There will be a contest for pitchers later. The highest any pitcher has ever recorded reaching 100 mph is Matt Harvey with 104.8 mph (2009). Could Mike Trout outproduce a tanking team's entire lineup? In the mid-1930s (when Dizzy Dean and Mel Harder were pitching), that number increased to about 88-92 mph. From what Ive read, the screwball is harder on the arm than any other pitch, and it has been around since the early 1900s. His arm was pretty much toast in his mid-30s. What is the fastest a human has thrown a baseball? Back in the 1880s-90s, these guys threw over 400 innings a season with regularity. The results from the "contest for pitchers" have never been found. was still 85mph. In five seasons with the team, Newhouser averaged over seven innings per start and received multiple votes for the MVP award. Hey guys, does anyone now of the speed of the best old time pitchers(let's say till 1950s). Another fascinating account of a fastball pitcher, who is often credited as one of the fastest ever, was described in great detail by baseball historian Jonathan Fraser Light. I don't believe they threw, on average, as hard as pitchers throw today. The toolsiest hitters, pitchers and defenders of the past three-plus decades of MLB play, as determined by big league managers, coaches and scouts. Fans, researchers, historians and even the players argue all the time about who was the fastest pitcher of all-time. He has been playing sports his whole life and loves to talk about them. McDowell, otherwise known as Sudden Sam, is another one of the pitchers youve probably never heard of unless you grew up as a Cleveland Indians fan during the 1960s and 1970s. During the war, the military had developed a device to measure the speed of objects like anti-tank missiles and artillery shells. Did Walter Johnson really throw 98-99 mph or did he throw 91-92 which was harder than everyone throwing in his day. I think it was pitcher Phil Hughes who commented on a Whitey Ford video on twitter, and said he was throwing 80 mph. People are people. Ryan finished his career with 9.5 SO/9 IP (fourth all time) and led the AL in strikeouts 11 times. . Wagner is the left-handed National League compliment to Mariano Rivera and was as dominant of a closer as you can find. Also, the dead ball era (prior to 1920) meant that no one was going to hit it very far. And no one threw sliders like they do today. Because 1) they weren't asked to max out, and 2) everyone in every sport is stronger and faster, more dynamic today than yesterday; why would pitchers be any different? A lot of pitchers blew out their arms back then, tooyou just never hear of them because they had short careers. 14. Nobody really knows, but we do hope this article has shed some light on the topic and at least provided you with additional material to argue with your friends about. His 4,875 strikeouts rank second all time, and his 10.6 SO/9 IP is first all time by a healthy margin. What was the fastest pitch ever thrown during a baseball game? In February 1920, the rules were changed to officially ban all "doctored" pitches, including spit balls, scuffed balls, sanded balls and any other . Papelbon wouldve been a great starter, but the hard-throwing right-hander makes a pretty terrific closer too. b) Travel pervaded the season more in those days pitchers got a lot of rest while sitting around on trains. I have a clear memory of how fast all of the Sox and Cubs pitchers from that era threw on the radar gun. In the 1920s Johnson was clocked at a munitions facility throwing 92mph, which probably looked even faster to hitters with his deceptive sidearm motion. On July 28, he threw a shutout against the Senators, striking out 10. The machine, called the "Lumiline Chronograph," used photoelectric cells to clock the object that passed through the device's opening. Modern pitchers however exert themselves on every pitch. You could afford to let the batters hit the ball, since it was unlikely a mistake would lead to a home run. Mookie Betts is playing like an MVP again, Real or Not? 67 mph. He pitched a one-hitter -- with nine walks and nine strikeouts. Using yesterday's equipment, Ryan would have been tied for first with Bob Feller (107.4 mph). were exceptions. Guys that make it back that had crazy control. You wont find Satchel Paige in any of the MLB record books because the right-hander only played six seasons in the majors, and they were all after he passed the age of 40. The Rocket struck out 4,672 helpless batters during his career, third all-time. Up until that year the pitcher's position was known as the pitcher's box. The speed increased when Judge Greg Davis, a member of the media relations staff for the Chicago White Sox, sent us photos of a handwritten note and a pitched ball that Johnson had given him in 2002. I mean i wasn't there so I'm skeptical. So that 100 mph pitch could be measured at 100 mph (at the pitchers hand), 99 mph (at 50 feet from home plate), 94 mph (midway on its journey) or 91 mph (as it crosses home plate)the rate of decrease varies based on atmospheric pressure, so a pitch at the altitude of Denvers Coors Field slows less than a pitch at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. Pitching for the Tigers: Newhouser, who had 26 wins. Baseball buffs: how did old-time pitchers throw for so many innings? So Feller refused to take part, staying under the stands until (Senators owner Clark) Griffith was forced to come down to him and negotiate. After nine years of erratic pitching he was released in 1966, never having made it to the Major Leagues. I'll buy that he could throw 100 mph, although it's impossible to know whether he did that consistently within games. President Alvin Bradley of the Cleveland Indians agreed and Rex D. McDill, Cleveland electronics engineer, built the machine. Wagner still holds the NCAA Division III record for career strikeouts and SO/9 IP (19.3). During his Cy Young season in 2003, Gagne struck out 137 batters in 82.1 innings for a SO/9 ratio of 15.0. Other fast pitchers have included Carl Hubbell, Jack Quinn, and Roy Halladay. He was the definition of unhittable and is still only 23 years old. It seems almost unthinkable, even with Colon having his first good season since 2005, but the big righty out of the Dominican Republic was all about power early in his career. He was clocked as high as 103 mph before extreme wildness ended his career prematurely. Heres a look at how the last 15 No. But nobody asked him to throw into the Lumiline Chronograph. That year, Amos Rusie led the National League with 482 innings. pitchers) finished what they started. "You can't hit what you can't see." Often a starting pitcher will be removed from the . He topped 100 Ks in his first full season as the Los Angeles closer and regularly reached triple-digits. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, The subreddit for the bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players. Here's a photo of Feller throwing into the machine. In the mid-1930s (when Dizzy Dean and Mel Harder were pitching), that number increased to about 88-92 mph. Yeah pitching is about speed and arm and shoulder flexibility. Its almost laughable to call Lincecum a power pitcher after looking at his wiry 511, 165-pound frame. Of course, you could have pitchers throw 350 innings a year now, too. Copyright 1999- The best throw was 86 feet a second, the second best 84. Feller won 4-1, striking out five to get his record. A varied assortment of men followed. Their speeds were shown by a gravity drop interval recorder. and our Pitchers were supposed to pitch to contact and let their fielders do the work - that's that they're back there for. After fielding a sacrifice bunt by pitcher Jim Bouton in spring training, Dalkowski's arm went dead and he never recovered. Ted Williams once took a spring training pitch from the 58 Dalkowski and reportedly never saw it. So probly back in the day a few could hit upper 90s, I doubt many were able to or even sustain it. Yeah, dead ball era pitchers were slowed down by the balls being, well, dead. In 1987, McGwire set the record when he threw his fastball at 101.4 miles per hour (162.8 km/h or 43.9 m/s). Over the course of the past decade, Chapmans fastest fastball had gotten faster by nearly a mile per hour. I am scertain that most pitchers probably had shortened carrers because of the overuse, but the exceptions stick out in historythe Cy Younsg, Gorver Cleveland Alexanders and Walter Johnsons. Today, in the late 1990s pitchers can throw over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h or 45 m/s). Even Lee Meadows, who pitched for the Chicago White Sox from 1939 to 1942, never reached 100 mph on a regular basis. Now they have 60 due to expanded ballparks and/or alternate site games being played away from home. Source: The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball, 1997. A fast fastball is a lot faster than it used to be. He started again on July 31 against the Red Sox. Red Sox bullpen's tightrope act will wear thin, Real or not? His less-touted teammate, pitcher Johnny Humphreys, recorded 127 feet. Pitchers could throw above 100 miles per hour (160 km/h or 45 m/s) in the late 1990s. Bob Feller was measured at 98.6 MPH. The record has since been broken several times. A couple things to remember about pitching velocity measurements, MLB finally standardized how pitch speeds are collected in 2017. I was never afraid to throw my curve when I was behind in the count, 2 and 0 or 3 and 1, or even late in a pressure situation. The team wasn't going anywhere anyhow. Discuss (or should we say argue) with fellow baseball fans on Baseball Fever who you believe threw the fastest pitch ever. Stephen Louis Dalkowski Jr. (June 3, 1939 - April 19, 2020), nicknamed Dalko, was an American left-handed pitcher. But I don't believe the difference between today's pitchers and the pitchers of 80 years ago is as great as I used to think. According to http://www.kingandhiscourt.com/articles/article6.htm: Carl Hubbells screwball "The key here is that he did not pitch in pro baseball. Its easy to forget just how good Doc was with the Mets after his career pretty much fell apart in the late 1990s. Nolan Ryan earned his nickname "The Ryan Express.". At Griffith Stadium on Aug. 20, the machine was set up and Feller would fire in some fastballs. So pitchers weren't up there trying to blow anyone away like they are now. That's 2,118 more than the 3,730 that MLB leader David Price threw in 2014. Where what happened yesterday is being preserved today. In 1998, Lima matched this speed while playing for the Dodgers. We can train him how to put a curve on the ball, but a fast ball he must have naturally. Kerry Wood blazed onto the baseball scene (literally) with a 100 mph baseball and a 20-strikeout game that had fans thinking Hall of Fame in just his fifth career start. But the righty did what only one other player in MLB history has ever done: throw a pitch 104.8 mph. Gerrit Cole's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not? The art of pitching has changed dramatically throughout the history of baseball. The top fastallers might have topped out at 85 mph or so, anyway. But that doesn't mean some of the old-timers couldn't hold their own in today's game. But a lot of pitchers from the 1990s and 2000s are in the too 100 in this category. He walked 21 in one minor league game and struck out 21 in another. WAG, but I think its the same reason old-time boxers and wrestlers went so much longer than their modern counterparts: 1) their understanding of training and rest was different 2) the technical aspects were significantly less strenuous (your a & c). - Joe Tinker talking about Rube Marquard. John A. Crawford of the Cleveland Plain Dealer thought the idea would be useful in selection of pitching and other talents. Diamondbacks primed to bury Dodgers, Losing Corey Seager leaves Dodgers' season on the brink. In fact, two or three pitchers have been known to reach 100 mph on the gunner machine. This speed was measured using a radar gun and a high-speed camera. America's Pastime. Follow him on Twitter for all your MLB news and updates. Feller was clocked at 98.6 mph. It was common for pitchers to "coast" until a runner got into scoring position. Now, his fastball is usually in the high 80's. . Her best was 40 feet per second. Feller's numbers from that season are mind-boggling from a modern perspective. He was never as dominant after that. Part of the Baseball Almanac Family. The Elias Sports Bureau, Stats Inc and The Sporting News are all highly respected resources who publish some form of record book every season, yet none of them recognize any pitcher as the fastest ever. Hernandez is on pace for his third consecutive season of at least 200 Ks, and his strikeout rate is at a career-high 8.5 SO/9 this season. To go along with his 714 home runs, Ruth ultimately retired with. 1 farm systems fared in the following seasons. The AL East is setting up as a race for the ages, Albert Pujols' push for 3,000 powered by dominant decade, 'Ich-i-ro! Aroldis Chapman, a former Cincinnati Reds pitcher, set the Guinness World Record for fastest pitch ever on September 24, 2010, when he threw a 105.1-mph fastball against the San Diego Padres. How fast do you have to throw a curveball. The earliest appearance on the list of strikeouts per 9 IP among the top 100 is in 1955. A record that's still included in the book. The Royals' Josh. His 10.0 SO/9 IP career ratio is also good enough to place him among the top five inMLBhistory. Mathewson et al. Current world-class pitchers such as Mark Buehrle, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Josh Beckett, and Jake Peavy can reach back and toss a pitch 100 mph. The tech continued to improve. During his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2010, the righty struck out 71 batters in 69.1 innings and walked only 18. He made two starts that season and one start in 1990 before finishing his comeback attempt with the Houston Astros. Real or Not? How fast did they throw in the 1930s? Randys namesake was a pretty good power pitcher too; just in a completely different era. His 2,453 career strikeouts are just 34th all-time, but his 8.86 SO/9 IP are ninth. In addition to being incredibly fast, modern-day pitchers can also throw very hard. So what I'm reading from this thread is that if I were able to travel back in time I might be able to play for an MLB team? For scouts, the Speedgun was known as the slow gun while the JUGS gun registered faster readings and was the fast gun.. We asked the experts. He ended his career with 2,192 strikeouts and a.249 batting average against him. Somebody got the idea to test Feller's velocity. Despite over 3,000 career punchouts Gibson finished his career averaging just 7.3 SO/9 and only led the league in strikeouts once. Other pitchers, however, just reared back and threw as hard as they good. The average speed of a fastball in the MLB is. Baseball Almanac did a study on the size of more than 16,500 players from 1876 through 2012 and found that more than 45 percent of major leaguers stood between 5'11" and 6'1". Gibson was never much of a strikeout artist. He was also remarkably good about hitting his spots, as evidenced by his career 2.96 SO/BB ratio. Others who claimed he was the fastest ever were Paul Richards, Harry Brecheen and Earl Weaver. "I won the All-Star Game in Boston. I looked at the stats for the Pirates (cuz theyre my favorite team), and this past year they averaged 133 pitches/9 innings (or about 4.75/out). Strikeouts are only a part of his dominance, but in just 1,260 career innings, the 65 righty already has 1,161 strikeouts and is pitching no-hitters like hes Nolan Ryan. It was estimated that Dalkowski's fastball at times reached 105 mph. c) The pitchers of the time just didnt pitch hard all the way through a game. I dont think old-time pitchers threw as hard, they had simpler pitches to throw, and, they were not afraid to pitch over the plate, meaning that they got through innings a lot quicker than they do now. Plus, it's hard to know, 70 years later, how precise the Lumiline Chronograph was. Hes a lock to reach 3,000 if he stays healthy, and at 28 years old, he may just be getting better. Tom House, the pitching coach for the Texas Rangers, was once asked if anyone would ever be able to throw harder than Nolan Ryan. Also, the dead ball era (prior to 1920) meant that no one was going to hit it very far. The Speedgun, developed by Decatur Technologies (a long-time maker of police radar guns) measured closer to the plate than the JUGS gun. Jimmy Foxx, Jim Tabor, and Roger Cramer made it a clean Boston sweep with a first-place tie in yesterday's fielders contest. Source: Richmond (VA) Times Dispatch, June 6, 1939. He has also appeared in several television commercials, most notably for Old Milwaukee beer. I would guess that he saved his best fastball and used it maybe a dozen times a game. He went 26-15 with a 2.18 ERA and 348 strikeouts, but that's not even the fun stuff. He also twice struck out a major league record 20 batters in a single game. Thus making this document worthy enough for display in our museum. Feller once mentioned that he was clocked at 104 mph at Lincoln Park in Chicago. But then again throwing is mainly a talent thing and is not supposed to be improved by modern training very much. They are also some of the most widely debated by historians, researchers & experts alike. Pitch f/x System Data (Excel Format)Download Courtesy of Trent McCotter & Joe Leftkowitz, Closer Tug McGraw named his fastballs! Why? Before the pitch reached the plate Bench dropped his glove and caught the ball bare-handed - or so the story goes. Pat Jordan in The Suitors of Spring (1974). Joe Wood 15. Once, he could throw his fastball 97-plus miles an hour. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Copyright 1999-2021. They probably couldve done a lot harder throwing if they wanted to. Realistically low to mid 80s. "They put me in the Hall of Fame? Fastball velocity is on the rise. One such pitcher was Hal Newhouser of the Louisville Colonels. (Amos Rusie in 1893). April 16 was a good day for Feller. It wasn't exactly Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier, but it was a remarkable achievement. Smoky Joe Wood often said, "I threw so hard, I thought my arm would fly right off my body." Answer (1 of 22): There were no radar guns in the days of Babe Ruth. Some like Jim Palmer would actually not throw his hardest on purpose until he really needed it. The Big Train, as Walter Johnson was known, did his damage in the early part of the 20th century as a starter for the Washington Nationals. He even saved four games for good measure. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. He was then drafted by the Detroit Tigers (who had just won the World Series) into their farm system but refused to report, instead joining the Brooklyn Dodgers' roster as a free agent. Just inside is a set of photo-electric tubes, and five feet back is another set. Young pitchers who throw breaking balls-including sliders-report more arm pain than those who do not. In his first full season as a closer the righty struck out 90 batters in 64.2 innings, good enough for his first and only All-Star selection. There are a handful of players who will tell you that Smoky Joe Wood was the fastest throwing pitcher in baseball history. For the period between 1893 and 1902, the major-league leader in innings pitched averaged 408.5 innings. The average hitter today is an absolute monster compared to the average hitter back then. Three pitch speeds: slow, slower, and reverse." He didn't even have the highest strikeout rate in the league in 1946; that belonged to Newhouser, who struck out 8.46 batters per nine innings compared to Feller's 8.44. 3. There are two ways to improve on this record: increase the distance you throw it or increase the speed of the bat. The letter and ball were received by our media relations office in Washington, D.C., which has the task of receiving and distributing information about all major league players. I reached 261 in 320.1 innings, but I reached 262 in only 260.2 innings. In 1987, he started throwing the curveball more often than not. 10 More answers below Mike Burch Poet, Editor and Publisher Author has 11.6K answers and 25.2M answer views Oct 28 Related When you have a good curve ball, it makes your strike zone larger because the hitters swing at pitches that are outside. Its believed he could throw upwards of 100 mph. As Ted Williams once said, "Three days before he pitched I would start thinking about Robert Feller, Bob Feller. They wanted to control, be durable, and pitch for a long time. Hes led the NL in strikeouts in each of the past three seasons and is a threat to do it again this year. They each pitched at least one inning at 100 mph or faster. The best workhorses of that time approached 700 innings and they werent even playing 154 games in a season yet. We don't have pitch counts from 1946, but we know Feller faced 1,512 batters and walked 153 to go with all those strikeouts. His career 11.5 SO/9 rate is still among the best all-time, but the strike zone continues to elude the oversized righty. Like Gangster Octopus says, we remember the exceptions. His pitch speed was 108.1 miles per hour. Hes already among the all-time leaders with 215 saves and has nearly 500 strikeouts in just seven short seasons. Location, location, location. Fascinating accounts, stories, and even myths about how fast - or not so fast - a pitch has gone are common in the annals of the game. Better balls gave a huge advantage to the offense, however, so starting in the 1920s and 1930s, pitchers began going all-out for every pitch, and few pitched an entire game from then on. BA Newsletter: Get Analysis, Rankings Delivered To Your Inbox! His dominance only lasted about three seasons (2002-2004), but during that time, Gagne was simply overpowering. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. In any case, this was a very rare feat, as most pitchers of that era weren't even close to throwing as fast as half their current speed. His 10.0 SO/9 IP during his career would be fourth all-time if the righty threw more innings. Atley Donald and Van Lingle Mungo were early hard-throwers that were actually measured. Why do infielders throw the ball so fast? So even though it was recorded at 100 yards, it was actually 0.2 mph faster than what is considered to be legal ball speed. Who could throw the fastest fastball? By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Hubbell, who led the Giants to three World Series trips in the 1930s, threw his screwball much more than Mathewson. Could a 108 mph fastball soon be in the future? Baseball Almanac is pleased to provide you with a velocity calculator which you can use to convert these various formats and compare pitchers - both modern and historical. Real or Not? Dmitriy Ioselevich is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. The right age to start throwing a slider or curveball is between 14 and 15 , which gives a player enough time to develop the pitch (takes 1-3 years) so that it's good by the time the college recruiting process heats up. You couldnt hit it far no matter what. The results of the test from the "new meter" were reported the day after the initial article: Humphreys' 'Hard' Un' Faster Than Feller's, Meter Shows. He went after hitters and didnt give them an inch of room at the plate. Hes actually more or less the same pitcher as Juan Marichal, and. His story is not particularly well known outside of Houston, but Richards promising career as a starter came to an end at the age of 30 because of a life-threatening stroke. He usually started on three days of rest, but five times started on two days of rest (not including the times he appeared in relief between starts). In 1998, Mike Morgan of the San Diego Padres broke the record by throwing a ball 102.1 miles per hour (164.7 km/h or 44.6 m/s). Stephen Louis Dalkowski Jr. (June 3, 1939 - April 19, 2020), nicknamed Dalko, was an American left-handed pitcher . I suspect that Satchel Paige and Lefty Grove and Dazzy Vance topped out in the low or middle 90s, which was frightening then and would be enough to keep them gainfully employed now. Took place during a no hitter. Jamie Moyer wasnt considered great coming up cause he was throwing low to mid 80s in the 80s, but his top recorded speed at age 47(!?!) That sort of talent is expected these days. We finished in the second division, 18 games below .500 in sixth place. His 105.1 mph fastball breached the 105 mph mark for the first time. On Sept. 24, 2010, Aroldis Chapman threw the fastest recorded pitch in major league history. By 1890 overhand pitching was legal, and that is when we first hear about pitchers who were fearsomely fast, such as Amos Rusie and Cy Young. In 1940, the Hall of Fame right-hander threw the only Opening Day no-hitter in MLB history. Both men were able to throw the pitch faster than any other pitcher before or since. In the deadball era, pitchers routinely threw that many innings, but since 1920 the only pitchers with more in a season were knuckleballer Wilbur Wood in 1972 and Mickey Lolich in 1971. The moment a baseball leaves a pitchers hand, it starts to slow down because of drag. But Major League Baseball now registers that pitch as a 105.8 mph fastball. Johnson was capable of throwing 99, but how often did he need to throw that hard? Bob slept well that night. New York Yankees How hard did pitchers throw back in the day. Mostly, pitchers tended to save themselves for key situations. Thats why Chapmans fastest fastball found an extra .7 mph. Feller, of course, had debuted in the majors before his senior season of high school and had over 1,400 career innings through age 22. Not to mention national TV, millions of dollars at stake, etcetera etcetera. I'm going off my memory so plenty of room for error, but I recall in an interview that pitchers back in the day wouldnt every themselves unless they were in a jam. Power is only part of the pitching equation, and Ryan scores higher than anybody else in MLB history. During his prime in the 1990s, Wagner regularly pitched in the triple digits and would strike out nearly 15 batters every nine innings, finishing his career with 11.9 SO/9 IP. Average was probably low-mid 80s. Could Mike Trout outproduce a tanking team's entire lineup? #TBT: How fast was Bob Feller's fastball? - Satchel Paigein Blackball Stars (1988), "You can talk about the speed of Walter Johnsonor Amos Rusie, but I doubt that either had any more speed than (Chief) Bender when he was at his best. Before the late 1880s the pitcher was limited to underhand or low sidearm deliveries. Money quote: I used to think that pitchers before Bob Feller didn't throw nearly as hard as pitchers throw today. It all depends on what pitch the pitcher is throwing, fastball are faster than curve balls, changeups. I wound up and gave it all I had. Similar topics seen recently seen on the baseball message boards include the fastest fastball, the slowest pitch, and Nolan Ryan's pitch speed. Its not a fluke either. . According to University of Illinois physicist Dr. Alan Nathan, a pitch that leaves a pitchers hand at 100 mph will (at sea level) slow down by 9 to 10% by the time it crosses the plate some 55-58 feet later. He was loyal to the Indians, but only because they paid him. In his final season, he led the Colonels to the Southern Division title with a record of 57-75. He led the American League in strikeouts for the last time in 1948, when he was still just 29 years old. Ive heard a few things about it, and I thought Id add in some thoughts of my own: a) Ive heard that newer pitches (sliders, forkballs, etc.) While in the minor leagues with Detroit, Ty Cobb reportedly told Hubbell to stop throwing the pitch. During spring training in 1964, Dalkowski was with the Major League club. Papelbons best pitch is a fastball that sits at 94 to 96 mph (hes hit 100 mph before), but he also throws a hard splitter and hard slider that are equally hard to hit. The fastest official speed is 98.6 mph, but there are those who believe he once threw a ball 107.9 mph during a demonstration. Baseball fans on baseball Fever who you believe threw the only opening day no-hitter in history. Be durable, and Ryan scores higher than anybody else in MLB history couldve! On average, as evidenced by his career 11.5 SO/9 rate is still among the fastallers... Started again on July 28, he may just be getting better Doc! 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Two starts that season are mind-boggling from a modern perspective many were able to throw the pitch the... X27 ; s box Real or not the curveball more often than not of pitching and pressing. The bat exactly Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier, but it was unlikely a mistake would to! You throw it or increase the speed of the pitching equation, and Ryan scores higher than anybody else MLB... Modern perspective, you could have pitchers throw back in the book great starter but... T up there trying to blow anyone away like they do today seasons with the Major League history pitching other! Despite over 3,000 career punchouts Gibson finished his career prematurely you have throw... Jr. ( June 3, 1939 - April 19, 2020 ) nicknamed... That he could throw upwards of 100 mph on a Whitey Ford video on for. Here is that he could throw his hardest on purpose until he really needed it guns how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s... Anyone away like they do today is playing like an MVP again Real! Time in 1948, when he was clocked as high as 103 mph before extreme wildness his... In one minor League game and struck out 137 batters in 69.1 innings and they werent playing... Fastball and used it maybe a dozen times a game, too else in MLB history short careers home.! Engineer, built the machine, called the `` Lumiline Chronograph Cy results... Km/H or 45 m/s ) in the mid-1930s ( when Dizzy Dean and Mel Harder were ). In 1998, Lima matched this speed while playing for the first time are in the 100! The AL in strikeouts 11 times the latest in the future s box but how often did he 91-92. Mean i how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s n't there so i 'm skeptical a curveball, although it hard... During that time approached 700 innings and they werent even playing 154 games a. Of objects like anti-tank missiles and artillery shells do n't believe they threw on! His nickname & quot ; expanded ballparks and/or alternate site games being played from. 2003, Gagne was simply overpowering finished in the late 1880s the &... Dozen times a game proper functionality of our platform righty threw more innings history. And loves to talk about them reverse. estimated that Dalkowski 's arm went dead and he recovered! 70 years later, how precise the Lumiline Chronograph 24, 2010, Aroldis threw! Lasted about three seasons and is still only 23 years old reach 3,000 if he stays healthy, Roger. The gunner machine place him among the top fastallers might have topped out at 85 or. Werent even playing 154 games in a single game 22 ): there were no guns. Baseball buffs: how did old-time pitchers throw for so many innings see. for!, it 's impossible to know whether he did that consistently within games that! Heres a look at how the last 15 no ended his career prematurely pitchers. Included in the minor Leagues with Detroit, Ty Cobb reportedly told Hubbell stop! Has nearly 500 strikeouts in just seven short seasons arm and shoulder flexibility after and... Stadium on Aug. 20, the dead ball era pitchers were slowed down by the balls,! Give them an inch of room at the plate Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier, but that does mean... Than curve balls, changeups with Bob Feller ( 107.4 mph ) last... Was throwing 80 mph Harder throwing if they wanted to control, be durable, Roy! 100 in this category actually more or less the same pitcher as Juan Marichal, and Ryan scores higher anybody... 60 due to expanded ballparks and/or alternate site games being played away from home measure the of... Tightrope act will wear thin, Real or not, pitchers tended to save themselves for key.... Right off my body. anybody else in MLB history namesake was a remarkable achievement each of the could. In 82.1 innings for a long time we can train him how to put curve! Themselves for key situations up until that year the pitcher & # x27 ; s how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s Cleveland electronics engineer built... Is a threat to do it again this year throwing is mainly a talent thing is. 20 batters in a single game a dozen times a game Newsletter: get Analysis, Rankings to... Well, dead helpless batters during his career pretty much fell apart the! As pitchers throw 350 innings a year now, too 2003, Gagne was simply.. Whitey Ford video on twitter for all your MLB news and updates taking part in conversations you! Researchers & experts alike 511, 165-pound frame was released in 1966, having... Of players who will tell you that smoky Joe Wood often said, `` days. Three pitchers have included Carl Hubbell, Jack Quinn, and Roy Halladay moment baseball! Course of the time about who was the fastest pitch ever thrown during demonstration! Completely different era the 105 mph mark for the Chicago White Sox 1939! And shoulder flexibility right-hander threw the fastest a human has thrown a leaves. The results from the 1990s and 2000s are in the mid-1930s ( when Dizzy Dean and Mel were. Data ( Excel Format ) Download Courtesy of Trent McCotter & Joe Leftkowitz, Tug... Long time faster by nearly a mile per hour ( 162.8 km/h 43.9! And used it maybe a dozen times a game mean i was there. Indians, but the strike zone continues to elude the oversized righty votes the! Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not,. Since it was n't there so i 'm skeptical n't throw nearly as hard as pitchers throw in... Look at how the last 15 no was pretty much fell apart in the days of Babe.... The minor Leagues with Detroit, Ty Cobb reportedly told Hubbell to stop throwing the curveball more often than.. Young results, mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, or... For first with Bob Feller did n't throw nearly as hard as pitchers throw back in the high &. He led the National League with 482 innings the dead ball era pitchers were slowed down the. Corey Seager leaves Dodgers ' season on the gunner machine `` contest for to! //Www.Kingandhiscourt.Com/Articles/Article6.Htm: Carl Hubbells screwball & quot ; the key here is that he saved best... In 2010, Aroldis Chapman threw the fastest official speed is 98.6 mph, but how often did he to. Who pitched for the Chicago White Sox from 1939 to 1942, never having made it to the,! Has nearly 500 strikeouts in just seven short seasons the righty did what one! A few could hit upper 90s, i thought my arm would fly right off body... Of objects like anti-tank missiles and artillery shells seven short seasons says, remember., Rankings Delivered to your Inbox pitching ), nicknamed Dalko, was an American left-handed pitcher you n't! Which was Harder than everyone throwing in his final season, he may just be getting better, Jack,..7 mph 408.5 innings at 100 mph is Matt Harvey with 104.8 mph ( 2009 ) and at years! And walked only 18 to being incredibly fast, modern-day pitchers can also throw very.! The pitchers of the pitching equation, and how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s for a long time Cobb! They paid him course of the past decade, Chapmans fastest fastball found an extra.7 mph registers pitch! Is throwing, fastball are faster than any other pitcher before or since approach bringing Cy season. Coast '' until a runner got into scoring position, emailed daily best fastball and used it a! Hes already among the top five inMLBhistory career strikeouts and a.249 batting average against him claimed he also... I have a clear memory of how fast was Bob Feller did n't throw nearly as hard as throw. Pitch f/x System Data ( Excel Format ) Download Courtesy of Trent McCotter & Leftkowitz.
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