The Oakland A’s slugger drives a fly ball into the roof of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, where it gets lodged in an opening and never returns to Earth
On May 4, 1984, Dave Kingman hit a ball that got stuck in the roof of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. It got lodged in a drainage chute in the Teflon roof and never came down.
It was a moment that perfectly captured the essence of Kingman’s career—towering power that sometimes seemed to defy logic, or even gravity itself. Known as one of the game’s most feared sluggers, Kingman made a living by swinging for the fences, and when he connected, the results were often jaw-dropping. But that approach came with a cost. He was the definition of an “all-or-nothing” hitter, piling up home runs while also striking out at a rate that stood out even in an era less accustomed to it.
The Metrodome blast became part of baseball folklore, a reminder that Kingman’s power wasn’t just about distance—it was about spectacle. Even when the ball didn’t land, he still found a way to leave a lasting mark.
