In addition, before 1893, the pitching mound was only 50 feet away from the plate. 1 farm systems fared in the following seasons. It all depends on what pitch the pitcher is throwing, fastball are faster than curve balls, changeups. Pat Jordan in The Suitors of Spring (1974). 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. His 105.1 mph fastball was the first time the 105 mph barrier had been broken. In the mid-1930s (when Dizzy Dean and Mel Harder were pitching), that number increased to about 88-92 mph. Of course, you could have pitchers throw 350 innings a year now, too. 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. I woudl suggest that it is in fact simply that they let the pitchers pitch so much back then. What is the fastest a human has thrown a baseball? Recently, though, I saw a clip somewhere of a pitcher from those days -- Satchel Paige, maybe? Since machine testing was rare and uncommon we are left with a scientific void about historical flamethrowers. Wezen-Ball, enterprising as ever, reviews a 1917 effort to measure the speed of a pitched ball. Williams swore he never saw the ball and claimed that Dalkowski probably was the fastest pitcher who ever lived. A rookie catcher named Johnny Bench was behind the plate and eight-year veteran Jim Maloney was on the mound. King Felix is different from most guys on this list in that his off-speed stuff is just as good as his power stuff, if not better. In fact, two or three pitchers have been known to reach 100 mph on the gunner machine. Often a starting pitcher will be removed from the . During his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2010, the righty struck out 71 batters in 69.1 innings and walked only 18. Dmitriy Ioselevich is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. One more factor: the hitters. Walter Johnson was reportedly measured at 99.7 MPH at the Army's Aberdeen Proving Grounds, where they could measure the speed of bullets. The machine, called the "Lumiline Chronograph," used photoelectric cells to clock the object that passed through the device's opening. Most guys just used a lot more off-speed stuff as their bread-and-butter pitches than youd see in a modern game. 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. 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. . 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. I don't know of any underhand pitcher who can throw 90, although Carl Mays was probably in that neighborhood. They used a gravity drop interval recorder. 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. A 94 mph pitch on the Stalker Pro registered as 95 on the Stalker Pro II. Chapman is also one of only two pitchers (the other being Randy Johnson) to throw two no-hit games in their careers. "That was my best year," he told the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 2006. But what made Clemens great wasnt his statistical achievements, but rather his approach to the game. Mike Trout He topped 100 Ks in his first full season as the Los Angeles closer and regularly reached triple-digits. 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. The best the Indians could do was a tie at 119 feet by Ben Chapman, Julius Solters and Jim Shilling. In five seasons with the team, Newhouser averaged over seven innings per start and received multiple votes for the MVP award. That sounds plausible, but he was averaging 6.6 K's per nine before that game, well below his 1946 figure. Up until 10 years ago, people werent just trying to throw gas. His less-touted teammate, pitcher Johnny Humphreys, recorded 127 feet. This is a cool article. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc. Privacy Policy. During spring training in 1964, Dalkowski was with the Major League club. 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. were exceptions. An average major league fastball travels around 100 miles per hour (160 km/h or 45 m/s), but some pitchers have exceeded that number. Part of the Baseball Almanac Family. Copyright 2023 Baseball America Enterprises. 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. He was never as dominant after that. 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. They probably couldve done a lot harder throwing if they wanted to. Aroldis Chapman holds the record using today's equipment, clocking in at 105.1 mph. While in the minor leagues with Detroit, Ty Cobb reportedly told Hubbell to stop throwing the pitch. pitchers) finished what they started. 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. It may simply be that pitchers throwing fewer innings is a product of stretegy, not a change in ability. Maloney, also blunt, replied, "%*$@ you." Real or Not? What was the fastest pitch ever thrown during a baseball game? 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. Bob Feller had his fastball tested by the army at 98.6 mph. Up until that year the pitcher's position was known as the pitcher's box. 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. Perhaps I'm wrong on this, but it's just a theory of mine. Back to how fast Feller threw. Her best was 40 feet per second. As Ted Williams once said, "Three days before he pitched I would start thinking about Robert Feller, Bob Feller. (Amos Rusie in 1893). Great things awaited us in the immediate future, but you would never have known it by watching us in 1946. 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. "To understand how Dalkowski, a chunky little man with thick glasses and a perpetually dazed expression, became a legend in his own time". He was clocked as high as 103 mph before extreme wildness ended his career prematurely. Mookie Betts is playing like an MVP again, Real or Not? Except nobody told Feller about the plan. 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". Copyright 1999- 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. He started 42 games and completed 36 of them, throwing 10 shutouts. Modern pitchers however exert themselves on every pitch. Wood is now blowing away hitters as a full-time reliever. "You can't hit what you can't see." Tom House, the pitching coach for the Texas Rangers, was once asked if anyone would ever be able to throw harder than Nolan Ryan. In 1998, Lima matched this speed while playing for the Dodgers. 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. Their speeds were shown by a gravity drop interval recorder. The list above IS NOT a comprehensive breakdown of every pitcher to ever surpass the 100 mph barrier, but rather a list of pitchers we have seen on ESPN Game of the Week, SportsCenter, or in person eclipsing the century mark. Whichever is accurate, Feller absolutely dominated hitters during his time. Woods career didnt turn out exactly as planned, as repeated arm injuries robbed him off his explosiveness, but the right-hander is still the active leader with 10.3 SO/9 IP, a mark that is second only to Randy Johnson among starters. The new meter, which gives an immediate reading which engineers said compared with standard laboratory meter accuracy, is built in a trailer. The average speed of a fastball in the MLB is. On July 28, he threw a shutout against the Senators, striking out 10. There will be a contest for pitchers later. Breaking the 100 mph plateau makes news that can often travel to the front office at nearly the same speed. In his brief taste of MLB action, Strasburg threw as hard as anybody in the game. 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. Mostly, pitchers tended to save themselves for key situations. 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. Who was president when the Orioles threw out the first pitch? CLEVELAND (AP) - Three Boston Red Sox threw a baseball 122 feet a second into a new photo-electric pitching meter yesterday. 1920 Major League Baseball Standard Pitching | Baseball-Reference.com 1920 Major League Standard Pitching Previous Season Next Season Other Leagues: AL, NL, NNL World Series Champion: Cleveland Indians Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. In the 1920s Johnson was clocked at a munitions facility throwing 92mph, which probably looked even faster to hitters with his deceptive sidearm motion. 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. The curve ball made my fast ball more effective because hitters couldn't time my every pitch, and it also gave me that one additional fringe benefit that a curve ball brings with it: enlarging the strike zone for a pitcher. He has also appeared in several television commercials, most notably for Old Milwaukee beer. You throw into a hole two feet square. How can that be? Less games meant more time to recuperate between starts. Other American League clubs will be given a chance at it later. In a game against the Detroit Tigers on August 20, 1974, the then-Angels . "Batting slumps? Yeah, dead ball era pitchers were slowed down by the balls being, well, dead. That's interesting. 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. Gerrit Cole's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not? Stephen Louis Dalkowski Jr. (June 3, 1939 - April 19, 2020), nicknamed Dalko, was an American left-handed pitcher. Stephen Louis Dalkowski Jr. (June 3, 1939 - April 19, 2020), nicknamed Dalko, was an American left-handed pitcher . Originally Published: February 2003 on Baseball Almanac. - Coach Jim Murray. For one thing, if Feller threw that hard, or something close to it, I think that would be reflected more in the numbers. He was a powerful chucker who never mastered the consummate skill of pitching." To be honest, I'm not much for poetic interpretations and was speaking in the technical sense. But Verlander is a pretty special player and will one day go down as one of the greatest pitchers ever. I thought I might give Bob Feller something to worry about. In 1946, he started the season with a three-hit, 10-strikeout shutout, kicking off what he called his greatest season. That same season, Chapman also became just the second 20-year-old to win the MVP Award. Papelbon wouldve been a great starter, but the hard-throwing right-hander makes a pretty terrific closer too. 100-mph fastballs have been attributed to many pitchers. But just because the third strike often eluded Gibson, doesnt mean that the Hall of Famer didnt throw hard. One such account allegedly took place during a Spring Training game in 1968. 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). Two and a Half Miles a Minute: That's the speed at which a pitched ball travels. Feller once mentioned that he was clocked at 104 mph at Lincoln Park in Chicago. In 1893 the pitcher's rear foot was moved farther from home plate to its current distance of 60 feet, 6 inches. Greg madux would only pump 90+ in later innings to throw hitters off. His 4,875 strikeouts rank second all time, and his 10.6 SO/9 IP is first all time by a healthy margin. Indeed, strikeouts were far less prevalent, partly because pitchers were letting the batter hit the ball and expecting the fielders to get to them. In his final season, he led the Colonels to the Southern Division title with a record of 57-75. His arm was pretty much toast in his mid-30s. Mostly, pitchers tended to save themselves for key situations. 10 More answers below Mike Burch Poet, Editor and Publisher Author has 11.6K answers and 25.2M answer views Oct 28 Related - 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. I would guess that he saved his best fastball and used it maybe a dozen times a game. 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. Feller's second pitch was the fastest one, clocked at 98.6 mph. The Big Unit is the best strikeout pitcher in the modern era, and it really isnt close. Pitchers were required to throw underhand until 1883. David Roark is a passionate and knowledgeable individual when it comes to sports. Originally Published: February 2003 on Baseball Almanac. He was once clocked at 101 mph in 2009 and is capable of throwing in the upper 90s late in the game. I reached 261 in 320.1 innings, but I reached 262 in only 260.2 innings. So how was pitching different back then? The same goes for an infielder.". But nobody asked him to throw into the Lumiline Chronograph. The record has since been broken several times. Feller pushed back against management tyranny at every turn, short of actually not playing. When Gagne walked to the mound, you knew he was probably going to embarrass you. I have serious doubts about the 107 mph estimate. That right there is the difference between pitching and throwing. Source: The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball, 1997. What made Clemens great wasnt his statistical achievements, but the hard-throwing right-hander a... Ip is first all time, and his 10.6 SO/9 IP is first all time by healthy... 260.2 innings fastball and used it maybe a dozen times a game against the Detroit Tigers on August,! Would guess that he saved his best fastball and used it maybe a times... This, but the hard-throwing right-hander makes a pretty special player and will one go! Ever, reviews a 1917 effort to measure the speed of a fastball in the Suitors of Spring 1974. Averaged over seven innings per start and received multiple votes for the MVP award historical. Brief taste of MLB action, Strasburg threw as hard as anybody in the MLB.... Saved his best fastball and used it maybe a dozen times a against. Seven innings per start and received multiple votes for the MVP award 28, he led the Colonels to front! For key situations 100 Ks in his mid-30s at every turn, short of actually not playing most. Took place during a baseball have serious doubts about the 107 mph estimate in 1946 the new,... Never saw the ball and claimed that Dalkowski probably was the fastest one clocked... They probably couldve done a lot more off-speed stuff as their bread-and-butter pitches than youd see a... Pretty much toast in how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s final season, Chapman also became just the second 20-year-old to the! That 's the speed at which a pitched ball travels game, well, dead by... Never saw the ball and claimed that Dalkowski probably was the fastest pitch ever thrown during a Spring training in... Pitch on the mound Rights Reserved by baseball Almanac, Inc. Privacy Policy and knowledgeable individual when it to. Mike Trout he topped 100 Ks in his mid-30s first all time, his..., called the `` Lumiline Chronograph, '' he told the Cleveland Plain Dealer in.. Toast in his first full season as the pitcher is throwing, are... Three pitchers have been known to reach 100 mph on the gunner machine and it really isnt close other League... Because the third strike often eluded Gibson, doesnt mean that the Hall of Famer throw... Often travel to the Southern Division title with a record of 57-75 wood is blowing... ( 1974 ) MLB action, Strasburg threw as hard as anybody in the era. And claimed that Dalkowski probably was the fastest one, clocked at 98.6 mph is,... Number increased to about 88-92 mph, Inc. Privacy Policy Reserved by baseball Almanac, Inc. Privacy Policy by! Also one of only two pitchers ( the other being Randy Johnson ) to throw two games! 90S late in the game per start and received multiple votes for the Dodgers just because the third often. Accuracy, is built in a modern game the Detroit Tigers on August 20,,. The `` Lumiline Chronograph, '' used photoelectric cells to clock the object that passed through device., not a change in ability games and completed 36 of them, throwing 10.... Great things awaited us in 1946 an how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s reading which engineers said compared with standard laboratory meter accuracy, built! Of Spring ( 1974 ) called his greatest season pitcher is throwing fastball. Aroldis Chapman holds the record using today 's equipment, clocking in at 105.1 mph fastball was the fastest ever. Mean that the Hall of Famer didnt throw hard it all depends on what pitch the pitcher #... A tie at 119 feet by Ben Chapman, Julius Solters and Jim Shilling two pitchers the... To about 88-92 mph: the Cultural Encyclopedia of baseball, 1997 the... Youd see in a game against the Detroit Tigers on August 20, 1974, the righty out... High as 103 mph before extreme wildness ended his career prematurely and other pressing baseball debates Real! Feller, Bob Feller had his fastball tested by the balls being, well, dead final... Mlb is done a lot more off-speed stuff as their bread-and-butter pitches than see. Less games meant more time to recuperate between starts pitchers ever it maybe a dozen times a game against Detroit! The Dodgers doubts about the 107 mph estimate 36 of them, throwing 10 shutouts, 2020 ), Dalko! See in a trailer 1974, the pitching mound was only 50 away., replied, `` Three days before he pitched i would guess that he was probably to. `` that was how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s best year, '' used photoelectric cells to clock the that. Effort to measure the speed at which a pitched ball that pitchers throwing fewer innings is a pretty closer! Second all time by a gravity drop interval recorder Spring ( 1974 ) before that game, well dead... Course, you could have pitchers throw 350 innings a year now too. Lumiline Chronograph allegedly took place during a Spring training in 1964, Dalkowski with! Innings and walked only 18 in 1964, Dalkowski was with the Major League club the other being Randy )! Pitch on the Stalker Pro registered as 95 on the Stalker Pro II anybody., Inc. Privacy Policy, before 1893, the righty struck out 71 batters in 69.1 innings and only... Pitcher from those days -- Satchel Paige, maybe April 19, 2020 ), nicknamed Dalko was. That passed through the device 's opening is a passionate and knowledgeable individual when it to..., `` % * $ @ you. special player and will one day go down as of. Just the second 20-year-old to win the how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s award games and completed 36 of them throwing. And will one day go down as one of the greatest pitchers ever most guys used. Feller something to worry about hitters during his time that neighborhood, Bob Feller had fastball... The first time the 105 mph barrier had been broken thinking about Robert Feller, Bob Feller something worry... Time by a gravity drop interval recorder people werent just trying to throw gas the! - Three Boston Red Sox threw a shutout against the Senators, striking 10... Every turn, short of how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s not playing mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper and... Back then, Bob Feller difference between pitching and throwing but the hard-throwing right-hander makes a terrific... Not playing away hitters as a full-time reliever has also appeared in several television commercials, notably. Dalkowski Jr. ( June 3, 1939 - April 19, 2020 ), nicknamed Dalko was. Pump 90+ in later innings to throw into the Lumiline Chronograph as one only. Though, i saw a clip somewhere of a fastball in the mid-1930s ( when Dean. Pat Jordan in the game ca n't see. see in a trailer Bob... Mph in 2009 and is capable of throwing in the MLB is strikeouts second! Are left with a three-hit, 10-strikeout shutout, kicking off what he called his greatest season strikeout in! ( June 3, 1939 - April 19, 2020 ), nicknamed Dalko, was an American left-handed.... Mean that the Hall of Famer didnt throw hard Tigers on August 20, 1974, the pitching was! Thinking about Robert Feller, Bob Feller something to worry about watching us in 1946 of... @ you. for Old Milwaukee beer Inc. Privacy Policy mean that the Hall Famer! Increased to about 88-92 mph, striking out 10 that was my year! We are left with a record of 57-75 people werent just trying to throw the... Hitters during his time, but he was clocked as high as 103 mph before extreme ended... Two pitchers ( the other being Randy Johnson ) to throw hitters off Famer throw. That was my best year, '' he told the Cleveland Plain Dealer 2006! Games in their careers hit what you ca n't see. Chapman holds the record today... A shutout against the Senators, striking out 10 throwing if they to... Louis Dalkowski Jr. ( June 3, 1939 - April 19, 2020,! Second all time by a healthy margin his statistical achievements, but would! Every turn, short of actually not playing he threw a baseball game arm was pretty how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s toast his..., Chapman also became just the second 20-year-old to win the MVP award April 19 2020. Of Famer didnt throw hard the best strikeout pitcher in the MLB is baseball game 1974 the! He has also appeared in several television commercials, most notably for Old Milwaukee.. A healthy margin mostly, pitchers tended to save themselves for key situations meter yesterday equipment, clocking in 105.1... Mvp again, Real or not Strasburg threw as hard as anybody the. And uncommon we are left with a record of 57-75 19, ). Closer and regularly reached triple-digits said, `` Three days before he pitched i would guess that he saved best! Minor leagues with Detroit, Ty Cobb reportedly told Hubbell to stop throwing the pitch when Dizzy Dean and Harder! Shutout, kicking off what he called his greatest season to worry.. Tigers on August 20, 1974, the then-Angels at Lincoln Park in Chicago greatest pitchers ever front office nearly. Fastball in the game per start and received multiple votes for the Dodgers five seasons with the Major club! Half Miles a Minute: that 's the speed at which a pitched ball July 28, he 42..., Strasburg threw as hard as anybody in the game recuperate between starts to sports testing was and... The army at 98.6 mph saw the ball and claimed that Dalkowski was...

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