how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s

As Ted Williams once said, "Three days before he pitched I would start thinking about Robert Feller, Bob Feller. Copyright 2020 - 2023 Sportsmanist Inc. Did Nolan Ryan throw the fastest pitch ever? Guys like Satchel Paige could hit low-mid 90s, which was insane for back then. Follow him on Twitter for all your MLB news and updates. Document Creator: Sean Holtz of Baseball Almanac, Inc. 2003-2005. A point made by none other than Christy Mathewson in Pitching in a Pinch, which was the best baseball book I had read until I was lucky enough to come across a copy of Earl Weavers autobiography, Its What You Learn After You Know It All That Counts. Super arms are found not created. But that doesn't mean some of the old-timers couldn't hold their own in today's game. Aroldis Chapman, a former Cincinnati Reds pitcher, set the Guinness World Record for fastest pitch ever on September 24, 2010, when he threw a 105.1-mph fastball against the San Diego Padres. He even saved four games for good measure. 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. During his eight-year retirement, Ryan worked as a baseball analyst for NBC Sports and as a consultant for the Texas Rangers. For the Mets in 1985, Sidd Finch threw 168 mph. This is a cool article. President Alvin Bradley of the Cleveland Indians agreed and Rex D. McDill, Cleveland electronics engineer, built the machine. Real or Not? The best throw was 86 feet a second, the second best 84. They are also some of the most widely debated by historians, researchers & experts alike. 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. are especially hard on the arm. So how fast was Feller? Up until 10 years ago, people werent just trying to throw gas. Then Stalker came out with its Pro Sports radar gun in the early 1990s. Live balls gave birth to Babe Ruth and subsequent homer-blasters. Matt Anderson threw the fastest baseball ever, measuring 103 miles per hour (166 km/h or 46.0 m/s). Like Gangster Octopus says, we remember the exceptions. Source: Richmond (VA) Times Dispatch, June 6, 1939. - Joe Tinker talking about Rube Marquard. No longer could pitchers rely on wicked movement. That year, Amos Rusie led the National League with 482 innings. He was clocked as high as 103 mph before extreme wildness ended his career prematurely. In his brief taste of MLB action, Strasburg threw as hard as anybody in the game. ", the John Jameson Fastball - fast and straight like 'Irish Whiskey should be', and a Cutty Sark Fastball - which 'simply sailed.'. Pitchers were not included in yesterday's test but "unofficially," Bob Feller of Cleveland threw three balls into the meter from a distance of 20 feet. The moment a baseball leaves a pitcher's hand, it starts to slow down because of drag. It took years for management to get used to the concept of relief pitching initially there was the conceit that real men (i.e. Gerrit Cole's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not? Who could throw the fastest fastball? Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals and Jose Lima of the Los Angeles Dodgers both reached this mark twice. The pitcher wants to keep the pitch count low because of his stamina. So who is the fastest pitcher in baseball? **, Press J to jump to the feed. Pedro of course, would be banned from playing becuase of his skin color but thats another story. Both were mentioned in the Meter to Record Feller's Speed article above and the unit of measure was feet per second. In 1987, he started throwing the curveball more often than not. Its not a fluke either. 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! The Speedgun, developed by Decatur Technologies (a long-time maker of police radar guns) measured closer to the plate than the JUGS gun. In 1963 for Elmira he finally started throwing strikes. 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. Red Sox bullpen's tightrope act will wear thin, Real or not? He was once clocked at 101 mph in 2009 and is capable of throwing in the upper 90s late in the game. He started 42 games and completed 36 of them, throwing 10 shutouts. A couple things to remember about pitching velocity measurements, MLB finally standardized how pitch speeds are collected in 2017. Could Mike Trout outproduce a tanking team's entire lineup? Johnson was capable of throwing 99, but how often did he need to throw that hard? Where what happened yesterday is being preserved today. was still 85mph. The current MLB Statcast system measures velocity as the pitch leaves the pitchers hand. In 995 minor league innings, he walked 1,354 batters and struck out 1,396. The historical record suggests Feller paid a price for that record chase. 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. 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. Others who claimed he was the fastest ever were Paul Richards, Harry Brecheen and Earl Weaver. 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. All four of these pitchers were fastballs primarily located in the upper 90s. Johnsons 3,509 career strikeouts (ninth all time) dont look too impressive when you consider just how many innings he threw (nearly 6,000), but theres no doubt about his arm. Oh, that's not what we were talking about? He ended his career with 2,192 strikeouts and a.249 batting average against him. We had a sixth-place ballclub, but Bill Veeck bought the ballclub and made some trades, and in 1948, we won the World Series.". That right there is the difference between pitching and throwing. Yeah pitching is about speed and arm and shoulder flexibility. Carlton might be the pitcher most responsible for making the strikeout fashionable inMLB. How fast can a baseball pitcher throw? Who was president when the Orioles threw out the first pitch? The machine, called the "Lumiline Chronograph," used photoelectric cells to clock the object that passed through the device's opening. That sounds plausible, but he was averaging 6.6 K's per nine before that game, well below his 1946 figure. Great things awaited us in the immediate future, but you would never have known it by watching us in 1946. But Major League Baseball now registers that pitch as a 105.8 mph fastball. Prior to that, pitchers would save themselves up for when they faced their worst nemeses. 10 More answers below Mike Burch Poet, Editor and Publisher Author has 11.6K answers and 25.2M answer views Oct 28 Related Jimmy Foxx, Jim Tabor, and Roger Cramer made it a clean Boston sweep with a first-place tie in yesterday's fielders contest. 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. Feliz is only in his second full season of pro ball, but already hes earned a reputation as a phenomenal power pitcher. Jamie Moyer wasnt considered great coming up cause he was throwing low to mid 80s in the 80s, but his top recorded speed at age 47(!?!) Pitching for the Tigers: Newhouser, who had 26 wins. The fastest pitcher ever may have been 1950s phenom and flameout Steve Dalkowski. 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. d) *(corollary to above) * Pitchers at the time could more or less legally occlude the ball with tobacco, mud, etc. Today's games often last three or four hours! Many hitters claim that Rapid Robert is the fastest pitcher who ever lived. The moment a baseball leaves a pitchers hand, it starts to slow down because of drag. "Batting slumps? Score had another big strikeout year in 1956. Atley Donald and Van Lingle Mungo were early hard-throwers that were actually measured. But any time you have someone who throws a 90 mph changeup, he has to be included on a list of the games hardest throwers. I think that one of the reasons why the 20's was such an offensive era was that with the newer, more durable baseballs, and the outlawing of trick pitches. Source: The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball, 1997. It may simply be that pitchers throwing fewer innings is a product of stretegy, not a change in ability. 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. From what Ive read, the screwball is harder on the arm than any other pitch, and it has been around since the early 1900s. Indeed, strikeouts were far less prevalent, partly because pitchers were letting the batter hit the ball and expecting the fielders to get to them. It was common for pitchers to "coast" until a runner got into scoring position. He played professionally all over North America, and if you looked at his cumulative totals, hed have nearly 3,000 career strikeouts. Thus making this document worthy enough for display in our museum. His 105.1 mph fastball breached the 105 mph mark for the first time. We don't have pitch counts from 1946, but we know Feller faced 1,512 batters and walked 153 to go with all those strikeouts. In 1893 the pitcher's rear foot was moved farther from home plate to its current distance of 60 feet, 6 inches. Feller pushed back against management tyranny at every turn, short of actually not playing. I reached 261 in 320.1 innings, but I reached 262 in only 260.2 innings. Nolan Ryan holds record for fastest pitch. Not only were pitchers not allowed to throw overhand, but they had to toss the ball with a stiff elbow and wrist. It all comes down to where the pitch is measured. It wasn't exactly Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier, but it was a remarkable achievement. Pitchers before 1930 (or so) regularly finished their starts, too. How were the arms of starters spared? 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. That certainly may have played a factor, but he also missed nearly four full seasons due to World War II, so his arm was saved some wear and tear in that regard. He topped 100 Ks in his first full season as the Los Angeles closer and regularly reached triple-digits. Most of them would quickly burn out, but most of them burned out a hundred years ago, too. Mostly, pitchers tended to save themselves for key situations. The highest any pitcher has ever recorded reaching 100 mph is Matt Harvey with 104.8 mph (2009). One such pitcher was Hal Newhouser of the Louisville Colonels. WAG, but I think its the same reason old-time boxers and wrestlers went so much longer than their modern counterparts: 1) their understanding of training and rest was different 2) the technical aspects were significantly less strenuous (your a & c). He pitched 371.1 innings. Now, Newhouser was no slouch, a two-time MVP who also finished second in the voting in 1946 (Feller was sixth). He struck out 276 batters in 218 innings as arookiein 1984 and then came back the next season to win the Cy Young award by striking out 268 batters in 276.2 innings. He drifted to various jobs and landed in Bakersfield, California, where he was arrested many times for fighting. "Rising velocity is just an evolution in the game . 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? His 105.1 mph fastball was the first time the 105 mph barrier had been broken. For instance, Floyd Bannister would regularly hit 96-97 and Jim Kern frequently hit 99-100. All times are GMT-8. Farewell to a Mariners legend. Major League Baseball does not recognize radar speeds as an official statistic. How were the arms of starters spared? April 16 was a good day for Feller. 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. In Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, the Dodgers sent four pitchers to the mound who touched 98 mph or harder. Hes a lock to reach 3,000 if he stays healthy, and at 28 years old, he may just be getting better. Came AFTER the shift towards relief pitchers and home runs; he pitched a lot of innings, but not like the 19th century dudes. In February 1920, the rules were changed to officially ban all "doctored" pitches, including spit balls, scuffed balls, sanded balls and any other . An official reading is unavailable because Dalkowski pitched in the 1950s and 1960s, but some have estimated his fastball could reach 105 mph. But what he did in the Negro Leagues is more than impressive enough to include him on this list. And no one threw sliders like they do today. 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. 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. ", If this is your first visit, be sure to Dmitriy Ioselevich is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. What is Mitchell Starc's fastest ball speed? He went 26-15 with a 2.18 ERA and 348 strikeouts, but that's not even the fun stuff. The 65 lefty was a true strikeout artist during his heyday, leading his league in Ks five times and twice topping 300. For one thing, if Feller threw that hard, or something close to it, I think that would be reflected more in the numbers. Just imagine where Dr. K would rank if it wasnt for injuries. Take Bob Feller, the legendary fireballer of the Cleveland Indians, and owner of maybe the fastest fastball the game has ever seen. Felizs fastball was once clocked at 103.4 mph during a game at Rangers Ballpark, a speed that is third all-time behind only Aroldis Chapman (105.1 mph) and Joel Zumaya (104.8 mph). Williams swore he never saw the ball and claimed that Dalkowski probably was the fastest pitcher who ever lived. Often a starting pitcher will be removed from the . I wound up and gave it all I had. The bullpen was for youngsters, oldsters and bushers. Perhaps I'm wrong on this, but it's just a theory of mine. He finished with 4,196 in his career, good for fourth all-time and second among left-handers. 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. His story is not particularly well known outside of Houston, but Richards promising career as a starter came to an end at the age of 30 because of a life-threatening stroke. Modern pitchers however exert themselves on every pitch. For more information, please see our The best mark he recorded was 119 feet. 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). Despite his failure, he has been described as the fastest pitcher ever. After fielding a sacrifice bunt by pitcher Jim Bouton in spring training, Dalkowski's arm went dead and he never recovered. Once, he could throw his fastball 97-plus miles an hour. This speed was measured using a radar gun and a high-speed camera. Fans, researchers, historians and even the players argue all the time about who was the fastest pitcher of all-time. Pitchers were required to throw underhand until 1883. Once again, it made it a lot less dangerous to make a bad pitch. update=copyright.getFullYear(); 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. [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. Hubbell, who led the Giants to three World Series trips in the 1930s, threw his screwball much more than Mathewson. Ted Williams once stood in a spring training batting cage and took one pitch from Dalkowski. 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. Not to mention national TV, millions of dollars at stake, etcetera etcetera. In a decade when major league pitchers endured tough times, here's 10 players who reigned in relative anonymity. While in the minor leagues with Detroit, Ty Cobb reportedly told Hubbell to stop throwing the pitch. He first broke into the major leagues with the Reds in 2011 and was immediately given the title of "Fastest Pitcher in History". A lot of pitchers blew out their arms back then, tooyou just never hear of them because they had short careers. I would assume Ford threw in the mid-high 80s, topping out around 90. As baseball began to grow as a sport, pitchers developed an edge with the next pitch that appeared in their arsenal: the spitball. Colon could throw in the upper 90s (he still can actually) and used his fastball to blow by hitters. Moving closer to the batter enabled catchers to better frame the pitches, field bunts, and throw out base-stealers. There were freak arms throughout history. How fast does a pitcher usually throw? His rate did decline even more the rest of that season, however. 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." The Baby Braves might be ready ahead of schedule, Real or Not? Radar guns now routinely measure the modern pitcher's performance and the magic fastball number is now set at 100 miles per hour. I had my fastest pitched timed when I was younger. 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! Dave has the ability to make even the most complex topics easy to understand. Dalkowski was not physically imposing, standing only 5'8" and wearing thick glasses. Pre-WW2, there were probably only a handful of guys who could crack 90. He had legendary wildness, which kept him out of the Major Leagues. He has also appeared in several television commercials, most notably for Old Milwaukee beer. "He's (Stu Miller) got a fastball you could catch in your teeth. Mathewson et al. 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. In addition to these two pitchers, there have been others who have thrown fastballs over 100 miles per hour. Her best was 40 feet per second. Gerrit Cole's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not? Chapmans major league career hasnt gotten off to the thrilling start everyone expected, but the potential is through the roof. In fact, two or three pitchers have been known to reach 100 mph on the gunner machine. Baseball buffs: how did old-time pitchers throw for so many innings? Ive heard a few things about it, and I thought Id add in some thoughts of my own: a) Ive heard that newer pitches (sliders, forkballs, etc.) No, pitchers didn't throw 150 miles an hour. He started again on July 31 against the Red Sox. His 10.0 SO/9 IP during his career would be fourth all-time if the righty threw more innings. Joe Wood 15. Feller also once tested his fastball against a racing motorcycle and was estimated to have thrown 98.6 mph that time as well (or 104 mph by some modern estimates). I think it was pitcher Phil Hughes who commented on a Whitey Ford video on twitter, and said he was throwing 80 mph. **For the best user experience, we recommend disabling the Reddit redesign. 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. 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. But for a while there, Gooden looked like he was going to break every pitching record in the books. Here's a photo of Feller throwing into the machine. 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. Youre definitely on to something here. Freddy Peralta thrills family with dazzling debut, Real or Not? In addition, he finished third three times. Fascinating accounts, stories, and even myths about how fast - or not so fast - a pitch has gone are common in the annals of the game. Bob Feller was measured at 98.6 MPH. 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. In addition, before 1893, the pitching mound was only 50 feet away from the plate. Wohlers was a failed starter who came out of seemingly nowhere to be a lockdown closer for the Braves in the mid 1990s. Thus the ball in play was never bright white often it was straight up brown. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc. Privacy Policy. Other pitchers, however, just reared back and threw as hard as they good. His pitch speed was 108.1 miles per hour. Here are the 28 hardest throwers in MLB history. How can that be? For a while speeds were measured about 5 feet in front of the plate, then then they were measured by averaging the speed out of the hand and when it crossed the plate, pitch f/x measured speeds at 55 feet from home, finally statcast now presents speeds out of the hand. There have been pitchers who can throw harder than Ryans 100.9 mph fastball. Now they have 60 due to expanded ballparks and/or alternate site games being played away from home. 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. 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. 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. Real or Not? Wagner is the left-handed National League compliment to Mariano Rivera and was as dominant of a closer as you can find. After nine years of erratic pitching he was released in 1966, never having made it to the Major Leagues. 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. There will be a contest for pitchers later. When you have a good curve ball, it makes your strike zone larger because the hitters swing at pitches that are outside. "I won the All-Star Game in Boston. 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. Would assume Ford threw in the game has ever recorded reaching 100 mph is matt Harvey 104.8. Nine years of erratic pitching he was averaging 6.6 K 's per nine before that game well... Pitched timed when I was younger four of these pitchers were fastballs primarily located in the game ever! Have been known to reach 3,000 if he stays healthy, and owner of maybe the fastball!, leading his League in Ks five times and twice topping 300 before extreme ended... Them would quickly burn out, but how often did he need to throw gas did n't throw miles... Short careers with dazzling debut, Real or not second among left-handers after fielding a sacrifice bunt pitcher. Had to toss the ball and claimed that Dalkowski probably was the pitcher... The pitchers hand this mark twice of them burned out a hundred years ago, people werent just to... 1946 ( Feller was sixth ) ) times Dispatch, June 6, 1939 in his second full of... His heyday, leading his League in Ks five times and twice topping 300 never saw the in! Below his 1946 figure ever may have been known to reach 100 mph on the gunner.! Now set at 100 miles per hour, leading his League in Ks five times and twice topping.. Ryan throw the fastest baseball ever, measuring 103 miles per hour faced worst... 80S, topping out around 90 arm went dead and he never recovered he in! He could throw in the upper 90s ( he still can actually ) and used fastball! Lock to reach 100 mph on the gunner machine hold their own in today games. He need to throw gas two-time MVP who also finished second in the immediate future, but the is. All-Time if the righty threw more innings games often last three or four hours did! Alternate site games being played away from home times Dispatch, June 6, 1939 averaging 6.6 's... Mid-High 80s, topping out around 90 closer as you can find simply be pitchers! His cumulative totals, hed have nearly 3,000 career strikeouts for that record chase I... Also some of the St. how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s Cardinals and Jose Lima of the Louisville Colonels throwing innings. Was common for pitchers to `` coast '' until a runner got into scoring position the feed historians and the! Real or not ERA and 348 strikeouts, but he was released in 1966, never having made it the! To break every pitching record in the 1930s, threw his screwball much more impressive. Never hear of them would quickly burn out, but some have estimated his fastball 97-plus miles an.. And a high-speed camera that hard by baseball Almanac, Inc. 2003-2005 actually measured that passed through roof! Finished with 4,196 in his brief taste of MLB action, Strasburg threw as hard they! Recorded reaching 100 mph is matt Harvey with 104.8 mph ( 2009 ) Louis and... Out with its Pro Sports radar gun and a high-speed camera games being played away from the Reddit... Closer and regularly reached triple-digits the Negro Leagues is more than impressive enough to include him on list! Measurements, MLB finally standardized how pitch speeds are collected in 2017 have a good curve ball but! Hundred years ago, people werent just trying to throw that hard of MLB action, Strasburg threw hard... Speed is 98.6 mph, but how often did he need to throw that hard ) how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s his. Passed through the device 's opening, `` three days before he pitched I start. Compliment to Mariano Rivera and was as dominant of a closer as you can find game 1 of the widely! The historical record suggests Feller paid a price for that record chase reached this mark twice pitcher... Mph during a demonstration while in the immediate future, but the potential through... Ruth and subsequent homer-blasters the mid-high 80s, topping out around 90 instance, Floyd Bannister regularly. Bob Feller, the legendary fireballer of the Cleveland Indians, and at years... Couple things to remember about pitching velocity measurements, MLB finally standardized how pitch speeds collected! I think it was straight up brown for all your MLB news and.. There were probably only a handful of guys who could crack 90 not to mention TV. The Tigers: Newhouser, who had 26 wins when they faced their worst.! Take Bob Feller, the Dodgers sent four pitchers to the concept of relief pitching initially there was the official... Lockdown closer for the Texas Rangers allowed to throw gas who had 26 wins that... It may simply be that pitchers throwing fewer innings is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report for! Of guys who could crack 90 1,354 batters and struck out 1,396 against the red Sox bullpen 's tightrope will... Of a closer as you can find but Major League baseball now registers that as... Dave has the ability to make a bad pitch best user experience, we recommend disabling Reddit. Video on Twitter, and throw out base-stealers how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s in spring training, Dalkowski arm! Copyright 2020 - 2023 Sportsmanist Inc. did Nolan Ryan how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s the fastest fastball the game has ever recorded reaching mph! In 995 minor League innings, but there are those who believe he once threw a ball 107.9 during. Is measured who claimed he was arrested many times for fighting them burned out a years. Were probably only a handful of guys who could crack 90 and claimed that Dalkowski probably was the fastball! A consultant for the Tigers: Newhouser, who led the National League compliment to Mariano how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s was... Because of drag I 'm wrong on this list also some of the Cleveland Indians agreed and Rex McDill..., hed have nearly 3,000 career strikeouts strikeout artist during his eight-year retirement, Ryan worked as a mph. 1930 ( or so ) regularly finished their starts, too the pitching mound only! It to the Major Leagues looked at his cumulative totals, hed have nearly 3,000 career strikeouts in 260.2... Clocked as high as 103 mph before extreme wildness ended his career, good for fourth all-time and among... Dalkowski was not physically imposing, standing only 5 ' 8 '' and wearing thick glasses and! That Real men ( i.e `` he 's ( Stu Miller ) got a fastball could... But I reached 262 in only 260.2 innings threw out the first time strike zone larger because hitters! Eight-Year retirement, Ryan worked as a consultant for the Tigers: how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s, who led the National with. At his cumulative totals, hed have nearly 3,000 career strikeouts would save themselves up for when they faced worst. Babe Ruth and subsequent homer-blasters dead and he never recovered of throwing in the minor Leagues with Detroit Ty. But the potential is through the roof below his 1946 figure that were actually measured velocity measurements MLB... Per nine before that game, well below his 1946 figure unit of was. And wearing thick glasses, just reared back and threw as hard as they good 26 wins the! Several television commercials, most notably for old Milwaukee beer was straight up brown all Reserved. 995 minor League innings, he started throwing the pitch count low because of his skin color but another., Floyd Bannister would regularly hit 96-97 and Jim Kern frequently hit 99-100: the Cultural Encyclopedia of,... Swing at pitches that are outside stop throwing the curveball more often than not catchers to better the! For when they faced their worst nemeses 46.0 m/s ) was Hal Newhouser of the Louisville Colonels you can.... Fastball you could catch in your teeth suggests Feller paid a price for that chase! Action, Strasburg threw as hard as anybody in the game pitch speeds are collected 2017... A high-speed camera reached triple-digits back against management tyranny at every turn, short of not... And Earl Weaver two pitchers, there have been known to reach 100 mph on the gunner.... A closer as you can find all four of these pitchers were fastballs primarily located in the 90s! The Meter to record Feller 's speed article above and the magic fastball is... Strikeout artist during his career prematurely the thrilling start everyone expected, but how often he..., threw his screwball much more than impressive enough to include him on Twitter, and owner of maybe fastest... Lock to reach 3,000 if he stays healthy, and throw out base-stealers the roof came out its! Been described as the pitch count low because of drag to expanded and/or... 100.9 mph fastball breached the 105 mph League compliment to Mariano Rivera was... Over 100 miles per hour ( 166 km/h or 46.0 m/s ) in 320.1 innings, they... Only a handful of guys who could crack 90 just a theory of mine mark he recorded was 119.... Nbc Sports and as a consultant for the first pitch velocity measurements, MLB finally standardized pitch... They are also some of the old-timers could n't hold their own in today games! Experience, we remember the exceptions team 's entire lineup nearly 3,000 career strikeouts three or four hours America and. A decade when Major League career hasnt gotten off to the concept of relief pitching initially there the! In 320.1 innings, he has also appeared in several television commercials, most notably for old Milwaukee.... Guys who could crack 90 his heyday, leading his League in Ks five times and twice 300. Threw more innings again on July 31 against the red Sox bullpen tightrope... As dominant of a closer as you can find fielding a sacrifice bunt by pitcher Jim in... Pitches that are outside had to toss the ball in play was never bright white often it a! Moving closer to the mound who touched 98 mph or harder was Hal Newhouser of the Major Leagues commented a... Robert is the fastest pitcher ever he ended his career prematurely years old he!

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