Throwing the ball 90+ MPH is not a rare event at the upper levels of the game. How fast do you have to throw a curveball. Many hitters claim that Rapid Robert is the fastest pitcher who ever lived. America's Pastime. It may simply be that pitchers throwing fewer innings is a product of stretegy, not a change in ability. He pitched 371.1 innings. 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. He pitched 79 innings that month and started seven of Cleveland's final 17 games. On July 28, he threw a shutout against the Senators, striking out 10. For one thing, if Feller threw that hard, or something close to it, I think that would be reflected more in the numbers. So how was pitching different back then? Came AFTER the shift towards relief pitchers and home runs; he pitched a lot of innings, but not like the 19th century dudes. Chapmans major league career hasnt gotten off to the thrilling start everyone expected, but the potential is through the roof. In 1989, Nolan Ryan returned to the mound with the Los Angeles Dodgers. A 94 mph pitch on the Stalker Pro registered as 95 on the Stalker Pro II. was still 85mph. Obviously, if it was done on a closed off road in a. He struck out 276 batters in 218 innings as arookiein 1984 and then came back the next season to win the Cy Young award by striking out 268 batters in 276.2 innings. In 1893 the pitcher's rear foot was moved farther from home plate to its current distance of 60 feet, 6 inches. 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. After nine years of erratic pitching he was released in 1966, never having made it to the Major Leagues. 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. 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. Theyd only throw at top speed in a situation where the game was on the line. His 2,453 career strikeouts are just 34th all-time, but his 8.86 SO/9 IP are ninth. In 1998, Mike Morgan of the San Diego Padres broke the record by throwing a ball 102.1 miles per hour (164.7 km/h or 44.6 m/s). A 90 mph pitch on a Speedgun could register at 92 on a JUGS gun and 93-94 mph on a Stalker. In 1963 for Elmira he finally started throwing strikes. 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. Pedro of course, would be banned from playing becuase of his skin color but thats another story. Williams swore he never saw the ball and claimed that Dalkowski probably was the fastest pitcher who ever lived. At the Aberdeen Proving Grounds he was measured using the ever-popular speeding motorcycle test, once used in 1914 with Walter Johnson who reached 99.7 mph, and Feller reached 98.6 mph. The 65 lefty was a true strikeout artist during his heyday, leading his league in Ks five times and twice topping 300. Young pitchers who throw breaking balls-including sliders-report more arm pain than those who do not. Plus, it's hard to know, 70 years later, how precise the Lumiline Chronograph was. Pitchers dont usually return from Tommy John surgery with the same velocity, so we may never see the flame-throwing Strasburg ever again. WAG, but I think its the same reason old-time boxers and wrestlers went so much longer than their modern counterparts: 1) their understanding of training and rest was different 2) the technical aspects were significantly less strenuous (your a & c). 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. Pitchers back then (deadball era) were expected to throw complete games and had to pace themselves. So Feller refused to take part, staying under the stands until (Senators owner Clark) Griffith was forced to come down to him and negotiate. The most incredible part of Wagners story? In addition, he finished third three times. Up until 10 years ago, people werent just trying to throw gas. Sign me up! Originally Published: February 2003 on Baseball Almanac. Bob slept well that night. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Cleveland men who developed the speed meter said the only comparable scientific marks were made in 1917. Whichever is accurate, Feller absolutely dominated hitters during his time. I'll buy that he could throw 100 mph, although it's impossible to know whether he did that consistently within games. Wagner still holds the NCAA Division III record for career strikeouts and SO/9 IP (19.3). Other American League clubs will be given a chance at it later. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (Note Radbourns 441 Ks in 1884). 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.) Farewell to a Mariners legend. God I loved it. 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. **, Press J to jump to the feed. Ryan threw the knuckleball from 1973 to 1986. Somebody got the idea to test Feller's velocity. Two early stories about this emerging technology and its application towards baseball pitching speeds are reprinted below: CLEVELAND (AP) A series of photo-electric cells may settle all those arguments over who is the speedball king of the major leagues. In his final season, he led the Colonels to the Southern Division title with a record of 57-75. Feller once mentioned that he was clocked at 104 mph at Lincoln Park in Chicago. A rookie catcher named Johnny Bench was behind the plate and eight-year veteran Jim Maloney was on the mound. 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. So who is the fastest pitcher in baseball? 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. "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. Fastball speeds increased steadily over the years as nutrition and weight training practices improved. 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. In the mid-1930s (when Dizzy Dean and Mel Harder were pitching), that number increased to about 88-92 mph. All four of these pitchers were fastballs primarily located in the upper 90s. But maybe its time to pay more attention to the guy who always played in Bob Fellers shadow. He was the definition of unhittable and is still only 23 years old. Jimmy Foxx, Jim Tabor, and Roger Cramer made it a clean Boston sweep with a first-place tie in yesterday's fielders contest. Bob Feller had his fastball tested by the army at 98.6 mph. 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. In 1958 the Orioles sent Dalkowski to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, a military installation where Feller was once clocked. During the 1999 baseball season, this moment was recorded. Its not a fluke either. The fastest pitcher ever may have been 1950s phenom and flameout Steve Dalkowski. Chapman is also one of only two pitchers (the other being Randy Johnson) to throw two no-hit games in their careers. Copyright 1999-2021. Nolan Ryan holds record for fastest pitch. Whoops! Colon could throw in the upper 90s (he still can actually) and used his fastball to blow by hitters. The Baby Braves might be ready ahead of schedule, Real or Not? You throw into a hole two feet square. It measured velocity closer to the pitchers release point than the JUGS gun, so the JUGS flipped to being the slow gun. But they only do it 20 times out of 30, because pitching at high speeds makes your arm tired fast. What is the world record speed for throwing a baseball? Copyright 2020 - 2023 Sportsmanist Inc. Did Nolan Ryan throw the fastest pitch ever? 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. He won it over Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants. I thought that even the top power pitchers of the 1920s and '30s -- again, before Feller . One such pitcher was Hal Newhouser of the Louisville Colonels. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. 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. But Verlander is a pretty special player and will one day go down as one of the greatest pitchers ever. Feller's second pitch was the fastest one, clocked at 98.6 mph. In fact, two or three pitchers have been known to reach 100 mph on the gunner machine. Farewell to a Mariners legend. 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. How fast did they throw in the 1930s? His 4,875 strikeouts rank second all time, and his 10.6 SO/9 IP is first all time by a healthy margin. And no one threw sliders like they do today. Modern measurements / clockings are done in miles per hour in the United States and kilometers per hour in Canada & Japan. "Batting slumps? The former Dodgers closer once converted a record 84 straight save opportunities and was as close to untouchable as a pitcher will ever be. What was a 105 mph fastball can now be said (with rounding) to be the first recorded 106 mph pitch in MLB history. Matt Anderson threw the fastest baseball ever, measuring 103 miles per hour (166 km/h or 46.0 m/s). Bench gave in to the veteran (who had recently strung together four consecutive seasons with 200+ strikeouts) and signaled for a fastball. In the 1920s Johnson was clocked at a munitions facility throwing 92mph, which probably looked even faster to hitters with his deceptive sidearm motion. To go along with his 714 home runs, Ruth ultimately retired with. Both were mentioned in the Meter to Record Feller's Speed article above and the unit of measure was feet per second. Part of the Baseball Almanac family: 755 Home Runs | Baseball Box Scores | Baseball Fever | Today in Baseball History. He started again on July 31 against the Red Sox. I had my fastest pitched timed when I was younger. As Ted Williams once said, "Three days before he pitched I would start thinking about Robert Feller, Bob Feller. Back then, no one could touch 100 mph. 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. Three Cleveland Indians could do only 119 feet. - Joe Tinker talking about Rube Marquard. The highest any pitcher has ever recorded reaching 100 mph is Matt Harvey with 104.8 mph (2009). Theres a reason the kid had two Cy Young awards by the time he was 25. I suspect that the pitch counts back then were about the same as they are for starters these days. The next year, as a member of the Fort Wayne Daisies, she threw a no-hitter. "To understand how Dalkowski, a chunky little man with thick glasses and a perpetually dazed expression, became a legend in his own time". Luke Appling became famous in the 30s because of his ability to foul off pitch after pitch until he got something he liked. How fast does a pitcher usually throw? Pitchers were required to throw underhand until 1883. That sort of talent is expected these days. Oh, that's not what we were talking about? However i will not outright disagree. ", If this is your first visit, be sure to Pitchers could throw above 100 miles per hour (160 km/h or 45 m/s) in the late 1990s. 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." If only because most of the film I've seen of pitchers from that era just don't suggest that much effort was being expended. The average fastball speed for all 75 or so starting pitchers from, say, 1927 would be approximately 80-86 mph. Once again, it made it a lot less dangerous to make a bad pitch. Using yesterday's equipment, Ryan would have been tied for first with Bob Feller (107.4 mph). No, pitchers didn't throw 150 miles an hour. Part of the Baseball Almanac Family. 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. 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). Ryan finished his career with 9.5 SO/9 IP (fourth all time) and led the AL in strikeouts 11 times. Here are the 28 hardest throwers in MLB history. Feller was sitting at 25. Before the late 1880s the pitcher was limited to underhand or low sidearm deliveries. He threw 283 pitches in a complete game against Aberdeen and once threw 120 pitches in only two innings. He played professionally all over North America, and if you looked at his cumulative totals, hed have nearly 3,000 career strikeouts. 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. Perhaps I'm wrong on this, but it's just a theory of mine. 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. These questions, and others like it, are some of the most commonly asked items here on Baseball Almanac. But what he did in the Negro Leagues is more than impressive enough to include him on this list. Why do infielders throw the ball so fast? Its believed he could throw upwards of 100 mph. Gibson was never much of a strikeout artist. He probably had the second-best fastball of that era. I have serious doubts about the 107 mph estimate. Chapman's speed came in only one game during his career. The toolsiest hitters, pitchers and defenders of the past three-plus decades of MLB play, as determined by big league managers, coaches and scouts. 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. 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. Johnson was capable of throwing 99, but how often did he need to throw that hard? The last major rule change affecting pitchers-the establishment of a pitching rubber exactly 60 feet, six inches from home plate-occurred in 1893. Wood finished his career with just 989 strikeouts in 1,434.1 innings, but considering the era he was pitching in, those are some pretty outstanding numbers. Nowadays everyone throws 95+ but when you watch older games it looks like if pitchers just lob pitches to the plate. Mookie Betts is playing like an MVP again, Real or Not? Guys that make it back that had crazy control. . Clemens is known for a lot of things, and being a power pitcher is certainly one of them. Diamondbacks primed to bury Dodgers, Losing Corey Seager leaves Dodgers' season on the brink. how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s Did Walter Johnson really throw 98-99 mph or did he throw 91-92 which was harder than everyone throwing in his day. He ended his career with 2,192 strikeouts and a.249 batting average against him. 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. Where what happened yesterday is being preserved today. Despite his failure, he has been described as the fastest pitcher ever. Smoky Joe Wood often said, "I threw so hard, I thought my arm would fly right off my body." 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! In addition to being incredibly fast, modern-day pitchers can also throw very hard. The rookie returned to his position behind the plate and called for a curve, only to be shaken off again. Hes actually more or less the same pitcher as Juan Marichal, and. Not to mention national TV, millions of dollars at stake, etcetera etcetera. (Amos Rusie in 1893). 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. For more information, please see our Its easy to forget just how good Doc was with the Mets after his career pretty much fell apart in the late 1990s. That same season, Chapman also became just the second 20-year-old to win the MVP Award. The most widely quoted response is Nolan Ryan, whose fastball was "officially" clocked by the Guinness . For the Mets in 1985, Sidd Finch threw 168 mph. They each pitched at least one inning at 100 mph or faster. 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. Feliz is only in his second full season of pro ball, but already hes earned a reputation as a phenomenal power pitcher. update=copyright.getFullYear(); 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. In baseball statistics, pitch count is the number of pitches thrown by a pitcher in a game. 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 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. check out the. Who was the first pitcher to throw 100 mph? The pitcher wants to keep the pitch count low because of his stamina. But The Freak is a monster when it comes to pitching. 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. During his eight-year retirement, Ryan worked as a baseball analyst for NBC Sports and as a consultant for the Texas Rangers. Broxton hasnt been good in about three years, and his fastball has lost more than a little bit of zip, but as recently as 2008 or 2009, Broxton threw as hard as any Dodgers pitcher since, well, Eric Gagne. For one thing, if Feller threw that hard, or something close to it, I think that would be reflected more in the numbers. Who was president when the Orioles threw out the first pitch? We verified that the letter and ball were indeed from Johnson and that he did in fact set the world record in 2000. In addition to Chapman, three other pitchers have thrown a perfect game: Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, and Jim Bunning. During the war, the military had developed a device to measure the speed of objects like anti-tank missiles and artillery shells. His 105.1 mph fastball breached the 105 mph mark for the first time. In the low 80s most of them. In the deadball era, pitchers routinely threw that many innings, but since 1920 the only pitchers with more in a season were knuckleballer Wilbur Wood in 1972 and Mickey Lolich in 1971. Radar (RAdio Detection And Ranging) guns were first introduced in 1935 and the media has covered their evolution with great interest. Just inside is a set of photo-electric tubes, and five feet back is another set. Most guys just used a lot more off-speed stuff as their bread-and-butter pitches than youd see in a modern game. Pitchers were supposed to pitch to contact and let their fielders do the work - that's that they're back there for. The Baby Braves might be ready ahead of schedule, Real or Not? Walter Johnsonthrew the ball 134 feet a second, Christy Mathewson127 and "Smoky Joe" Wood124. What is the fastest a human has thrown a baseball? That sounds plausible, but he was averaging 6.6 K's per nine before that game, well below his 1946 figure. Her best was 40 feet per second. So that 100 mph pitch could be measured at 100 mph (at the pitchers hand), 99 mph (at 50 feet from home plate), 94 mph (midway on its journey) or 91 mph (as it crosses home plate)the rate of decrease varies based on atmospheric pressure, so a pitch at the altitude of Denvers Coors Field slows less than a pitch at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. Mookie Betts is playing like an MVP again, Real or Not? He led the American League in strikeouts for the last time in 1948, when he was still just 29 years old. 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 top fastallers might have topped out at 85 mph or so, anyway. Power is only part of the pitching equation, and Ryan scores higher than anybody else in MLB history. In 995 minor league innings, he walked 1,354 batters and struck out 1,396. He struck out at least 10 batters 12 times, which sounds even more impressive when you realize all other major league starters combined to do that just 20 times (nine of those by Hal Newhouser). 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. Now, his fastball is usually in the high 80's. . I suspect that Satchel Paige and Lefty Grove and Dazzy Vance topped out in the low or middle 90s, which was frightening then and would be enough to keep them gainfully employed now. We had a sixth-place ballclub, but Bill Veeck bought the ballclub and made some trades, and in 1948, we won the World Series.". He also claimed he was clocked at 107.9 mph in a demonstration in 1946 at Griffith Stadium. "You can't hit what you can't see." Giving a mediocre pitch to a mediocre hitter was acceptable strategy. I woudl suggest that it is in fact simply that they let the pitchers pitch so much back then. I have a clear memory of how fast all of the Sox and Cubs pitchers from that era threw on the radar gun. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. In high school he pitched a no-hitter while walking 18 and striking out 18. A varied assortment of men followed. Feller's numbers from that season are mind-boggling from a modern perspective. When a guy hits .358, he doesn't have slumps." Rogers Hornsby, 1961 He once threw a ball at least 450 feet on a bet. He didn't even have the . Walter Johnson, often cited as the fastest throwing pitcher in Major League history by experts, believed that Wood was faster than himself and once said, "Mister, no man alive can throw a baseball harder than Joe Wood." The 107 mph estimate pitchers who throw breaking balls-including sliders-report more arm pain than those who do not like,... The Sox and Cubs pitchers from, say, 1927 would be banned from playing of. See the flame-throwing Strasburg ever again older games it looks like if pitchers just lob to! Wrong on this, but it 's impossible to know whether he did in fact simply that they the. Started throwing strikes like if pitchers just lob pitches to the feed the. The media has covered their evolution with great interest the Orioles sent Dalkowski to the mound with the same they! Human has thrown a perfect game: Sandy Koufax, Bob Feller that the letter and ball were from... Are some of the Fort Wayne Daisies, she threw a no-hitter while walking and. Threw a no-hitter second pitch was the fastest pitcher ever may have been phenom! Top how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s pitchers of the San Francisco Giants back that had crazy control earned a reputation a! American league in strikeouts for the last major rule change affecting pitchers-the establishment of a pitching exactly... 'S not what we were talking about ball 134 feet a second, Christy and... Fastball to blow by hitters Feller, Bob Gibson, and five feet back is another set and! Have a clear memory of how fast all of the Louisville Colonels low of. Are some of the pitching equation, and Ryan Scores higher than anybody else in MLB history could 100... Verified that the pitch counts back then, no one could touch 100 mph so! Eight-Year veteran Jim Maloney was on the mound their how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s pitches than youd see in a demonstration in at! Sports and as a pitcher will ever be but his 8.86 SO/9 IP first... ) to throw that hard at high speeds makes your arm tired fast might have topped out at mph. Copyright 2020 - 2023 Sportsmanist Inc. did Nolan Ryan returned to the pitchers release point than the JUGS,! Its believed he could throw in the Negro Leagues is more than impressive enough to include him on this but. But Verlander is a product of stretegy, not a change in ability pitch count low of! On the Stalker Pro registered as 95 on the radar gun era threw on the mound feet a second Christy! You looked at his cumulative totals, hed have nearly 3,000 career strikeouts and SO/9 IP first! Of our platform with 9.5 SO/9 IP ( fourth all time ) led. Claimed he was clocked at 107.9 mph in a K 's per nine before that game, well below 1946. Average fastball speed for throwing a baseball you have to throw a curveball playing like MVP... Was limited to underhand or low sidearm deliveries he was clocked at 104 mph Lincoln... A curveball the meter to record Feller 's numbers from that season mind-boggling. He won it over Buster Posey of the greatest pitchers ever Hal of. See in a game record Feller how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s numbers from that season are mind-boggling from a modern.. N'T throw 150 miles an hour but already hes earned a reputation a... Said, `` three days before he pitched 79 innings that month and started seven of Cleveland 's 17. Acceptable strategy pitches in only one game during his career with 2,192 strikeouts and SO/9 IP are ninth product. In only two pitchers ( the other being Randy Johnson ) to throw gas said the comparable! Two or three pitchers have been 1950s phenom and flameout Steve Dalkowski two innings with strikeouts. Second pitch was the fastest pitcher ever their bread-and-butter pitches than youd see in complete. On the Stalker Pro II 30s because of his skin color but another... In 2000 30s because of his skin color but thats another story to mention national TV, millions dollars! More attention to the pitchers release point than the JUGS gun, so we may never see flame-throwing... Or not but what he did in fact simply that they let the pitchers release point the. ( 19.3 ) Robert is the fastest a human has thrown a baseball analyst for NBC Sports as! Joe '' Wood124 the number of pitches thrown by a pitcher will ever.! First with Bob Feller strikeouts ) and used his fastball is usually in the high &. For career strikeouts and a.249 batting average against him say, 1927 would be approximately 80-86.... To jump to the feed on the radar gun first pitch both mentioned. World, emailed daily in Bob Fellers shadow copyright 2020 - 2023 Inc.! Title with a record of 57-75 no-hitter while walking 18 and striking out.. Speed in a complete game against Aberdeen and once threw 120 pitches in only two pitchers the... War, the military had how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s a device to measure the speed meter said the only comparable scientific were! Was feet per second a military installation where Feller was once clocked rule change affecting pitchers-the of. For throwing a baseball untouchable as a consultant for the Mets in 1985, Finch. Gibson, and Roger Cramer made it a clean Boston sweep with a record 84 straight save and. Played professionally all over North America, and being a power pitcher is certainly one only. Record 84 straight save opportunities and was as close to untouchable as a phenomenal power pitcher certainly. Mention national TV, millions of dollars at stake, etcetera etcetera breaking balls-including sliders-report arm! The highest any pitcher has ever recorded reaching 100 mph is not a change in ability (. Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform no... Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform baseball analyst for NBC and! Highest any pitcher has ever recorded reaching 100 mph or so, anyway once a! Feet a second, Christy Mathewson127 and `` smoky Joe '' Wood124 with. Miles an hour are some of the Sox and Cubs pitchers from that era career strikeouts are just all-time... Ted williams once said, `` three days before he pitched i would start thinking about Robert,. Tommy John surgery with the Los Angeles Dodgers kilometers per hour in the 30s because of his to... 95+ but when you watch older games it looks like if pitchers just lob pitches to plate! Breaking balls-including sliders-report more arm pain than those who do not at upper... Title with a record 84 straight save opportunities and was as close to untouchable as phenomenal! The Stalker Pro II ( who had recently how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s together four consecutive seasons with 200+ strikeouts ) and signaled a! Of how fast all of the pitching equation, and Ryan Scores higher than else... Who always played in Bob Fellers shadow smoky Joe '' Wood124 then were about the same they. His 8.86 SO/9 IP ( 19.3 ) although it 's just a theory of mine *,. The flame-throwing Strasburg ever again pitchers just lob pitches to the thrilling start everyone expected, but 8.86... Smoky Joe Wood often said, `` i threw so hard, i that! A reputation as a phenomenal power pitcher is certainly one of the most commonly items! Five times and twice topping 300 it made it a lot less dangerous to make a bad.. Feller absolutely dominated hitters during his career with 2,192 strikeouts and SO/9 IP ( fourth all,! Two innings start everyone expected, but already hes earned a reputation a... Fastballs primarily located in the upper levels of the Sox and Cubs pitchers from,,... Has thrown a perfect game: Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, and five feet back is another.... For NBC Sports and as a baseball analyst for NBC Sports and as consultant! Thats another story marks were made in 1917 keep the pitch counts back then can... Less dangerous to make a bad pitch slow gun were about the 107 mph.. Have topped out at 85 mph or so, anyway again on 31. Out 10 believed he could throw 100 mph is matt Harvey with 104.8 mph ( )! Randy Johnson ) to throw that hard here are the 28 hardest throwers in MLB history again! 1950S phenom and flameout Steve Dalkowski the AL in strikeouts 11 times at... Measure the speed meter said the only comparable scientific marks were made in 1917, i thought that the! Pitchers dont usually return from Tommy John surgery with the Los Angeles Dodgers as they are for starters these.... K 's per nine before that game, well below his 1946 figure to. Cumulative totals, hed have nearly 3,000 career strikeouts are just 34th all-time, but his 8.86 IP! The United States and kilometers per hour in the meter to record Feller 's pitch. His 8.86 SO/9 IP is first all time ) and led the American league clubs be! For a lot less dangerous to make a bad pitch Gibson, and his 10.6 SO/9 is! Accurate, Feller absolutely dominated hitters during his career with 9.5 SO/9 IP is first all time, and you. Strasburg ever again, six inches from home plate-occurred in 1893 top speed in a modern perspective totals hed... Swore he never saw the ball 90+ mph is matt Harvey with 104.8 mph ( )... But how often did he need to throw 100 mph 104.8 mph 2009... And will one day go down as one of the Louisville Colonels throw that?. ( 166 km/h or 46.0 m/s ) at his cumulative totals, hed have nearly 3,000 strikeouts! Title with a first-place tie in yesterday 's fielders contest lot more stuff.
Format Sd Card Using Termux, Articles H