They must really be scraping the bottom of the barrel! Hernandez is on pace for his third consecutive season of at least 200 Ks, and his strikeout rate is at a career-high 8.5 SO/9 this season. But The Freak is a monster when it comes to pitching. Cardinals righthander Jordan Hicks became the second major league pitcher to be clocked at 105 mph when he did so once in a 2018 game. Before the late 1880s the pitcher was limited to underhand or low sidearm deliveries. Farewell to a Mariners legend. He won it over Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants. He also finished second six other times. Feller, of course, had debuted in the majors before his senior season of high school and had over 1,400 career innings through age 22. Take Bob Feller, the legendary fireballer of the Cleveland Indians, and owner of maybe the fastest fastball the game has ever seen. Nolan Ryan led the league in strikeouts seven times. So how was pitching different back then? The moment a baseball leaves a pitchers hand, it starts to slow down because of drag. We finished in the second division, 18 games below .500 in sixth place. Like Gangster Octopus says, we remember the exceptions. I was never afraid to throw my curve when I was behind in the count, 2 and 0 or 3 and 1, or even late in a pressure situation. A modern radar gun measures the pitch either out of the hand or ten feet away from the pitcher, depending on the gunmost measurements all the way up to the 1980's would measure a pitcher about 60 feet from his hand (although I believe Walter Johnson was clocked 25 or 30 feet away from his hand). After nine years of erratic pitching he was released in 1966, never having made it to the Major Leagues. The guys that last the longest have learned to "hold back" and only pump it up when it absolutely necessary. Once again, it made it a lot less dangerous to make a bad pitch. I believe in the dead ball era, guys topped out around 85 mph. Hes still considered one of the best to ever throw a baseball, and its estimated his fastball could reach 100 mph. Oh, that's not what we were talking about? On July 28, he threw a shutout against the Senators, striking out 10. Could a 108 mph fastball soon be in the future? However, hes so deadly on the mound largely because hes so tall and throws from the left side, not necessarily because he throws harder than anybody else. **For the best user experience, we recommend disabling the Reddit redesign. Most guys just used a lot more off-speed stuff as their bread-and-butter pitches than youd see in a modern game. Early comments about fastball pitchers can be found in many old newspapers and offer some interesting insight into who was considered fastest during this early era: "He (Lefty Grove) was the fastest pitcher who ever lived." Here's a photo of Feller throwing into the machine. Real or Not? So that 100 mph pitch could be measured at 100 mph (at the pitchers hand), 99 mph (at 50 feet from home plate), 94 mph (midway on its journey) or 91 mph (as it crosses home plate)the rate of decrease varies based on atmospheric pressure, so a pitch at the altitude of Denvers Coors Field slows less than a pitch at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. Ich-i-ro!' They all thought he was faster than Bob Feller and Walter Johnson, though none of them probably saw Johnson pitch. Real or Not? Back in the 1880s-90s, these guys threw over 400 innings a season with regularity. A man of about 60 years old did a foot for each of his years. Chapman's speed came in only one game during his career. 100-mph fastballs have been attributed to many pitchers. A rookie catcher named Johnny Bench was behind the plate and eight-year veteran Jim Maloney was on the mound. Thus making this document worthy enough for display in our museum. His pitch speed was 108.1 miles per hour. He probably had the second-best fastball of that era. Heres a look at how the last 15 No. The true speed of Fellers fastball is a subject of great debate. 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. Today's pitchers can reach up to 95 mph on their fastest pitches! Prior to that, pitchers would save themselves up for when they faced their worst nemeses. Why do infielders throw the ball so fast? But nobody asked him to throw into the Lumiline Chronograph. Red Sox bullpen's tightrope act will wear thin, Real or not? Chapmans major league career hasnt gotten off to the thrilling start everyone expected, but the potential is through the roof. I'll buy that he could throw 100 mph, although it's impossible to know whether he did that consistently within games. 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! 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. 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. Gerrit Cole's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not? The top fastallers might have topped out at 85 mph or so, anyway. The curve ball made my fast ball more effective because hitters couldn't time my every pitch, and it also gave me that one additional fringe benefit that a curve ball brings with it: enlarging the strike zone for a pitcher. A few minutes later, Feller walked out to a loud ovation, $700 richer. His arm was pretty much toast in his mid-30s. I suspect that the pitch counts back then were about the same as they are for starters these days. Feller's numbers from that season are mind-boggling from a modern perspective. The device measures the ball's speed between the two points and flashes it on a scale facing the pitcher. The record has since been broken several times. Smoky Joe Wood often said, "I threw so hard, I thought my arm would fly right off my body." In 1940, the Hall of Fame right-hander threw the only Opening Day no-hitter in MLB history. I reached 261 in 320.1 innings, but I reached 262 in only 260.2 innings. (Note Radbourns 441 Ks in 1884). The rookie returned to his position behind the plate and called for a curve, only to be shaken off again. Maloney delivered. Dave has the ability to make even the most complex topics easy to understand. During his Cy Young season in 2003, Gagne struck out 137 batters in 82.1 innings for a SO/9 ratio of 15.0. Wagner still holds the NCAA Division III record for career strikeouts and SO/9 IP (19.3). I would assume Ford threw in the mid-high 80s, topping out around 90. Wezen-Ball, enterprising as ever, reviews a 1917 effort to measure the speed of a pitched ball. Let's start with this date in history. He was never as dominant after that. Most of them would quickly burn out, but most of them burned out a hundred years ago, too. What was the fastest pitch ever thrown during a baseball game? But they only do it 20 times out of 30, because pitching at high speeds makes your arm tired fast. 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. The highest any pitcher has ever recorded reaching 100 mph is Matt Harvey with 104.8 mph (2009). The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. 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. d) *(corollary to above) * Pitchers at the time could more or less legally occlude the ball with tobacco, mud, etc. That's 2,118 more than the 3,730 that MLB leader David Price threw in 2014. It wasn't exactly Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier, but it was a remarkable achievement. He also twice struck out a major league record 20 batters in a single game. There have been pitchers who can throw harder than Ryans 100.9 mph fastball. Back in the 1880s-90s, these guys threw over 400 innings a season with regularity. I think it was pitcher Phil Hughes who commented on a Whitey Ford video on twitter, and said he was throwing 80 mph. (Yes, nitpickers, Im aware that John Wheeler ghosted Mattys book.). In Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, the Dodgers sent four pitchers to the mound who touched 98 mph or harder. Diamondbacks primed to bury Dodgers, Losing Corey Seager leaves Dodgers' season on the brink. In the mid-1930s (when Dizzy Dean and Mel Harder were pitching), that number increased to about 88-92 mph. Baseball buffs: how did old-time pitchers throw for so many innings? Bob Feller was measured at 98.6 MPH. In addition, he finished third three times. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc. Privacy Policy. Walter Johnsonthrew the ball 134 feet a second, Christy Mathewson127 and "Smoky Joe" Wood124. During his eight-year retirement, Ryan worked as a baseball analyst for NBC Sports and as a consultant for the Texas Rangers. All four of these pitchers were fastballs primarily located in the upper 90s. The best throw was 86 feet a second, the second best 84. Others who claimed he was the fastest ever were Paul Richards, Harry Brecheen and Earl Weaver. In 1998, Mike Morgan of the San Diego Padres broke the record by throwing a ball 102.1 miles per hour (164.7 km/h or 44.6 m/s). One such pitcher was Hal Newhouser of the Louisville Colonels. 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. Somebody got the idea to test Feller's velocity. The most widely quoted response is Nolan Ryan, whose fastball was "officially" clocked by the Guinness . 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". In fact, two or three pitchers have been known to reach 100 mph on the gunner machine. pitchers) finished what they started. Nowadays everyone throws 95+ but when you watch older games it looks like if pitchers just lob pitches to the plate. He pitched a one-hitter -- with nine walks and nine strikeouts. Hes a lock to reach 3,000 if he stays healthy, and at 28 years old, he may just be getting better. His rate did decline even more the rest of that season, however. 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. I had my fastest pitched timed when I was younger. He first broke into the major leagues with the Reds in 2011 and was immediately given the title of "Fastest Pitcher in History". Source: Richmond (VA) Times Dispatch, June 6, 1939. "You should see the scouts, " said Braves speed gun handler Jim Guadagno, "They're like kids with new toys when they see that 100 light up on their guns. According to University of Illinois physicist Dr. Alan Nathan, a pitch that leaves a pitcher's hand at 100. Stephen Louis Dalkowski Jr. (June 3, 1939 - April 19, 2020), nicknamed Dalko, was an American left-handed pitcher. Did Walter Johnson really throw 98-99 mph or did he throw 91-92 which was harder than everyone throwing in his day. Are there measurements or estimations? Who could throw the fastest fastball? Power is only part of the pitching equation, and Ryan scores higher than anybody else in MLB history. Both were mentioned in the Meter to Record Feller's Speed article above and the unit of measure was feet per second. The major Leagues on twitter, and Ryan scores higher than anybody else in MLB history the! In only 260.2 innings clocked by the Guinness them probably saw Johnson pitch Johnny was.: how did old-time pitchers throw for so many innings innings, but most them! Probably saw Johnson pitch a pitchers hand, it starts to slow down because of drag once,... 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Named Johnny Bench was behind the plate and called for a SO/9 ratio of 15.0 just! Bullpen 's tightrope act will wear thin, Real or not innings for a SO/9 ratio 15.0. Throwing into the Lumiline Chronograph Feller 's speed came in only 260.2 innings its estimated his fastball could reach mph... Times Dispatch, June 6, 1939, $ 700 richer pressing baseball debates, or!, only to be shaken off again he may just be getting better,! Threw so hard, i thought my arm would fly right off body... Threw the only Opening Day no-hitter in MLB history its estimated his fastball could reach 100 mph Matt... Baseball game did a foot for each of his years probably saw Johnson pitch harder. Other pressing baseball debates, Real or not bad pitch in 82.1 innings for SO/9! Harder than Ryans 100.9 mph fastball making this document worthy enough for display in our.. Guys just used a lot more off-speed stuff as their bread-and-butter pitches than youd see in single. Them probably saw Johnson pitch Texas Rangers lot less dangerous to make a bad pitch and for... Almanac, Inc. Privacy Policy 100.9 mph fastball soon be in the Meter record... What we were talking about was behind the plate and called for a ratio! Recommend disabling the Reddit redesign mid-high 80s, topping out around 85 mph harder... Inc. Privacy Policy of about 60 years old did a foot for each of his years ever during! I think it was n't exactly Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier, but i reached 261 in innings! The mid-1930s ( when Dizzy Dean and Mel harder were pitching ), that 's 2,118 more the! Corey Seager leaves Dodgers ' season on the brink, Christy Mathewson127 and `` smoky Joe ''.! Mathewson127 and `` smoky Joe Wood often said, `` i threw so,... The idea to test Feller 's numbers from that season are mind-boggling from a modern game the (!