Brew Crew Blasts Bonus: Gift Home Runs

Brew Crew Blasts is a look at the ten longest home runs hit by Brewer batters during the 2012 season, as measured by Hit Tracker Online, and some other home run-related tidbits that caught my attention. This is the third week for the daily series, and here are the home runs we've already covered:

10) Carlos Gomez against the Nationals on July 26, 439 feet
9) Aramis Ramirez against the Royals on June 14, 440 feet
8) Rickie Weeks against the Padres on October 1, 441 feet
7) Carlos Gomez against the Diamondbacks on June 30, 442 feet
6) Rickie Weeks against the Nationals on July 29, 443 feet
5) Ryan Braun against the Rockies on April 21, 448 feet
4) Corey Hart against the Twins on May 20, 449 feet
3) Aramis Ramirez against the Mets on September 16, 458 feet
2) Ryan Braun against the Cubs on August 30, 460 feet
1) Rickie Weeks against the Cardinals on July 17, 462 feet

Not every home run is a tape measure shot, nor do they have to be. Hitting a ball six inches over the fence is worth just as much as hitting one 500 feet. Here are five Brewer home runs from 2012 that may have scraped the back of the wall on their way down:

5) Carlos Gomez off Manny Corpas of the Cubs on August 27 (Video)

The basket at Wrigley Field has long been a place where deep fly balls that would be doubles or outs in other parks become big flies. On this particular night Carlos Gomez dropped one in there in front of some sailors to expand a 5-4 Brewer lead to 6-4 in the eighth inning.

Hit Tracker says that ball traveled 404 feet, and would only have been a homer in three of baseball's 30 parks.

4) Rickie Weeks off Jordan Lyles of the Astros on August 1 (Video)

The Brewers tallied six runs in the fifth inning on this day to run out to a 9-2 lead against the Astros, and two of them scored on this Rickie Weeks line drive that cleared the fence in the gap in right center. Cesar Izturis also homered in the inning.

Hit Tracker says Weeks' ball went 392 feet, and would only have been a homer in three parks. Fortunately the Brewers were playing in one of those parks that day.

3) Aramis Ramirez off Wandy Rodriguez of the Pirates on September 20 (Video)

Just because a ball barely clears the fence doesn't mean it wasn't hit hard, of course. Take this Ramirez line drive, for example. If it had been hit a foot lower it would've been an easy double, but it was just high enough to bounce off the top of the PNC Park fence and go over.

Hit Tracker estimates that ball's distance at 408 feet, and says it would have been a home run in two major league parks.

2) Martin Maldonado off Juan Cruz of the Pirates on June 3 (Video)

Maldonado's first big league home run almost wasn't. His deep fly ball off Cruz narrowly avoided the glove of Pirates left fielder Gorkys Hernandez and fell into the Brewer bullpen to bring the Crew back within a run at 5-4.

Hit Tracker says that ball went 382 feet and would have cleared the fence in two parks.

1) Corey Hart off Anibal Sanchez of the Marlins on July 3

Finally, we have the one that broke the system.

Hit Tracker actually says this high fly ball off Hart's bat shouldn't have been a home run in any major league park, but somehow it reached the bullpen at Miller Park:

Hit Tracker says that ball went 393 feet but gained 25 extra feet due to the wind and eight more due to the temperature. I think it's possible Livan Hernandez lost a pound or two just running over to catch it.

For what it's worth, Hit Tracker says Hart led all Brewers with three "lucky" homers in 2012. No other Brewer had more than one.