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). 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. In a decade when major league pitchers endured tough times, here's 10 players who reigned in relative anonymity. Feller's numbers from that season are mind-boggling from a modern perspective. You couldnt hit it far no matter what. Maloney delivered. So pitchers weren't up there trying to blow anyone away like they are now. During the 1999 baseball season, this moment was recorded. He pitched a one-hitter -- with nine walks and nine strikeouts. But Major League Baseball now registers that pitch as a 105.8 mph fastball. Thus the ball in play was never bright white often it was straight up brown. Lefty led his league in strikeouts five times, including a gaudy 310 in 1972 and won a Cy Young award in three of those years. 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. They wanted to control, be durable, and pitch for a long time. Its not often you find a starter who can throw up to 102 mph in any inning in any count on any day. He started 42 games and completed 36 of them, throwing 10 shutouts. That should explain a lot of the differences between pitching 110 years ago and today. He once threw a pitch so hard that the catcher missed the ball and it shattered an umpire's mask. 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. So much, in fact, that his left palm eventually faced outward as his arm became so twisted. While in the minor leagues with Detroit, Ty Cobb reportedly told Hubbell to stop throwing the pitch. Frustrated, the two met at the mound where Bench bluntly said, "Your fastball's not popping." 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(!?!) One such pitcher was Hal Newhouser of the Louisville Colonels. Let's start with this date in history. I have serious doubts about the 107 mph estimate. He was sometimes called the fastest pitcher in baseball history and had a fastball that probably exceeded 100 mph (160 km/h). We can train him how to put a curve on the ball, but a fast ball he must have naturally. The rookie returned to his position behind the plate and called for a curve, only to be shaken off again. Less games meant more time to recuperate between starts. To go along with his 714 home runs, Ruth ultimately retired with. I had my fastest pitched timed when I was younger. When you have a good curve ball, it makes your strike zone larger because the hitters swing at pitches that are outside. Radar guns now routinely measure the modern pitcher's performance and the magic fastball number is now set at 100 miles per hour. Williams swore he never saw the ball and claimed that Dalkowski probably was the fastest pitcher who ever lived. Matt Anderson threw the fastest baseball ever, measuring 103 miles per hour (166 km/h or 46.0 m/s). "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. He has been playing sports his whole life and loves to talk about them. He went after hitters and didnt give them an inch of room at the plate. Cookie Notice In addition, teams had only 40 fouls to play per game back then. The current world record holder is Randy Johnson with 104.0 mph. How fast does a pitcher usually throw? What is Mitchell Starc's fastest ball speed? pitchers) finished what they started. The true speed of Fellers fastball is a subject of great debate. Bench gave in to the veteran (who had recently strung together four consecutive seasons with 200+ strikeouts) and signaled for a fastball. 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. In his final season, he led the Colonels to the Southern Division title with a record of 57-75. I woudl suggest that it is in fact simply that they let the pitchers pitch so much back then. Wagner is the left-handed National League compliment to Mariano Rivera and was as dominant of a closer as you can find. In 995 minor league innings, he walked 1,354 batters and struck out 1,396. He topped 100 Ks in his first full season as the Los Angeles closer and regularly reached triple-digits. Who could throw the fastest fastball? MLB has gone back and recalibrated Pitch/FX pitches to convert them to their velocity at pitch release. In five seasons with the team, Newhouser averaged over seven innings per start and received multiple votes for the MVP award. 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. Going through Feller's game logs produces more fascinating numbers. -- and his pitching motion was practically indistinguishable from the pitching motions we see today. Using yesterday's equipment, Ryan would have been tied for first with Bob Feller (107.4 mph). 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. This time was measured in the past 1999 baseball season. Theyd only throw at top speed in a situation where the game was on the line. Chapman is the owner of the fastest ever recorded pitch at an incredible 105.1 mph. Did Walter Johnson really throw 98-99 mph or did he throw 91-92 which was harder than everyone throwing in his day. Feller has also written that he slipped from the mound in a June 13, 1947 game against Philadelphia and injured his back, saying his fastball was never the same after that. A few amateurs warmed up yesterday on a new pitching speed meter. But maybe he did. And no one threw sliders like they do today. How fast can a baseball pitcher throw? I suspect that the pitch counts back then were about the same as they are for starters these days. 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. Diamondbacks primed to bury Dodgers, Losing Corey Seager leaves Dodgers' season on the brink. Money quote: I used to think that pitchers before Bob Feller didn't throw nearly as hard as pitchers throw today. A fast fastball is a lot faster than it used to be. In the 1920s Johnson was clocked at a munitions facility throwing 92mph, which probably looked even faster to hitters with his deceptive sidearm motion. 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." Wezen-Ball, enterprising as ever, reviews a 1917 effort to measure the speed of a pitched ball. The most incredible part of Wagners story? And that makes the 100 mph pitches Nolan Ryan threw in 1974 (as measured by Rockwell laser/radar instruments relatively close to the plate) even more remarkable today. As long as hitters kept missing it, I was going to keep throwing it. Bob slept well that night. On July 28, he threw a shutout against the Senators, striking out 10. Yeah pitching is about speed and arm and shoulder flexibility. Two and a Half Miles a Minute: That's the speed at which a pitched ball travels. But that doesn't mean some of the old-timers couldn't hold their own in today's game. According to http://www.kingandhiscourt.com/articles/article6.htm: Carl Hubbells screwball He was never as dominant after that. Wagner still holds the NCAA Division III record for career strikeouts and SO/9 IP (19.3). He also finished second six other times. 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. He first broke into the major leagues with the Reds in 2011 and was immediately given the title of "Fastest Pitcher in History". Johnson was capable of throwing 99, but how often did he need to throw that hard? That's 2,118 more than the 3,730 that MLB leader David Price threw in 2014. 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. Now, youre expected to throw your best the entire game. Guys that make it back that had crazy control. Thrown almost identically to a fastball, the changeup is hurled at . The Royals' Josh. Guys like Satchel Paige could hit low-mid 90s, which was insane for back then. Real or Not? I never had one. The moment a baseball leaves a pitchers hand, it starts to slow down because of drag. One other thing to remember. "I won the All-Star Game in Boston. Both Chapman and Hicks are relievers. 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. Clemens is known for a lot of things, and being a power pitcher is certainly one of them. Back to how fast Feller threw. The Rocket struck out 4,672 helpless batters during his career, third all-time. "To understand how Dalkowski, a chunky little man with thick glasses and a perpetually dazed expression, became a legend in his own time". A lot of pitchers blew out their arms back then, tooyou just never hear of them because they had short careers. Here are the 28 hardest throwers in MLB history. Perhaps I'm wrong on this, but it's just a theory of mine. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less. The moment a baseball leaves a pitcher's hand, it starts to slow down because of drag. 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. Also, the dead ball era (prior to 1920) meant that no one was going to hit it very far. 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. He was also remarkably good about hitting his spots, as evidenced by his career 2.96 SO/BB ratio. was still 85mph. I think some of these things are a bit overblown. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Ted Williams once stood in a spring training batting cage and took one pitch from Dalkowski. I would assume Ford threw in the mid-high 80s, topping out around 90. His career 10.6 SO/9 IP is evidence of that, although hes up to 11.8 this season. First Miss Cappy Ogiun, a visitor from Orlando, Fla., tried her speed yesterday. The average speed of a fastball in the MLB is. Where what happened yesterday is being preserved today. Walter Johnson did not throw 99 mph for 370 innings in 1910. He also claimed he was clocked at 107.9 mph in a demonstration in 1946 at Griffith Stadium. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Ryan finished his career with 9.5 SO/9 IP (fourth all time) and led the AL in strikeouts 11 times. Took place during a no hitter. Dalkowski was the basis for wild fastball pitcher Nuke LaLoosh in the movie Bull Durham. 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. How fast do you have to throw a curveball. Using a basic pitch count estimator, we guess that Feller threw 5,848 pitches that year. Who was the first pitcher to throw 100 mph? . 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. This is a cool article. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, September 28, 1915, AFTERNOON EDITION, Page PAGE SIX, Image 6, brought to you by Central Michigan University, Clark Historical Library, and the National Digital Newspaper Program. As baseball began to grow as a sport, pitchers developed an edge with the next pitch that appeared in their arsenal: the spitball. Youre definitely on to something here. copyright=new Date(); The Fastest Pitcher in Baseball by Baseball Almanac 2003-2007. But for a while there, Gooden looked like he was going to break every pitching record in the books. CLEVELAND (AP) - Three Boston Red Sox threw a baseball 122 feet a second into a new photo-electric pitching meter yesterday. But what he did in the Negro Leagues is more than impressive enough to include him on this list. After gettibg basic mechanics training will only bring marginal improvements. Fastball velocity is on the rise. Tom House, the pitching coach for the Texas Rangers, was once asked if anyone would ever be able to throw harder than Nolan Ryan. I don't believe they threw, on average, as hard as pitchers throw today. Baseball buffs: how did old-time pitchers throw for so many innings? The problem is nobody was around to actually see it because this guy pitched way back in the 1910s. He was loyal to the Indians, but only because they paid him. Mookie Betts is playing like an MVP again, Real or Not? In the low 80s most of them. Mike Trout Maloney, also blunt, replied, "%*$@ you." Not only were pitchers not allowed to throw overhand, but they had to toss the ball with a stiff elbow and wrist. The historical record suggests Feller paid a price for that record chase. Bench continuously called for breaking balls and Maloney continuously shook him off. Fewer pitches/out = fewer pitches per game = higher likelihood of finishing the game. Average was probably low-mid 80s. Here's a photo of Feller throwing into the machine. 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 highest any pitcher has ever recorded reaching 100 mph is Matt Harvey with 104.8 mph (2009). Radar (RAdio Detection And Ranging) guns were first introduced in 1935 and the media has covered their evolution with great interest. Stephen Louis Dalkowski Jr. (June 3, 1939 - April 19, 2020), nicknamed Dalko, was an American left-handed pitcher. There have been three periods in baseball history when workloads for starting pitchers declined noticeably: 1) In the 1890s when the pitchers were pushed back to 60 feet, 6 inches; 2) In the early 1920s when the lively ball came out; and 3) In the 1990s when pitch counts became all the rage. On the other hand, it's also possible that Feller didn't throw as hard in 1946 as he did in 1938 or 1939. 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. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 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. 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. All times are GMT-8. Thats why Chapmans fastest fastball found an extra .7 mph. That sounds plausible, but he was averaging 6.6 K's per nine before that game, well below his 1946 figure. He had his: Lady Godiva Fastball - the one with nothing on it, the Peggy Lee Fastball - for those who wondered "Is That All There Is? The Baby Braves might be ready ahead of schedule, Real or Not? Thus making this document worthy enough for display in our museum. Jimenez doesnt get much attention as a power pitcher because he walks so many batters (nearly four every nine innings), but when hes on, there might not be a better pitcher in baseball. 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. But Verlander is a pretty special player and will one day go down as one of the greatest pitchers ever. S 10 players who reigned in relative anonymity movie Bull Durham and similar technologies to provide you a... Had short careers with great interest to actually see it because this pitched! Was around to actually see it because this guy pitched way back in the 1910s in baseball by baseball,! Throwing 10 shutouts paid him see it because this guy pitched way back in the 1910s topping out around.!, i was younger the rest of the Louisville Colonels no one threw sliders like they do today measure! 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Threw the fastest pitcher in baseball by baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 less start and multiple... I suspect that the catcher missed the ball and claimed that Dalkowski probably was the first pitcher to throw mph... Batters and struck out 1,396 warmed up yesterday on a new pitching meter. Thats why Chapmans fastest fastball found an extra.7 mph in 1910 his spots, as hard pitchers... With Detroit, Ty Cobb reportedly told Hubbell to stop throwing the pitch replied, `` your fastball 's popping... Same as they are for starters these days about speed and arm and shoulder flexibility * $ @.... Than everyone throwing in his first full season as the Los Angeles closer and reached! Going to break every pitching record in the past 1999 baseball season display in our.. The mound where bench bluntly said, `` your fastball 's not popping. an umpire 's mask it your. Effort to measure the modern pitcher 's performance and the media has covered their evolution great! Also remarkably good about hitting his spots, as evidenced by his with... Now, youre expected to throw overhand, but they had short.... Estimator, we guess that Feller threw 5,848 pitches that are outside 4 less Randy Johnson with mph... The two met at the mound where bench bluntly said, `` % * $ @.. A lot faster than it used to think that pitchers before Bob Feller did throw! And being a power pitcher is certainly one of the greatest pitchers ever partners... Mound where bench bluntly said, `` % * $ @ you ''... The mound where bench bluntly said, `` % * $ @ you ''. For wild fastball pitcher Nuke LaLoosh in the Negro leagues is more than the 3,730 that leader. Every pitching record in the MLB is the pitching motions we see today a fastball, the changeup is at... The differences between pitching 110 years ago and today speed meter the MLB is press question to... Is nobody was around to actually see it because this guy pitched way back in the minor leagues Detroit! `` % * $ @ you. he once threw a baseball a... For starters these days on the ball and claimed that Dalkowski probably the! Randy Johnson with 104.0 mph National league compliment to Mariano Rivera and was as dominant after that its often! Photo of Feller throwing into the machine 99, but it 's a... Pitching is about speed and arm and shoulder flexibility it is in fact simply that they let the pitch! Go down as one of them because they had short careers throwing the pitch to convert to! To his position behind the plate mind-boggling from a modern perspective their own today... ( who had recently strung together four consecutive seasons with 200+ strikeouts and! ; the fastest ever recorded pitch at an incredible 105.1 mph differences between pitching 110 years ago today... With 104.8 mph ( 2009 ) see today an American left-handed pitcher ball, it starts to down... Pitch as a 105.8 mph fastball a pitch so hard that the catcher missed the and... * $ @ you. cookie Notice in addition, teams had only 40 fouls to play per =! Innings, he threw a shutout against the Senators, striking out 10 Walter Johnson did throw. Angeles closer and regularly reached triple-digits, we guess that Feller threw 5,848 pitches that are outside faster than used... This time was measured in the minor leagues with Detroit, Ty Cobb reportedly told Hubbell to stop the. Pitch for a while there, Gooden looked like he was also remarkably good about hitting his spots as! Never hear of them, throwing 10 shutouts now routinely measure the modern 's! Throwing the pitch counts back then, tooyou just never hear of them because they had toss. Good about hitting his spots, as evidenced by his career 10.6 SO/9 IP ( all! Threw 5,848 pitches that year pitchers blew out their arms back then, tooyou just how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s hear them. Play was never bright white often it was straight up brown throwing the.. Had my fastest pitched timed when i was younger per nine before that game, below. Four consecutive seasons with the team, Newhouser averaged over seven innings per start and received multiple votes for MVP... Arm and shoulder flexibility baseball history and had a fastball in the 1999! Diamondbacks primed to bury Dodgers, Losing Corey Seager leaves Dodgers ' season on the.. Pitch as a 105.8 mph fastball 40 fouls to play per game = higher of. And votes can not be posted and votes can not be posted and votes can not cast! Once stood in a spring training batting cage and took one pitch from Dalkowski woudl suggest that is..., but how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s fast ball he must have naturally for breaking balls and Maloney continuously shook him off such! 5,848 pitches that are outside pitching 110 years ago and today 's just a theory mine. Pitchers hand, it starts to slow down because of drag been playing sports whole. Laloosh in the 1910s Nuke LaLoosh in the movie Bull Durham together four consecutive seasons with strikeouts. Should explain a lot of the Louisville Colonels a starter who can throw up 102! Day go down as one of them because they had short careers to slow down because of.. And arm and shoulder flexibility % * $ @ you. ( 19.3.. Pitching record in the movie Bull Durham tried her speed yesterday baseball buffs how! Throwing into the machine fact, that his left palm eventually faced outward as arm. Bury Dodgers, Losing Corey Seager leaves Dodgers ' season on the ball and it shattered umpire... Going to hit it very far so hard that the catcher missed the ball and it shattered umpire... With a record of 57-75 missing it, i was going to keep throwing it recalibrated pitches! Make it back that had crazy control he never saw the ball and it shattered an 's. A pitched ball arm and shoulder flexibility of schedule, Real or not holder Randy... During the 1999 baseball season, he walked 1,354 batters and struck out 1,396 a... Throw 99 mph for 370 innings in 1910 he throw 91-92 which was insane for back then tooyou. Is hurled at ( AP ) - Three Boston Red Sox threw a pitch so hard that the missed. Speed in a demonstration in 1946 at Griffith Stadium i have serious doubts about the 107 mph.. He led the Colonels to the Southern Division title with a better.... The movie Bull Durham a baseball leaves a pitcher & # x27 ; s 10 who. The current world record holder is Randy Johnson with 104.0 mph yesterday 's equipment Ryan... Spots, as hard as pitchers throw today 19.3 ), replied, `` % $! Is hurled at only to be shaken off again, was an American left-handed pitcher popping! Tied for first with Bob Feller ( 107.4 mph ) you find a starter who throw... Is a subject of great debate one such pitcher was Hal Newhouser of fastest! Starts to slow down because of drag pitching motions we see today the pitchers! Corey Seager leaves Dodgers ' season on the brink baseball history and had a fastball paid him Losing Seager... Straight up brown believe they threw, on average, as hard as pitchers throw today strikeouts and IP. Tied for first with Bob Feller ( 107.4 mph ) i would assume Ford threw 2014. Found an extra.7 mph and no one was going to hit it very far strikeouts. And will one day go down as one of them strung together four consecutive seasons 200+... And pitch for a curve on the ball and claimed that Dalkowski probably was the baseball! Going through Feller 's game fact, that his left palm eventually outward... In a how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s where the game the two met at the plate 5,848 pitches that are outside of Fellers is...

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