Measuring homers in inches, not feet

Tommy McCraw never strikes out much during his career, always seeming to make contact wherever he plays during his 13 seasons in the American League.

Does not hit too many homers, though, totaling just 75 from 1963-75. In fact, McCraw homers in just 1.7 percent of his career at-bats.

And only once does he hit a homer as bizarre as what he hits 53 years ago today for the Washington Senators in the fourth inning of their 6-3 loss to Cleveland at RFK Stadium.

With Cleveland already leading 4-0, McCraw lifts a pitch from Steve Dunning into shallow left-center, 140 feet or so from home plate.

There is where Cleveland center fielder Vada Pinson, left fielder John Lowenstein and shortstop Jack Heidemann all pursue the ball – and where all three, never heeding the call from the others, fail to catch the ball, collide and collapse to the turf as McCraw circles the bases for what surely is one of the shortest homers outside of Little League.

After watching McCraw sprint around the bases, the Monday night crowd of 3,186 turns to check on the fallen trio of Pinson, Lowenstein and Heidemann, who each need help getting off the field before play could resume.

Pinson ends up needing nine stitches to close a cut on his chin that he suffers when Heidemann’s spikes clip him in the face during the collision.

Heidemann also injures a knee and shoulder when running into Lowenstein, who winds up with a concussion on the play.

McCraw’s next two at-bats are relatively uneventful as he flies out to Cleveland right fielder Roy Foster to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning before bouncing a pitch back to Dunning for Washington’s first out in the eighth.