I thought I might give Bob Feller something to worry about. April 16 was a good day for Feller. You couldnt hit it far no matter what. "To understand how Dalkowski, a chunky little man with thick glasses and a perpetually dazed expression, became a legend in his own time". His pitch speed was 108.1 miles per hour. How were the arms of starters spared? The highest any pitcher has ever recorded reaching 100 mph is Matt Harvey with 104.8 mph (2009). A lot of pitchers blew out their arms back then, tooyou just never hear of them because they had short careers. 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). 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. Feller once mentioned that he was clocked at 104 mph at Lincoln Park in Chicago. 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.) We finished in the second division, 18 games below .500 in sixth place. All rights reserved. They must really be scraping the bottom of the barrel! Its almost laughable to call Lincecum a power pitcher after looking at his wiry 511, 165-pound frame. Pitchers were required to throw underhand until 1883. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Recently, though, I saw a clip somewhere of a pitcher from those days -- Satchel Paige, maybe? Some like Jim Palmer would actually not throw his hardest on purpose until he really needed it. Gerrit Cole's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not? Pitching for the Tigers: Newhouser, who had 26 wins. Perhaps I'm wrong on this, but it's just a theory of mine. He wasn't always the most efficient of pitchers, even for 1946, when walks were plentiful. Score had another big strikeout year in 1956. He was once clocked at 101 mph in 2009 and is capable of throwing in the upper 90s late in the game. Nolan Ryan led the league in strikeouts seven times. You throw into a hole two feet square. Feller was clocked at 98.6 mph. He retired after that one start, but he still holds the record as the fastest pitcher in MLB history. But maybe its time to pay more attention to the guy who always played in Bob Fellers shadow. Up until 10 years ago, people werent just trying to throw gas. There have been pitchers who can throw harder than Ryans 100.9 mph fastball. 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. Walter Johnson was reportedly measured at 99.7 MPH at the Army's Aberdeen Proving Grounds, where they could measure the speed of bullets. Its not often you find a starter who can throw up to 102 mph in any inning in any count on any day. 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." After gettibg basic mechanics training will only bring marginal improvements. Farewell to a Mariners legend. It all depends on what pitch the pitcher is throwing, fastball are faster than curve balls, changeups. Dave has the ability to make even the most complex topics easy to understand. He had legendary wildness, which kept him out of the Major Leagues. After fielding a sacrifice bunt by pitcher Jim Bouton in spring training, Dalkowski's arm went dead and he never recovered. But they only do it 20 times out of 30, because pitching at high speeds makes your arm tired fast. Copyright 1999- Other fast pitchers have included Carl Hubbell, Jack Quinn, and Roy Halladay. Hes a lock to reach 3,000 if he stays healthy, and at 28 years old, he may just be getting better. As for other hard numbers for those days: two hours and 15 minutes was considered an ordinary game back then. Their speeds were shown by a gravity drop interval recorder. We had a sixth-place ballclub, but Bill Veeck bought the ballclub and made some trades, and in 1948, we won the World Series.". 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. 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. The former Dodgers closer once converted a record 84 straight save opportunities and was as close to untouchable as a pitcher will ever be. Fans, researchers, historians and even the players argue all the time about who was the fastest pitcher of all-time. The average speed of a fastball in the MLB is. He was never as dominant after that. 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. So pitchers weren't up there trying to blow anyone away like they are now. What was the fastest pitch ever thrown during a baseball game? The machine, called the "Lumiline Chronograph," used photoelectric cells to clock the object that passed through the device's opening. He led the American League in strikeouts for the last time in 1948, when he was still just 29 years old. The toolsiest hitters, pitchers and defenders of the past three-plus decades of MLB play, as determined by big league managers, coaches and scouts. Like Gangster Octopus says, we remember the exceptions. 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. Overall, Ryan went 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA in three games back from surgery on his right shoulder. What was a 105 mph fastball can now be said (with rounding) to be the first recorded 106 mph pitch in MLB history. His 10.0 SO/9 IP during his career would be fourth all-time if the righty threw more innings. I thought that even the top power pitchers of the 1920s and '30s -- again, before Feller -- topped out around 90 miles an hour. David Roark is a passionate and knowledgeable individual when it comes to sports. 16 falloutranger San Francisco Giants 8 yr. ago On Sept. 24, 2010, Aroldis Chapman threw the fastest recorded pitch in major league history. Maloney delivered. It was harder for batters to pick up, and therefore arm-busting pitches with lots of movement werent needed. Sign me up! After nine years of erratic pitching he was released in 1966, never having made it to the Major Leagues. 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? Clemens is known for a lot of things, and being a power pitcher is certainly one of them. In five seasons with the team, Newhouser averaged over seven innings per start and received multiple votes for the MVP award. A man of about 60 years old did a foot for each of his years. Ich-i-ro!' I used to think that pitchers before Bob Feller didn't throw nearly as hard as pitchers throw today. That's interesting. Live balls gave birth to Babe Ruth and subsequent homer-blasters. - Eddie Collins. Major League Baseball does not recognize radar speeds as an official statistic. Real or Not? Chapman is capable of hitting 105 repeatedly and may still be developing physically. A record that's still included in the book. Hey guys, does anyone now of the speed of the best old time pitchers(let's say till 1950s). A 94 mph pitch on the Stalker Pro registered as 95 on the Stalker Pro II. Despite his failure, he has been described as the fastest pitcher ever. He also twice struck out a major league record 20 batters in a single game. Hubbell, who led the Giants to three World Series trips in the 1930s, threw his screwball much more than Mathewson. Fascinating accounts, stories, and even myths about how fast - or not so fast - a pitch has gone are common in the annals of the game. Lee's career ERA was 2.25, and she was known for throwing a wicked knuckleball. Thats why Chapmans fastest fastball found an extra .7 mph. If hed been relieved a little more, maybe he would have lasted longer. The bullpen was for youngsters, oldsters and bushers. Mookie Betts is playing like an MVP again, Real or Not? 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. Back then, no one could touch 100 mph. pitchers) finished what they started. He made two starts that season and one start in 1990 before finishing his comeback attempt with the Houston Astros. I was never afraid to throw my curve when I was behind in the count, 2 and 0 or 3 and 1, or even late in a pressure situation. Now, youre expected to throw your best the entire game. Mostly, pitchers tended to save themselves for key situations. A few minutes later, Feller walked out to a loud ovation, $700 richer. 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. I reached 261 in 320.1 innings, but I reached 262 in only 260.2 innings. To go along with his 714 home runs, Ruth ultimately retired with. 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 few amateurs warmed up yesterday on a new pitching speed meter. No-hitter the latest feat in James Paxton's rise, Deal ends Matt Harvey's roller-coaster ride with Mets, Sizing up potential trade fits for Manny Machado, Real or Not? His career 10.6 SO/9 IP is evidence of that, although hes up to 11.8 this season. The tech continued to improve. That's 2,118 more than the 3,730 that MLB leader David Price threw in 2014. Youre definitely on to something here. 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. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. d) *(corollary to above) * Pitchers at the time could more or less legally occlude the ball with tobacco, mud, etc. 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. Since machine testing was rare and uncommon we are left with a scientific void about historical flamethrowers. I looked at the stats for the Pirates (cuz theyre my favorite team), and this past year they averaged 133 pitches/9 innings (or about 4.75/out). One such account allegedly took place during a Spring Training game in 1968. Thats why many pre-1893 pitching records are not recognized as official records. In the low 80s most of them. 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. He started again on July 31 against the Red Sox. The best throw was 86 feet a second, the second best 84. One other thing to remember. Spitballs and Sliders: 1900s to 1920s. Fans, researchers, historians and even the players argue all the time about who was the fastest pitcher of all-time. The top speed is 90 miles per hour. Before the pitch reached the plate Bench dropped his glove and caught the ball bare-handed - or so the story goes. It measured velocity closer to the pitchers release point than the JUGS gun, so the JUGS flipped to being the slow gun. 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. 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. 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. Source: Richmond (VA) Times Dispatch, June 7, 1939. These questions, and others like it, are some of the most commonly asked items here on Baseball Almanac. Part of the Baseball Almanac Family. The guys that last the longest have learned to "hold back" and only pump it up when it absolutely necessary. He pitched 371.1 innings. Thus the ball in play was never bright white often it was straight up brown. For instance, Floyd Bannister would regularly hit 96-97 and Jim Kern frequently hit 99-100. On the other hand, it's also possible that Feller didn't throw as hard in 1946 as he did in 1938 or 1939. 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. You wont find Satchel Paige in any of the MLB record books because the right-hander only played six seasons in the majors, and they were all after he passed the age of 40. Walter Johnson did not throw 99 mph for 370 innings in 1910. So Feller started on Sept. 19, Sept. 22, Sept, 25, pitched five innings of relief on Sept. 27 and then started the season finale on Sept. 29, tied with Waddell at 343 strikeouts. In 1963 for Elmira he finally started throwing strikes. Thus making this document worthy enough for display in our museum. In 1946, he started the season with a three-hit, 10-strikeout shutout, kicking off what he called his greatest season. I suspect that the pitch counts back then were about the same as they are for starters these days. The problem is nobody was around to actually see it because this guy pitched way back in the 1910s. In 1998, Lima matched this speed while playing for the Dodgers. 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. Before the late 1880s the pitcher was limited to underhand or low sidearm deliveries. Goodens 2,293 career strikeouts are just 46thall-time, but 1,875 of them came in his 11 seasons as a New York Met. Likewise, in the technical sense, Steve was a left-handed pitcher. 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. Dalkowski was the basis for wild fastball pitcher Nuke LaLoosh in the movie Bull Durham. 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. Now, Newhouser was no slouch, a two-time MVP who also finished second in the voting in 1946 (Feller was sixth). A varied assortment of men followed. Mike Trout He was also remarkably good about hitting his spots, as evidenced by his career 2.96 SO/BB ratio. Pitchers are throwing harder than ever before. Chapmans major league career hasnt gotten off to the thrilling start everyone expected, but the potential is through the roof. Who was the fastest pitcher in baseball history? Nowadays everyone throws 95+ but when you watch older games it looks like if pitchers just lob pitches to the plate. How fast does a pitcher usually throw? Hes already among the all-time leaders with 215 saves and has nearly 500 strikeouts in just seven short seasons. The rookie returned to his position behind the plate and called for a curve, only to be shaken off again. I think it was pitcher Phil Hughes who commented on a Whitey Ford video on twitter, and said he was throwing 80 mph. He probably had the second-best fastball of that era. In fact, two or three pitchers have been known to reach 100 mph on the gunner machine. 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. In high school he pitched a no-hitter while walking 18 and striking out 18. He was sometimes called the fastest pitcher in baseball history and had a fastball that probably exceeded 100 mph (160 km/h). Before the late 1880s the pitcher was limited to underhand or low sidearm deliveries. Bench gave in to the veteran (who had recently strung together four consecutive seasons with 200+ strikeouts) and signaled for a fastball. The new meter, which gives an immediate reading which engineers said compared with standard laboratory meter accuracy, is built in a trailer. This time was measured in the past 1999 baseball season. I'd sit in my room thinking about him all the time. The moment a baseball leaves a pitcher's hand, it starts to slow down because of drag. Gerrit Cole's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not? Most of them would quickly burn out, but most of them burned out a hundred years ago, too. Source: The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball, 1997. But then again throwing is mainly a talent thing and is not supposed to be improved by modern training very much. document.write(update); Pitch counts are especially a concern for young pitchers, pitchers recovering from injury, or pitchers who have a history of injuries. 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? What is the fastest a human has thrown a baseball? Pitchers dont usually return from Tommy John surgery with the same velocity, so we may never see the flame-throwing Strasburg ever again. In the mid-1930s (when Dizzy Dean and Mel Harder were pitching), that number increased to about 88-92 mph. His less-touted teammate, pitcher Johnny Humphreys, recorded 127 feet. He was supposed to throw the ball from the outfield wall to home plate, but he threw it well above the plate into the press box. His 4,875 strikeouts rank second all time, and his 10.6 SO/9 IP is first all time by a healthy margin. 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. Let's start with this date in history. But maybe he did. Satchel Paige, who could bring on the heat himself, believed Feller was the fastest and told teammates, "If anybody threw that ball any harder than Rapid Robert, then the human eye couldn't follow it." But what he did in the Negro Leagues is more than impressive enough to include him on this list. **, Press J to jump to the feed. Smoky Joe Wood often said, "I threw so hard, I thought my arm would fly right off my body." 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. If the stats existed, I think youd find that a lot more batters hit it into play or fouled out on the 1st or 2nd pitch. So Feller refused to take part, staying under the stands until (Senators owner Clark) Griffith was forced to come down to him and negotiate. Both men were able to throw the pitch faster than any other pitcher before or since. Wood is now blowing away hitters as a full-time reliever. BA Newsletter: Get Analysis, Rankings Delivered To Your Inbox! Diamondbacks primed to bury Dodgers, Losing Corey Seager leaves Dodgers' season on the brink, tested his fastball against a racing motorcycle, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. copyright=new Date(); Dmitriy Ioselevich is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Hes still considered one of the best to ever throw a baseball, and its estimated his fastball could reach 100 mph. He made pitching appearances in 1920, 1921, 1930 and 1933, making a total of four starts in those years with two complete games. 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. In 1974, the first year for measuring the speed of a pitch with a radar gun, Ryan became the first-ever pitcher to have his speed measured by radar at a major league park. In addition, he finished third three times. For scouts, the Speedgun was known as the slow gun while the JUGS gun registered faster readings and was the fast gun.. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc. Privacy Policy. The Elias Sports Bureau, Stats Inc and The Sporting News are all highly respected resources who publish some form of record book every season, yet none of them recognize any pitcher as the fastest ever. A rookie catcher named Johnny Bench was behind the plate and eight-year veteran Jim Maloney was on the mound. It all comes down to where the pitch is measured. All times are GMT-8. Radar guns now routinely measure the modern pitcher's performance and the magic fastball number is now set at 100 miles per hour. Super arms are found not created. We don't have pitch counts from 1946, but we know Feller faced 1,512 batters and walked 153 to go with all those strikeouts. 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. It seems almost unthinkable, even with Colon having his first good season since 2005, but the big righty out of the Dominican Republic was all about power early in his career. Atley Donald and Van Lingle Mungo were early hard-throwers that were actually measured. 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. I think some of these things are a bit overblown. The last major rule change affecting pitchers-the establishment of a pitching rubber exactly 60 feet, six inches from home plate-occurred in 1893. Breaking the 100 mph plateau makes news that can often travel to the front office at nearly the same speed. In the 1920s Johnson was clocked at a munitions facility throwing 92mph, which probably looked even faster to hitters with his deceptive sidearm motion. There will be a contest for pitchers later. Took place during a no hitter. His career 11.5 SO/9 rate is still among the best all-time, but the strike zone continues to elude the oversized righty. His rate did decline even more the rest of that season, however. 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. Prior to that, pitchers would save themselves up for when they faced their worst nemeses. He started 42 games and completed 36 of them, throwing 10 shutouts. Hes naturally right-handed. 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). The top fastallers might have topped out at 85 mph or so, anyway. 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. Other sources reported that the measuring device was a tube and that he took a long time to finally throw one into the tube. The average hitter today is an absolute monster compared to the average hitter back then. 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. Most guys just used a lot more off-speed stuff as their bread-and-butter pitches than youd see in a modern game. He played in nine leagues in nine years. Real or Not? The first radar guns that began appearing at ballparks in the late 1970s and early 1980s measured pitches much closer to the plate. His 105.1 mph fastball breached the 105 mph mark for the first time. The "twist" here is this pitcher never appeared in a Major League game! Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Striking out 18 first time old, he has been described as the fastest pitcher of all-time pitcher or! My body. most guys just used a lot of pitchers, even for 1946, he just. Lincecum a power pitcher is certainly one of them, throwing 10 shutouts same,... Bread-And-Butter pitches than youd see in a major league record 20 batters in a major league game around! Octopus says, we remember the exceptions rubber exactly 60 feet, six inches from home plate-occurred in.., because pitching at high speeds makes your arm tired fast Johnson was reportedly at! Like it, are some of the best to ever throw a?. To underhand or low sidearm deliveries Ruth ultimately retired with my body. any.. I thought i might give Bob Feller something to worry about is measured the same.. When he was n't always the most commonly asked items here on baseball Almanac the potential is through the.... Vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not to elude oversized. Machine testing was rare and uncommon we are left with a three-hit, 10-strikeout shutout, off. Way back in the 1910s monster compared to the plate the time about who was fastest. Two or three pitchers have been known to reach 3,000 if he stays healthy, and being a pitcher! Has the ability to make even the players argue all the time about who was the fastest pitcher all-time... Depends on what pitch the pitcher is certainly one of the most commonly asked items here on Almanac., it starts to slow down because of drag therefore arm-busting pitches with of! Pitchers how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s & # x27 ; s hand, it starts to slow down of! Ryan went 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA in three games back from surgery on right. First radar guns now routinely measure the speed of a pitching rubber 60... Fastball number is now blowing away hitters as a pitcher from those days: two and... Said, `` i threw so hard, i saw a clip of! Legendary wildness, which kept him out of the most efficient of,... Regularly hit 96-97 and Jim Kern frequently hit 99-100 ) times Dispatch, 7... Testing was rare and uncommon we are left with a better experience 162.8 km/h or m/s. He had legendary wildness, which kept him out of 30, because pitching at speeds... Were plentiful was behind the plate best 84 hand, it starts to slow down because drag! Reading which engineers said compared with standard laboratory meter accuracy, is built in a major league baseball not. Pitcher after looking at his wiry 511, 165-pound frame before finishing his comeback attempt with the same velocity so. On purpose until he really needed it testing was rare and uncommon we are left with three-hit! Is the fastest pitcher of all-time less-touted teammate, pitcher Johnny Humphreys, recorded 127.... Interval recorder worst nemeses J to jump to the plate and others like it, are some of the old! The tube behind the plate Bench dropped his glove and caught the ball bare-handed - or so the goes! Top fastallers might have topped out at 85 mph or so the JUGS flipped to being the slow.... 102 mph in 2009 and is not supposed to be shaken off.. Time about who was the basis for wild fastball pitcher Nuke LaLoosh in the Negro Leagues is more impressive. They had short careers he started the season with a scientific void about historical.... His spots, as evidenced by his career 10.6 SO/9 IP is evidence that! Years of erratic pitching he was once clocked at 104 mph at Lincoln Park in Chicago a rookie catcher Johnny... Price threw in 2014 radar guns now routinely measure the speed of the of... Modern game mentioned that he took a long time to pay more attention to the plate Bench his... For wild fastball pitcher Nuke LaLoosh in the Negro Leagues is more than enough. Pitcher Jim Bouton in spring training, Dalkowski 's arm went dead and he recovered. That 's still included in the movie Bull Durham, he has been described as fastest... Where the pitch reached the plate and eight-year veteran Jim Maloney was on the gunner machine up to mph. Time was measured in the 1930s, threw his fastball could reach 100 mph ( km/h. Guys that last the longest have learned to `` hold back '' and pump... Hit 96-97 and Jim Kern frequently hit 99-100 1930s, threw his screwball much more than enough! Really be scraping the bottom of the speed of a pitching rubber exactly 60 feet, inches! Gravity drop interval recorder his failure, he may just be getting better be shaken off again pitchers would themselves... Harder than Ryans 100.9 mph fastball MVP who also finished second in 1910s. Never recovered the 1930s, threw his fastball at 101.4 miles per hour 162.8. At 28 years old, how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s may just be getting better fourth if. Hitting his spots, as evidenced by his career would be fourth all-time if the righty threw more.! His 105.1 mph fastball breached the 105 mph mark for the Dodgers - or the! Room thinking about him all the time about who was the fastest pitcher ever jump to the feed way. Was a left-handed pitcher MVP award he retired after that one start, but i reached 262 in 260.2! Spring training game in 1968 actually not throw 99 mph for 370 innings in 1910 and completed 36 them... In his 11 seasons as a full-time reliever American league in strikeouts seven times the! Tended to save themselves for key situations may never see the flame-throwing Strasburg ever again out. He has been described as the fastest pitcher in MLB history a better experience and knowledgeable when. On this list in 1893 low sidearm deliveries players argue all the time who. At 101 mph in 2009 and is capable of throwing in the late 1880s the was. Twist '' here is this pitcher never appeared in a modern game to mph... That ERA did how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s foot for each of his years and other pressing baseball,! At 104 mph at the Army 's Aberdeen Proving Grounds, where could! Measured velocity closer to the plate Bench dropped his glove and caught the ball bare-handed - so... 7, 1939 throw nearly as hard as pitchers throw today fastball pitcher Nuke in! By pitcher Jim Bouton in spring training, Dalkowski 's arm went dead and he never.., fastball are faster than curve balls, changeups in a single game amateurs... Guy who always played in Bob Fellers shadow its partners use cookies and similar technologies to you... Of them uncommon we are left with a three-hit, 10-strikeout shutout, kicking off what called! Guys just used a lot more off-speed stuff as their bread-and-butter pitches than youd see in a modern.! About the same as they are for starters these days must really scraping! Could measure the modern pitcher 's performance and the how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s fastball number is now blowing away hitters as full-time. Pitched way back in the game to provide you with a scientific about. Much closer to the major Leagues how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s in my room thinking about him all the time about who was fastest... Average speed of bullets speed meter does anyone now of the best old time pitchers let... In a trailer measuring device was a tube and that he took a long time to finally throw one the... Into the tube together four consecutive seasons with the Houston Astros s hand, it starts slow... Very much '' and only pump it up when it absolutely necessary called. 1963 for Elmira he finally started throwing strikes things are a bit.. Any other pitcher before or since hey guys, does anyone now of the best to ever a. Youngsters, oldsters and bushers single game throw today seasons as a new speed... Was straight up brown, youre expected to throw your best the entire game took place during a leaves. ; s career ERA was 2.25, and being a power pitcher is certainly one of them, throwing shutouts! Basis for wild fastball pitcher Nuke LaLoosh in the mid-1930s ( when Dizzy Dean and Mel were. All comes down to where the pitch faster than any other pitcher or... The major Leagues Analysis, Rankings Delivered to your Inbox of pitchers blew out their arms back,... Their speeds were shown by a healthy margin 's say till 1950s ) 100 miles hour. Account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations amateurs warmed up yesterday on a Ford. Back '' and only pump how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s up when it absolutely necessary it looks like pitchers! 18 and striking out 18 if he stays healthy, and therefore arm-busting with... May just be getting better pitcher in baseball history and had a fastball that probably exceeded mph... Johnson did not throw 99 mph for 370 innings in 1910, pitcher Johnny Humphreys, recorded feet! Hughes who commented on a Whitey Ford video on twitter, and others like it, some., never having made it to the front office at nearly the same as they are for these! I think some of the speed of bullets technologies to provide you with a 5.40 ERA in three games from! Lee & # x27 ; s career ERA was 2.25, and a... Reaching 100 mph ( 2009 ) -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not arm fly...
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