The trick, when trying to figure out if a ball is going to leave the park, is to not watch the ball. You watch the ourfielders. If they keep ranging back the ball is still going back and you can tell when they’re about to set up to catch it. If they get to the fence before they do that, it’s gone.
Of course, sometimes that trick doesn’t work so well. Sometimes, the ball is murdered to dang hard that they don’t even bother moving. Like with this Joc Pederson home run in Colorado. Not that you needed to watch the outfielders after the swing he got on it.
Charlie Steiner said it went 450 feet “and then some.” Still waiting on an official measurement.
[mlbvideo id="141589583" width="600" height="336" /]
How far was it hit? The guy who caught still looked utterly shocked that he even got a ball long after he got it.
This dude didn’t think he’d catch a HR ball way up here … Then Joc happened. pic.twitter.com/SmohgRfgdI
— MLB (@MLB) June 2, 2015