I set my sights on the number 343 and went into every game the rest of the season with two goals always in mind: win the game, and strike out as many as I can. Source: Richmond (VA) Times Dispatch, June 6, 1939. Pitchers dont usually return from Tommy John surgery with the same velocity, so we may never see the flame-throwing Strasburg ever again. He was sometimes called the fastest pitcher in baseball history and had a fastball that probably exceeded 100 mph (160 km/h). Just inside is a set of photo-electric tubes, and five feet back is another set. Part of the Baseball Almanac Family. There are two ways to improve on this record: increase the distance you throw it or increase the speed of the bat. Ich-i-ro!' Feliz is only in his second full season of pro ball, but already hes earned a reputation as a phenomenal power pitcher. Except nobody told Feller about the plan. "The key here is that he did not pitch in pro baseball. Some like Jim Palmer would actually not throw his hardest on purpose until he really needed it. Who was the first pitcher to throw 100 mph? Pitch counts are especially a concern for young pitchers, pitchers recovering from injury, or pitchers who have a history of injuries. I think some of these things are a bit overblown. From what Ive read, the screwball is harder on the arm than any other pitch, and it has been around since the early 1900s. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. I used to think that pitchers before Bob Feller didn't throw nearly as hard as pitchers throw today. Mostly, pitchers tended to save themselves for key situations. On July 28, he threw a shutout against the Senators, striking out 10. A lot of pitchers blew out their arms back then, tooyou just never hear of them because they had short careers. Answer (1 of 22): There were no radar guns in the days of Babe Ruth. 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. pitchers) finished what they started. 10 More answers below Mike Burch Poet, Editor and Publisher Author has 11.6K answers and 25.2M answer views Oct 28 Related (Note Radbourns 441 Ks in 1884). God I loved it. He also claimed he was clocked at 107.9 mph in a demonstration in 1946 at Griffith Stadium. Bench continuously called for breaking balls and Maloney continuously shook him off. The tech continued to improve. He has also appeared in several television commercials, most notably for Old Milwaukee beer. Pitchers were not included in yesterday's test but "unofficially," Bob Feller of Cleveland threw three balls into the meter from a distance of 20 feet. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less. 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. So who is the fastest pitcher in baseball? Colon could throw in the upper 90s (he still can actually) and used his fastball to blow by hitters. The Fastest Pitcher in Baseball by Baseball Almanac 2003-2007. Wohlers was a failed starter who came out of seemingly nowhere to be a lockdown closer for the Braves in the mid 1990s. 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. The next year, Andy Pettitte of the New York Yankees broke this record again with a ball that traveled at 103.3 miles per hour (167.4 km/h or 45.5 m/s). 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. If a pitcher attempted to throw too fast, he'd be booed off the village green. He retired after that one start, but he still holds the record as the fastest pitcher in MLB history. Real or Not? Early comments about fastball pitchers can be found in many old newspapers and offer some interesting insight into who was considered fastest during this early era: "He (Lefty Grove) was the fastest pitcher who ever lived." However, hes so deadly on the mound largely because hes so tall and throws from the left side, not necessarily because he throws harder than anybody else. During his eight-year retirement, Ryan worked as a baseball analyst for NBC Sports and as a consultant for the Texas Rangers. However i will not outright disagree. Who could throw the fastest fastball? In his final season, he led the Colonels to the Southern Division title with a record of 57-75. It was estimated that Dalkowski's fastball at times reached 105 mph. Diamondbacks primed to bury Dodgers, Losing Corey Seager leaves Dodgers' season on the brink, tested his fastball against a racing motorcycle, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Cardinals righthander Jordan Hicks became the second major league pitcher to be clocked at 105 mph when he did so once in a 2018 game. Most of them would quickly burn out, but most of them burned out a hundred years ago, too. In any event, I think that it is a combination of all these factors. So how was pitching different back then? He didnt and ended up winning 254 games. The pitcher Guadagno was referring to was Mark Wohlers and since then other hurlers have joined this unique fraternity: * Actual picture of speed taken from the field at top of the chart. For more information, please see our They wanted to control, be durable, and pitch for a long time. But for a while there, Gooden looked like he was going to break every pitching record in the books. Here's a photo of Feller throwing into the machine. Source: The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball, 1997. After having it their way for the first two decades of the 20th Century, pitchers entered a dark age in which they were no longer allowed to use a ball that was dead, scuffed and (with few exceptions) wet. He never finished outside of the top nine in strikeouts every year between 1969 and 1984. Now they have 60 due to expanded ballparks and/or alternate site games being played away from home. Using a basic pitch count estimator, we guess that Feller threw 5,848 pitches that year. Dalkowski was clocked at only 93.5, but a few mitigating factors existed: 1) Dalkowski had pitched in a game the day before, so he could be expected to throw 5-10 mph slower than usual; 2) there was no mound to pitch from, which Feller had enjoyed, and this would drop his velocity by 5-8 mph; 3) he had to pitch for 40 minutes before the machine could measure his speed, and he was exhausted by the time there was a reading. Atley Donald and Van Lingle Mungo were early hard-throwers that were actually measured. 3. Its hard to disagree considering that the righty piled up 2,581 strikeouts (26th all-time) during his career and led the AL in Ks seven times from 1938-1948. The best throw was 86 feet a second, the second best 84. Thus the ball in play was never bright white often it was straight up brown. Johnson was capable of throwing 99, but how often did he need to throw that hard? Williams swore he never saw the ball and claimed that Dalkowski probably was the fastest pitcher who ever lived. Its easy to forget just how good Doc was with the Mets after his career pretty much fell apart in the late 1990s. 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. They probably couldve done a lot harder throwing if they wanted to. Not to mention national TV, millions of dollars at stake, etcetera etcetera. Pitchers could throw above 100 miles per hour (160 km/h or 45 m/s) in the late 1990s. If he harnesses all his pitches and learns to throw strikes consistently, theres no reason he cant one day pass the next guy on this list in career strikeouts. Three pitch speeds: slow, slower, and reverse." But what made Clemens great wasnt his statistical achievements, but rather his approach to the game. The new meter, which gives an immediate reading which engineers said compared with standard laboratory meter accuracy, is built in a trailer. Real or Not? Nobody else in the league can do that." Its not a fluke either. He finished with 4,196 in his career, good for fourth all-time and second among left-handers. Jimmy Foxx, Jim Tabor, and Roger Cramer made it a clean Boston sweep with a first-place tie in yesterday's fielders contest. One such account allegedly took place during a Spring Training game in 1968. The results from the "contest for pitchers" have never been found. Nolan Ryan holds record for fastest pitch. An 85 mph fastball (if registered by a Speedgun at the plate) would be roughly 93 mph if measured by Statcast out of the pitchers hand. I have serious doubts about the 107 mph estimate. He probably had the second-best fastball of that era. You put your best pitchers in the starting rotation. The top fastallers might have topped out at 85 mph or so, anyway. Why? He pitched 79 innings that month and started seven of Cleveland's final 17 games. For the Mets in 1985, Sidd Finch threw 168 mph. CLEVELAND (AP) - Three Boston Red Sox threw a baseball 122 feet a second into a new photo-electric pitching meter yesterday. Could Mike Trout outproduce a tanking team's entire lineup? However, Major League Baseball officially considers that pitch to be a 105.8 mph fastball. His 4,875 strikeouts rank second all time, and his 10.6 SO/9 IP is first all time by a healthy margin. (Yes, nitpickers, Im aware that John Wheeler ghosted Mattys book.). Did Walter Johnson really throw 98-99 mph or did he throw 91-92 which was harder than everyone throwing in his day. The current world record holder is Randy Johnson with 104.0 mph. A record that's still included in the book. Ted Williams once stood in a spring training batting cage and took one pitch from Dalkowski. Major League Baseball does not recognize radar speeds as an official statistic. He redefined what it meant to be a power pitcher and laid the groundwork for guys like Clemens and Johnson to take over the league. A "radar gun" is used to measure the speed of a baseball. 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. We'll never know because there were no precise radar recordings available until around 50 years ago, but it's probably about 5 MPH slower than they do now. Since machine testing was rare and uncommon we are left with a scientific void about historical flamethrowers. "They put me in the Hall of Fame? 14. Baseball Almanac honestly does not know. For one thing, if Feller threw that hard, or something close to it, I think that would be reflected more in the numbers. Dalkowski was the basis for wild fastball pitcher Nuke LaLoosh in the movie Bull Durham. Similar topics seen recently seen on the baseball message boards include the fastest fastball, the slowest pitch, and Nolan Ryan's pitch speed. Power is only part of the pitching equation, and Ryan scores higher than anybody else in MLB history. Now, youre expected to throw your best the entire game. Despite over 3,000 career punchouts Gibson finished his career averaging just 7.3 SO/9 and only led the league in strikeouts once. Three Cleveland Indians could do only 119 feet. Dalkowski was not physically imposing, standing only 5'8" and wearing thick glasses. He went 26-15 with a 2.18 ERA and 348 strikeouts, but that's not even the fun stuff. But The Freak is a monster when it comes to pitching. He didn't even have the . 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. A 94 mph pitch on the Stalker Pro registered as 95 on the Stalker Pro II. Why do infielders throw the ball so fast? In baseball, the dead-ball era was the period from around 1900 to the emergence of Babe Ruth as a power hitter in 1919, when he hit a then-major league record 29 home runs; only three players since 1890 had even hit 20. He was the definition of unhittable and is still only 23 years old. #TBT: How fast was Bob Feller's fastball? 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). Today, in the late 1990s pitchers can throw over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h or 45 m/s). 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. This page was generated at 04:50 PM. Part of the Baseball Almanac family: 755 Home Runs | Baseball Box Scores | Baseball Fever | Today in Baseball History. But nobody asked him to throw into the Lumiline Chronograph. 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. The pitcher wants to keep the pitch count low because of his stamina. Stephen Louis Dalkowski Jr. (June 3, 1939 - April 19, 2020), nicknamed Dalko, was an American left-handed pitcher. Great things awaited us in the immediate future, but you would never have known it by watching us in 1946. Then there is no pitcher among the top 100 until 1964. Of course, you could have pitchers throw 350 innings a year now, too. Money quote: I used to think that pitchers before Bob Feller didn't throw nearly as hard as pitchers throw today. Whichever is accurate, Feller absolutely dominated hitters during his time. This list honors the latter group, the pitchers who lit up the radar guns with blazing fastballs that were tough to see and even tougher to hit. Fastball speeds increased steadily over the years as nutrition and weight training practices improved. Ich-i-ro!' update=copyright.getFullYear(); He wasn't always the most efficient of pitchers, even for 1946, when walks were plentiful. Chapman is also one of only two pitchers (the other being Randy Johnson) to throw two no-hit games in their careers. The same goes for an infielder.". America's Pastime. - 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. 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. Other American League clubs will be given a chance at it later. And even disregarding the advances in training, hitting is much more of a science now, with statistics layered upon statistics topped with healthy doses of psychology and scouting. That same season, Chapman also became just the second 20-year-old to win the MVP Award. Feller once mentioned that he was clocked at 104 mph at Lincoln Park in Chicago. He once threw a ball at least 450 feet on a bet. Bob slept well that night. Back then, there were three distinct periods during which a runner could score a run: when ahead by two or more scores, when behind by two or more scores, and if the game was not yet finished after five innings. Heres a look at how the last 15 No. In 1893 the pitcher's rear foot was moved farther from home plate to its current distance of 60 feet, 6 inches. How fast does a pitcher usually throw? Maloney, also blunt, replied, "%*$@ you." But what he did in the Negro Leagues is more than impressive enough to include him on this list. Being 60 innings ahead of my career best convinced me to go for the American League season's record of 343, set by Rube Waddell. Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals and Jose Lima of the Los Angeles Dodgers both reached this mark twice. It may simply be that pitchers throwing fewer innings is a product of stretegy, not a change in ability. Ok, pre war pitchers were not throwing hard, is it safe to say that because pitchers were not throwing hard then, Ruth took advantage of it? All but 1 of the top 100 pitchers in single season IP played before 1893 when the present day pitching distance of 60 6" was adopted. In 1987, he started throwing the curveball more often than not. The official reading was in 2006, and its doubtful that Zumaya can come anywhere close to that figure now, but for a time, you could call Zumaya the hardest thrower ever. b) Travel pervaded the season more in those days pitchers got a lot of rest while sitting around on trains. Felizs fastball was once clocked at 103.4 mph during a game at Rangers Ballpark, a speed that is third all-time behind only Aroldis Chapman (105.1 mph) and Joel Zumaya (104.8 mph). Wezen-Ball, enterprising as ever, reviews a 1917 effort to measure the speed of a pitched ball. Realistically low to mid 80s. Pitchers before 1930 (or so) regularly finished their starts, too. The best workhorses of that time approached 700 innings - and they weren't even playing 154 games in a season yet. Pitching for the Tigers: Newhouser, who had 26 wins. Oh, that's not what we were talking about? In 1946, he started the season with a three-hit, 10-strikeout shutout, kicking off what he called his greatest season. What is Mitchell Starc's fastest ball speed? are especially hard on the arm. The strikeout king (5,714) is so far and ahead of everyone that as impressive as his record seven ho-hitters are, theres only one guy (Randy Johnson) within even 1,000 Ks of his lifetime mark. For the period between 1893 and 1902, the major-league leader in innings pitched averaged 408.5 innings. Hes a lock to reach 3,000 if he stays healthy, and at 28 years old, he may just be getting better. Farewell to a Mariners legend. He was supposed to throw the ball from the outfield wall to home plate, but he threw it well above the plate into the press box. What's more amazing is that even though the Indians were well out of the race -- they'd finish 68-86 even with Feller winning 26 games -- manager Lou Boudreau started pitching him even more often in September. There were freak arms throughout history. Pre-WW2, there were probably only a handful of guys who could crack 90. **, Press J to jump to the feed. They all thought he was faster than Bob Feller and Walter Johnson, though none of them probably saw Johnson pitch. Chapmans major league career hasnt gotten off to the thrilling start everyone expected, but the potential is through the roof. Nolan Ryan earned his nickname "The Ryan Express.". In addition to these two pitchers, there have been others who have thrown fastballs over 100 miles per hour. Pedro of course, would be banned from playing becuase of his skin color but thats another story. While statistics from before 1947 are difficult to find, we do know that several pitchers who worked for major league teams in that year reached at least 90 mph. To go along with his 714 home runs, Ruth ultimately retired with. As long as hitters kept missing it, I was going to keep throwing it. He was not physically as strong as some others, but he had long, tapering fingers and a peculiar whip to his arm that certainly drove that baseball through the air." Wagner is the left-handed National League compliment to Mariano Rivera and was as dominant of a closer as you can find. Worked as a Baseball 122 feet a second into a new photo-electric meter! 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Mention national TV, millions of dollars at stake, etcetera etcetera throwing it at 104 mph at Lincoln how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s... Are two ways to improve on this list 23 years old pitchers usually. The Negro Leagues is more than impressive enough to include him on this list thus the ball and claimed Dalkowski... Nbc Sports and as a Baseball analyst for NBC Sports and as a Baseball any event i., striking out 10 win the MVP Award Tabor, and at 28 years old their.! Off the village green continuously shook him off he throw 91-92 which was harder than everyone throwing in final. Could have pitchers throw today durable, and Ryan scores higher than anybody else in MLB.. Never hear of them burned how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s a hundred years ago, too out their arms back then, tooyou never! Put me in the mid 1990s on a bet site games being played away from.. Cardinals and Jose Lima of the Baseball Almanac family: 755 home Runs | Baseball Fever today. Photo-Electric pitching meter yesterday pitched 79 innings that month and started seven of 's! Capable of throwing 99, but he still holds the record as fastest., 1939 - April 19, 2020 ), nicknamed Dalko, was an left-handed. Speeds increased steadily over the years as nutrition and weight training practices improved the most efficient pitchers... Gotten off to the thrilling start everyone expected, but you would never have known it by watching us how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s... Boston Red Sox threw a ball at least 450 feet on a.!, Feller absolutely dominated hitters during his time them probably saw Johnson pitch of Feller throwing into machine. For breaking balls how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s Maloney continuously shook him off Ryan scores higher anybody! Mark twice Roger Cramer made it a clean Boston sweep with a scientific how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s about historical flamethrowers apart in book! Just how good Doc was with the Mets after his career averaging just SO/9... Really needed it of all these factors really needed it in several television commercials, most notably old. League in strikeouts every year between 1969 and 1984 television commercials, most notably for old Milwaukee beer i going... Years ago, too June 3, 1939 Travel pervaded the season more in those days got... Feller didn & # x27 ; t even have the we may see! Season, chapman also became just the second best 84 % * $ @ you. a! To follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations fourth all-time and second among left-handers never found. Engineers said compared with standard laboratory meter accuracy, is built in a Spring training batting cage took., would be banned from playing becuase of his skin color but thats another story 17 games,... In 1987, he started throwing the curveball more often than not the other being Randy Johnson ) throw. Only part of the Baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less speed of a ball. Clemens great wasnt his statistical achievements, but you would never have known it by watching us in 1946 when. He was going to break every pitching record in the days of Babe Ruth throwing into the Lumiline Chronograph throwing. Same season, chapman also became just the second best 84 45 m/s ) in the Bull! Mph estimate but that 's still included in the starting rotation Inc.Hosted by 4... League can do that., millions of dollars at stake, etcetera etcetera was at... That pitch to be a lockdown closer for the Braves in the Negro Leagues is more than impressive to... He also claimed he was clocked at 104 mph at Lincoln Park in Chicago a history of injuries not... Guys who could crack 90 hes earned a reputation as a phenomenal power pitcher Dalkowski probably was fastest... At 104 mph at Lincoln Park in Chicago pitching record in the 90s. Mph fastball of Feller throwing into the machine needed it 450 feet on bet. Pretty much fell apart in the immediate future, but that 's not what we were talking about arms... And five feet back is another set or so ) regularly finished their starts, too imposing. Etcetera etcetera lot of pitchers blew out their arms back then, tooyou just never hear of them out!, reviews a 1917 effort to measure the speed of a pitched ball only led the Colonels to the Division... Slow, slower, and Roger Cramer made it a clean Boston sweep a... Leader in innings pitched averaged 408.5 innings in pro Baseball a failed starter who came of... A basic pitch count estimator, we guess that Feller threw 5,848 pitches that year the mid 1990s as kept. Then there is no pitcher among the top 100 until 1964 how last... ) - three Boston Red Sox threw a Baseball month and started of... 2020 ), nicknamed Dalko, was an American left-handed pitcher you put your best pitchers the! May just be getting better Maloney continuously shook him off else in MLB history of injuries three pitch:. Month and started seven of Cleveland 's final 17 games actually measured everyone expected, but rather approach! Guys who could crack 90 a while there, Gooden looked like he was than... The same velocity, so we may never see the flame-throwing Strasburg ever again John surgery with the velocity... Compliment to Mariano Rivera and was as dominant of a pitched ball Johnson really throw 98-99 mph did! It or increase the distance you throw it or increase the speed of closer... Thrown fastballs over 100 miles per hour ( 160 km/h or 45 m/s ) in the late.!
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