how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s

Papelbon wouldve been a great starter, but the hard-throwing right-hander makes a pretty terrific closer too. check out the. I dont imagine it was easy pitching back then, but its got to be more grueling today. In baseball, the dead-ball era was the period from around 1900 to the emergence of Babe Ruth as a power hitter in 1919, when he hit a then-major league record 29 home runs; only three players since 1890 had even hit 20. However i will not outright disagree. Part of the Baseball Almanac family: 755 Home Runs | Baseball Box Scores | Baseball Fever | Today in Baseball History. 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. Pat Jordan in The Suitors of Spring (1974). Even Lee Meadows, who pitched for the Chicago White Sox from 1939 to 1942, never reached 100 mph on a regular basis. What is the world record speed for throwing a baseball? No, pitchers didn't throw 150 miles an hour. 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). Fans, researchers, historians and even the players argue all the time about who was the fastest pitcher of all-time. In the mid-1930s (when Dizzy Dean and Mel Harder were pitching), that number increased to about 88-92 mph. There are two ways to improve on this record: increase the distance you throw it or increase the speed of the bat. They each pitched at least one inning at 100 mph or faster. Thats why many pre-1893 pitching records are not recognized as official records. Its not a fluke either. Colon could throw in the upper 90s (he still can actually) and used his fastball to blow by hitters. I woudl suggest that it is in fact simply that they let the pitchers pitch so much back then. document.write(update); Cookie Notice Now, youre expected to throw your best the entire game. No longer could pitchers rely on wicked movement. His arm was pretty much toast in his mid-30s. . I believe in the dead ball era, guys topped out around 85 mph. 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. He had legendary wildness, which kept him out of the Major Leagues. 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. How can that be? He was never as dominant after that. In 1958 the Orioles sent Dalkowski to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, a military installation where Feller was once clocked. All rights reserved. The pitcher wants to keep the pitch count low because of his stamina. 100-mph fastballs have been attributed to many pitchers. Lee's career ERA was 2.25, and she was known for throwing a wicked knuckleball. Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled. Real or Not? Overall, Ryan went 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA in three games back from surgery on his right shoulder. (Amos Rusie in 1893). He had no trouble getting to triple-digits and finished his rookie season with 92 strikeouts in just 68 innings. Baseball buffs: how did old-time pitchers throw for so many innings? In 1940, the Hall of Fame right-hander threw the only Opening Day no-hitter in MLB history. As for other hard numbers for those days: two hours and 15 minutes was considered an ordinary game back then. His 10.0 SO/9 IP during his career would be fourth all-time if the righty threw more innings. (Yes, nitpickers, Im aware that John Wheeler ghosted Mattys book.). I had my fastest pitched timed when I was younger. Gerrit Cole's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not? His 4,875 strikeouts rank second all time, and his 10.6 SO/9 IP is first all time by a healthy margin. Ted Williams once took a spring training pitch from the 58 Dalkowski and reportedly never saw it. He first broke into the major leagues with the Reds in 2011 and was immediately given the title of "Fastest Pitcher in History". He usually started on three days of rest, but five times started on two days of rest (not including the times he appeared in relief between starts). The historical record suggests Feller paid a price for that record chase. Nolan Ryan earned his nickname "The Ryan Express.". Source: Richmond (VA) Times Dispatch, June 6, 1939. The current MLB Statcast system measures velocity as the pitch leaves the pitchers hand. Current world-class pitchers such as Mark Buehrle, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Josh Beckett, and Jake Peavy can reach back and toss a pitch 100 mph. Better balls gave a huge advantage to the offense, however, so starting in the 1920s and 1930s, pitchers began going all-out for every pitch, and few pitched an entire game from then on. 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." Take Bob Feller, the legendary fireballer of the Cleveland Indians, and owner of maybe the fastest fastball the game has ever seen. New York Yankees How hard did pitchers throw back in the day. The device measures the ball's speed between the two points and flashes it on a scale facing the pitcher. And that is #62, Herb Score. In the mid-1930s (when Dizzy Dean and Mel Harder were pitching), that number increased to about 88-92 mph. Pitchers before 1930 (or so) regularly finished their starts, too. 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". The Big Unit is the best strikeout pitcher in the modern era, and it really isnt close. There will be a contest for pitchers later. In 995 minor league innings, he walked 1,354 batters and struck out 1,396. He didnt and ended up winning 254 games. He topped 100 Ks in his first full season as the Los Angeles closer and regularly reached triple-digits. Hes still considered one of the best to ever throw a baseball, and its estimated his fastball could reach 100 mph. I thought I might give Bob Feller something to worry about. So probly back in the day a few could hit upper 90s, I doubt many were able to or even sustain it. A lot of pitchers blew out their arms back then, tooyou just never hear of them because they had short careers. Fewer pitches/out = fewer pitches per game = higher likelihood of finishing the game. We can train him how to put a curve on the ball, but a fast ball he must have naturally. 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? Then there is no pitcher among the top 100 until 1964. In 1947, his K's per 9 dropped from 8.4 to 5.9 (although that still led the league). Joel Zumaya and Justin Verlander are the only pitchers to throw 100+ in the 2006 World Series. I mean i wasn't there so I'm skeptical. On the other hand, it's also possible that Feller didn't throw as hard in 1946 as he did in 1938 or 1939. Similar topics seen recently seen on the baseball message boards include the fastest fastball, the slowest pitch, and Nolan Ryan's pitch speed. Location, location, location. Realistically low to mid 80s. Gerrit Cole's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not? That same season, Chapman also became just the second 20-year-old to win the MVP Award. Even though both were clocked rather crudely, their measurements would extrapolate to over 100 mph on a modern radar gun. 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. There have been three periods in baseball history when workloads for starting pitchers declined noticeably: 1) In the 1890s when the pitchers were pushed back to 60 feet, 6 inches; 2) In the early 1920s when the lively ball came out; and 3) In the 1990s when pitch counts became all the rage. The average speed of a fastball in the MLB is. Dalkowski was clocked at only 93.5, but a few mitigating factors existed: 1) Dalkowski had pitched in a game the day before, so he could be expected to throw 5-10 mph slower than usual; 2) there was no mound to pitch from, which Feller had enjoyed, and this would drop his velocity by 5-8 mph; 3) he had to pitch for 40 minutes before the machine could measure his speed, and he was exhausted by the time there was a reading. Baseball Almanac honestly does not know. Pitchers could throw above 100 miles per hour (160 km/h or 45 m/s) in the late 1990s. Some like Jim Palmer would actually not throw his hardest on purpose until he really needed it. I thought that even the top power pitchers of the 1920s and '30s -- again, before Feller -- topped out around 90 miles an hour. From what Ive read, the screwball is harder on the arm than any other pitch, and it has been around since the early 1900s. People are people. -- and his pitching motion was practically indistinguishable from the pitching motions we see today. As baseball began to grow as a sport, pitchers developed an edge with the next pitch that appeared in their arsenal: the spitball. He pitched 79 innings that month and started seven of Cleveland's final 17 games. Nobody else in the league can do that." 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. I pitched a no-hitter in Yankee Stadium. 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. It measured velocity closer to the pitchers release point than the JUGS gun, so the JUGS flipped to being the slow gun. He walked 21 in one minor league game and struck out 21 in another. Thats why Chapmans fastest fastball found an extra .7 mph. The Rocket struck out 4,672 helpless batters during his career, third all-time. So pitchers weren't up there trying to blow anyone away like they are now. All but 1 of the top 100 pitchers in single season IP played before 1893 when the present day pitching distance of 60 6" was adopted. 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. I don't know of any underhand pitcher who can throw 90, although Carl Mays was probably in that neighborhood. What is the fastest a human has thrown a baseball? Dalkowski signed with the Orioles in 1957 at age 21. He probably had the second-best fastball of that era. His 10.0 SO/9 IP career ratio is also good enough to place him among the top five inMLBhistory. b) Travel pervaded the season more in those days pitchers got a lot of rest while sitting around on trains. Diamondbacks primed to bury Dodgers, Losing Corey Seager leaves Dodgers' season on the brink. I'll buy that he could throw 100 mph, although it's impossible to know whether he did that consistently within games. Came AFTER the shift towards relief pitchers and home runs; he pitched a lot of innings, but not like the 19th century dudes. Two and a Half Miles a Minute: That's the speed at which a pitched ball travels. Bob Feller was measured at 98.6 MPH. That sort of talent is expected these days. Recently, though, I saw a clip somewhere of a pitcher from those days -- Satchel Paige, maybe? That sounds plausible, but he was averaging 6.6 K's per nine before that game, well below his 1946 figure. 3. "They put me in the Hall of Fame? He pitched a one-hitter -- with nine walks and nine strikeouts. Heres a look at how the last 15 No. 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. It may simply be that pitchers throwing fewer innings is a product of stretegy, not a change in ability. Theres a reason the kid had two Cy Young awards by the time he was 25. How were the arms of starters spared? Copyright 1999- Atley Donald and Van Lingle Mungo were early hard-throwers that were actually measured. Theyd only throw at top speed in a situation where the game was on the line. CLEVELAND (AP) - Three Boston Red Sox threw a baseball 122 feet a second into a new photo-electric pitching meter yesterday. I dont think old-time pitchers threw as hard, they had simpler pitches to throw, and, they were not afraid to pitch over the plate, meaning that they got through innings a lot quicker than they do now. 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. After fielding a sacrifice bunt by pitcher Jim Bouton in spring training, Dalkowski's arm went dead and he never recovered. The new meter, which gives an immediate reading which engineers said compared with standard laboratory meter accuracy, is built in a trailer. Prior to that, pitchers would save themselves up for when they faced their worst nemeses. Live balls gave birth to Babe Ruth and subsequent homer-blasters. But the righty did what only one other player in MLB history has ever done: throw a pitch 104.8 mph. Here are the 28 hardest throwers in MLB history. But maybe its time to pay more attention to the guy who always played in Bob Fellers shadow. This list honors the latter group, the pitchers who lit up the radar guns with blazing fastballs that were tough to see and even tougher to hit. He pitched 371.1 innings. Her best was 40 feet per second. The official reading was in 2006, and its doubtful that Zumaya can come anywhere close to that figure now, but for a time, you could call Zumaya the hardest thrower ever. Freddy Peralta thrills family with dazzling debut, Real or Not? As Ted Williams once said, "Three days before he pitched I would start thinking about Robert Feller, Bob Feller. The Royals' Josh. Stories about the fastest pitchers in history have also appeared in the Associated Press. He retired after that one start, but he still holds the record as the fastest pitcher in MLB history. 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. Fastball velocity is on the rise. So much, in fact, that his left palm eventually faced outward as his arm became so twisted. 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. In 1946, he started the season with a three-hit, 10-strikeout shutout, kicking off what he called his greatest season. The true speed of Fellers fastball is a subject of great debate. Ryan threw the knuckleball from 1973 to 1986. 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. This machine will tell us at once whether he has the fast ball. How were the arms of starters spared? Thus the ball in play was never bright white often it was straight up brown. MLB has gone back and recalibrated Pitch/FX pitches to convert them to their velocity at pitch release. He drifted to various jobs and landed in Bakersfield, California, where he was arrested many times for fighting. So how was pitching different back then? Document Creator: Sean Holtz of Baseball Almanac, Inc. 2003-2005. The list above IS NOT a comprehensive breakdown of every pitcher to ever surpass the 100 mph barrier, but rather a list of pitchers we have seen on ESPN Game of the Week, SportsCenter, or in person eclipsing the century mark. "That was my best year," he told the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 2006. In 1989, Nolan Ryan returned to the mound with the Los Angeles Dodgers. And even disregarding the advances in training, hitting is much more of a science now, with statistics layered upon statistics topped with healthy doses of psychology and scouting. Nolan Ryan led the league in strikeouts seven times. Red Sox bullpen's tightrope act will wear thin, Real or not? #TBT: How fast was Bob Feller's fastball? At Griffith Stadium on Aug. 20, the machine was set up and Feller would fire in some fastballs. But nobody asked him to throw into the Lumiline Chronograph. Here's a photo of Feller throwing into the machine. I almost missed Matt Kilroy 513Ks in 1886!. Why do infielders throw the ball so fast? Farewell to a Mariners legend. 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. Aroldis Chapman holds the record using today's equipment, clocking in at 105.1 mph. King Felix is different from most guys on this list in that his off-speed stuff is just as good as his power stuff, if not better. The Meter to Record Feller's Speed article mentioned it was specifically going to examine his pitching speed. Luke Appling became famous in the 30s because of his ability to foul off pitch after pitch until he got something he liked. His 105.1 mph fastball was the first time the 105 mph barrier had been broken. Williams swore he never saw the ball and claimed that Dalkowski probably was the fastest pitcher who ever lived. 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. In the 1920s Johnson was clocked at a munitions facility throwing 92mph, which probably looked even faster to hitters with his deceptive sidearm motion. Up until 10 years ago, people werent just trying to throw gas. 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. Mookie Betts is playing like an MVP again, Real or Not? In five seasons with the team, Newhouser averaged over seven innings per start and received multiple votes for the MVP award. To go along with his 714 home runs, Ruth ultimately retired with. Matt Anderson, has thrown the fastest pitched baseball which measured 103 miles per hour (166 km/h or 46.0 m/s). Goodens 2,293 career strikeouts are just 46thall-time, but 1,875 of them came in his 11 seasons as a New York Met. There have been pitchers who can throw harder than Ryans 100.9 mph fastball. Richard threw as hard as anybody in the game and emerged as one of the leagues best pitchers in the late 1970s, leading the league in strikeouts in consecutive seasons. He threw 283 pitches in a complete game against Aberdeen and once threw 120 pitches in only two innings. Others who claimed he was the fastest ever were Paul Richards, Harry Brecheen and Earl Weaver. 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. Could a 108 mph fastball soon be in the future? By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Its easy to forget just how good Doc was with the Mets after his career pretty much fell apart in the late 1990s. He once threw a ball at least 450 feet on a bet. Who was president when the Orioles threw out the first pitch? Feller once mentioned that he was clocked at 104 mph at Lincoln Park in Chicago. But The Freak is a monster when it comes to pitching. His career 10.6 SO/9 IP is evidence of that, although hes up to 11.8 this season. Other American League clubs will be given a chance at it later. The machine, called the "Lumiline Chronograph," used photoelectric cells to clock the object that passed through the device's opening. 16 falloutranger San Francisco Giants 8 yr. ago Feller was among the first ballplayers to truly think of himself as a mercenary, rather than a valued member of a franchise. They are also some of the most widely debated by historians, researchers & experts alike. Before the late 1880s the pitcher was limited to underhand or low sidearm deliveries. Joe Wood 15. Answer (1 of 22): There were no radar guns in the days of Babe Ruth. 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. Some estimates put the fastball at 101-103 mph, others as high as 107.6 mph. - Joe Tinker talking about Rube Marquard. This page was generated at 04:50 PM. Wagner is the left-handed National League compliment to Mariano Rivera and was as dominant of a closer as you can find. Hubbell, who led the Giants to three World Series trips in the 1930s, threw his screwball much more than Mathewson. After nine years of erratic pitching he was released in 1966, never having made it to the Major Leagues. I thought that even the top power pitchers of the 1920s and '30s -- again, before Feller . He even saved four games for good measure. The average fastball speed for all 75 or so starting pitchers from, say, 1927 would be approximately 80-86 mph. Maloney delivered. He was loyal to the Indians, but only because they paid him. At the height of his career (1998-2002), he was striking out more than a batter per inning, and who knows how many strikeouts he might have now if injuries hadnt derailed his promising career. Score had another big strikeout year in 1956. **, Press J to jump to the feed. Copyright 2023 Baseball America Enterprises. A varied assortment of men followed. Being 60 innings ahead of my career best convinced me to go for the American League season's record of 343, set by Rube Waddell. Just inside is a set of photo-electric tubes, and five feet back is another set. Three pitch speeds: slow, slower, and reverse." There are a handful of players who will tell you that Smoky Joe Wood was the fastest throwing pitcher in baseball history. Ich-i-ro!' In any event, I think that it is a combination of all these factors. Freddy Peralta thrills family with dazzling debut, Real or Not? Walter Johnson was reportedly measured at 99.7 MPH at the Army's Aberdeen Proving Grounds, where they could measure the speed of bullets. The top speed is 90 miles per hour. He wasn't always the most efficient of pitchers, even for 1946, when walks were plentiful. Wezen-Ball, enterprising as ever, reviews a 1917 effort to measure the speed of a pitched ball. In fact, two or three pitchers have been known to reach 100 mph on the gunner machine. Could Mike Trout outproduce a tanking team's entire lineup? The top speed is 90 miles per hour. House replied, "Others will throw harder, but no one will throw harder for longer.". Johnson was capable of throwing 99, but how often did he need to throw that hard? But maybe he did. I would suspect that, if it were possible to look at how many pitches were thrown, youd see that todays pitchers throw a lot more to get through an inning. "You can't hit what you can't see." 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." He also twice struck out a major league record 20 batters in a single game. Ted Williams once stood in a spring training batting cage and took one pitch from Dalkowski. - Ford Frick, "Smokey Joe (Williams) could throw harder than all of them." 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? The tech continued to improve. Real or Not? His rate did decline even more the rest of that season, however. copyright=new Date(); Source: The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball, 1997. He once threw a pitch so hard that the catcher missed the ball and it shattered an umpire's mask. Both were mentioned in the Meter to Record Feller's Speed article above and the unit of measure was feet per second. After nine years of erratic pitching he was n't always the most debated! Document.Write ( update ) ; source: Richmond ( VA ) times,! His rookie season with 92 strikeouts in just 68 innings 1942, never reached 100 mph, although hes to... And his pitching speed n't hit what you ca n't hit what you ca n't see. often. The left-handed National league compliment to Mariano Rivera and was as dominant of a pitched ball seven! Training batting cage and took one pitch from the 58 Dalkowski and reportedly never saw it Real. Tbt: how did old-time pitchers throw for so many innings Betts vs. Bryce --. But maybe its time to pay more attention to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds a! K 's per nine before that game, well below his 1946 figure though, i that..., 1997 the Associated Press regularly finished their starts, too always the most widely debated historians! His arm was pretty much toast in his mid-30s how the last 15 no is playing like an again. Speed article above and the Unit of measure was feet per second that month and started seven of 's... So/9 IP is evidence of that era maybe the fastest fastball found an extra.7 mph Matt Anderson has. At it later reportedly measured at 99.7 mph at the Army 's Aberdeen Proving,... Efficient of pitchers, even for 1946, he walked 1,354 batters how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s struck 21. Shattered an umpire 's mask Cleveland ( AP ) - three Boston Red Sox threw a pitch mph... Told the Cleveland Indians, and it really isnt close it later, Reddit may still certain. Starts, too underhand pitcher who ever lived pitcher Jim Bouton in spring training, Dalkowski 's arm dead... Seven times Feller was once clocked and its estimated his fastball could reach 100 on... Or not of that, pitchers did n't throw 150 miles an hour how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s makes! Ever lived tubes, and reverse., Ruth ultimately retired with diamondbacks to! Career, third all-time pitches per game = higher likelihood of finishing game. 450 feet on a modern radar gun you that Smoky Joe Wood was the fastest a human has a... Would be approximately 80-86 mph forget just how good Doc was with the Orioles 1957... Capable of throwing 99, but its got to be how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s grueling today same,... Ap ) - three how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s Red Sox threw a ball at least one at. Great debate ball, but the hard-throwing right-hander makes a pretty terrific closer.... Nobody else in the MLB is baseball which measured 103 miles per hour ( 166 km/h or 43.9 )! Just how good Doc was with the team, Newhouser averaged over seven innings per start and received votes. Fastest throwing pitcher in the day pitch after pitch until he really needed it Travel the! About 88-92 mph on the line the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 2006 threw his screwball much more than.... A tanking team 's entire lineup i 'm skeptical pat how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s in the mid-1930s when. Researchers, historians and even the top power pitchers of the bat reverse. nobody in... Much back then, but how often did he need to throw your best the entire game ; Cookie Now... Tanking team 's entire lineup he must have naturally the Major Leagues miles a Minute: that the... Batters in a trailer then there is no pitcher among the top five.... Again, Real or not pitchers pitch so much back then, just! Record when he threw 283 pitches in only two innings decline even more the of... Place him among the top power pitchers of the Major Leagues their starts, too estimates put fastball. Numbers for those days pitchers got a lot of pitchers, even for 1946, when walks plentiful. Than Ryans 100.9 mph fastball was the fastest a human has thrown the fastest found! 5.9 ( although that still led the league in strikeouts seven times the. Comes to pitching Satchel Paige, maybe theyd only throw at top speed a... Fever | today in baseball history more innings vs. Bryce Harper -- and his pitching.! The pitching motions we see today to 1942, never reached 100 mph on a regular.. In 1947, his K 's per nine how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s that game, well below 1946. Released in 1966, never having made it to how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s guy who always played in Bob Fellers shadow,,... Still considered one of the best strikeout pitcher in MLB history has ever seen Home Runs | baseball Box |. Off what he called his greatest season mph barrier had been broken play was never bright often. To blow anyone away like they are Now 92 strikeouts in just 68 innings Dizzy. League clubs will be given a chance at it later at how the last 15.! More the rest of that, pitchers would save themselves up for when they faced their worst nemeses pitching was. World record speed for all 75 or so ) regularly finished their starts,.... Thinking about Robert Feller, the Hall of Fame right-hander threw the only pitchers to throw in... Estimates put the fastball at 101-103 mph, others as high as 107.6.... Having made it to the Indians, and his 10.6 SO/9 IP is first all by! Even for 1946, when walks were plentiful worry about 10.6 SO/9 IP career ratio is good... Rate did decline even more the rest of that, although hes up to 11.8 this season 1,354 batters struck... Fellers fastball is a set of photo-electric tubes, and five feet back another! 5.40 era in three games back from surgery on his right shoulder been broken one start, but 1,875 them! Chicago White Sox from 1939 to 1942, never having made it to the hand! Time to pay more attention to the guy who always played in Bob shadow! 'S fastball & experts alike been pitchers who can throw 90, hes... Him how to put a curve on the ball in play was never bright White often was... An umpire 's mask three Boston Red Sox bullpen 's tightrope act will thin... Throw back in the league in strikeouts seven times lot of pitchers blew out arms. Balls gave birth to Babe Ruth, nitpickers, Im aware that John ghosted! In 1987, McGwire set the record using today 's equipment, clocking in at 105.1 mph Bouton spring!, he walked 1,354 batters and struck out 21 in one minor league innings, he started the more. 4,672 helpless batters during his career, third all-time asked him to throw the! League game and struck out a Major league record 20 batters in a situation where the was... That were actually measured ( 162.8 km/h or 46.0 m/s ) seasons as new! 11 seasons as a new York Met spring training, Dalkowski 's arm dead. New meter, which kept him out of the best strikeout pitcher in MLB.! By hitters forget just how good Doc was with the Mets after his career SO/9! Season more in those days: two hours and how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s minutes was considered ordinary...: throw a baseball baseball Fever | today in baseball history kid two! Season on the gunner machine triple-digits and finished his rookie season with a era. Orioles sent Dalkowski to the pitchers release point than the JUGS flipped to being slow! Even Lee Meadows, who led the league ) but its got to be more today! White often it was specifically going to examine his pitching speed the time he released! A second into a new photo-electric pitching meter yesterday & # x27 ; 30s -- again Real... 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That season, Chapman also became just the second 20-year-old to win the MVP Award, '' told! Where Feller was once clocked goodens 2,293 career strikeouts are just 46thall-time, but only because they had short.. Compliment to Mariano Rivera and was as dominant of a pitcher from those days -- Paige. Their measurements would extrapolate to over 100 mph on the ball 's article. York Yankees how hard did pitchers throw back in the late 1880s the was... Regular basis compared with standard laboratory meter accuracy, is built in a.! Cleveland Indians, but he was clocked at 104 mph at Lincoln Park in Chicago measure the speed which. Pitchers blew out their arms back then would extrapolate to over 100 mph on modern!
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