Dale County AlArchives News....."Shovel" Hodge Hits longest Home Run September 12 1949 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Christine Thacker CGT714@AOL.com February 2, 2005, 3:33 pm The Southern Star Southern Star Wednesday October 13, 2004 page 4B 55 Years Ago, Oct. 13, 1949... "Shovel" Hodge Hit Longest Home Run in History of Nashville Ball Park Red O'Donnell, writing in The Nashville Tennessean, relates the story of the "longest home run in the history of Nashville's ball part." O'Donnell writes a weekly feature story in The Nashville Tennessean entitled "Your Biggest Thrill." A current issue carries the story from George H. Clark, veteran Nashville baseball fan, who says: "Shovel" Hodge hit the longest home run ever hit." Here's O'Donnell's story about "Shovel" Hodge: "During the 1949 baseball season quite a number of long home runs were hit in Sulphur Dell, but I doubt that any two of them would equal the display put on by old "Shovel" Hodge back in 1919. Shovel's real name was Clarence but he gained the nickname because of his tremendous height and breadth (he weighed 250 pounds) and his general resemblance to a steam shovel. He was, in truth, a veritable steam shovel both on the mound and at the bat. In these days Sulphur Dell was laid out differently from the way it is now. There was a small right-field bleachers and steep dump. Home plate was in the northeast corner of the field, where centerfield is today, and the scoreboard was at the left near the Negro bleachers. Then, as now, the Birmingham Barons constituted a sort of jinx to the Nashville Vols, and Hodge's activity on that warm afternoon not only was my greatest sports thrill but probably gladdened the heart of every other Vol follower who was present. Hodge's mighty swat didn't win the game for the Vols but it did start a whole series of arguments and discussions as to the longest hit ever made in the historic North Nashville ball Park. It was a mid-season game and Birmingham was leading by a score of 8 to 3. Hodge, who later was sold to the Chicago White Sox and even later became an umpire in the Southern League, had been sent in as relief pitcher. His pitching had been acceptable but of course at that late point in the game it was obvious that nothing could save the Vols, who were taking an awful beating from the fans in the form of boos and open sneers. The booing made Hodge angry, apparently, and his long hit was not so much an effort for the Vols, perhaps, as it was a demonstration of his anger and disgust. It was the last half of the ninth inning when he came to the bat. Hodge was a good batsman so there was no necessity for the use of a pinch hitter as is usually the case when a pitcher comes to bat in the clutch. The fans still were ragging him when he came to the plate and began moving the bat. His face was flushed and the hump in his shoulders indicated that Hodge was about to go into his steam shovel act. The taunting that he had received from the Birmingham players as well as from the fans had shoved him into a vicious mood. He moved up to the plate and the first pitch came squarely through the middle. Hodge swung at it viciously, as though his entire existence depended upon hitting that fast-traveling, leather-covered sphere around which all the baseball world revolves. He connected. The ball headed towards the pitcher's box, rising slowly but traveling at phenomenal speed. It cleared the pitcher, soared over the infield, and kept going until it was a mere dot in the sky. So far as I am concerned, it was the longest home run ever hit" This interesting recital of one of the feats of Shovel Hodge during his colorful career as a big leaguer will be read with interest by Star readers. Clarence is a Dale County boy who made good in the major leagues. A citizen of Newton, he still maintains his interest in baseball. For the past two seasons he has been head umpire in the Alabama State League. Section I row 1 Newton Cem. Hodge, Verna Louis b. 2/18/1917 d. June 4, 1995 " , Clarence C. July 6, 1893 d. 12/31, 1967 " , Ora S. b. 2/17/1894 d. 2/25/1969. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/dale/newspapers/gnw284shovelho.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 4.6 Kb