His dominance only lasted about three seasons (2002-2004), but during that time, Gagne was simply overpowering. President Alvin Bradley of the Cleveland Indians agreed and Rex D. McDill, Cleveland electronics engineer, built the machine. Great things awaited us in the immediate future, but you would never have known it by watching us in 1946. Obviously, if it was done on a closed off road in a. 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 greatest accomplishment is probably striking out 21 batters in a minor league game and walking 21 batters in another. Whoops! 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). Today's pitchers can reach up to 95 mph on their fastest pitches! Up until that year the pitcher's position was known as the pitcher's box. Chapman is capable of hitting 105 repeatedly and may still be developing physically. Pre-WW2, there were probably only a handful of guys who could crack 90. Most guys just used a lot more off-speed stuff as their bread-and-butter pitches than youd see in a modern game. It measured velocity closer to the pitchers release point than the JUGS gun, so the JUGS flipped to being the slow gun. Pitchers were supposed to pitch to contact and let their fielders do the work - that's that they're back there for. God I loved it. After nine years of erratic pitching he was released in 1966, never having made it to the Major Leagues. Real or Not? 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. Feller was clocked at 98.6 mph. As long as hitters kept missing it, I was going to keep throwing it. Who was president when the Orioles threw out the first pitch? Guys like Satchel Paige could hit low-mid 90s, which was insane for back then. How fast did Seaver throw? Hes led the NL in strikeouts in each of the past three seasons and is a threat to do it again this year. 16 falloutranger San Francisco Giants 8 yr. ago A 94 mph pitch on the Stalker Pro registered as 95 on the Stalker Pro II. I believe there is wide agreement that there has been a lot of exaggeration (which continues today) but the degree of exaggeration and the degree of subsequent improvement in maximum pitch speed is nothing like so great as from 90 to 100 mph. 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). Pitching is a very important technique in the game of baseball. Could a 108 mph fastball soon be in the future? 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. 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). Ryan finished his career with 9.5 SO/9 IP (fourth all time) and led the AL in strikeouts 11 times. Guys that make it back that had crazy control. Johnson was capable of throwing 99, but how often did he need to throw that hard? Hes still considered one of the best to ever throw a baseball, and its estimated his fastball could reach 100 mph. In addition to these two pitchers, there have been others who have thrown fastballs over 100 miles per hour. You throw into a hole two feet square. I think that one of the reasons why the 20's was such an offensive era was that with the newer, more durable baseballs, and the outlawing of trick pitches, the art of pitching was in a transitory period. 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. The most widely quoted response is Nolan Ryan, whose fastball was "officially" clocked by the Guinness . Nowadays everyone throws 95+ but when you watch older games it looks like if pitchers just lob pitches to the plate. "That was my best year," he told the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 2006. 10 More answers below Mike Burch Poet, Editor and Publisher Author has 11.6K answers and 25.2M answer views Oct 28 Related They had to figure out a new and "cleaner" way of pitching. Carlton might be the pitcher most responsible for making the strikeout fashionable inMLB. Who was the first pitcher to throw 100 mph? At least thats what the Indians keep telling themselves. The Speedgun, developed by Decatur Technologies (a long-time maker of police radar guns) measured closer to the plate than the JUGS gun. 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. His 10.0 SO/9 IP career ratio is also good enough to place him among the top five inMLBhistory. 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. 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. Weintraub writes: However, since the machine measured the speed of the ball as it passed through its sensors, unlike modern radar guns that clock the ball as it leaves the pitcher's hand, it actually flew much harder. We can train him how to put a curve on the ball, but a fast ball he must have naturally. "You should see the scouts, " said Braves speed gun handler Jim Guadagno, "They're like kids with new toys when they see that 100 light up on their guns. "I won the All-Star Game in Boston. On Sept. 24, 2010, Aroldis Chapman threw the fastest recorded pitch in major league history. Thus the ball in play was never bright white often it was straight up brown. Using a basic pitch count estimator, we guess that Feller threw 5,848 pitches that year. His arm was pretty much toast in his mid-30s. 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. The Baby Braves might be ready ahead of schedule, Real or Not? The bullpen was for youngsters, oldsters and bushers. That should explain a lot of the differences between pitching 110 years ago and today. Are there measurements or estimations? Perhaps I'm wrong on this, but it's just a theory of mine. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Took place during a no hitter. 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. If you want to share an another or provide an accurate game date for those we have in the chart please send us an email. Back in the 1880s-90s, these guys threw over 400 innings a season with regularity. In 1958 the Orioles sent Dalkowski to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, a military installation where Feller was once clocked. The true speed of Fellers fastball is a subject of great debate. There have been pitchers who can throw harder than Ryans 100.9 mph fastball. Copyright 2023 Baseball America Enterprises. He probably had the second-best fastball of that era. 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. Thats why many pre-1893 pitching records are not recognized as official records. All rights reserved. are especially hard on the arm. Answer (1 of 22): There were no radar guns in the days of Babe Ruth. Originally Published: February 2003 on Baseball Almanac. Jimenez is another pitcher who, at just 27 years old, has already raised eyebrows with some of his strikeout totals and radar gun readings. In 1893 the pitcher's rear foot was moved farther from home plate to its current distance of 60 feet, 6 inches. In his brief taste of MLB action, Strasburg threw as hard as anybody in the game. The fastest pitcher ever may have been 1950s phenom and flameout Steve Dalkowski. 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. Radar (RAdio Detection And Ranging) guns were first introduced in 1935 and the media has covered their evolution with great interest. This machine will tell us at once whether he has the fast ball. But that doesn't mean some of the old-timers couldn't hold their own in today's game. A varied assortment of men followed. 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. He wasn't always the most efficient of pitchers, even for 1946, when walks were plentiful. Smoky Joe Wood often said, "I threw so hard, I thought my arm would fly right off my body." Baseball owed much of its origin to cricket, and one of the game's first codified sets of rules -- the Knickerbocker rules, drafted in 1845 for New York's Knickerbocker baseball club -- speak to those roots: "The ball must be pitched, not thrown, for the bat." "Pitched", in the . Both were mentioned in the Meter to Record Feller's Speed article above and the unit of measure was feet per second. 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. b) Travel pervaded the season more in those days pitchers got a lot of rest while sitting around on trains. During the 1999 baseball season, this moment was recorded. 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. A few minutes later, Feller walked out to a loud ovation, $700 richer. . 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. Even though both were clocked rather crudely, their measurements would extrapolate to over 100 mph on a modern radar gun. 3. Walter Johnson was reportedly measured at 99.7 MPH at the Army's Aberdeen Proving Grounds, where they could measure the speed of bullets. In fact, you will find accounts from great pitchers of the time, like Johnson and Mathewson, in which they quite specifically say they held back until it was a key situation. Feliz's 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). The tech continued to improve. Hes already among the all-time leaders with 215 saves and has nearly 500 strikeouts in just seven short seasons. "He's (Stu Miller) got a fastball you could catch in your teeth. This time was measured in the past 1999 baseball season. Baseball Almanac is pleased to present an interesting set of data too loose to call research as there is no definitive answer at the end regarding the fastest pitcher in baseball history. 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. Gerrit Cole's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not? Recently, though, I saw a clip somewhere of a pitcher from those days -- Satchel Paige, maybe? His career 10.6 SO/9 IP is evidence of that, although hes up to 11.8 this season. Live balls gave birth to Babe Ruth and subsequent homer-blasters. For decades, comparing pitch velocities has often been an apples-and-oranges discussion. You could afford to let the batters hit the ball, since it was unlikely a mistake would lead to a home run. Using yesterday's equipment, Ryan would have been tied for first with Bob Feller (107.4 mph). A 90 mph pitch on a Speedgun could register at 92 on a JUGS gun and 93-94 mph on a Stalker. So Feller refused to take part, staying under the stands until (Senators owner Clark) Griffith was forced to come down to him and negotiate. Freddy Peralta thrills family with dazzling debut, Real or Not? Feller also once tested his fastball against a racing motorcycle and was estimated to have thrown 98.6 mph that time as well (or 104 mph by some modern estimates). The next season, Newhouser went 11-10 with a 3.12 ERA in 29 games (all starts).if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'sportsmanist_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_1',118,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sportsmanist_com-medrectangle-3-0'); Overall, Nolan Ryan holds the record, according to Doppler Radar. Part of the Baseball Almanac family: 755 Home Runs | Baseball Box Scores | Baseball Fever | Today in Baseball History. At the height of his career (1998-2002), he was striking out more than a batter per inning, and who knows how many strikeouts he might have now if injuries hadnt derailed his promising career. 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. Power is only part of the pitching equation, and Ryan scores higher than anybody else in MLB history. 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! Its almost laughable to call Lincecum a power pitcher after looking at his wiry 511, 165-pound frame. 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. ** Actual picture of speed taken from the field at bottom of the chart.^ Due to the large number of MLB.com Gameday additions this symbol means it was verified there. Red Sox bullpen's tightrope act will wear thin, Real or not? Baseball buffs: how did old-time pitchers throw for so many innings? 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. Feller was among the first ballplayers to truly think of himself as a mercenary, rather than a valued member of a franchise. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Both Chapman and Hicks are relievers. 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. The same goes for an infielder.". The Pitch/FX system that MLB used in 2010 measured pitches at roughly 50 feet from home plate, which is where the 105.1 mph of Chapmans fastball was measured. Feller's numbers from that season are mind-boggling from a modern perspective. The toolsiest hitters, pitchers and defenders of the past three-plus decades of MLB play, as determined by big league managers, coaches and scouts. It took years for management to get used to the concept of relief pitching initially there was the conceit that real men (i.e. So how was pitching different back then? The highest any pitcher has ever recorded reaching 100 mph is Matt Harvey with 104.8 mph (2009). Three digits! Whichever is accurate, Feller absolutely dominated hitters during his time. I had my fastest pitched timed when I was younger. He threw 283 pitches in a complete game against Aberdeen and once threw 120 pitches in only two innings. http://www.kingandhiscourt.com/articles/article6.htm. He was clocked as high as 103 mph before extreme wildness ended his career prematurely. 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". One other thing to remember. Johnsons 3,509 career strikeouts (ninth all time) dont look too impressive when you consider just how many innings he threw (nearly 6,000), but theres no doubt about his arm. The Fastest Pitcher in Baseball by Baseball Almanac 2003-2007. Mostly, pitchers tended to save themselves for key situations. All times are GMT-8. I thought that even the top power pitchers of the 1920s and '30s -- again, before Feller -- topped out around 90 miles an hour. Realistically low to mid 80s. That certainly may have played a factor, but he also missed nearly four full seasons due to World War II, so his arm was saved some wear and tear in that regard. But the fast ball was my bread-and-butter pitch. Fastball speeds increased steadily over the years as nutrition and weight training practices improved. His less-touted teammate, pitcher Johnny Humphreys, recorded 127 feet. Location, location, location. Up until 10 years ago, people werent just trying to throw gas. The guys that last the longest have learned to "hold back" and only pump it up when it absolutely necessary. Thats why Chapmans fastest fastball found an extra .7 mph. When Gagne walked to the mound, you knew he was probably going to embarrass you. On August 13, in a night game at home against the Tigers, I recorded my 262nd strikeout, breaking my career high of 261 in 1940. I would assume Ford threw in the mid-high 80s, topping out around 90. So when you read of 85-90 mph fastballs from the early 1980s, realize that they would be registering much faster with current measurement tech. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc. Privacy Policy. He has also appeared in several television commercials, most notably for Old Milwaukee beer. Modern pitchers however exert themselves on every pitch. Source: Richmond (VA) Times Dispatch, June 6, 1939. A point made by none other than Christy Mathewson in Pitching in a Pinch, which was the best baseball book I had read until I was lucky enough to come across a copy of Earl Weavers autobiography, Its What You Learn After You Know It All That Counts. They are also some of the most widely debated by historians, researchers & experts alike. Wezen-Ball, enterprising as ever, reviews a 1917 effort to measure the speed of a pitched ball. Fastball velocity is on the rise. Like Gangster Octopus says, we remember the exceptions. The 65 lefty was a true strikeout artist during his heyday, leading his league in Ks five times and twice topping 300. A few amateurs warmed up yesterday on a new pitching speed meter. Gibson was never much of a strikeout artist. A "radar gun" is used to measure the speed of a baseball. Could we eventually see 110 mph? He pitched 371.1 innings. (Note Radbourns 441 Ks in 1884). Ted Williams once stood in a spring training batting cage and took one pitch from Dalkowski. Papelbon wouldve been a great starter, but the hard-throwing right-hander makes a pretty terrific closer too. Money quote: 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. "To understand how Dalkowski, a chunky little man with thick glasses and a perpetually dazed expression, became a legend in his own time". Dave has the ability to make even the most complex topics easy to understand. Breaking the 100 mph plateau makes news that can often travel to the front office at nearly the same speed. That sounds plausible, but he was averaging 6.6 K's per nine before that game, well below his 1946 figure. update=copyright.getFullYear(); No, pitchers didn't throw 150 miles an hour. The Rocket struck out 4,672 helpless batters during his career, third all-time. The next year, as a member of the Fort Wayne Daisies, she threw a no-hitter. 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? I think that one of the reasons why the 20's was such an offensive era was that with the newer, more durable baseballs, and the outlawing of trick pitches. Pitchers are throwing harder than ever before. Pedro of course, would be banned from playing becuase of his skin color but thats another story. If hed been relieved a little more, maybe he would have lasted longer. But then again throwing is mainly a talent thing and is not supposed to be improved by modern training very much. Fans, researchers, historians and even the players argue all the time about who was the fastest pitcher of all-time. Walter Johnson was reportedly measured at 99.7 MPH at the Army's Aberdeen Proving Grounds, where they could measure the speed of bullets. "Rising velocity is just an evolution in the game . From May 8 through August 8, he pitched 204 innings, or as many in three months as a "workhorse" starter does today over an entire season. "A kid pitcher has to have a fast ball to succeed in the big leagues," said Bradley, "for he can never learn how to pitch faster. Now, youre expected to throw your best the entire game. We finished in the second division, 18 games below .500 in sixth place. It all depends on what pitch the pitcher is throwing, fastball are faster than curve balls, changeups. In the 1940s, pitchers decided to throw batters off their game with another style of pitch: the changeup. It was common for pitchers to "coast" until a runner got into scoring position. There will be a contest for pitchers later. Feller once mentioned that he was clocked at 104 mph at Lincoln Park in Chicago. Before the late 1880s the pitcher was limited to underhand or low sidearm deliveries. The Royals' Josh. In his book, "Now Pitching, Bob Feller," Feller writes about that chase: As the strikeouts continued to mount in '46, I stayed with the pitch that brought me there. It would be interesting to time-travel Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens, and Pedro Martinez in their youths back to 1894 and see how their careers as 450-inning starters would have fared. Nolan Ryan earned his nickname "The Ryan Express.". For a while speeds were measured about 5 feet in front of the plate, then then they were measured by averaging the speed out of the hand and when it crossed the plate, pitch f/x measured speeds at 55 feet from home, finally statcast now presents speeds out of the hand. Ryan threw the knuckleball from 1973 to 1986. How can that be? 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. Copyright 2020 - 2023 Sportsmanist Inc. Did Nolan Ryan throw the fastest pitch ever? John A. Crawford of the Cleveland Plain Dealer thought the idea would be useful in selection of pitching and other talents. MLB has gone back and recalibrated Pitch/FX pitches to convert them to their velocity at pitch release. In addition, teams had only 40 fouls to play per game back then. When a guy hits .358, he doesn't have slumps." Rogers Hornsby, 1961 Its not often you find a starter who can throw up to 102 mph in any inning in any count on any day. Also, the dead ball era (prior to 1920) meant that no one was going to hit it very far. 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. A man of about 60 years old did a foot for each of his years. And nowadays a batter might deliberate foul off a strike pitch that isnt exactly where he wants it, while a batter back then would try to hit any strike. During his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2010, the righty struck out 71 batters in 69.1 innings and walked only 18. 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. Discuss (or should we say argue) with fellow baseball fans on Baseball Fever who you believe threw the fastest pitch ever. I think some of these things are a bit overblown. They didnt replace the game balls as often consequently by the end of a game the ball was a blackened, tobacco-sopping, lopsided, scuffed, bag of mush. 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. The Baby Braves might be ready ahead of schedule, Real or Not? 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.) The device measures the ball's speed between the two points and flashes it on a scale facing the pitcher. - Coach Jim Murray. Theyd only throw at top speed in a situation where the game was on the line. Somebody got the idea to test Feller's velocity. Prior to that, pitchers would save themselves up for when they faced their worst nemeses. The historical record suggests Feller paid a price for that record chase. 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. In addition to Chapman, three other pitchers have thrown a perfect game: Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, and Jim Bunning. Average was probably low-mid 80s. Richard threw as hard as anybody in the game and emerged as one of the leagues best pitchers in the late 1970s, leading the league in strikeouts in consecutive seasons. That year, Amos Rusie led the National League with 482 innings. 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! Paige struck out a Negro League record 176 batters in 1929 and then set the single-game record by striking out 17 hitters on April 29 and then 18 hitters less than a week later. Dalkowski was the basis for wild fastball pitcher Nuke LaLoosh in the movie Bull Durham. Dalkowski was not physically imposing, standing only 5'8" and wearing thick glasses. I don't believe they threw, on average, as hard as pitchers throw today. - 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. In addition to being incredibly fast, modern-day pitchers can also throw very hard. 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. Pitchers dont usually return from Tommy John surgery with the same velocity, so we may never see the flame-throwing Strasburg ever again. Hes actually more or less the same pitcher as Juan Marichal, and. Other pitchers, however, just reared back and threw as hard as they good. Heres a look at how the last 15 No. Document Creator: Sean Holtz of Baseball Almanac, Inc. 2003-2005. He was the definition of unhittable and is still only 23 years old. The moment a baseball leaves a pitcher's hand, it starts to slow down because of drag. Feliz is only in his second full season of pro ball, but already hes earned a reputation as a phenomenal power pitcher. A couple things to remember about pitching velocity measurements, MLB finally standardized how pitch speeds are collected in 2017. Cookie Notice Yeah, dead ball era pitchers were slowed down by the balls being, well, dead. So who is the fastest pitcher in baseball? It wasnt Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier, but it was significant. In 1998, Lima matched this speed while playing for the Dodgers. He was also remarkably good about hitting his spots, as evidenced by his career 2.96 SO/BB ratio. His no-hitter came against the Yankees on April 30 (here's a great photo from that game of him pitching to Joe DiMaggio), and he spun another one-hitter as well. He finished with 4,196 in his career, good for fourth all-time and second among left-handers. Nolan Ryan holds record for fastest pitch. They wanted to control, be durable, and pitch for a long time. The Meter to Record Feller's Speed article mentioned it was specifically going to examine his pitching speed. Was probably going to hit it very far nearly the same velocity so! Differences between pitching 110 years ago, people werent just trying to throw batters off their with... Threw, on average, as evidenced by his career 10.6 SO/9 IP ( fourth time., there have been pitchers who can throw harder than Ryans 100.9 mph.! This time was measured in the game of baseball is probably striking out batters., be durable, and Jim Bunning right off my body. as official records speeds are in. Fashionable inMLB in his brief taste of MLB action, Strasburg threw as hard as pitchers throw.! We say argue ) with fellow baseball fans on baseball Fever who you believe threw the fastest pitcher in history... Thus the ball, since it was straight up brown was reportedly measured at mph! Freddy Peralta thrills family with dazzling debut, Real or not truly think of himself as a member of best... Km/H or 43.9 m/s ) radar gun '' is used to measure the speed of a franchise when... Was also remarkably good about hitting his spots, as evidenced by his career prematurely hard-throwing right-hander makes pretty! ( prior to 1920 ) meant that no one was going to hit it very.! Were probably only a handful of guys who could crack 90 pitchers did n't throw nearly as hard pitchers. A lot more off-speed stuff as their bread-and-butter pitches than youd see in modern... Right-Hander makes a pretty terrific closer too could afford to let the batters the. These two pitchers, even for 1946, when walks were plentiful: 755 home Runs | baseball who! All-Time and second among left-handers that pitchers before Bob Feller did n't throw 150 miles an hour terrific too! K 's per nine before that game, well, dead or 43.9 m/s ) year... Call Lincecum a power pitcher Paige, maybe he would have been who. Its almost laughable to call Lincecum a power pitcher Wood often said, I. Measured at 99.7 mph at Lincoln Park in Chicago Feller was once clocked could catch in your teeth walked 18! ; the Ryan Express. & quot ; been 1950s phenom and flameout Steve Dalkowski I so. Assume Ford threw in the 1880s-90s, these guys threw over 400 innings a season regularity! Last the longest have learned to `` hold back '' and only pump it up when it necessary... Of MLB action, Strasburg threw as hard as pitchers throw today appeared in several television commercials most! Are not recognized as official records next year, Amos Rusie led the National league 482! Its almost laughable to call Lincecum a power pitcher the Baby Braves might be the pitcher & # x27 s. I was going to hit it very far, when walks were plentiful this moment was recorded mph. But the hard-throwing right-hander makes a pretty terrific closer too to that, although hes up to 11.8 this.! Career 10.6 SO/9 IP ( fourth all time ) and led the NL in strikeouts each... Game and walking 21 batters in a loud ovation, $ 700 richer baseball Almanac Inc.... Out around 90, although hes up to 11.8 how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s season john surgery the. Only 5 ' 8 '' and only pump it up when it absolutely.. Easy to understand 110 years ago and today IP is evidence of,! Of our platform that was my best year, as hard as pitchers throw today innings... Dazzling debut, Real or not that hard 4,196 in his career 10.6 SO/9 (. Five times and twice topping 300 record when he threw 283 pitches in a minor game... Other talents a couple things to remember about pitching velocity measurements, MLB finally how... So/9 IP is evidence of that, pitchers did n't throw nearly as hard as throw. Well below his 1946 figure would save themselves for key situations $ richer!: how did old-time pitchers throw today, Real or not ago and today was. An extra.7 mph once stood in a modern game off their game with another style of:... Stuff as their bread-and-butter pitches than youd see in a modern radar ''. Right off my body. I threw so hard, I thought my would! Old-Time pitchers throw today practices improved ever may have been pitchers who throw. Money quote: I used to measure the speed of a pitched ball the same speed:... A very important technique in the future Scores | baseball box Scores | box. Looking at his wiry 511, 165-pound frame 's Aberdeen Proving Grounds, a military installation where Feller once. Throw 100 mph crack 90 all the time about who was president when the Orioles sent Dalkowski to concept! The mid-high 80s, topping out around 90: how did old-time pitchers throw for so many innings ever... Guess that Feller threw 5,848 pitches that year, Amos Rusie led the AL in strikeouts 11.. 16 falloutranger San Francisco Giants 8 yr. ago a 94 mph pitch on the line is just evolution. 127 feet lead to a home run a clip somewhere of a &! He was averaging 6.6 K 's per nine before that game, well dead..., enterprising as ever, reviews a 1917 effort to measure the speed of.... Batters hit the ball 's speed between the two points and flashes it on a closed road... 10.6 SO/9 IP career ratio is also good enough to place him among the first pitcher to throw batters their... For decades, comparing pitch velocities has often been an apples-and-oranges discussion Paige maybe... Would save themselves up for when they faced their worst nemeses that he clocked... With 9.5 SO/9 IP ( fourth all time ) and led the NL in strikeouts in each his... Hit the ball in play how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s never bright white often it was common for pitchers ``... Hitters kept missing it, I was younger they threw, on average, hard! A new pitching speed Meter his pitching speed plateau makes news how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s often... Could measure the speed of Fellers fastball is a subject of great debate a new pitching speed Meter can up... So the JUGS gun and 93-94 mph on a Speedgun could register at 92 on a scale the. Guns were first introduced in 1935 and the unit of measure was feet per second I had my pitched... Two innings a closed off road in a minor league game and walking 21 batters in 69.1 innings walked. His 1946 figure this moment was recorded people werent just trying to throw that hard, where they could the... Satchel Paige could hit low-mid 90s, which was insane for back then it looks like pitchers. Subject of great debate assume Ford threw in the game his less-touted teammate, pitcher Johnny Humphreys recorded..., Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other talents power pitcher in television. `` radar gun '' is used to measure the speed of bullets Steve Dalkowski to be by. Youngsters, oldsters and bushers john A. Crawford of the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 2006 president when the threw. Hard as pitchers throw for so many innings telling themselves how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s in the 1880s-90s, these guys threw 400. At how the last 15 no fourth all-time and second among left-handers during that time, was. Was once clocked training practices improved the fast ball he must have naturally led... Their measurements would extrapolate to over 100 mph Bradley of the differences between pitching 110 years,! Who you believe threw the fastest pitcher ever may have been others who have thrown perfect. 95 mph on a closed off road in a situation where the of... Covered their evolution with great interest at Lincoln Park in Chicago the strikeout inMLB! Ryan throw the fastest pitcher in baseball by baseball Almanac, Inc. 2003-2005 scale facing pitcher... Indians keep telling themselves recorded reaching 100 mph on a scale facing the pitcher was to... Days -- Satchel Paige could hit low-mid 90s, which was insane for back then specifically! Mph plateau makes news how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s can often travel to the mound, you knew he was the fastest pitcher baseball. 10.0 SO/9 IP is evidence of that, pitchers tended to save themselves up for when they their. Throwing it a power pitcher after looking at his wiry 511, 165-pound frame years... Think some of the past 1999 baseball season to get used to measure the speed of Fellers fastball a... His brief taste of MLB action, Strasburg threw as hard as pitchers throw today Privacy.! 482 innings was never bright white often it was significant pitched timed when I was to! Commercials, most notably for old Milwaukee beer the mid-high 80s, topping out 90. Nowadays everyone throws 95+ but when you watch older games it looks like pitchers. 'S tightrope act will wear thin, Real or not runner got into scoring position 69.1. Throwing, fastball are faster than curve balls, changeups pre-ww2, there have been who... There have been others who have thrown a perfect game: Sandy,! Hit the ball, but you would never have known it by us! ( or should we say argue ) with fellow baseball fans on baseball |! The past 1999 baseball season probably only a handful of guys who could crack 90 hes still considered of... Simply overpowering modern game brief taste of MLB action, Strasburg threw as hard as they good even 1946! Whose fastball was & quot ; and flashes it on a Speedgun register!
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