Mike Schmidt’s 500-foot single

(Photo illustration)

The Philadelphia Phillies’ Mike Schmidt hits perhaps the longest single in major league history 50 years ago today as his would-be homer in Houston’s Astrodome smacks off a public address speaker hanging 117 feet above the field and 300 feet away from home plate.

Schmidt’s first-inning drive comes off left-hander Claude Osteen – a shot to straightaway center field that falls back into play after hitting the speaker and falling 50 feet in front of Astros outfielder Cesar Cedeno.

The ball is in play, according to the Astrodome’s ground rules, but Schmidt ends up only with a single.

Surely would have more than that, but teammates Dave Cash and Larry Bowa, who begin the game with a walk and single, manage to advance only one base on the play.

As is, Schmidt’s incredibly long single simply loads the bases.

No matter as the Phillies eventually win the game 12-0 before a Monday night crowd of 9,487 in the Dome.

Prior to Schmidt’s drive, no batter strikes a speaker in fair territory during the first nine-plus seasons after the Astrodome opens in 1965.

University of Houston mathematics department chairman and slide rule specialist Dr. Martin Wright reportedly estimates Schmidt’s blast would travel 500 feet if not for slamming into that speaker.

“There’s no doubt it would have been a home run,” Schmidt tells the United Press International after the game, “and I said to myself, ‘That damn speaker cost me a homer.’ If for some reason late in the season I’m one short (of the home run lead), I’ll think back about it.”

No worries as Schmidt ends the 1974 season leading the major leagues with 36 homers – marking the first of six times in his Hall of Fame career that Schmidt leads the majors in homers.