how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s

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. Just inside is a set of photo-electric tubes, and five feet back is another set. That sort of talent is expected these days. His career 11.5 SO/9 rate is still among the best all-time, but the strike zone continues to elude the oversized righty. Theres a reason the kid had two Cy Young awards by the time he was 25. 1 farm systems fared in the following seasons. How fast did Seaver throw? In his brief taste of MLB action, Strasburg threw as hard as anybody in the game. Source: The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball, 1997. He was an ace, struck out 1900+ guys. The moment a baseball leaves a pitcher's hand, it starts to slow down because of drag. Mostly, pitchers tended to save themselves for key situations. Like Gangster Octopus says, we remember the exceptions. He first broke into the major leagues with the Reds in 2011 and was immediately given the title of "Fastest Pitcher in History". In five seasons with the team, Newhouser averaged over seven innings per start and received multiple votes for the MVP award. I have serious doubts about the 107 mph estimate. were exceptions. A modern radar gun measures the pitch either out of the hand or ten feet away from the pitcher, depending on the gunmost measurements all the way up to the 1980's would measure a pitcher about 60 feet from his hand (although I believe Walter Johnson was clocked 25 or 30 feet away from his hand). He has been playing sports his whole life and loves to talk about them. A 90 mph pitch on a Speedgun could register at 92 on a JUGS gun and 93-94 mph on a Stalker. Pitchers could throw above 100 miles per hour (160 km/h or 45 m/s) in the late 1990s. I wound up and gave it all I had. In 1963 for Elmira he finally started throwing strikes. But for a while there, Gooden looked like he was going to break every pitching record in the books. His arm was pretty much toast in his mid-30s. The results from the "contest for pitchers" have never been found. Cookie Notice [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. He once threw a ball at least 450 feet on a bet. There have been pitchers who can throw harder than Ryans 100.9 mph fastball. As for other hard numbers for those days: two hours and 15 minutes was considered an ordinary game back then. 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. ", If this is your first visit, be sure to Baseball buffs: how did old-time pitchers throw for so many innings? Over the course of the past decade, Chapmans fastest fastball had gotten faster by nearly a mile per hour. It wasnt Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier, but it was significant. For scouts, the Speedgun was known as the slow gun while the JUGS gun registered faster readings and was the fast gun.. Today it will test the salary wings of Bob Feller, and any other members of the Cleveland and Boston American loop clubs who are willing. I'm going off my memory so plenty of room for error, but I recall in an interview that pitchers back in the day wouldnt every themselves unless they were in a jam. In the 1920s Johnson was clocked at a munitions facility throwing 92mph, which probably looked even faster to hitters with his deceptive sidearm motion. I don't know of any underhand pitcher who can throw 90, although Carl Mays was probably in that neighborhood. "You can't hit what you can't see." Super arms are found not created. Discuss (or should we say argue) with fellow baseball fans on Baseball Fever who you believe threw the fastest pitch ever. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Came AFTER the shift towards relief pitchers and home runs; he pitched a lot of innings, but not like the 19th century dudes. But maybe its time to pay more attention to the guy who always played in Bob Fellers shadow. The average hitter today is an absolute monster compared to the average hitter back then. It wasn't exactly Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier, but it was a remarkable achievement. 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. Pitchers dont usually return from Tommy John surgery with the same velocity, so we may never see the flame-throwing Strasburg ever again. That sounds plausible, but he was averaging 6.6 K's per nine before that game, well below his 1946 figure. He also claimed he was clocked at 107.9 mph in a demonstration in 1946 at Griffith Stadium. They didnt replace the game balls as often consequently by the end of a game the ball was a blackened, tobacco-sopping, lopsided, scuffed, bag of mush. And that is #62, Herb Score. What is Mitchell Starc's fastest ball speed? I have a clear memory of how fast all of the Sox and Cubs pitchers from that era threw on the radar gun. For instance, Floyd Bannister would regularly hit 96-97 and Jim Kern frequently hit 99-100. When you have a good curve ball, it makes your strike zone larger because the hitters swing at pitches that are outside. He walked 21 in one minor league game and struck out 21 in another. 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. Likewise, in the technical sense, Steve was a left-handed pitcher. Before the late 1880s the pitcher was limited to underhand or low sidearm deliveries. The Royals' Josh. Copyright 2020 - 2023 Sportsmanist Inc. Did Nolan Ryan throw the fastest pitch ever? They must really be scraping the bottom of the barrel! If a pitcher attempted to throw too fast, he'd be booed off the village green. 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. Thus making this document worthy enough for display in our museum. 67 mph. As Ted Williams once said, "Three days before he pitched I would start thinking about Robert Feller, Bob Feller. A record that's still included in the book. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, The subreddit for the bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players. Yeah pitching is about speed and arm and shoulder flexibility. The top speed is 90 miles per hour. Theyd only throw at top speed in a situation where the game was on the line. So what I'm reading from this thread is that if I were able to travel back in time I might be able to play for an MLB team? Nobody else in the league can do that." Baseball Almanac honestly does not know. Walter Johnson did not throw 99 mph for 370 innings in 1910. 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. However, he is still just 23 years old. I reached 261 in 320.1 innings, but I reached 262 in only 260.2 innings. The Speedgun, developed by Decatur Technologies (a long-time maker of police radar guns) measured closer to the plate than the JUGS gun. Feller pushed back against management tyranny at every turn, short of actually not playing. 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. Gibson was never much of a strikeout artist. In a game against the Detroit Tigers on August 20, 1974, the then-Angels . 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. He drifted to various jobs and landed in Bakersfield, California, where he was arrested many times for fighting. In 995 minor league innings, he walked 1,354 batters and struck out 1,396. So pitchers weren't up there trying to blow anyone away like they are now. Pitching is a very important technique in the game of baseball. He also finished second six other times. The best the Indians could do was a tie at 119 feet by Ben Chapman, Julius Solters and Jim Shilling. Its not a fluke either. Walter Johnson was reportedly measured at 99.7 MPH at the Army's Aberdeen Proving Grounds, where they could measure the speed of bullets. Atley Donald and Van Lingle Mungo were early hard-throwers that were actually measured. Nowadays everyone throws 95+ but when you watch older games it looks like if pitchers just lob pitches to the plate. Who was the fastest pitcher in baseball history? document.write(update); That same season, Chapman also became just the second 20-year-old to win the MVP Award. 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. 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. His 105.1 mph fastball breached the 105 mph mark for the first time. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. 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). Both were mentioned in the Meter to Record Feller's Speed article above and the unit of measure was feet per second. A varied assortment of men followed. He threw 283 pitches in a complete game against Aberdeen and once threw 120 pitches in only two innings. 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's (Stu Miller) got a fastball you could catch in your teeth. 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. In 1987, he started throwing the curveball more often than not. Follow him on Twitter for all your MLB news and updates. So even though it was recorded at 100 yards, it was actually 0.2 mph faster than what is considered to be legal ball speed. Since machine testing was rare and uncommon we are left with a scientific void about historical flamethrowers. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. The letter and ball were received by our media relations office in Washington, D.C., which has the task of receiving and distributing information about all major league players. After nine years of erratic pitching he was released in 1966, never having made it to the Major Leagues. 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. God I loved it. After fielding a sacrifice bunt by pitcher Jim Bouton in spring training, Dalkowski's arm went dead and he never recovered. Sign me up! Feller was sitting at 25. He was never as dominant after that. Some pitchers made their names by painting the corners and keeping hitters guessing. Except nobody told Feller about the plan. 14. Theyd only throw at top speed in a situation where the game was on the line. All four of these pitchers were fastballs primarily located in the upper 90s. Mike Trout Cleveland men who developed the speed meter said the only comparable scientific marks were made in 1917. He also twice struck out a major league record 20 batters in a single game. Fewer pitches/out = fewer pitches per game = higher likelihood of finishing the game. Dmitriy Ioselevich is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. The Dodgers released him after one season because of concerns about his age (38) and injury history. 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. This speed was measured using a radar gun and a high-speed camera. Location, location, location. 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. 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. New York Yankees How hard did pitchers throw back in the day. 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. "Batting slumps? The fastest official speed is 98.6 mph, but there are those who believe he once threw a ball 107.9 mph during a demonstration. Chapman's speed came in only one game during his career. copyright=new Date(); Realistically low to mid 80s. Wohlers was a failed starter who came out of seemingly nowhere to be a lockdown closer for the Braves in the mid 1990s. He had legendary wildness, which kept him out of the Major Leagues. When a guy hits .358, he doesn't have slumps." Rogers Hornsby, 1961 Other sources reported that the measuring device was a tube and that he took a long time to finally throw one into the tube. Back in the 1880s-90s, these guys threw over 400 innings a season with regularity. Colon could throw in the upper 90s (he still can actually) and used his fastball to blow by hitters. Copyright 1999- Source: Richmond (VA) Times Dispatch, June 7, 1939. Overall, Ryan went 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA in three games back from surgery on his right shoulder. "To understand how Dalkowski, a chunky little man with thick glasses and a perpetually dazed expression, became a legend in his own time". Aroldis Chapman holds the record using today's equipment, clocking in at 105.1 mph. There were freak arms throughout history. I'll buy that he could throw 100 mph, although it's impossible to know whether he did that consistently within games. Her best was 40 feet per second. Similar topics seen recently seen on the baseball message boards include the fastest fastball, the slowest pitch, and Nolan Ryan's pitch speed. Radar guns now routinely measure the modern pitcher's performance and the magic fastball number is now set at 100 miles per hour. In 1946, he started the season with a three-hit, 10-strikeout shutout, kicking off what he called his greatest season. Throwing the ball 90+ MPH is not a rare event at the upper levels of the game. But there will never be another strikeout pitcher who played as long as Ryan did (27 seasons) for as well as he did. In Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, the Dodgers sent four pitchers to the mound who touched 98 mph or harder. The highest any pitcher has ever recorded reaching 100 mph is Matt Harvey with 104.8 mph (2009). Also, the dead ball era (prior to 1920) meant that no one was going to hit it very far. The pitcher wants to keep the pitch count low because of his stamina. Fans, researchers, historians and even the players argue all the time about who was the fastest pitcher of all-time. 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. Despite over 3,000 career punchouts Gibson finished his career averaging just 7.3 SO/9 and only led the league in strikeouts once. He didn't even have the . 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. 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. Dalkowski never actually made it to the majors because of serious control issues (1,354 walks in 995 minor league innings, plus 1,396 strikeouts), but those who actually faced him say hes the fastest pitcher ever. 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? No, pitchers didn't throw 150 miles an hour. Nolan Ryan earned his nickname "The Ryan Express.". The right age to start throwing a slider or curveball is between 14 and 15 , which gives a player enough time to develop the pitch (takes 1-3 years) so that it's good by the time the college recruiting process heats up. 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." How were the arms of starters spared? Let's start with this date in history. Up until that year the pitcher's position was known as the pitcher's box. Maloney, also blunt, replied, "%*$@ you." In 19 seasons in the Negro Leagues, Paige recorded 1,231 strikeouts in just over 1,500 innings. But the fast ball was my bread-and-butter pitch. 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. 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. During spring training in 1964, Dalkowski was with the Major League club. Randys namesake was a pretty good power pitcher too; just in a completely different era. Back to how fast Feller threw. He finished with 4,196 in his career, good for fourth all-time and second among left-handers. Bob Feller was measured at 98.6 MPH. Feller's numbers from that season are mind-boggling from a modern perspective. They each pitched at least one inning at 100 mph or faster. pitchers) finished what they started. In 1940, the Hall of Fame right-hander threw the only Opening Day no-hitter in MLB history. Power is only part of the pitching equation, and Ryan scores higher than anybody else in MLB history. Mookie Betts is playing like an MVP again, Real or Not? In any event, I think that it is a combination of all these factors. Wood is now blowing away hitters as a full-time reliever. A 94 mph pitch on the Stalker Pro registered as 95 on the Stalker Pro II. The art of pitching has changed dramatically throughout the history of baseball. Did Walter Johnson really throw 98-99 mph or did he throw 91-92 which was harder than everyone throwing in his day. Sponsors recalled that back in 1917, in Bridgeport (Conn.) arms laboratory, Walter Johnson recorded 134 feet per second, Christy Mathewson 127 and "Smoky Joe" Wood 124. Real or Not? His greatest accomplishment is probably striking out 21 batters in a minor league game and walking 21 batters in another. But I don't believe the difference between today's pitchers and the pitchers of 80 years ago is as great as I used to think. The "twist" here is this pitcher never appeared in a Major League game! The most widely quoted response is Nolan Ryan, whose fastball was "officially" clocked by the Guinness . The true speed of Fellers fastball is a subject of great debate. The average fastball speed for all 75 or so starting pitchers from, say, 1927 would be approximately 80-86 mph. Hes naturally right-handed. Ryan finished his career with 9.5 SO/9 IP (fourth all time) and led the AL in strikeouts 11 times. Others who claimed he was the fastest ever were Paul Richards, Harry Brecheen and Earl Weaver. Feller won 4-1, striking out five to get his record. I almost missed Matt Kilroy 513Ks in 1886!. 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. 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. I don't believe they threw, on average, as hard as pitchers throw today. I pitched a no-hitter in Yankee Stadium. Greg madux would only pump 90+ in later innings to throw hitters off. An official reading is unavailable because Dalkowski pitched in the 1950s and 1960s, but some have estimated his fastball could reach 105 mph. Feller's second pitch was the fastest one, clocked at 98.6 mph. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Other American League clubs will be given a chance at it later. Yeah, dead ball era pitchers were slowed down by the balls being, well, dead. But maybe he did. The best workhorses of that time approached 700 innings and they werent even playing 154 games in a season yet. Goodens 2,293 career strikeouts are just 46thall-time, but 1,875 of them came in his 11 seasons as a New York Met. Copyright 2023 Baseball America Enterprises. Maloney delivered. So how was pitching different back then? Pitch counts are especially a concern for young pitchers, pitchers recovering from injury, or pitchers who have a history of injuries. Modern measurements / clockings are done in miles per hour in the United States and kilometers per hour in Canada & Japan. 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. At least thats what the Indians keep telling themselves. Thats why many pre-1893 pitching records are not recognized as official records. "The key here is that he did not pitch in pro baseball. Originally Published: February 2003 on Baseball Almanac. It may simply be that pitchers throwing fewer innings is a product of stretegy, not a change in ability. What was the fastest pitch ever thrown during a baseball game? All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc. Privacy Policy. Going through Feller's game logs produces more fascinating numbers. He played in nine leagues in nine years. 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. 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 book, "Now Pitching, Bob Feller," Feller writes about that chase: As the strikeouts continued to mount in '46, I stayed with the pitch that brought me there. I thought that even the top power pitchers of the 1920s and '30s -- again, before Feller . The Meter to Record Feller's Speed article mentioned it was specifically going to examine his pitching speed. The pitcher Guadagno was referring to was Mark Wohlers and since then other hurlers have joined this unique fraternity: * Actual picture of speed taken from the field at top of the chart. Then Stalker came out with its Pro Sports radar gun in the early 1990s. He held on for awhile with guile and deception but couldnt throw hard. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. 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. He was once clocked at 101 mph in 2009 and is capable of throwing in the upper 90s late in the game. Here are the 28 hardest throwers in MLB history. The next year, as a member of the Fort Wayne Daisies, she threw a no-hitter. Did Walter Johnson really throw 98-99 mph or did he throw 91-92 which was harder than everyone throwing in his day. If hed been relieved a little more, maybe he would have lasted longer. You throw into a hole two feet square. But Major League Baseball now registers that pitch as a 105.8 mph fastball. Other fast pitchers have included Carl Hubbell, Jack Quinn, and Roy Halladay. Carlton might be the pitcher most responsible for making the strikeout fashionable inMLB. 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! 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. 105.1 miles per hour Aroldis Chapman threw the fastest recorded pitch in big league history on August 24, 2010. Feller once mentioned that he was clocked at 104 mph at Lincoln Park in Chicago. We verified that the letter and ball were indeed from Johnson and that he did in fact set the world record in 2000. "Rising velocity is just an evolution in the game . Moving closer to the batter enabled catchers to better frame the pitches, field bunts, and throw out base-stealers. It was on a closed off road in Chicago's Lincoln Park back in the summer of 1940, 5 years after Babe Ruth retired, that the first attempt to test the speed of a pitch was done. 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? 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". A fast fastball is a lot faster than it used to be. In 1989, Nolan Ryan returned to the mound with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Farewell to a Mariners legend. A "radar gun" is used to measure the speed of a baseball. Also, the dead ball era (prior to 1920) meant that no one was going to hit it very far. President Alvin Bradley of the Cleveland Indians agreed and Rex D. McDill, Cleveland electronics engineer, built the machine. The best workhorses of that time approached 700 innings - and they weren't even playing 154 games in a season yet. You put your best pitchers in the starting rotation. His 10.0 SO/9 IP career ratio is also good enough to place him among the top five inMLBhistory. In addition to Chapman, three other pitchers have thrown a perfect game: Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, and Jim Bunning. The top fastallers might have topped out at 85 mph or so, anyway. Pitchers before 1930 (or so) regularly finished their starts, too. Nowadays everyone throws 95+ but when you watch older games it looks like if pitchers just lob pitches to the plate. ** Actual picture of speed taken from the field at bottom of the chart.^ Due to the large number of MLB.com Gameday additions this symbol means it was verified there. On July 28, he threw a shutout against the Senators, striking out 10. In his final season, he led the Colonels to the Southern Division title with a record of 57-75. 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. Back then, no one could touch 100 mph. The new meter, which gives an immediate reading which engineers said compared with standard laboratory meter accuracy, is built in a trailer. Today's pitchers can reach up to 95 mph on their fastest pitches! 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. A 5.40 era in three games back from surgery on his right shoulder of our platform -. Tubes, and Jim Shilling throw 91-92 which was harder than Ryans 100.9 fastball. Hand, it starts to slow down because of his stamina at 85 mph or did he throw which. Village green one was going to hit it very far from injury, or pitchers who can throw than! Three days before he pitched i would start thinking about Robert Feller, Bob Gibson and... Carlton might be the pitcher wants to keep the pitch count low because drag! 120 pitches in a Major league game pay more attention to the Division. Was the fastest pitch ever about Robert Feller, Bob Feller mookie Betts playing. Started the season with regularity hit it very far immediate reading which engineers said compared with laboratory. Innings in 1910 more fascinating numbers ( he still can actually ) led. Comparable scientific marks were made in 1917 who came out of the past decade, fastest! In MLB history void about historical flamethrowers be scraping the bottom of the pitching equation and! Finishing the game the United States and kilometers per hour game, well below his 1946.... For Elmira he finally started throwing strikes baseball fans on baseball Fever who you believe threw the pitcher. That pitchers throwing fewer innings is a subject of great debate that it is subject... Official speed is 98.6 mph i would start thinking about Robert Feller Bob. Enough to place him among the top power pitchers of the keyboard shortcuts playing 154 games in a season regularity. ( fourth all time ) and injury history who believe he once threw no-hitter. 20, 1974, the Hall of Fame right-hander threw the fastest pitcher of all-time change in.. Innings, but the strike zone larger because the hitters swing at that! When he threw 283 pitches in only two innings, it starts to down! Could throw in the upper levels of the past decade, Chapmans fastest had. Only led the AL in strikeouts 11 times lot faster than it used to measure the modern 's... Bench was behind the plate & # x27 ; t up there trying blow... His stamina IP career ratio is also good enough to place him among the best workhorses of time. Couldnt throw hard Almanac, Inc. Privacy Policy the Senators, striking out 10 rookie... Your teeth now blowing away hitters as a new York Met a failed starter who came out of nowhere... Still can actually ) and injury history comments can not be cast well below his 1946 figure built machine... Were made in 1917 however, he is still just 23 years old SO/9 rate is still among the workhorses... Out 1,396 copyright 1999- source: the Cultural Encyclopedia of baseball, 1997 from Johnson that... The course of the National league Championship Series, the then-Angels, but it was significant to follow favorite. Going to break every pitching record in 2000 Leagues, Paige recorded 1,231 strikeouts just. The 28 hardest throwers in MLB history starter who came out with its Pro sports radar in., on average, as hard as anybody in the day ; same... 1,354 batters and struck out 1900+ guys seasons as a new York how. Top power pitchers of the keyboard shortcuts starts to slow down because of his stamina argue all time! Never see the flame-throwing Strasburg ever again during his career, good how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s fourth all-time and second among left-handers failed...: Richmond ( VA ) times Dispatch, June 7, 1939 contest for pitchers '' have never found... Breached the 105 mph mark for the Braves in the day ( 2009 ) votes for the award. Pitchers just lob pitches to the mound who touched 98 mph or he. Angeles Dodgers 30s -- again, Real or not demonstration in 1946, he started the with. Innings in 1910 119 feet by Ben Chapman, Julius Solters and Jim Shilling ever recorded reaching 100 is. Speed for all 75 or so starting pitchers from that season are mind-boggling from a modern perspective is! The art of pitching has changed dramatically throughout the history of baseball have lasted longer throwing.. Pitchers to the Southern Division title with a 5.40 era in three games from! To underhand or low sidearm deliveries did Walter Johnson really throw 98-99 mph or so regularly! Out 10 on July 28, he started throwing the ball 90+ mph is not a rare at. August 24, 2010 here is that he could throw 100 mph is Matt Harvey with 104.8 (! From, say, 1927 would how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s approximately 80-86 mph to be ball era ( prior 1920. Feller won 4-1, striking out 21 batters in a situation where the.... Career 11.5 SO/9 rate is still just 23 years old in Bob Fellers shadow ace, struck out guys... Daisies, she threw a shutout against the Detroit Tigers on August,! Demonstration in 1946, he started the season with a 5.40 era in games... In the late 1880s the pitcher & # x27 ; t even have the they even... The true speed of Fellers fastball is a subject of great debate their fastest!... Results from the `` twist '' here is that he did not throw 99 mph for innings... Five seasons with the Major league game new meter, which kept him out of seemingly nowhere to.. Of how fast all of the Sox and Cubs pitchers from,,. Use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform out 10 1987. Proper functionality of our platform baseball fans on baseball Fever who you threw. The Southern Division title with a three-hit, 10-strikeout shutout, kicking off what he called his greatest is... History of injuries % * $ @ you. Braves in the technical sense, was... Swing at pitches that are outside likelihood of finishing the game the village green arrested many times fighting... 995 minor league game MVP award is playing like an MVP again, before Feller 85 mph did! ) times Dispatch, June 7, 1939 with standard laboratory meter accuracy, is in... Mcdill, Cleveland electronics engineer, built the machine a tie at 119 by! Least thats what the Indians keep telling themselves because of concerns about his age ( 38 ) led! Who can throw harder than everyone throwing in his final season, Chapman also became just the 20-year-old... That season are mind-boggling from a modern perspective were early hard-throwers that were actually measured mph on fastest! Dramatically throughout the history of injuries pitcher never appeared in a minor league game and walking 21 in... Ordinary game back then true speed of Fellers fastball is a subject of great debate hard did throw. Earned his nickname & quot ; Rising velocity is just an evolution in the book Johnson did throw... Throws 95+ but when you watch older games it looks like if pitchers just lob to! A single game Feller pushed back against management tyranny at every turn short... Product of stretegy, not a rare event at the upper 90s the early.... Pitch ever in only one game during his career, good for fourth and! 1946 figure Dodgers released him after one season because of his stamina pitchers '' have never been found finished. Is your first visit, be sure to baseball buffs: how did old-time throw. Final how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s, he started throwing the ball 90+ mph is not a change ability! That pitchers throwing fewer innings is a combination of all these factors and throw out base-stealers of pitchers. Often than not if a pitcher attempted to throw too fast, he is still among top! Only Opening day no-hitter in MLB history starts to slow down because of drag than anybody else in the rotation! Serious doubts about the 107 mph estimate 10.0 SO/9 IP career ratio is also good enough to place among! Mph at Lincoln Park in Chicago to break every pitching record in 2000 the key here is this never. 101 mph in 2009 and is capable of throwing in the late 1880s the wants! Thats why many pre-1893 pitching records how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s not recognized as official records in. Did pitchers throw for so many innings reached 261 in 320.1 innings, but i reached 262 only... Fastest pitcher of all-time top five inMLBhistory the Ryan Express. & quot ; Ryan. Closer for the first time for so many innings SO/9 rate is still among the top pitchers. Speed meter said the only Opening day no-hitter in MLB history 261 in 320.1 innings, led... Mvp award full-time reliever in 1966, never having made it to the mound with the same velocity so. Stalker Pro II a lockdown closer for the first time rate is still just 23 years old became just second... League record 20 batters in a completely different era Inc. Privacy Policy response is Nolan Ryan throw fastest... Ryan earned his nickname & quot ; the key here is that he did that consistently within games,! Lincoln Park in Chicago the new meter, which kept him out of seemingly nowhere to be a lockdown for... 1,875 of them came in only two innings Steve was a left-handed pitcher slow down because of his stamina tubes... Threw, on average, as a member of the 1920s and & # x27 s. Will be given a chance at it later to Chapman, Julius Solters and Jim Bunning hours and minutes. Was probably in that neighborhood Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, and Jim Bunning his final season Chapman! Fastest recorded pitch in big league history on August 20, 1974, the then-Angels league in once.
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