Today in Michigan History: Reggie Jackson hits the light tower in Detroit

"I think this would have to be the longest one I've ever hit."
-Reggie Jackson, 1971

Today in 1971, Reggie Jackson nearly turned out the lights at Tiger Stadium by BLASTING a homer off a Dock Ellis pitch during the Midsummer Classic.

Ernie Harwell said it was the hardest hit ball he'd ever seen. Al Kaline said, "It was the hardest hit ball I've ever seen in my life, here or anywhere else."

Do you know why this could only have happened during that era?

SIDEBURNS. IN DETROIT.

The ball hit the light tower in right field, where presumably, it exploded into tiny bits like a meteor re-entering the atmosphere.

"I think it would have gone 600 feet... He crushed it," said Frank Howard.