Guys like Satchel Paige could hit low-mid 90s, which was insane for back then. Could a 108 mph fastball soon be in the future? He never finished outside of the top nine in strikeouts every year between 1969 and 1984. Some pitchers made their names by painting the corners and keeping hitters guessing. Document Creator: Sean Holtz of Baseball Almanac, Inc. 2003-2005. The results from the "contest for pitchers" have never been found. Walter Johnson, often cited as the fastest throwing pitcher in Major League history by experts, believed that Wood was faster than himself and once said, "Mister, no man alive can throw a baseball harder than Joe Wood." Dalkowski was not physically imposing, standing only 5'8" and wearing thick glasses. Mathewson et al. I have serious doubts about the 107 mph estimate. For the period between 1893 and 1902, the major-league leader in innings pitched averaged 408.5 innings. Fans, researchers, historians and even the players argue all the time about who was the fastest pitcher of all-time. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Giving a mediocre pitch to a mediocre hitter was acceptable strategy. Ted Williams once stood in a spring training batting cage and took one pitch from Dalkowski. As for other hard numbers for those days: two hours and 15 minutes was considered an ordinary game back then. He has also appeared in several television commercials, most notably for Old Milwaukee beer. Overall, Ryan went 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA in three games back from surgery on his right shoulder. Chapman's speed came in only one game during his career. - Joe Tinker talking about Rube Marquard. 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. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. He had no trouble getting to triple-digits and finished his rookie season with 92 strikeouts in just 68 innings. 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. There have been pitchers who can throw harder than Ryans 100.9 mph fastball. April 16 was a good day for Feller. Radar (RAdio Detection And Ranging) guns were first introduced in 1935 and the media has covered their evolution with great interest. Red Sox bullpen's tightrope act will wear thin, Real or not? Originally Published: February 2003 on Baseball Almanac. pitchers) finished what they started. He also finished second six other times. 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. I thought I might give Bob Feller something to worry about. They each pitched at least one inning at 100 mph or faster. In 1940, the Hall of Fame right-hander threw the only Opening Day no-hitter in MLB history. 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. Who could throw the fastest fastball? The current world record holder is Randy Johnson with 104.0 mph. For instance, Floyd Bannister would regularly hit 96-97 and Jim Kern frequently hit 99-100. One such account allegedly took place during a Spring Training game in 1968. 10 More answers below Mike Burch Poet, Editor and Publisher Author has 11.6K answers and 25.2M answer views Oct 28 Related I used to think that pitchers before Bob Feller didn't throw nearly as hard as pitchers throw today. Maloney, also blunt, replied, "%*$@ you." A man of about 60 years old did a foot for each of his years. 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. - Coach Jim Murray. As baseball began to grow as a sport, pitchers developed an edge with the next pitch that appeared in their arsenal: the spitball. However i will not outright disagree. Most guys just used a lot more off-speed stuff as their bread-and-butter pitches than youd see in a modern game. An average major league fastball travels around 100 miles per hour (160 km/h or 45 m/s), but some pitchers have exceeded that number. America's Pastime. Mostly, pitchers tended to save themselves for key situations. Recently, though, I saw a clip somewhere of a pitcher from those days -- Satchel Paige, maybe? His 10.0 SO/9 IP during his career would be fourth all-time if the righty threw more innings. In the mid-1930s (when Dizzy Dean and Mel Harder were pitching), that number increased to about 88-92 mph. Jimmy Foxx, Jim Tabor, and Roger Cramer made it a clean Boston sweep with a first-place tie in yesterday's fielders contest. Before the late 1880s the pitcher was limited to underhand or low sidearm deliveries. 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). The next year, as a member of the Fort Wayne Daisies, she threw a no-hitter. The Royals' Josh. In fact, two or three pitchers have been known to reach 100 mph on the gunner machine. and our In addition, before 1893, the pitching mound was only 50 feet away from the plate. Gerrit Cole's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not? Stephen Louis Dalkowski Jr. (June 3, 1939 - April 19, 2020), nicknamed Dalko, was an American left-handed pitcher . 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." 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. 1920 Major League Baseball Standard Pitching | Baseball-Reference.com 1920 Major League Standard Pitching Previous Season Next Season Other Leagues: AL, NL, NNL World Series Champion: Cleveland Indians Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. 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. Average was probably low-mid 80s. 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. Chapman is the owner of the fastest ever recorded pitch at an incredible 105.1 mph. During his eight-year retirement, Ryan worked as a baseball analyst for NBC Sports and as a consultant for the Texas Rangers. The tech continued to improve. 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. On the other hand, it's also possible that Feller didn't throw as hard in 1946 as he did in 1938 or 1939. Gerrit Cole's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not? So how was pitching different back then? The bullpen was for youngsters, oldsters and bushers. The strikeout king (5,714) is so far and ahead of everyone that as impressive as his record seven ho-hitters are, theres only one guy (Randy Johnson) within even 1,000 Ks of his lifetime mark. What was the fastest pitch ever thrown during a baseball game? . This machine will tell us at once whether he has the fast ball. Up until 10 years ago, people werent just trying to throw gas. From Robert Weintraub's "The Victory Season," his book on the 1946 season: "Rapid Robert" was not one to be trifled with when it came to cash. He started 42 games and completed 36 of them, throwing 10 shutouts. I think some of these things are a bit overblown. 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. Stephen Louis Dalkowski Jr. (June 3, 1939 - April 19, 2020), nicknamed Dalko, was an American left-handed pitcher. Copyright 2023 Baseball America Enterprises. But just because the third strike often eluded Gibson, doesnt mean that the Hall of Famer didnt throw hard. 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. But that doesn't mean some of the old-timers couldn't hold their own in today's game. Follow him on Twitter for all your MLB news and updates. As Ted Williams once said, "Three days before he pitched I would start thinking about Robert Feller, Bob Feller. During his Cy Young season in 2003, Gagne struck out 137 batters in 82.1 innings for a SO/9 ratio of 15.0. He made two starts that season and one start in 1990 before finishing his comeback attempt with the Houston Astros. If a pitcher attempted to throw too fast, he'd be booed off the village green. Pitchers could throw above 100 miles per hour (160 km/h or 45 m/s) in the late 1990s. 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. That should explain a lot of the differences between pitching 110 years ago and today. In a game against the Detroit Tigers on August 20, 1974, the then-Angels . The Meter to Record Feller's Speed article mentioned it was specifically going to examine his pitching speed. Once, he could throw his fastball 97-plus miles an hour. Answer (1 of 22): There were no radar guns in the days of Babe Ruth. MLB has gone back and recalibrated Pitch/FX pitches to convert them to their velocity at pitch release. The Speedgun, developed by Decatur Technologies (a long-time maker of police radar guns) measured closer to the plate than the JUGS gun. In February 1920, the rules were changed to officially ban all "doctored" pitches, including spit balls, scuffed balls, sanded balls and any other . A few amateurs warmed up yesterday on a new pitching speed meter. Pitchers back then (deadball era) were expected to throw complete games and had to pace themselves. **For the best user experience, we recommend disabling the Reddit redesign. During the 1999 baseball season, this moment was recorded. And no one threw sliders like they do today. But the righty did what only one other player in MLB history has ever done: throw a pitch 104.8 mph. 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! In the 1940s, pitchers decided to throw batters off their game with another style of pitch: the changeup. 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. 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. Why? Nolan Ryan led the league in strikeouts seven times. The device measures the ball's speed between the two points and flashes it on a scale facing the pitcher. In addition to these two pitchers, there have been others who have thrown fastballs over 100 miles per hour. 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.". The official reading was in 2006, and its doubtful that Zumaya can come anywhere close to that figure now, but for a time, you could call Zumaya the hardest thrower ever. For decades, comparing pitch velocities has often been an apples-and-oranges discussion. (Amos Rusie in 1893). -- and his pitching motion was practically indistinguishable from the pitching motions we see today. 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. Its almost laughable to call Lincecum a power pitcher after looking at his wiry 511, 165-pound frame. copyright=new Date(); When Gagne walked to the mound, you knew he was probably going to embarrass you. I thought that even the top power pitchers of the 1920s and '30s -- again, before Feller . 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. I had two or three different kinds of curve balls and a lot of confidence in each of them. But maybe he did. Young pitchers who throw breaking balls-including sliders-report more arm pain than those who do not. Despite his failure, he has been described as the fastest pitcher ever. There are a handful of players who will tell you that Smoky Joe Wood was the fastest throwing pitcher in baseball history. 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. Mookie Betts is playing like an MVP again, Real or Not? When you have a good curve ball, it makes your strike zone larger because the hitters swing at pitches that are outside. In baseball statistics, pitch count is the number of pitches thrown by a pitcher in a game. Bob Feller had his fastball tested by the army at 98.6 mph. Farewell to a Mariners legend. Chapmans major league career hasnt gotten off to the thrilling start everyone expected, but the potential is through the roof. He went 26-15 with a 2.18 ERA and 348 strikeouts, but that's not even the fun stuff. In 1989, Nolan Ryan returned to the mound with the Los Angeles Dodgers. A 90 mph pitch on a Speedgun could register at 92 on a JUGS gun and 93-94 mph on a Stalker. However, Major League Baseball officially considers that pitch to be a 105.8 mph fastball. Whoops! "A kid pitcher has to have a fast ball to succeed in the big leagues," said Bradley, "for he can never learn how to pitch faster. The average fastball speed for all 75 or so starting pitchers from, say, 1927 would be approximately 80-86 mph. Cookie Notice His pitch speed was 108.1 miles per hour. You wont find Satchel Paige in any of the MLB record books because the right-hander only played six seasons in the majors, and they were all after he passed the age of 40. 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. 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. All Rights Reserved by Baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less. Innings for a SO/9 ratio of 15.0 Hall of Fame right-hander threw the only Opening Day no-hitter MLB! Larger because the third strike often eluded Gibson, doesnt mean that the Hall of Famer throw... About Robert Feller, Bob Feller to reach 100 mph or faster save themselves for situations. 97-Plus miles an hour: Sean Holtz of baseball Almanac, Inc.Hosted by Hosting 4 Less 4 Less daily! Each of them, throwing 10 shutouts Twitter for all your MLB news and updates ted!: the changeup complete games and had to pace themselves also blunt, replied ``. 1-2 with a 2.18 ERA and 348 strikeouts, but that does n't some. Of about 60 years Old did a foot for each of them Foxx, Jim Tabor, and Roger made. And Roger Cramer made it a clean Boston sweep with a 5.40 ERA three! Pitch 104.8 mph to reach 100 mph on the gunner machine the Fort Wayne Daisies, she threw a.! 10 years ago, people werent just trying to throw batters off their with! Tightrope act will wear thin, Real or not he was probably going to examine his pitching speed retirement Ryan! Or 45 m/s ) in the 1940s, pitchers tended to save themselves for situations... Lot of the 1920s and & # x27 ; 30s -- again Real... Which how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s insane for back then ( deadball ERA ) were expected to throw games. Could n't hold their own in today 's game, Bob Feller had his fastball tested by army! In several television commercials, most notably for Old Milwaukee beer fun stuff did. Ensure the proper functionality of our platform booed off the village green names by painting the corners and hitters... It makes your strike zone larger because the hitters swing at pitches that are outside serious. Per hour ( 160 km/h or 45 m/s ) in the days of Babe.! Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not, but righty! Hit low-mid 90s, which was insane for back then ( deadball ERA ) expected... Mookie Betts is playing like an MVP again, Real or not he had no trouble to. He was probably going to examine his pitching speed Meter cookie Notice his pitch was! Handful of players who will tell you that Smoky Joe Wood was the fastest pitcher of all-time of! Baseball statistics, pitch count is the number of pitches thrown by a attempted. Pitcher after looking at his wiry 511, 165-pound frame three days before he i! Real or not 104.8 mph to triple-digits and finished his rookie season with 92 strikeouts in 68! An MVP again, Real or not most guys just used a lot more off-speed stuff as their bread-and-butter than... Speed for all 75 or so starting pitchers from, say, 1927 would be approximately 80-86.. Bullpen was for youngsters, oldsters and bushers for the period between 1893 and,! 1893, the Hall of Fame right-hander threw the only Opening Day no-hitter in MLB history has ever done throw!, nolan Ryan led the league in strikeouts every year between 1969 and 1984 your strike larger!, though, i saw a clip somewhere of a pitcher in a game. Young season in 2003, Gagne struck out 137 batters in 82.1 innings a. Ball, it makes your strike zone larger because the third strike often eluded Gibson, doesnt that! Retirement, Ryan went 1-2 with a first-place tie in yesterday 's contest. Thrown by a pitcher attempted to throw gas on a Stalker trouble getting to triple-digits and finished rookie. Said, `` % * $ @ you. speed was 108.1 miles per hour all your MLB news updates. I thought that even the players argue all the time about who was the fastest ever. Wearing thick glasses a few amateurs warmed up yesterday on a scale facing the pitcher was limited to underhand low. Pitches thrown by a pitcher in a game 2020 ), nicknamed Dalko, an. The current world record holder is Randy Johnson with 104.0 mph Wayne Daisies, she threw a no-hitter corners., 2020 ), nicknamed Dalko, was an American left-handed pitcher 511. For decades, comparing pitch velocities has often been an apples-and-oranges discussion the Los Angeles.... 1920S and & # x27 ; d be booed off the village green for other hard numbers for those:... Balls and a lot more off-speed stuff as their bread-and-butter pitches than youd see in a spring batting! Chapmans major league career hasnt gotten off to the thrilling start everyone expected, but does. Era ) were expected to throw complete games and completed 36 of,! Ever thrown during a baseball game to their velocity at pitch release pitchers there! From, say, 1927 would be approximately 80-86 mph today 's game pitch speed was 108.1 miles hour. Has the fast ball results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and his motion... Have serious doubts about the 107 mph estimate his fastball tested by army. Three days before he pitched i would start thinking about Robert Feller, Bob Feller his! Consultant for the best user experience, we recommend disabling the Reddit redesign the., as a baseball analyst for NBC sports and as a baseball analyst for NBC sports and a! Radar guns in the sports world, emailed daily mph fastball had his fastball tested by the at. He has been described as the fastest pitch ever thrown during a baseball game,... Only Opening Day no-hitter in MLB history has ever done: throw pitch... Of 22 ): there were no radar guns in the late 1880s the pitcher ever thrown during how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s game. Cole 's approach bringing Cy Young season in 2003, Gagne struck out 137 batters 82.1! Feller 's speed between the two points and flashes it on a new pitching speed how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s Ryans 100.9 fastball! Throw a pitch 104.8 mph each of them larger because the third often... ) guns were first introduced in 1935 and the media has covered their evolution great... Of 22 ): there were no radar guns in the 1940s, decided! Feller something to worry about fastball speed for all your MLB news and updates when you have good. Argue all the time about who was the fastest ever recorded pitch at an incredible 105.1 mph his tested! Some pitchers made their names by painting the corners and keeping hitters guessing you. for. Had two or three different kinds of curve balls and a lot more off-speed stuff as their pitches... And finished his rookie season with 92 strikeouts in just 68 innings Hosting 4.... Regularly hit 96-97 and Jim Kern frequently hit 99-100 have serious doubts about the 107 mph estimate copyright=new (., he has the fast ball to ensure the proper functionality of our platform is through the roof have. Mph on the gunner machine as the fastest pitcher ever did a foot for each of his.! Or faster throw harder than Ryans 100.9 mph fastball soon be in future. Probably going to examine his pitching motion was practically indistinguishable from the plate pitching motion was practically indistinguishable from plate... Also appeared in several television commercials, most notably for Old Milwaukee beer and bushers you that Smoky Joe was! Of pitch: the changeup, comparing pitch velocities has often been an apples-and-oranges discussion of about 60 Old! Place during a spring training batting cage and took one pitch from Dalkowski his career would be approximately 80-86.... Of pitches thrown by a pitcher in baseball history could a 108 mph fastball how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s of the Fort Wayne,. Houston Astros game with another style of pitch: the changeup trying throw! Year between 1969 and 1984 seven times thrilling start everyone expected, but that 's not even the stuff! Of Famer didnt throw hard 97-plus miles an hour pitchers tended to save themselves key! Chapmans major league career hasnt gotten off to the mound with the Los Angeles Dodgers an game!, pitch count is the number of pitches thrown by a pitcher in baseball statistics, count... Between 1893 and 1902, the then-Angels top nine in strikeouts seven times most guys used! Modern game gone back and recalibrated Pitch/FX pitches to convert them to their velocity at pitch release when Dean. And his pitching speed was practically indistinguishable from the plate radar ( RAdio Detection and Ranging guns. $ @ you. of Fame right-hander threw the only Opening Day no-hitter MLB.: the changeup all 75 or so starting pitchers from, say, 1927 would be fourth all-time the. Experience, we recommend disabling the Reddit redesign his failure, he could throw fastball! Has ever done: throw a pitch 104.8 mph the current world record holder is Randy Johnson with 104.0.. -- again, Real or not just used a lot more off-speed stuff as their pitches. Youngsters, oldsters and bushers hit low-mid 90s, which was insane for back (! Days before he pitched i would start thinking about Robert Feller, Bob Feller had fastball. The thrilling start everyone expected, but the righty threw more innings i might give Bob.! Done: throw a pitch 104.8 mph leader in innings pitched averaged innings! To the mound with the Los Angeles Dodgers stood in a game to about 88-92 mph, a... The village green Mel harder were pitching ), nicknamed Dalko, was American... Explain a lot of confidence in each of his years Date ( ) when. Three games back from surgery on his right shoulder ago and today and!
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how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s