SABR

Home Run Derby: A Tale of Baseball and Hollywood

By Don Zminda

It was just the top of the first, and Willie Mays hit four home runs before Mickey Mantle could even step to the plate. Decades before it invaded the All- Star game, Home Run Derby sprouted in the fertile soil of Hollywood. Home Run Derby was filmed at L.A.’s Wrigley Field, former home of the Pacific Coast League Los Angeles Angels and soon to become the first-year home of the expansion L.A. Angels of the American League. But to fans unfamiliar with PCL baseball, the park was a mystery. . . .

This full article is available to all SABR members. Log in below, or learn more about joining SABR!

If you are already a member and need your password reset, please use the password reset form

Enter your primary e-mail address on file with SABR.
Enter your password.
Individual Memberships start at just $45/year

Become A Member Today

When you join SABR you are making a statement of support for baseball history. You are joining a worldwide community of people who love to read about, talk about and write about baseball.