating the Triple-A International League, Cloyd got the call to the majors to replace the injured Vance Worley and pitched really blah. This opposite field-ish shot to right-center from erstwhile National and current Mariners thumper Michael Morse shows what a capable bat can do to so-so stuff.
The Nationals would go on to win, 7-3.
2. David Freese, St. Louis Cardinals (at Busch Stadium) - May 24, 2012
Seventh inning, two outs, no baserunners. Phillies leading 9-7.
Pitcher - Chad Qualls
Distance - 451 feet
Chad Qualls is an easy scapegoat for the 2012 Phillies early season bullpen struggles, and I see no reason to disabuse anyone of that notion, so feel free to hang on to that one.
Cardinals 2011 postseason hero David Freese broke out the lumber against the homer-prone Qualls, sending some kind of hanging turd deep into the left field seats. Zeets.
The Phillies would go on to win the game, 10-9.
1. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Boston Red Sox (at Citizens Bank Park) - May 20, 2012
Third inning, one out, runners on second and third. Red Sox leading 2-0.
Pitcher - Cliff Lee
Distance - 466 feet
When Cliff Lee grooves a pitch, he really grooves it, and therefore it's proper that the player with the longest name in MLB history hits the longest home run off the Phillies in 2012. Is it? I don't know.
Saltalamacchia's shot would bound into Ashburn Alley, and put the Red Sox up 5-0 in a game that was emblematic of Cliff Lee's late spring struggles with the long ball.
The Red Sox would go on to a 5-1 victory.