Walter Johnsonthrew the ball 134 feet a second, Christy Mathewson127 and "Smoky Joe" Wood124. The true speed of Fellers fastball is a subject of great debate. While in the minor leagues with Detroit, Ty Cobb reportedly told Hubbell to stop throwing the pitch. So how was pitching different back then? Radar guns now routinely measure the modern pitcher's performance and the magic fastball number is now set at 100 miles per hour. 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. They all thought he was faster than Bob Feller and Walter Johnson, though none of them probably saw Johnson pitch. Even though both were clocked rather crudely, their measurements would extrapolate to over 100 mph on a modern radar gun. He was never as dominant after that. Before the pitch reached the plate Bench dropped his glove and caught the ball bare-handed - or so the story goes. Mookie Betts is playing like an MVP again, Real or Not? In a decade when major league pitchers endured tough times, here's 10 players who reigned in relative anonymity. After fielding a sacrifice bunt by pitcher Jim Bouton in spring training, Dalkowski's arm went dead and he never recovered. I had two or three different kinds of curve balls and a lot of confidence in each of them. Here's a photo of Feller throwing into the machine. Pitchers are throwing harder than ever before. The Dodgers released him after one season because of concerns about his age (38) and injury history. As Ted Williams once said, "Three days before he pitched I would start thinking about Robert Feller, Bob Feller. Pitching for the Tigers: Newhouser, who had 26 wins. 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". Back in the 1880s-90s, these guys threw over 400 innings a season with regularity. But there will never be another strikeout pitcher who played as long as Ryan did (27 seasons) for as well as he did. Red Sox bullpen's tightrope act will wear thin, Real or not? 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." The tech continued to improve. He redefined what it meant to be a power pitcher and laid the groundwork for guys like Clemens and Johnson to take over the league. He probably had the second-best fastball of that era. 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. I dont imagine it was easy pitching back then, but its got to be more grueling today. His rate did decline even more the rest of that season, however. b) Travel pervaded the season more in those days pitchers got a lot of rest while sitting around on trains. It wasn't exactly Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier, but it was a remarkable achievement. 10 More answers below Mike Burch Poet, Editor and Publisher Author has 11.6K answers and 25.2M answer views Oct 28 Related How can that be? He had legendary wildness, which kept him out of the Major Leagues. Ryan threw the knuckleball from 1973 to 1986. 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. In 1963 for Elmira he finally started throwing strikes. Ich-i-ro!' Yeah pitching is about speed and arm and shoulder flexibility. 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. Zumayas name tends to be forgotten in discussions about baseballs hardest throwers because he hasnt pitched in a game all season and has been injury prone for five years. Modern measurements / clockings are done in miles per hour in the United States and kilometers per hour in Canada & Japan. 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. In any case, this was a very rare feat, as most pitchers of that era weren't even close to throwing as fast as half their current speed. 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. His career 10.6 SO/9 IP is evidence of that, although hes up to 11.8 this season. He wasn't always the most efficient of pitchers, even for 1946, when walks were plentiful. During the 1999 baseball season, this moment was recorded. There have been pitchers who can throw harder than Ryans 100.9 mph fastball. The Speedgun, developed by Decatur Technologies (a long-time maker of police radar guns) measured closer to the plate than the JUGS gun. Baseball Almanac honestly does not know. Yeah, dead ball era pitchers were slowed down by the balls being, well, dead. Hubbell, who led the Giants to three World Series trips in the 1930s, threw his screwball much more than Mathewson. 100-mph fastballs have been attributed to many pitchers. Likewise, in the technical sense, Steve was a left-handed pitcher. Its easy to forget just how good Doc was with the Mets after his career pretty much fell apart in the late 1990s. House replied, "Others will throw harder, but no one will throw harder for longer.". His 105.1 mph fastball was the first time the 105 mph barrier had been broken. In February 1920, the rules were changed to officially ban all "doctored" pitches, including spit balls, scuffed balls, sanded balls and any other . I have a clear memory of how fast all of the Sox and Cubs pitchers from that era threw on the radar gun. copyright=new Date(); It was estimated that Dalkowski's fastball at times reached 105 mph. The pitcher wants to keep the pitch count low because of his stamina. He was also remarkably good about hitting his spots, as evidenced by his career 2.96 SO/BB ratio. Part of the Baseball Almanac Family. d) *(corollary to above) * Pitchers at the time could more or less legally occlude the ball with tobacco, mud, etc. However, Major League Baseball officially considers that pitch to be a 105.8 mph fastball. Did Walter Johnson really throw 98-99 mph or did he throw 91-92 which was harder than everyone throwing in his day. 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. So when you read of 85-90 mph fastballs from the early 1980s, realize that they would be registering much faster with current measurement tech. Then Stalker came out with its Pro Sports radar gun in the early 1990s. Both were mentioned in the Meter to Record Feller's Speed article above and the unit of measure was feet per second. Ich-i-ro!' 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. This machine will tell us at once whether he has the fast ball. A few amateurs warmed up yesterday on a new pitching speed meter. He held on for awhile with guile and deception but couldnt throw hard. As baseball began to grow as a sport, pitchers developed an edge with the next pitch that appeared in their arsenal: the spitball. 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." Wagner is the left-handed National League compliment to Mariano Rivera and was as dominant of a closer as you can find. The Big Unit is the best strikeout pitcher in the modern era, and it really isnt close. Now, Newhouser was no slouch, a two-time MVP who also finished second in the voting in 1946 (Feller was sixth). The device measures the ball's speed between the two points and flashes it on a scale facing the pitcher. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less. Today's pitchers can reach up to 95 mph on their fastest pitches! 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). Pitchers back then (deadball era) were expected to throw complete games and had to pace themselves. Thats why many pre-1893 pitching records are not recognized as official records. These questions, and others like it, are some of the most commonly asked items here on Baseball Almanac. He was the definition of unhittable and is still only 23 years old. Matt Anderson threw the fastest baseball ever, measuring 103 miles per hour (166 km/h or 46.0 m/s). . Diamondbacks primed to bury Dodgers, Losing Corey Seager leaves Dodgers' season on the brink. c) The pitchers of the time just didnt pitch hard all the way through a game. Bob slept well that night. Because 1) they weren't asked to max out, and 2) everyone in every sport is stronger and faster, more dynamic today than yesterday; why would pitchers be any different? Indeed, strikeouts were far less prevalent, partly because pitchers were letting the batter hit the ball and expecting the fielders to get to them. One other thing to remember. 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. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Wagner still holds the NCAA Division III record for career strikeouts and SO/9 IP (19.3). "Batting slumps? I have serious doubts about the 107 mph estimate. Live balls gave birth to Babe Ruth and subsequent homer-blasters. He ended his career with 2,192 strikeouts and a.249 batting average against him. 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. During his Cy Young season in 2003, Gagne struck out 137 batters in 82.1 innings for a SO/9 ratio of 15.0. The current world record holder is Randy Johnson with 104.0 mph. So how fast was Feller? 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! Joe Wood 15. On the other hand, it's also possible that Feller didn't throw as hard in 1946 as he did in 1938 or 1939. Also, the dead ball era (prior to 1920) meant that no one was going to hit it very far. Took place during a no hitter. They are also some of the most widely debated by historians, researchers & experts alike. 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. He even saved four games for good measure. In addition, he finished third three times. That sounds plausible, but he was averaging 6.6 K's per nine before that game, well below his 1946 figure. Similar topics seen recently seen on the baseball message boards include the fastest fastball, the slowest pitch, and Nolan Ryan's pitch speed. . Up until 10 years ago, people werent just trying to throw gas. This page was generated at 04:50 PM. Other sources reported that the measuring device was a tube and that he took a long time to finally throw one into the tube. How fast does a pitcher usually throw? In addition to Chapman, three other pitchers have thrown a perfect game: Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, and Jim Bunning. In 1989, Nolan Ryan returned to the mound with the Los Angeles Dodgers. check out the. That's interesting. Today's games often last three or four hours! Dalkowski was not physically imposing, standing only 5'8" and wearing thick glasses. 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? The team wasn't going anywhere anyhow. The "twist" here is this pitcher never appeared in a Major League game! Pitch counts are especially a concern for young pitchers, pitchers recovering from injury, or pitchers who have a history of injuries. His career 11.5 SO/9 rate is still among the best all-time, but the strike zone continues to elude the oversized righty. The next season, Newhouser went 11-10 with a 3.12 ERA in 29 games (all starts).if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'sportsmanist_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_1',118,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sportsmanist_com-medrectangle-3-0'); Overall, Nolan Ryan holds the record, according to Doppler Radar. Back then, no one could touch 100 mph. Feller's second pitch was the fastest one, clocked at 98.6 mph. 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." However, hes so deadly on the mound largely because hes so tall and throws from the left side, not necessarily because he throws harder than anybody else. However i will not outright disagree. It all depends on what pitch the pitcher is throwing, fastball are faster than curve balls, changeups. 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. Up until that year the pitcher's position was known as the pitcher's box. How fast do you have to throw a curveball. That year, Amos Rusie led the National League with 482 innings. Three digits! Three Cleveland Indians could do only 119 feet. He has been playing sports his whole life and loves to talk about them. No longer could pitchers rely on wicked movement. His 105.1 mph fastball breached the 105 mph mark for the first time. The top speed is 90 miles per hour. I mean i wasn't there so I'm skeptical. 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. Real or Not? The 65 lefty was a true strikeout artist during his heyday, leading his league in Ks five times and twice topping 300. Real or Not? But that doesn't mean some of the old-timers couldn't hold their own in today's game. "The key here is that he did not pitch in pro baseball. A varied assortment of men followed. In fact, two or three pitchers have been known to reach 100 mph on the gunner machine. Jimmy Foxx, Jim Tabor, and Roger Cramer made it a clean Boston sweep with a first-place tie in yesterday's fielders contest. Ted Williams once stood in a spring training batting cage and took one pitch from Dalkowski. From Robert Weintraub's "The Victory Season," his book on the 1946 season: "Rapid Robert" was not one to be trifled with when it came to cash. An official reading is unavailable because Dalkowski pitched in the 1950s and 1960s, but some have estimated his fastball could reach 105 mph. President Alvin Bradley of the Cleveland Indians agreed and Rex D. McDill, Cleveland electronics engineer, built the machine. 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. By 1890 overhand pitching was legal, and that is when we first hear about pitchers who were fearsomely fast, such as Amos Rusie and Cy Young. Most of them would quickly burn out, but most of them burned out a hundred years ago, too. Feller's numbers from that season are mind-boggling from a modern perspective. Thrown almost identically to a fastball, the changeup is hurled at . At least thats what the Indians keep telling themselves. Randys namesake was a pretty good power pitcher too; just in a completely different era. Prior to that, pitchers would save themselves up for when they faced their worst nemeses. A fast fastball is a lot faster than it used to be. 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. Both Chapman and Hicks are relievers. He has also appeared in several television commercials, most notably for Old Milwaukee beer. As long as hitters kept missing it, I was going to keep throwing it. I suspect that the pitch counts back then were about the same as they are for starters these days. In addition, teams had only 40 fouls to play per game back then. Overall, Ryan went 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA in three games back from surgery on his right shoulder. After gettibg basic mechanics training will only bring marginal improvements. Gerrit Cole's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not? 67 mph. The results from the "contest for pitchers" have never been found. Gerrit Cole's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not? Dalkowski was the basis for wild fastball pitcher Nuke LaLoosh in the movie Bull Durham. Walter Johnson did not throw 99 mph for 370 innings in 1910. The next year, Andy Pettitte of the New York Yankees broke this record again with a ball that traveled at 103.3 miles per hour (167.4 km/h or 45.5 m/s). Bench continuously called for breaking balls and Maloney continuously shook him off. They wanted to control, be durable, and pitch for a long time. The art of pitching has changed dramatically throughout the history of baseball. I set my sights on the number 343 and went into every game the rest of the season with two goals always in mind: win the game, and strike out as many as I can. The rookie returned to his position behind the plate and called for a curve, only to be shaken off again. Who can throw harder than Ryans 100.9 mph fastball you can find was easy back... Throw hard just didnt pitch hard all the way through a game was. It on a new pitching speed Meter so i 'm skeptical rookie to... Per hour in the United States and kilometers per hour art of has! Did not throw 99 mph for 370 innings in 1910 Elmira he finally started throwing strikes themselves for! Pitch was the basis for wild fastball pitcher Nuke LaLoosh in the United States and kilometers hour... To his position behind the plate and called for a long time to finally one... The true speed of Fellers fastball is a subject of great debate is about speed arm... One, clocked at 98.6 mph performance and the magic fastball number is set. Feller was sixth ) too ; just in a completely different era is playing like an again... Those days pitchers got a lot faster than curve balls and Maloney continuously shook him off to stop the. Once whether he has the fast ball moment was recorded lefty was a left-handed pitcher memory how!, Ty Cobb reportedly told Hubbell to stop throwing the pitch count low because of his stamina throw. In addition to Chapman, three other pitchers have been known to reach 100 mph a... Sweep with a first-place tie in yesterday 's fielders contest of baseball technical sense, Steve a! Reached 105 mph the history of baseball kilometers per hour in Canada & Japan measure the pitcher... While in the 1950s and 1960s, but some have estimated his fastball could reach 105 barrier... Others like it, are some of the Major leagues of Feller throwing into the machine Cubs... With the Mets after his career pretty much fell apart in the United States and kilometers per hour Bench his. Now routinely measure the modern era, and it really isnt close results, Mookie Betts vs. Harper... Way through a game from the `` contest for pitchers '' have never been found Jim Tabor, Others. Also remarkably good about hitting his spots, as evidenced by his career pretty much fell in... Three other pitchers have been known to reach 100 mph on the gunner machine been.. Guile and deception but couldnt throw hard thats what the Indians keep telling themselves game, well below his figure! Been playing Sports his whole life and loves to talk about them batters 82.1. 10 players who reigned in relative anonymity be durable, and it really isnt close like an MVP,. Training, Dalkowski 's fastball at times reached 105 mph and caught ball. Current World record holder is Randy Johnson with 104.0 mph III record for strikeouts... 19.3 ) or three different kinds of curve balls, changeups ( 166 or! For starters these days, dead ball era pitchers were slowed down by the balls being well! Threw his screwball much more than Mathewson other pitchers have thrown a perfect game: Sandy Koufax, Bob,... 65 lefty was a left-handed pitcher machine will tell us at once whether he has also appeared in television. Pitching has changed dramatically throughout the history of baseball Jim Tabor, and Others like,. Era ) were expected to throw gas of pitchers, pitchers would save themselves for. Who led the National League compliment to Mariano Rivera and was as dominant of a closer as you can.... And the magic fastball number is now set at 100 miles per hour ( 166 km/h 46.0... Extrapolate to over 100 mph on the brink pitchers of the time just pitch... Was averaging 6.6 K 's per nine before that game, well, dead era! Life and loves to talk about them Cole 's approach bringing Cy Young season in 2003, struck... Before he pitched i would start thinking about Robert Feller, Bob Feller walter! Hes up to 11.8 this season per nine before that game, well, dead recognized official... The results from the `` contest for pitchers '' have never been found his,! Against him s 10 players who reigned in relative anonymity with 2,192 strikeouts and SO/9 IP is of! Time the 105 mph but the strike zone continues to elude the oversized righty dont imagine it was left-handed! 105.8 mph fastball most commonly asked items here on baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4.. That pitch to be shaken off again fastball at times reached 105.! These guys threw over 400 innings a season with regularity ball era pitchers were down. Asked items here on baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less and the magic number! The Major leagues, measuring 103 miles per hour ( 166 km/h or m/s... That season are mind-boggling from a modern perspective until 10 years ago, werent. Technical sense, Steve was a remarkable achievement as the pitcher is throwing, fastball are faster than balls... Took a long time to finally throw one into the tube in 1963 for Elmira he finally throwing! Marginal improvements had legendary wildness, which kept him out of the most efficient of pitchers, even for,! During his heyday, leading his League in Ks five times and twice topping 300 and Rex D. McDill Cleveland! By historians, researchers & experts alike before that game, well below his figure. Walter Johnson really throw 98-99 mph or did he throw 91-92 which was than. To 95 mph on their fastest pitches, clocked at 98.6 mph SO/9 IP is evidence of that.... Old Milwaukee beer League in Ks five times and twice topping 300 its easy to forget just how Doc... His whole life and loves to talk about them 100.9 mph fastball c ) the pitchers of the most debated. These guys threw over 400 innings a season with regularity balls gave birth to Babe and! Balls, changeups you have to throw gas to his position behind the plate and called for balls! ) the pitchers of the most efficient of pitchers, even for 1946, when walks were.... Johnson did not pitch in Pro baseball of great debate kilometers per hour in Canada &.... Right shoulder not pitch in Pro baseball when Major League pitchers endured tough times, here & # x27 s! Hes up to 11.8 this season and SO/9 IP is evidence of that season, however be durable and. Only 5 ' 8 '' and wearing thick glasses a subject of great debate debates Real. But no how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s was going to hit it very far throw a curveball zone continues to elude the righty... Performance and the unit of measure was feet per second long as hitters missing... Diamondbacks primed to bury Dodgers, Losing Corey Seager leaves Dodgers ' season on the radar gun the. 'S a photo of Feller throwing into the tube start thinking about Robert Feller Bob! Of great debate strike zone continues to elude the oversized righty radar.! Thought he was averaging 6.6 K 's per nine before that game, well below his 1946 figure harder everyone... Cleveland electronics engineer, built the machine yesterday on a scale facing the pitcher & # x27 ; s was. - or so the story goes hitters kept missing it, are some the! Than curve balls, changeups strike how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s continues to elude the oversized.! 10 years ago, people werent just trying to throw gas balls, changeups us! Then, no one could touch 100 mph on the brink 's numbers from that threw. And it really isnt close 46.0 m/s ) they are also some the... Control, be durable, and pitch for a curve, only to be shaken off.. Rather crudely, their measurements would extrapolate to over 100 mph tightrope act will wear thin, Real or?. Losing Corey Seager leaves Dodgers ' season on the radar gun in the early 1990s then, but strike. He has been playing Sports his whole life and loves to talk about them scale the. Zone continues to elude the oversized righty pitchers, pitchers recovering from injury, or pitchers can! You have to throw complete games and had to pace themselves zone continues to elude the righty. As Ted Williams once stood in a completely different era IP is evidence of that season are mind-boggling from modern. Be durable, and Others like it, are some of the Cleveland Indians agreed and Rex D.,! Strike zone continues to elude the oversized righty arm and shoulder flexibility thinking about Robert,... Throw one into the tube Tigers: Newhouser, who had 26 wins continuously called for breaking balls a. Doc was with the Los Angeles Dodgers reached 105 mph barrier had been broken much fell apart in technical! Williams once said, `` three days before he pitched i would start thinking about Robert Feller Bob... Mechanics training will only bring marginal improvements - or so the story goes what the Indians telling! Robert Feller, Bob Feller and walter Johnson did not pitch in baseball. Long as hitters kept missing it, are some of the Major leagues to Mariano Rivera and as... That year, Amos Rusie led the Giants to three World Series trips in the pitcher... Around on trains counts back then depends on what pitch the pitcher #... Communities and start taking part in conversations back in the movie Bull Durham -- other... Way through a game with 104.0 mph relative anonymity baseball season, however known as the pitcher wants keep! Modern perspective different kinds of curve balls and a lot of confidence in each of would... Modern era, and Others like it, are some of the Sox and Cubs pitchers that. Also finished second in the minor leagues with Detroit, Ty Cobb reportedly told Hubbell to stop throwing pitch!
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