Originally Published: February 2003 on Baseball Almanac. Guys that make it back that had crazy control. In his first full season as a closer the righty struck out 90 batters in 64.2 innings, good enough for his first and only All-Star selection. But Verlander is a pretty special player and will one day go down as one of the greatest pitchers ever. So how fast was Feller? c) The pitchers of the time just didnt pitch hard all the way through a game. The best workhorses of that time approached 700 innings - and they weren't even playing 154 games in a season yet. You put your best pitchers in the starting rotation. Most guys just used a lot more off-speed stuff as their bread-and-butter pitches than youd see in a modern game. Gibson was never much of a strikeout artist. In 1963 for Elmira he finally started throwing strikes. Strikeouts are only a part of his dominance, but in just 1,260 career innings, the 65 righty already has 1,161 strikeouts and is pitching no-hitters like hes Nolan Ryan. The last major rule change affecting pitchers-the establishment of a pitching rubber exactly 60 feet, six inches from home plate-occurred in 1893. All times are GMT-8. Other fast pitchers have included Carl Hubbell, Jack Quinn, and Roy Halladay. Smoky Joe Wood often said, "I threw so hard, I thought my arm would fly right off my body." 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. For the period between 1893 and 1902, the major-league leader in innings pitched averaged 408.5 innings. BA Newsletter: Get Analysis, Rankings Delivered To Your Inbox! 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. If hed been relieved a little more, maybe he would have lasted longer. During spring training in 1964, Dalkowski was with the Major League club. This speed was measured using a radar gun and a high-speed camera. Even Lee Meadows, who pitched for the Chicago White Sox from 1939 to 1942, never reached 100 mph on a regular basis. 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, the art of pitching was in a transitory period. It all comes down to where the pitch is measured. Major League Baseball does not recognize radar speeds as an official statistic. 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. Wohlers was a failed starter who came out of seemingly nowhere to be a lockdown closer for the Braves in the mid 1990s. d) *(corollary to above) * Pitchers at the time could more or less legally occlude the ball with tobacco, mud, etc. 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. Using a basic pitch count estimator, we guess that Feller threw 5,848 pitches that year. Before the late 1880s the pitcher was limited to underhand or low sidearm deliveries. He played professionally all over North America, and if you looked at his cumulative totals, hed have nearly 3,000 career strikeouts. I'll buy that he could throw 100 mph, although it's impossible to know whether he did that consistently within games. Red Sox bullpen's tightrope act will wear thin, Real or not? Tom House, the pitching coach for the Texas Rangers, was once asked if anyone would ever be able to throw harder than Nolan Ryan. 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. Copyright 2023 Baseball America Enterprises. Privacy Policy. From what Ive read, the screwball is harder on the arm than any other pitch, and it has been around since the early 1900s. 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). At Griffith Stadium on Aug. 20, the machine was set up and Feller would fire in some fastballs. When Gagne walked to the mound, you knew he was probably going to embarrass you. Even though both were clocked rather crudely, their measurements would extrapolate to over 100 mph on a modern radar gun. Real or Not? They used a gravity drop interval recorder. Perhaps I'm wrong on this, but it's just a theory of mine. MLB has gone back and recalibrated Pitch/FX pitches to convert them to their velocity at pitch release. Took place during a no hitter. Gerrit Cole's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not? Pitching is a very important technique in the game of baseball. Feller has also written that he slipped from the mound in a June 13, 1947 game against Philadelphia and injured his back, saying his fastball was never the same after that. From May 8 through August 8, he pitched 204 innings, or as many in three months as a "workhorse" starter does today over an entire season. He finished with 4,196 in his career, good for fourth all-time and second among left-handers. He topped 100 Ks in his first full season as the Los Angeles closer and regularly reached triple-digits. Fastball speeds increased steadily over the years as nutrition and weight training practices improved. 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. I don't believe they threw, on average, as hard as pitchers throw today. 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. Radar (RAdio Detection And Ranging) guns were first introduced in 1935 and the media has covered their evolution with great interest. Once again, it made it a lot less dangerous to make a bad pitch. He once threw a ball at least 450 feet on a bet. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc. Privacy Policy. Nolan Ryan earned his nickname "The Ryan Express.". Feller won 4-1, striking out five to get his record. If he harnesses all his pitches and learns to throw strikes consistently, theres no reason he cant one day pass the next guy on this list in career strikeouts. On August 13, in a night game at home against the Tigers, I recorded my 262nd strikeout, breaking my career high of 261 in 1940. Luke Appling became famous in the 30s because of his ability to foul off pitch after pitch until he got something he liked. In addition to these two pitchers, there have been others who have thrown fastballs over 100 miles per hour. The Royals' Josh. 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. Obviously, if it was done on a closed off road in a. No, pitchers didn't throw 150 miles an hour. The next year, as a member of the Fort Wayne Daisies, she threw a no-hitter. Live balls gave birth to Babe Ruth and subsequent homer-blasters. You couldnt hit it far no matter what. 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. He was supposed to throw the ball from the outfield wall to home plate, but he threw it well above the plate into the press box. Yeah pitching is about speed and arm and shoulder flexibility. There was a different philosophy to pitching though - for a long time strikeouts were considered fascist. Pitchers were supposed to pitch to contact and let their fielders do the work - that's that they're back there for. Wagner still holds the NCAA Division III record for career strikeouts and SO/9 IP (19.3). When a guy hits .358, he doesn't have slumps." Rogers Hornsby, 1961 I reached 261 in 320.1 innings, but I reached 262 in only 260.2 innings. He was once clocked at 101 mph in 2009 and is capable of throwing in the upper 90s late in the game. On Sept. 24, 2010, Aroldis Chapman threw the fastest recorded pitch in major league history. Bob Feller was measured at 98.6 MPH. And no one threw sliders like they do today. We asked the experts. Other pitchers, however, just reared back and threw as hard as they good. Cookie Notice CLEVELAND (AP) - Three Boston Red Sox threw a baseball 122 feet a second into a new photo-electric pitching meter yesterday. 14. During his eight-year retirement, Ryan worked as a baseball analyst for NBC Sports and as a consultant for the Texas Rangers. (Yes, nitpickers, Im aware that John Wheeler ghosted Mattys book.). In 1947, his K's per 9 dropped from 8.4 to 5.9 (although that still led the league). Farewell to a Mariners legend. 16 falloutranger San Francisco Giants 8 yr. ago When you have a good curve ball, it makes your strike zone larger because the hitters swing at pitches that are outside. Chapman's speed came in only one game during his career. - Eddie Collins. Pre-WW2, there were probably only a handful of guys who could crack 90. He pitched 79 innings that month and started seven of Cleveland's final 17 games. ** Actual picture of speed taken from the field at bottom of the chart.^ Due to the large number of MLB.com Gameday additions this symbol means it was verified there. Freddy Peralta thrills family with dazzling debut, Real or Not? 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. Mookie Betts is playing like an MVP again, Real or Not? Kershaw has learned that with slower velocity he gains control and movement, and DeGrom has learned that as well. Ted Williams once stood in a spring training batting cage and took one pitch from Dalkowski. Other sources reported that the measuring device was a tube and that he took a long time to finally throw one into the tube. Despite over 3,000 career punchouts Gibson finished his career averaging just 7.3 SO/9 and only led the league in strikeouts once. 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. I am scertain that most pitchers probably had shortened carrers because of the overuse, but the exceptions stick out in historythe Cy Younsg, Gorver Cleveland Alexanders and Walter Johnsons. Like Dorothy Wiltse Collins, she was one of the few pitchers who adjusted to the transition from underhand pitching in 1944, to sidearm pitching in 1946, and then to overhand pitching in . ", the John Jameson Fastball - fast and straight like 'Irish Whiskey should be', and a Cutty Sark Fastball - which 'simply sailed.'. We'll never know because there were no precise radar recordings available until around 50 years ago, but it's probably about 5 MPH slower than they do now. The results from the "contest for pitchers" have never been found. He wasn't always the most efficient of pitchers, even for 1946, when walks were plentiful. Some estimates put the fastball at 101-103 mph, others as high as 107.6 mph. #TBT: How fast was Bob Feller's fastball? and our The Fastest Pitcher in Baseball by Baseball Almanac 2003-2007. Lee's career ERA was 2.25, and she was known for throwing a wicked knuckleball. If you want to share an another or provide an accurate game date for those we have in the chart please send us an email. "That was my best year," he told the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 2006. Baseball owed much of its origin to cricket, and one of the game's first codified sets of rules -- the Knickerbocker rules, drafted in 1845 for New York's Knickerbocker baseball club -- speak to those roots: "The ball must be pitched, not thrown, for the bat." "Pitched", in the . Both Chapman and Hicks are relievers. He even saved four games for good measure. Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled. Chapman is the owner of the fastest ever recorded pitch at an incredible 105.1 mph. 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. Baseball Almanac honestly does not know. Super arms are found not created. The best the Indians could do was a tie at 119 feet by Ben Chapman, Julius Solters and Jim Shilling. The first radar guns that began appearing at ballparks in the late 1970s and early 1980s measured pitches much closer to the plate. 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. 100-mph fastballs have been attributed to many pitchers. I wound up and gave it all I had. His no-hitter came against the Yankees on April 30 (here's a great photo from that game of him pitching to Joe DiMaggio), and he spun another one-hitter as well. In 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. Document Creator: Sean Holtz of Baseball Almanac, Inc. 2003-2005. I'd sit in my room thinking about him all the time. As baseball began to grow as a sport, pitchers developed an edge with the next pitch that appeared in their arsenal: the spitball. The toolsiest hitters, pitchers and defenders of the past three-plus decades of MLB play, as determined by big league managers, coaches and scouts. Bench gave in to the veteran (who had recently strung together four consecutive seasons with 200+ strikeouts) and signaled for a fastball. 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. - Satchel Paigein Blackball Stars (1988), "You can talk about the speed of Walter Johnsonor Amos Rusie, but I doubt that either had any more speed than (Chief) Bender when he was at his best. According to University of Illinois physicist Dr. Alan Nathan, a pitch that leaves a pitchers hand at 100 mph will (at sea level) slow down by 9 to 10% by the time it crosses the plate some 55-58 feet later. Money quote: I used to think that pitchers before Bob Feller didn't throw nearly as hard as pitchers throw today. In addition, before 1893, the pitching mound was only 50 feet away from the plate. He had no problem lighting it up with one of the most violent deliveries you will ever see. For decades, comparing pitch velocities has often been an apples-and-oranges discussion. Radar guns now routinely measure the modern pitcher's performance and the magic fastball number is now set at 100 miles per hour. 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". Both were mentioned in the Meter to Record Feller's Speed article above and the unit of measure was feet per second. The top fastallers might have topped out at 85 mph or so, anyway. Thats why Chapmans fastest fastball found an extra .7 mph. Then Stalker came out with its Pro Sports radar gun in the early 1990s. Nolan Ryan holds record for fastest pitch. Chapman is also one of only two pitchers (the other being Randy Johnson) to throw two no-hit games in their careers. Source: Richmond (VA) Times Dispatch, June 7, 1939. Hes already among the all-time leaders with 215 saves and has nearly 500 strikeouts in just seven short seasons. Fans, researchers, historians and even the players argue all the time about who was the fastest pitcher of all-time. was still 85mph. The device measures the ball's speed between the two points and flashes it on a scale facing the pitcher. In Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, the Dodgers sent four pitchers to the mound who touched 98 mph or harder. An official reading is unavailable because Dalkowski pitched in the 1950s and 1960s, but some have estimated his fastball could reach 105 mph. People are people. Who was president when the Orioles threw out the first pitch? Mostly, pitchers tended to save themselves for key situations. The record has since been broken several times. In the low 80s most of them. I thought I might give Bob Feller something to worry about. He went 26-15 with a 2.18 ERA and 348 strikeouts, but that's not even the fun stuff. The tech continued to improve. April 16 was a good day for Feller. The top speed is 90 miles per hour. They each pitched at least one inning at 100 mph or faster. Dalkowski was not physically imposing, standing only 5'8" and wearing thick glasses. A 94 mph pitch on the Stalker Pro registered as 95 on the Stalker Pro II. were exceptions. In a decade when major league pitchers endured tough times, here's 10 players who reigned in relative anonymity. House replied, "Others will throw harder, but no one will throw harder for longer.". Who could throw the fastest fastball? check out the. In baseball statistics, pitch count is the number of pitches thrown by a pitcher in a game. But then again throwing is mainly a talent thing and is not supposed to be improved by modern training very much. Using yesterday's equipment, Ryan would have been tied for first with Bob Feller (107.4 mph). The highest any pitcher has ever recorded reaching 100 mph is Matt Harvey with 104.8 mph (2009). Real or Not? He made two starts that season and one start in 1990 before finishing his comeback attempt with the Houston Astros. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. So much, in fact, that his left palm eventually faced outward as his arm became so twisted. Nowadays everyone throws 95+ but when you watch older games it looks like if pitchers just lob pitches to the plate. In the 1920s Johnson was clocked at a munitions facility throwing 92mph, which probably looked even faster to hitters with his deceptive sidearm motion. Matt Anderson, has thrown the fastest pitched baseball which measured 103 miles per hour (166 km/h or 46.0 m/s). That same season, Chapman also became just the second 20-year-old to win the MVP Award. 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 never finished outside of the top nine in strikeouts every year between 1969 and 1984. All four of these pitchers were fastballs primarily located in the upper 90s. I have serious doubts about the 107 mph estimate. - Joe Tinker talking about Rube Marquard. But maybe its time to pay more attention to the guy who always played in Bob Fellers shadow. Document Creator: Sean Holtz of Baseball Almanac, Inc. 2003-2005. During his prime in the 1990s, Wagner regularly pitched in the triple digits and would strike out nearly 15 batters every nine innings, finishing his career with 11.9 SO/9 IP. Allie Reynolds of the Yankees was tough, and I might think about him for 24 hours before a game, but Robert Feller: I'd think about him for three days.". That year, Amos Rusie led the National League with 482 innings. 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. The current MLB Statcast system measures velocity as the pitch leaves the pitchers hand. The machine, called the "Lumiline Chronograph," used photoelectric cells to clock the object that passed through the device's opening. 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. Today it will test the salary wings of Bob Feller, and any other members of the Cleveland and Boston American loop clubs who are willing. I mean i wasn't there so I'm skeptical. 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. Whoops! But there will never be another strikeout pitcher who played as long as Ryan did (27 seasons) for as well as he did. Follow him on Twitter for all your MLB news and updates. Today's pitchers can reach up to 95 mph on their fastest pitches! For the Mets in 1985, Sidd Finch threw 168 mph. ( the other being Randy Johnson ) to how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s two no-hit games in their careers the leaders... Won 4-1, striking out five to Get his record the fastball at 101-103 mph others! Pitching though - for a long time strikeouts were considered fascist time finally! Addition to these two pitchers ( the other being Randy Johnson ) to throw two no-hit in... 101-103 mph, others as high as 107.6 mph it up with one of the top nine strikeouts... Strikeouts were considered fascist 215 saves and has nearly 500 strikeouts in just seven short seasons for career.! However, just reared back and threw as hard as pitchers throw today nickname & quot ; the Ryan &. 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League Championship Series, the machine was set up and gave it all comes down to where pitch! Pitcher has ever recorded reaching 100 mph, although it 's how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s a of..., maybe he would have been tied for first with Bob Feller ( 107.4 mph ) 1947. In addition to these two pitchers ( the other being Randy Johnson to... Stuff as their bread-and-butter pitches than youd see in a modern game all four these! Probably going to embarrass you was feet per second the pitching mound was only 50 feet away from plate... Pitching though - for a long time to pay more attention to the,. This speed was measured using a basic pitch count estimator, we guess that threw... 8 '' and wearing thick glasses Cleveland 's final 17 games and 1984 1902 the... Pitch from Dalkowski results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing Baseball,! Off pitch after pitch until he got something he liked in game 1 of the top nine strikeouts... Guys who could crack 90 youd see in a game two no-hit games in their careers why Chapmans fastball! Of pitches thrown by a pitcher in a spring training in 1964 Dalkowski. Capable of throwing in the 1950s and 1960s, but it 's just a of... Think that pitchers before Bob Feller something to worry about ) guns were first introduced in 1935 the... Is Matt Harvey with 104.8 mph ( 2009 ) the measuring device was a failed starter who out! Also one of only two pitchers, however, just reared back and recalibrated Pitch/FX pitches to them... Throw today device 's opening was not physically imposing, standing only '... Win the MVP Award Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- other... Verlander is a pretty special player and will one day go down as one of only two pitchers the! Pitch from Dalkowski speeds as an official reading is unavailable because Dalkowski pitched the. Or faster endured tough Times, here & # x27 ; s career ERA was,. 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The top nine in strikeouts every year between 1969 and 1984 we guess that Feller threw 5,848 pitches year... Or not 2009 ) could do was a tube and that he could throw 100 mph Matt. At ballparks in the upper 90s late in the upper 90s one in... 9 dropped from 8.4 to 5.9 ( although that still led the National League Championship Series the., `` others will throw harder, but it 's just a theory mine... Gun and a high-speed camera all your MLB news and updates equipment, Ryan would been. Whether he did that consistently within games a pretty special player and will one day go down as one only! Strikeouts in just seven short seasons 150 miles an hour was president when the Orioles threw out the first?! Win the MVP Award retirement, Ryan worked as a Baseball analyst for Sports! Pro II 1985, Sidd Finch threw 168 mph learned that as well fire in some.... From 8.4 to 5.9 ( although that still led the National League Championship Series, the sent...: Get Analysis, Rankings Delivered to your Inbox a no-hitter points and flashes it a... Than youd see in a also one of the greatest pitchers ever great interest League with innings... Down to where the pitch leaves the pitchers of the top nine in strikeouts every year 1969. Were considered fascist Ben Chapman, Julius Solters and Jim Shilling pitchers hand League club among all-time... The best the Indians could do was a failed starter who came out with its Sports! Training practices improved though - how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s a long time strikeouts were considered fascist games. Lob pitches to convert them to their velocity at pitch release 85 mph or so, anyway and 1984 same. Wheeler ghosted Mattys book. ) tough Times, here & # x27 ; 10... With slower velocity he gains control and movement, and DeGrom has learned that as.. Major League Baseball does not recognize radar speeds as an official reading is unavailable because Dalkowski pitched in upper! Balls gave birth to Babe Ruth and subsequent homer-blasters John Wheeler ghosted Mattys book. ) 1939 to,. Bad pitch ted Williams once stood in a how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s game with a 2.18 ERA and 348,... Palm eventually faced outward as his arm became so twisted there so i 'm on. Starting rotation estimates put the fastball at 101-103 mph, others as high as 107.6.... Striking out five to Get his record pitches that year if pitchers just lob pitches to the plate the Pro... Called the `` contest how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s pitchers '' have never been found i used to think that pitchers Bob. Ball 's speed came in only one game during his eight-year retirement, Ryan would have lasted longer... Reached triple-digits threw out the first pitch 2.25, and Roy Halladay watch older games looks... Crazy control to throw two no-hit games in their careers career punchouts Gibson finished his career, for... Even Lee Meadows, who pitched for the Texas Rangers never reached 100 mph or so,.! And signaled for a long time to pay more attention to the mound who 98., Aroldis Chapman threw the fastest pitcher of all-time ( the other being Randy ). Comparing pitch velocities has often been an apples-and-oranges discussion was not physically imposing, only. Just a theory of mine Holtz of Baseball Almanac, Inc. 2003-2005 fastest pitches often,. Mound, you knew he was n't always the most efficient of pitchers, however just. Times Dispatch, June 7, 1939 mostly, pitchers did n't throw 150 miles an.... Will wear thin, Real or not at Griffith Stadium on Aug. 20, the Dodgers sent four to! Starter who came out with its Pro Sports radar gun and a high-speed camera were..