Top 5 Blue Jays’ Home Runs of 2007

Blue Jay Way ran a piece last week on the best home runs in the history of the franchise, and I’ve been wanting to put HitTracker to some good use lately. So grab a beer, sit back, and relive the biggest blasts (click the headers for video) off Blue Jays’ bats last year - not that there was much to choose from…

5. Frank Thomas, June 17th (#496) — 441 feet

Not only was this a huge blast from the Big Hurt, it was a turning point for his season. Coming off a dreadful May and with no home runs to this point in June, Thomas unloaded on a first pitch fastball. Most of his hard hit balls had been coming on pitches left down and in, but even though this pitch was away from him, he extended his arms and finally looked like his old self. Over the next 15 games, Frank hit 6 home runs and had 19 RBI.

It wasn’t his most impressive home run, though. That was his 499th, a moonshot to left field. Of course, nobody noticed because Dustin McGowan was throwing a no-hitter at the time…

4. Alex Rios, May 15th – 443 feet

Rios lead off a game that would be remembered for Jesse Litsch’ brillant 1-run debut with a solo shot into the second deck. Note Buck Martinez reminding us why he is better off in the booth with the comment that the Blue Jays “have found their leadoff man”. Because of course every team needs a leadoff man that crushes pitches 450 feet into the second deck.

Another impressive knock by Rios came against against Tampa towards the end of the year. Sure this wasn’t a great pitch or anywhere near where the catcher asked for it (check out him hanging his head in disgust), but it was over Rios’ head and he somehow managed to turn on it.

3. Lyle Overbay, August 29th — 446 feet.

I’m going to guess that Huston Street didn’t have his best stuff on this night. Overbay hadn’t hit a home run in over two months since returning from the DL (although he did follow it up with his last of the season the next night), and after this pitch on a tee (see: my article on why you should never, ever, throw a fastball down and in), Street blew the save by giving up another jack to Matt Stairs.

Some more stellar announcing, as well - Rance gives Street grief for “giving in” to Stairs when the 1-2 pitch he hit almost bounced. If a batter can go 406 feet the other way off that sinking garbage, tip your cap and move on…

2. Adam Lind, April 28 — 453 feet.

Welcome to the big leagues, kid! Two weeks after being called up, Adam Lind was hitting .288 and had hit 3 home runs in the last 4 games. This was the second of those home runs off a hanging breaking ball. The cameraman loses track of the ball, but you can see some guy catch it in the second deck in right-centre field. A sign of things to come! (In a year…maybe two…)

1. Vernon Wells, July 6th — 465 feet

His season may have been a total disaster, but even with a torn Labrum Vernon Wells can still turn on a 81-mph changeup that could not have been placed more perfectly down the middle by Cliff Lee, who had neither control or stuff on this day. This homer was part of the only week that Vernon looked really good all year- which happened to coincide with Vernon being placed in the leadoff spot for the first time and lead to many an claim that Gibbons was an idiot for not leaving him there. Darrin Fletcher saying goodbye to the ball at almost the same time as the crack of the bat makes this lined shot a classic.