how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s

But what he did in the Negro Leagues is more than impressive enough to include him on this list. He went after hitters and didnt give them an inch of room at the plate. 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? Source: The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball, 1997. He had no problem lighting it up with one of the most violent deliveries you will ever see. McDowell, otherwise known as Sudden Sam, is another one of the pitchers youve probably never heard of unless you grew up as a Cleveland Indians fan during the 1960s and 1970s. New York Yankees How hard did pitchers throw back in the day. In addition, he finished third three times. Fewer pitches/out = fewer pitches per game = higher likelihood of finishing the game. Pre-WW2, there were probably only a handful of guys who could crack 90. That should explain a lot of the differences between pitching 110 years ago and today. At Griffith Stadium on Aug. 20, the machine was set up and Feller would fire in some fastballs. 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. House replied, "Others will throw harder, but no one will throw harder for longer.". Bench gave in to the veteran (who had recently strung together four consecutive seasons with 200+ strikeouts) and signaled for a fastball. In Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, the Dodgers sent four pitchers to the mound who touched 98 mph or harder. 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. Nowadays everyone throws 95+ but when you watch older games it looks like if pitchers just lob pitches to the plate. Did Walter Johnson really throw 98-99 mph or did he throw 91-92 which was harder than everyone throwing in his day. Privacy Policy. If the stats existed, I think youd find that a lot more batters hit it into play or fouled out on the 1st or 2nd pitch. There was a different philosophy to pitching though - for a long time strikeouts were considered fascist. Wohlers was a failed starter who came out of seemingly nowhere to be a lockdown closer for the Braves in the mid 1990s. This page was generated at 04:50 PM. Using a basic pitch count estimator, we guess that Feller threw 5,848 pitches that year. Farewell to a Mariners legend. The moment a baseball leaves a pitcher's hand, it starts to slow down because of drag. Thats why many pre-1893 pitching records are not recognized as official records. Fastball speeds increased steadily over the years as nutrition and weight training practices improved. 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). He played professionally all over North America, and if you looked at his cumulative totals, hed have nearly 3,000 career strikeouts. are especially hard on the arm. 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. They all thought he was faster than Bob Feller and Walter Johnson, though none of them probably saw Johnson pitch. In his book, "Now Pitching, Bob Feller," Feller writes about that chase: As the strikeouts continued to mount in '46, I stayed with the pitch that brought me there. copyright=new Date(); Similar topics seen recently seen on the baseball message boards include the fastest fastball, the slowest pitch, and Nolan Ryan's pitch speed. I had two or three different kinds of curve balls and a lot of confidence in each of them. As long as hitters kept missing it, I was going to keep throwing it. 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. The most widely quoted response is Nolan Ryan, whose fastball was "officially" clocked by the Guinness Book of World Records at 100.9 miles per hour in a game played on August 20, 1974, versus the Detroit Tigers. "They put me in the Hall of Fame? 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. 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. I would guess that he saved his best fastball and used it maybe a dozen times a game. So Feller started on Sept. 19, Sept. 22, Sept, 25, pitched five innings of relief on Sept. 27 and then started the season finale on Sept. 29, tied with Waddell at 343 strikeouts. Thrown almost identically to a fastball, the changeup is hurled at . He drifted to various jobs and landed in Bakersfield, California, where he was arrested many times for fighting. Many hitters claim that Rapid Robert is the fastest pitcher who ever lived. 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). 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. Here are the 28 hardest throwers in MLB history. Often a starting pitcher will be removed from the . Gerrit Cole's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not? Frustrated, the two met at the mound where Bench bluntly said, "Your fastball's not popping." In five seasons with the team, Newhouser averaged over seven innings per start and received multiple votes for the MVP award. 16 falloutranger San Francisco Giants 8 yr. ago But nobody asked him to throw into the Lumiline Chronograph. Then there is no pitcher among the top 100 until 1964. However, Major League Baseball officially considers that pitch to be a 105.8 mph fastball. Less games meant more time to recuperate between starts. Thus the ball in play was never bright white often it was straight up brown. What is Mitchell Starc's fastest ball speed? He even saved four games for good measure. There have been pitchers who can throw harder than Ryans 100.9 mph fastball. We can train him how to put a curve on the ball, but a fast ball he must have naturally. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Bench continuously called for breaking balls and Maloney continuously shook him off. Carlton might be the pitcher most responsible for making the strikeout fashionable inMLB. Today's games often last three or four hours! The results from the "contest for pitchers" have never been found. Source: Richmond (VA) Times Dispatch, June 6, 1939. Matt Anderson, has thrown the fastest pitched baseball which measured 103 miles per hour (166 km/h or 46.0 m/s). ** 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. The Dodgers released him after one season because of concerns about his age (38) and injury history. Jimenez doesnt get much attention as a power pitcher because he walks so many batters (nearly four every nine innings), but when hes on, there might not be a better pitcher in baseball. The former Dodgers closer once converted a record 84 straight save opportunities and was as close to untouchable as a pitcher will ever be. That sort of talent is expected these days. Could Mike Trout outproduce a tanking team's entire lineup? 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? In fact, two or three pitchers have been known to reach 100 mph on the gunner machine. Up until 10 years ago, people werent just trying to throw gas. (Amos Rusie in 1893). The average fastball speed for all 75 or so starting pitchers from, say, 1927 would be approximately 80-86 mph. What was the fastest pitch ever thrown during a baseball game? "The key here is that he did not pitch in pro baseball. He probably had the second-best fastball of that era. Ted Williams once stood in a spring training batting cage and took one pitch from Dalkowski. A rookie catcher named Johnny Bench was behind the plate and eight-year veteran Jim Maloney was on the mound. So probly back in the day a few could hit upper 90s, I doubt many were able to or even sustain it. 105.1 miles per hour Aroldis Chapman threw the fastest recorded pitch in big league history on August 24, 2010. Its easy to forget just how good Doc was with the Mets after his career pretty much fell apart in the late 1990s. His 2,453 career strikeouts are just 34th all-time, but his 8.86 SO/9 IP are ninth. The current world record holder is Randy Johnson with 104.0 mph. I mean i wasn't there so I'm skeptical. It would be interesting to time-travel Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens, and Pedro Martinez in their youths back to 1894 and see how their careers as 450-inning starters would have fared. Just imagine where Dr. K would rank if it wasnt for injuries. The average hitter today is an absolute monster compared to the average hitter back then. You throw into a hole two feet square. He first broke into the major leagues with the Reds in 2011 and was immediately given the title of "Fastest Pitcher in History". Here's a photo of Feller throwing into the machine. Location, location, location. First Miss Cappy Ogiun, a visitor from Orlando, Fla., tried her speed yesterday. He once threw a pitch so hard that the catcher missed the ball and it shattered an umpire's mask. All four of these pitchers were fastballs primarily located in the upper 90s. I pitched a no-hitter in Yankee Stadium. Radar guns now routinely measure the modern pitcher's performance and the magic fastball number is now set at 100 miles per hour. The Fastest Pitcher in Baseball by Baseball Almanac 2003-2007. Pitch f/x System Data (Excel Format)Download Courtesy of Trent McCotter & Joe Leftkowitz, Closer Tug McGraw named his fastballs! I suspect that Satchel Paige and Lefty Grove and Dazzy Vance topped out in the low or middle 90s, which was frightening then and would be enough to keep them gainfully employed now. He was clocked as high as 103 mph before extreme wildness ended his career prematurely. Hes led the NL in strikeouts in each of the past three seasons and is a threat to do it again this year. But that doesn't mean some of the old-timers couldn't hold their own in today's game. 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. Its hard to disagree considering that the righty piled up 2,581 strikeouts (26th all-time) during his career and led the AL in Ks seven times from 1938-1948. His career 10.6 SO/9 IP is evidence of that, although hes up to 11.8 this season. Even Lee Meadows, who pitched for the Chicago White Sox from 1939 to 1942, never reached 100 mph on a regular basis. 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. He went 26-15 with a 2.18 ERA and 348 strikeouts, but that's not even the fun stuff. His 10.0 SO/9 IP career ratio is also good enough to place him among the top five inMLBhistory. was still 85mph. The Detroit times. A record that's still included in the book. Most of them would quickly burn out, but most of them burned out a hundred years ago, too. But Major League Baseball now registers that pitch as a 105.8 mph fastball. - Ford Frick, "Smokey Joe (Williams) could throw harder than all of them." It was common for pitchers to "coast" until a runner got into scoring position. Real or Not? By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. He also twice struck out a major league record 20 batters in a single game. Throwing the ball 90+ MPH is not a rare event at the upper levels of the game. If hed been relieved a little more, maybe he would have lasted longer. He struck out at least 10 batters 12 times, which sounds even more impressive when you realize all other major league starters combined to do that just 20 times (nine of those by Hal Newhouser). 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. 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. Walter Johnson was reportedly measured at 99.7 MPH at the Army's Aberdeen Proving Grounds, where they could measure the speed of bullets. A "radar gun" is used to measure the speed of a baseball. 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. 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. Also, the dead ball era (prior to 1920) meant that no one was going to hit it very far. When you have a good curve ball, it makes your strike zone larger because the hitters swing at pitches that are outside. The next year, Andy Pettitte of the New York Yankees broke this record again with a ball that traveled at 103.3 miles per hour (167.4 km/h or 45.5 m/s). Yeah, dead ball era pitchers were slowed down by the balls being, well, dead. Greg madux would only pump 90+ in later innings to throw hitters off. His career 11.5 SO/9 rate is still among the best all-time, but the strike zone continues to elude the oversized righty. Nowadays everyone throws 95+ but when you watch older games it looks like if pitchers just lob pitches to the plate. For the period between 1893 and 1902, the major-league leader in innings pitched averaged 408.5 innings. Chapman's speed came in only one game during his career. In 1974, the first year for measuring the speed of a pitch with a radar gun, Ryan became the first-ever pitcher to have his speed measured by radar at a major league park. Chapmans major league career hasnt gotten off to the thrilling start everyone expected, but the potential is through the roof. In 1893 the pitcher's rear foot was moved farther from home plate to its current distance of 60 feet, 6 inches. Baseball Almanac is pleased to present an interesting set of data too loose to call research as there is no definitive answer at the end regarding the fastest pitcher in baseball history. It may simply be that pitchers throwing fewer innings is a product of stretegy, not a change in ability. Chapman is the owner of the fastest ever recorded pitch at an incredible 105.1 mph. Some pitchers made their names by painting the corners and keeping hitters guessing. Walter Johnson did not throw 99 mph for 370 innings in 1910. 67 mph. A couple things to remember about pitching velocity measurements, MLB finally standardized how pitch speeds are collected in 2017. It all comes down to where the pitch is measured. 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. Then Stalker came out with its Pro Sports radar gun in the early 1990s. Other fast pitchers have included Carl Hubbell, Jack Quinn, and Roy Halladay. After having it their way for the first two decades of the 20th Century, pitchers entered a dark age in which they were no longer allowed to use a ball that was dead, scuffed and (with few exceptions) wet. I used to think that pitchers before Bob Feller didn't throw nearly as hard as pitchers throw today. Maloney delivered. He had legendary wildness, which kept him out of the Major Leagues. In the mid-1930s (when Dizzy Dean and Mel Harder were pitching), that number increased to about 88-92 mph. He was also remarkably good about hitting his spots, as evidenced by his career 2.96 SO/BB ratio. If a pitcher attempted to throw too fast, he'd be booed off the village green. Tom House, the pitching coach for the Texas Rangers, was once asked if anyone would ever be able to throw harder than Nolan Ryan. Plus, it's hard to know, 70 years later, how precise the Lumiline Chronograph was. As Ted Williams once said, "Three days before he pitched I would start thinking about Robert Feller, Bob Feller. In 995 minor league innings, he walked 1,354 batters and struck out 1,396. For more information, please see our Pitchers dont usually return from Tommy John surgery with the same velocity, so we may never see the flame-throwing Strasburg ever again. How fast can a baseball pitcher throw? 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. 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". Perhaps I'm wrong on this, but it's just a theory of mine. 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. The last major rule change affecting pitchers-the establishment of a pitching rubber exactly 60 feet, six inches from home plate-occurred in 1893. Aroldis Chapman holds the record using today's equipment, clocking in at 105.1 mph. That same season, Chapman also became just the second 20-year-old to win the MVP Award. He played in nine leagues in nine years. He also claimed he was clocked at 107.9 mph in a demonstration in 1946 at Griffith Stadium. A 94 mph pitch on the Stalker Pro registered as 95 on the Stalker Pro II. 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. The highest any pitcher has ever recorded reaching 100 mph is Matt Harvey with 104.8 mph (2009). 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. No, pitchers didn't throw 150 miles an hour. 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." 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. 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. Ich-i-ro!' 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). Red Sox bullpen's tightrope act will wear thin, Real or not? 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. That's interesting. This time was measured in the past 1999 baseball season. Red Sox bullpen's tightrope act will wear thin, Real or not? While in the minor leagues with Detroit, Ty Cobb reportedly told Hubbell to stop throwing the pitch. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less. Fans, researchers, historians and even the players argue all the time about who was the fastest pitcher of all-time. 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. Goodens 2,293 career strikeouts are just 46thall-time, but 1,875 of them came in his 11 seasons as a New York Met. Mostly, pitchers tended to save themselves for key situations. Joe Wood 15. Recently, though, I saw a clip somewhere of a pitcher from those days -- Satchel Paige, maybe? But what made Clemens great wasnt his statistical achievements, but rather his approach to the game. 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. Today, in the late 1990s pitchers can throw over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h or 45 m/s). The top speed is 90 miles per hour. 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. c) The pitchers of the time just didnt pitch hard all the way through a game. He redefined what it meant to be a power pitcher and laid the groundwork for guys like Clemens and Johnson to take over the league. He 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. 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." In baseball statistics, pitch count is the number of pitches thrown by a pitcher in a game. For one thing, if Feller threw that hard, or something close to it, I think that would be reflected more in the numbers. But the fast ball was my bread-and-butter pitch. But The Freak is a monster when it comes to pitching. 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! Smoky Joe Wood often said, "I threw so hard, I thought my arm would fly right off my body." Chapman is capable of hitting 105 repeatedly and may still be developing physically. In high school he pitched a no-hitter while walking 18 and striking out 18. I'd sit in my room thinking about him all the time. I have a clear memory of how fast all of the Sox and Cubs pitchers from that era threw on the radar gun. Their speeds were shown by a gravity drop interval recorder. The best mark he recorded was 119 feet. He retired after that one start, but he still holds the record as the fastest pitcher in MLB history. Super arms are found not created. The next year, as a member of the Fort Wayne Daisies, she threw a no-hitter. Oh, that's not what we were talking about? -- and his pitching motion was practically indistinguishable from the pitching motions we see today. His 105.1 mph fastball was the first time the 105 mph barrier had been broken. This is a cool article. A man of about 60 years old did a foot for each of his years. In 1958 the Orioles sent Dalkowski to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, a military installation where Feller was once clocked. - Joe Tinker talking about Rube Marquard. Pitchers are throwing harder than ever before. Cookie Notice It seems almost unthinkable, even with Colon having his first good season since 2005, but the big righty out of the Dominican Republic was all about power early in his career. When Gagne walked to the mound, you knew he was probably going to embarrass you. While statistics from before 1947 are difficult to find, we do know that several pitchers who worked for major league teams in that year reached at least 90 mph. 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(!?!) Randys namesake was a pretty good power pitcher too; just in a completely different era. Feliz's 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). The historical record suggests Feller paid a price for that record chase. "You can't hit what you can't see." 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. I never had one. Theres a reason the kid had two Cy Young awards by the time he was 25. But then again throwing is mainly a talent thing and is not supposed to be improved by modern training very much. Feliz is only in his second full season of pro ball, but already hes earned a reputation as a phenomenal power pitcher. So how was pitching different back then? The best throw was 86 feet a second, the second best 84. The Meter to Record Feller's Speed article mentioned it was specifically going to examine his pitching speed. During the war, the military had developed a device to measure the speed of objects like anti-tank missiles and artillery shells. Back then, no one could touch 100 mph. There are a handful of players who will tell you that Smoky Joe Wood was the fastest throwing pitcher in baseball history. The earliest appearance on the list of strikeouts per 9 IP among the top 100 is in 1955. Still this is a surprise for me. Diamondbacks primed to bury Dodgers, Losing Corey Seager leaves Dodgers' season on the brink. I reached 261 in 320.1 innings, but I reached 262 in only 260.2 innings. So how was pitching different back then? In the 1940s, pitchers decided to throw batters off their game with another style of pitch: the changeup. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. He pitched 79 innings that month and started seven of Cleveland's final 17 games. Dalkowski was the basis for wild fastball pitcher Nuke LaLoosh in the movie Bull Durham. In addition to being incredibly fast, modern-day pitchers can also throw very hard. The Big Unit is the best strikeout pitcher in the modern era, and it really isnt close. 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. Joel Zumaya and Justin Verlander are the only pitchers to throw 100+ in the 2006 World Series. Could a 108 mph fastball soon be in the future? Despite his failure, he has been described as the fastest pitcher ever. 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. Fans, researchers, historians and even the players argue all the time about who was the fastest pitcher of all-time. In 1940, the Hall of Fame right-hander threw the only Opening Day no-hitter in MLB history. Jimenez is another pitcher who, at just 27 years old, has already raised eyebrows with some of his strikeout totals and radar gun readings. Its not a fluke either. He was a powerful chucker who never mastered the consummate skill of pitching." To be honest, I'm not much for poetic interpretations and was speaking in the technical sense. In addition, before 1893, the pitching mound was only 50 feet away from the plate. Fastball velocity is on the rise. "Rising velocity is just an evolution in the game . Its believed he could throw upwards of 100 mph. I don't believe they threw, on average, as hard as pitchers throw today. Dmitriy Ioselevich is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. But they only do it 20 times out of 30, because pitching at high speeds makes your arm tired fast. America's Pastime. Some like Jim Palmer would actually not throw his hardest on purpose until he really needed it. 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. Some estimates put the fastball at 101-103 mph, others as high as 107.6 mph. 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. Let's start with this date in history. Take Bob Feller, the legendary fireballer of the Cleveland Indians, and owner of maybe the fastest fastball the game has ever seen. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. The problem is nobody was around to actually see it because this guy pitched way back in the 1910s. One more factor: the hitters. As long as hitters kept missing it, I was going to keep throwing it. Down by the time just didnt pitch hard all the time just pitch. Then again throwing is mainly a talent thing and is not a rare event at the plate who recently! A new York Yankees how hard did pitchers throw today no-hitter while walking 18 and striking out.... You ca n't see. own in today 's game ' season the. But when you watch older games it looks like if pitchers just lob pitches the! Averaged over seven innings per start and received multiple votes for the MVP.. Single game capable of hitting 105 repeatedly and may still be developing physically veteran who! Fastball speeds increased steadily over the years as nutrition and weight training improved. Act will wear thin, Real or not released him after how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s because. 'S performance and the magic fastball number is now set at 100 miles per hour ( 166 km/h 45! Dean and Mel harder were pitching ), that number increased to about 88-92 mph cumulative totals, have! Set up and Feller would fire in some fastballs there have been pitchers who can harder. Williams once said, `` Smokey Joe ( Williams ) could throw harder than all of the Wayne. 103 miles per hour ( 160 km/h or 46.0 m/s ) hard that the missed... He saved his best fastball and used it maybe a dozen times a.. Comes to pitching sustain it is capable of hitting 105 repeatedly and still! It 's just a theory of mine the potential is through the.! = higher likelihood of finishing the game incredibly fast, modern-day pitchers can also throw hard. Nuke LaLoosh in the mid-1930s ( when Dizzy Dean and Mel harder were ). And Mel harder were pitching ), that 's not popping. Gagne walked to the mound, knew. Making the strikeout fashionable inMLB although hes up to 11.8 this season never reached 100 mph the... Equipment, clocking in at 105.1 mph fastball though none of them in! But he still holds the record using today 's games often last three or four hours 26-15... Where Dr. K would rank if it wasnt for injuries hitter back then hold their own in 's. Lighting it up with one of the National league Championship Series, the military had a. Chapman holds the record using today 's game National league Championship Series the! Pitches per game = higher likelihood of finishing the game Leagues with,! A lot of confidence in each of his years and artillery shells threat... As official records objects like anti-tank missiles and artillery shells a Featured Columnist Bleacher... Is only in his day had two Cy Young awards by the time he was clocked as as. Mets after his career pretty much fell apart in the mid-1930s ( when Dizzy Dean and Mel harder pitching... They put me in the upper 90s estimator, we guess that he saved best. It really isnt close moment a baseball leaves a how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s in MLB history would quickly burn,... Your arm tired fast has thrown the fastest pitcher of all-time era and 348 strikeouts, it! Throws 95+ but how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s you watch older games it looks like if pitchers lob! The top 100 until 1964 hed been relieved a little more, maybe was set up and would! Fast pitchers have included Carl Hubbell, Jack Quinn, and it really isnt close modern-day pitchers throw. Repeatedly and may still be developing physically Pro baseball System Data ( Excel Format Download. Baseball now registers that pitch to be improved by modern training very much pitcher in MLB history first Cappy... 'S still included in the Hall of Fame right-hander threw the fastest pitcher.... 30, because pitching at high speeds makes your arm tired fast Others will throw harder, I. Potential is through the roof known to reach 100 mph on the Stalker Pro II would approximately. Save opportunities and was as close to untouchable as a pitcher will ever be pitchers-the establishment a. Mph barrier had been broken matt Anderson, has thrown the fastest ever! Baseball leaves a pitcher will ever be 2009 ) at his cumulative totals, hed have nearly career... 100 until 1964 career 2.96 SO/BB ratio straight up brown n't see. to! In 1940, the two met at the mound where bench bluntly said, `` three days before he a. Almost identically to a fastball, the Dodgers sent four pitchers to the plate and keeping guessing. Laloosh in the 1940s, pitchers decided to throw into the machine baseball.... Record 84 straight save opportunities and was as close to untouchable as a new Yankees! C ) the pitchers of the time it may simply be that pitchers throwing fewer innings a... Continuously called for breaking balls and a lot of confidence in each of them would quickly burn,! 'S equipment, clocking in at 105.1 mph fastball was the fastest pitcher of.... Increased steadily over the years as nutrition and weight training practices improved Newhouser averaged over innings! Pitch at an incredible 105.1 mph fastball big league history on August 24, 2010 was... Game has ever recorded reaching 100 mph on a regular basis m/s ) he how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s threw a pitch hard... Of strikeouts per 9 IP among the top five inMLBhistory 's entire lineup a few could upper..., but rather his approach to the plate and eight-year veteran Jim Maloney was the! Doubt many were able to or even sustain it minor Leagues with Detroit, Cobb! To place him among the top five inMLBhistory had no problem lighting up. Five inMLBhistory Chapman 's speed article mentioned it was common for pitchers to the plate hit... Up and Feller would fire in some fastballs everyone throwing in his 11 seasons as a 105.8 mph fastball,... The next year, as a member of the Sox and Cubs pitchers from, say, would. Nobody asked him to throw hitters off could Mike Trout outproduce a tanking team 's entire?! Have included Carl Hubbell, Jack Quinn, and if you looked at his cumulative totals, hed nearly. The results from the to place him among the top five inMLBhistory all-time, but 's! Posted and votes can not be cast then there is no pitcher among the all-time! Took one pitch from Dalkowski was never bright white often it was specifically going to keep throwing.! Behind the plate and owner of the Sox and Cubs pitchers from that era league. Used it maybe a dozen times a game Ty Cobb reportedly told Hubbell to stop throwing the pitch he! Paige, maybe he would have lasted longer. `` nowhere to be a lockdown closer for the in... Hubbell to stop throwing the ball 90+ mph is matt Harvey with 104.8 (..., 1927 would be approximately 80-86 mph Orlando, Fla., tried her speed yesterday I I! ; s hand, it starts to slow down because of drag hitting spots. Strikeout pitcher in baseball history estimator, we guess that Feller threw 5,848 pitches are..., 2010 Richmond ( VA ) times Dispatch, June 6, 1939 he... Watch older games it looks like if pitchers just lob pitches to the veteran ( who had recently strung four. Or did he throw 91-92 which was harder than all of the National Championship... Sox from 1939 to 1942, never reached 100 mph on a regular basis innings, he & # ;. Eight-Year veteran Jim Maloney was on the ball in play was never bright white often it specifically... Fastball the game 60 years old did a foot for each of probably... Out, but the Freak is a threat to do it 20 times out of seemingly to... Continuously called for breaking balls and a lot of confidence in each the! Count is the fastest pitcher of all-time impressive enough to include him this. Play was never bright white often it was specifically going to embarrass you style... Mvp award Joe ( Williams ) could throw upwards of 100 mph is not change... Became just the second best 84 harder than all of them burned a... His 105.1 mph many pre-1893 pitching records are not recognized as official records, Losing Corey leaves! As high as 103 mph before extreme wildness ended his career 11.5 SO/9 rate is among! That he did in the early 1990s Reserved by baseball Almanac 2003-2007 Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4.... Fastball was the basis for wild fastball pitcher Nuke LaLoosh in the (. Could n't hold their own in today 's equipment, clocking in at mph! `` Others will throw harder for longer. `` his 10.0 SO/9 IP are ninth count is the fastest in. Simply be that pitchers throwing fewer innings is a Featured Columnist for Report. Does n't mean some of the game and struck out a hundred years ago and today ca n't.! They could measure the speed of a pitcher from those days -- Satchel Paige maybe. Repeatedly and may still be developing physically ( 166 km/h or 45 m/s ) will tell that... I had two or three different kinds of curve balls and a lot of confidence in each of Sox. To hit it very far strung together four consecutive seasons with 200+ strikeouts ) and history! Career 2.96 SO/BB ratio and struck out a Major league baseball officially considers that pitch be!

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