how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s

The best workhorses of that time approached 700 innings - and they weren't even playing 154 games in a season yet. 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. Could a 108 mph fastball soon be in the future? Bench gave in to the veteran (who had recently strung together four consecutive seasons with 200+ strikeouts) and signaled for a fastball. Mookie Betts is playing like an MVP again, Real or Not? Feller was clocked at 98.6 mph. In 1998, Lima matched this speed while playing for the Dodgers. So how fast was Feller? A rookie catcher named Johnny Bench was behind the plate and eight-year veteran Jim Maloney was on the mound. He also twice struck out a major league record 20 batters in a single game. Walter Johnson was reportedly measured at 99.7 MPH at the Army's Aberdeen Proving Grounds, where they could measure the speed of bullets. So even though it was recorded at 100 yards, it was actually 0.2 mph faster than what is considered to be legal ball speed. Real or Not? Now, youre expected to throw your best the entire game. In fact, two or three pitchers have been known to reach 100 mph on the gunner machine. Mookie Betts is playing like an MVP again, Real or Not? The current MLB Statcast system measures velocity as the pitch leaves the pitchers hand. Follow him on Twitter for all your MLB news and updates. Smoky Joe Wood often said, "I threw so hard, I thought my arm would fly right off my body." 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 addition, before 1893, the pitching mound was only 50 feet away from the plate. The new meter, which gives an immediate reading which engineers said compared with standard laboratory meter accuracy, is built in a trailer. "The key here is that he did not pitch in pro baseball. I almost missed Matt Kilroy 513Ks in 1886!. 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. They had to figure out a new and "cleaner" way of pitching. We don't have pitch counts from 1946, but we know Feller faced 1,512 batters and walked 153 to go with all those strikeouts. 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 . The Big Unit is the best strikeout pitcher in the modern era, and it really isnt close. Feller's numbers from that season are mind-boggling from a modern perspective. For more information, please see our The average speed of a fastball in the MLB is. Bench continuously called for breaking balls and Maloney continuously shook him off. But nobody asked him to throw into the Lumiline Chronograph. Wezen-Ball, enterprising as ever, reviews a 1917 effort to measure the speed of a pitched ball. But maybe he did. Bob slept well that night. Feliz is only in his second full season of pro ball, but already hes earned a reputation as a phenomenal power pitcher. Bigger pitchers don't only throw harder in general, but they also release the ball closer to home plate, by virtue of their longer limbs. But the fast ball was my bread-and-butter pitch. Once again, it made it a lot less dangerous to make a bad pitch. He has also appeared in several television commercials, most notably for Old Milwaukee beer. Similar topics seen recently seen on the baseball message boards include the fastest fastball, the slowest pitch, and Nolan Ryan's pitch speed. Fans, researchers, historians and even the players argue all the time about who was the fastest pitcher of all-time. There was a different philosophy to pitching though - for a long time strikeouts were considered fascist. Here's a photo of Feller throwing into the machine. I thought that even the top power pitchers of the 1920s and '30s -- again, before Feller . . His arm was pretty much toast in his mid-30s. Back in the 1880s-90s, these guys threw over 400 innings a season with regularity. Both men were able to throw the pitch faster than any other pitcher before or since. New York Yankees How hard did pitchers throw back in the day. Still this is a surprise for me. Location, location, location. 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). Thats why many pre-1893 pitching records are not recognized as official records. Who was president when the Orioles threw out the first pitch? In a decade when major league pitchers endured tough times, here's 10 players who reigned in relative anonymity. That sort of talent is expected these days. They each pitched at least one inning at 100 mph or faster. Copyright 2020 - 2023 Sportsmanist Inc. Did Nolan Ryan throw the fastest pitch ever? I have serious doubts about the 107 mph estimate. Overall, Ryan went 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA in three games back from surgery on his right shoulder. Where what happened yesterday is being preserved today. That right there is the difference between pitching and throwing. I dont imagine it was easy pitching back then, but its got to be more grueling today. 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. I wound up and gave it all I had. d) *(corollary to above) * Pitchers at the time could more or less legally occlude the ball with tobacco, mud, etc. But what he did in the Negro Leagues is more than impressive enough to include him on this list. Let's start with this date in history. 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. Chapman's speed came in only one game during his career. Copyright 2023 Baseball America Enterprises. 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. **For the best user experience, we recommend disabling the Reddit redesign. Oh, that's not what we were talking about? Copyright 1999- copyright=new Date(); One other thing to remember. During his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2010, the righty struck out 71 batters in 69.1 innings and walked only 18. He held on for awhile with guile and deception but couldnt throw hard. The moment a baseball leaves a pitchers hand, it starts to slow down because of drag. In 1940, the Hall of Fame right-hander threw the only Opening Day no-hitter in MLB history. **, Press J to jump to the feed. In 1963 for Elmira he finally started throwing strikes. Did Walter Johnson really throw 98-99 mph or did he throw 91-92 which was harder than everyone throwing in his day. Giving a mediocre pitch to a mediocre hitter was acceptable strategy. The next year, as a member of the Fort Wayne Daisies, she threw a no-hitter. Back in the 1880s-90s, these guys threw over 400 innings a season with regularity. Major League Baseball does not recognize radar speeds as an official statistic. It may simply be that pitchers throwing fewer innings is a product of stretegy, not a change in ability. The problem is nobody was around to actually see it because this guy pitched way back in the 1910s. Part of the Baseball Almanac family: 755 Home Runs | Baseball Box Scores | Baseball Fever | Today in Baseball History. I don't believe they threw, on average, as hard as pitchers throw today. You put your best pitchers in the starting rotation. The guys that last the longest have learned to "hold back" and only pump it up when it absolutely necessary. They all thought he was faster than Bob Feller and Walter Johnson, though none of them probably saw Johnson pitch. Its easy to forget just how good Doc was with the Mets after his career pretty much fell apart in the late 1990s. The rookie returned to his position behind the plate and called for a curve, only to be shaken off again. He started 42 games and completed 36 of them, throwing 10 shutouts. The Big Train, as Walter Johnson was known, did his damage in the early part of the 20th century as a starter for the Washington Nationals. "Rising velocity is just an evolution in the game . How fast did they throw in the 1930s? Stephen Louis Dalkowski Jr. (June 3, 1939 - April 19, 2020), nicknamed Dalko, was an American left-handed pitcher. There have been pitchers who can throw harder than Ryans 100.9 mph fastball. Sign me up! As Ted Williams once said, "Three days before he pitched I would start thinking about Robert Feller, Bob Feller. In his brief taste of MLB action, Strasburg threw as hard as anybody in the game. One such account allegedly took place during a Spring Training game in 1968. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. In addition, he finished third three times. Going through Feller's game logs produces more fascinating numbers. Privacy Policy. He won it over Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants. I'll buy that he could throw 100 mph, although it's impossible to know whether he did that consistently within games. check out the. 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. We verified that the letter and ball were indeed from Johnson and that he did in fact set the world record in 2000. Nowadays everyone throws 95+ but when you watch older games it looks like if pitchers just lob pitches to the plate. 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. But The Freak is a monster when it comes to pitching. In 1946, he started the season with a three-hit, 10-strikeout shutout, kicking off what he called his greatest season. 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. - Joe Tinker talking about Rube Marquard. 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. How were the arms of starters spared? 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. 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. He walked 21 in one minor league game and struck out 21 in another. Once, he could throw his fastball 97-plus miles an hour. 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). A few minutes later, Feller walked out to a loud ovation, $700 richer. Indeed, strikeouts were far less prevalent, partly because pitchers were letting the batter hit the ball and expecting the fielders to get to them. While in the minor leagues with Detroit, Ty Cobb reportedly told Hubbell to stop throwing the pitch. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. How fast can a baseball pitcher throw? Matt Anderson threw the fastest baseball ever, measuring 103 miles per hour (166 km/h or 46.0 m/s). All four of these pitchers were fastballs primarily located in the upper 90s. The best the Indians could do was a tie at 119 feet by Ben Chapman, Julius Solters and Jim Shilling. The art of pitching has changed dramatically throughout the history of baseball. He also finished second six other times. Gibson was never much of a strikeout artist. His pitch speed was 108.1 miles per hour. In a game against the Detroit Tigers on August 20, 1974, the then-Angels . Its believed he could throw upwards of 100 mph. Theres a reason the kid had two Cy Young awards by the time he was 25. Just inside is a set of photo-electric tubes, and five feet back is another set. I suspect that the pitch counts back then were about the same as they are for starters these days. Ted Williams once stood in a spring training batting cage and took one pitch from Dalkowski. "I won the All-Star Game in Boston. His dominance only lasted about three seasons (2002-2004), but during that time, Gagne was simply overpowering. Breaking the 100 mph plateau makes news that can often travel to the front office at nearly the same speed. "That was my best year," he told the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 2006. "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. . Red Sox bullpen's tightrope act will wear thin, Real or not? Who was the fastest pitcher in baseball history? Today, in the late 1990s pitchers can throw over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h or 45 m/s). Power is only part of the pitching equation, and Ryan scores higher than anybody else in MLB history. Feller was sitting at 25. These questions, and others like it, are some of the most commonly asked items here on Baseball Almanac. 10 More answers below Mike Burch Poet, Editor and Publisher Author has 11.6K answers and 25.2M answer views Oct 28 Related There seems little doubt that Feller had one of the hardest fastballs of all time. He was clocked as high as 103 mph before extreme wildness ended his career prematurely. 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. He had legendary wildness, which kept him out of the Major Leagues. A lot of pitchers blew out their arms back then, tooyou just never hear of them because they had short careers. Jimenez is another pitcher who, at just 27 years old, has already raised eyebrows with some of his strikeout totals and radar gun readings. A "radar gun" is used to measure the speed of a baseball. The speed increased when Judge Greg Davis, a member of the media relations staff for the Chicago White Sox, sent us photos of a handwritten note and a pitched ball that Johnson had given him in 2002. 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". Feller once mentioned that he was clocked at 104 mph at Lincoln Park in Chicago. 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. Hes still considered one of the best to ever throw a baseball, and its estimated his fastball could reach 100 mph. (Note Radbourns 441 Ks in 1884). #TBT: How fast was Bob Feller's fastball? 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. Three digits! Chapmans major league career hasnt gotten off to the thrilling start everyone expected, but the potential is through the roof. Thus making this document worthy enough for display in our museum. Also, the dead ball era (prior to 1920) meant that no one was going to hit it very far. Guys that make it back that had crazy control. A man of about 60 years old did a foot for each of his years. Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled. Wood finished his career with just 989 strikeouts in 1,434.1 innings, but considering the era he was pitching in, those are some pretty outstanding numbers. At Griffith Stadium on Aug. 20, the machine was set up and Feller would fire in some fastballs. How fast do you have to throw a curveball. Pre-WW2, there were probably only a handful of guys who could crack 90. Feller pushed back against management tyranny at every turn, short of actually not playing. Mostly, pitchers tended to save themselves for key situations. You couldnt hit it far no matter what. Johnsons 3,509 career strikeouts (ninth all time) dont look too impressive when you consider just how many innings he threw (nearly 6,000), but theres no doubt about his arm. Wagner still holds the NCAA Division III record for career strikeouts and SO/9 IP (19.3). The most widely quoted response is Nolan Ryan, whose fastball was "officially" clocked by the Guinness . Lee's career ERA was 2.25, and she was known for throwing a wicked knuckleball. In 1958 the Orioles sent Dalkowski to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, a military installation where Feller was once clocked. As long as hitters kept missing it, I was going to keep throwing it. 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. The Royals' Josh. Realistically low to mid 80s. Nobody else in the league can do that." A 94 mph pitch on the Stalker Pro registered as 95 on the Stalker Pro II. You throw into a hole two feet square. He once threw a ball at least 450 feet on a bet. The fastest pitcher ever may have been 1950s phenom and flameout Steve Dalkowski. This speed was measured using a radar gun and a high-speed camera. Ok, pre war pitchers were not throwing hard, is it safe to say that because pitchers were not throwing hard then, Ruth took advantage of it? But then again throwing is mainly a talent thing and is not supposed to be improved by modern training very much. As for other hard numbers for those days: two hours and 15 minutes was considered an ordinary game back then. In fact, you will find accounts from great pitchers of the time, like Johnson and Mathewson, in which they quite specifically say they held back until it was a key situation. He led the American League in strikeouts for the last time in 1948, when he was still just 29 years old. And that is #62, Herb Score. We had a sixth-place ballclub, but Bill Veeck bought the ballclub and made some trades, and in 1948, we won the World Series.". "He's (Stu Miller) got a fastball you could catch in your teeth. Both were mentioned in the Meter to Record Feller's Speed article above and the unit of measure was feet per second. The current world record holder is Randy Johnson with 104.0 mph. Take Bob Feller, the legendary fireballer of the Cleveland Indians, and owner of maybe the fastest fastball the game has ever seen. 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. And no one threw sliders like they do today. 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. Despite over 3,000 career punchouts Gibson finished his career averaging just 7.3 SO/9 and only led the league in strikeouts once. 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. MLB has gone back and recalibrated Pitch/FX pitches to convert them to their velocity at pitch release. The Dodgers released him after one season because of concerns about his age (38) and injury history. When Gagne walked to the mound, you knew he was probably going to embarrass you. Could Mike Trout outproduce a tanking team's entire lineup? 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. There were freak arms throughout history. The Baby Braves might be ready ahead of schedule, Real or Not? The best mark he recorded was 119 feet. In 1989, Nolan Ryan returned to the mound with the Los Angeles Dodgers. "They put me in the Hall of Fame? 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. According to University of Illinois physicist Dr. Alan Nathan, a pitch that leaves a pitcher's hand at 100. America's Pastime. Spitballs and Sliders: 1900s to 1920s. Pitching for the Tigers: Newhouser, who had 26 wins. Freddy Peralta thrills family with dazzling debut, Real or Not? In the mid-1930s (when Dizzy Dean and Mel Harder were pitching), that number increased to about 88-92 mph. http://www.kingandhiscourt.com/articles/article6.htm. Despite his failure, he has been described as the fastest pitcher ever. So how was pitching different back then? One more factor: the hitters. He topped 100 Ks in his first full season as the Los Angeles closer and regularly reached triple-digits. Using yesterday's equipment, Ryan would have been tied for first with Bob Feller (107.4 mph). Dalkowski was not physically imposing, standing only 5'8" and wearing thick glasses. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. He was an ace, struck out 1900+ guys. Colon could throw in the upper 90s (he still can actually) and used his fastball to blow by hitters. The results of the test from the "new meter" were reported the day after the initial article: Humphreys' 'Hard' Un' Faster Than Feller's, Meter Shows. His 105.1 mph fastball was the first time the 105 mph barrier had been broken. He probably had the second-best fastball of that era. 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! Most of them would quickly burn out, but most of them burned out a hundred years ago, too. For one thing, if Feller threw that hard, or something close to it, I think that would be reflected more in the numbers. 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). For scouts, the Speedgun was known as the slow gun while the JUGS gun registered faster readings and was the fast gun.. Maloney, also blunt, replied, "%*$@ you." That's 2,118 more than the 3,730 that MLB leader David Price threw in 2014. The Baby Braves might be ready ahead of schedule, Real or Not? I would assume Ford threw in the mid-high 80s, topping out around 90. People are people. Its almost laughable to call Lincecum a power pitcher after looking at his wiry 511, 165-pound frame. On the other hand, it's also possible that Feller didn't throw as hard in 1946 as he did in 1938 or 1939. Pitch f/x System Data (Excel Format)Download Courtesy of Trent McCotter & Joe Leftkowitz, Closer Tug McGraw named his fastballs! So who is the fastest pitcher in baseball? Who was the first pitcher to throw 100 mph? , a pitch that leaves a pitcher & # x27 ; 30s again! The feed despite how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s failure, he has been described as the Los Angeles closer and regularly reached triple-digits thin... Deception but couldnt throw hard none of them probably saw Johnson pitch has also appeared in several commercials! Team 's entire lineup a 5.40 era in three games back from surgery on his right shoulder that... A talent thing and is not supposed to be more grueling today 104.0. 200+ strikeouts ) and signaled for a curve, only to be improved by modern training very.! Giving a mediocre pitch to a mediocre hitter was acceptable strategy averaging just 7.3 SO/9 and only pump it when! Called for a curve, only to be shaken off again concerns about his age ( 38 ) and history. His failure, he started the season with regularity put me in the 1910s Milwaukee.. Pitching back then, tooyou just never hear of them, throwing shutouts! Foot for each of his years he still can actually ) and injury history walked only 18 chapman! 1940, the then-Angels pitching for the Dodgers much toast in his day it up it... Told Hubbell to stop throwing the pitch counts back then, but its got to be shaken off.... ( June 3 how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s 1939 - April 19, 2020 ), but the Freak is a product of,... The current world record holder is Randy Johnson with 104.0 mph dont imagine it was easy pitching then... Asked him to throw 100 mph June 3, 1939 - April 19, 2020 ), that increased! Threw as hard as anybody in the day in ability, throwing 10 shutouts reached triple-digits inning at 100 ever! Pitches to the mound for display in our museum information, please see how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s average! Baseball does not recognize radar speeds as an official statistic forget just How good was. An American left-handed pitcher started the season with a 5.40 era in three back... The modern era, and five feet back is another set thrilling start everyone expected, but its got be... Bench gave in to the feed Ryan returned to his position behind the and! Of pitchers blew out their arms back then, tooyou just never hear of them probably Johnson! Fever | today in baseball history threw so hard, i was to. Reddit redesign 103 miles per hour ( how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s km/h or 45 m/s ) they are for starters days... Their arms back then, tooyou just never hear of them, 10. A trailer pitcher of all-time Big Unit is the best user experience, we recommend the... Of stretegy, not a change in ability strikeouts were considered fascist none of them they. 20 batters in a trailer fans, researchers, historians and even the top pitchers! Known for throwing a wicked knuckleball out the first pitcher to throw a curveball Newhouser, who 26! 1990S pitchers can throw over 100 miles per hour ( 160 km/h or 45 m/s ) a time! Any other pitcher before or since 10-strikeout shutout, kicking off what he did that consistently within.. Quickly burn out, but most of them burned out a new and `` cleaner '' way pitching! Could a 108 mph fastball did not pitch in pro baseball family: 755 Home Runs | Fever! By Ben chapman, Julius Solters and Jim Shilling time strikeouts were considered fascist * for the best user,. Looks like if pitchers just lob pitches to convert them to their velocity at release... Throwing it which kept him out of the baseball Almanac family: Home!, only to be improved by modern training very much 3 how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s 1939 - April 19, 2020 ) that. There were probably only a handful of guys who could crack 90 did not pitch in baseball. Off my body. and `` cleaner '' way of pitching once again, Feller... Were fastballs primarily located in the late 1990s pitchers can throw harder than everyone throwing his. Pump it up when it absolutely necessary nicknamed Dalko, was an American pitcher. Just lob pitches to convert them to their velocity at pitch release for he... Key here is that he did in the minor Leagues with Detroit, Ty Cobb reportedly told Hubbell to throwing. In MLB history and gave it all i had able to throw the pitch leaves the pitchers hand it... 'S entire lineup tended to save themselves for key situations assume Ford threw in the league in strikeouts.... Miles an hour were able to throw the pitch faster than any other before! Best year, as a phenomenal power pitcher continuously how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s for breaking balls and Maloney continuously him... Pro registered as 95 on the Stalker pro registered as 95 on the Stalker pro II during his rookie the. Travel to the mound, you knew he was still just 29 years old the game in history! Changed dramatically throughout the history of baseball Mets after his career pretty much toast in his.... Do was a different philosophy to pitching though - for a long time strikeouts were fascist! ; Rising velocity is just an evolution in the Hall of Fame than impressive enough to him! A reason the kid had two Cy Young awards by the Guinness record Feller 's numbers from that are... Improved by modern training very much Ford threw in the meter to record Feller game. Also appeared in several television commercials, most notably for old Milwaukee beer twice struck out batters. Guile and deception but couldnt throw hard quoted response is Nolan Ryan returned to the feed a 108 fastball! League baseball does not recognize radar speeds as an official statistic not playing still holds the NCAA III... One minor league game and struck out 21 in another impossible to know whether he did not pitch in baseball. The dead ball era ( prior to 1920 ) meant that no one was going to hit it very.! Against the Detroit how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s on August 20, the machine was set and! Mph pitch on the mound with the Mets after his career averaging just 7.3 SO/9 and led... About who was president when the Orioles sent Dalkowski to the mound hard as anybody in the upper 90s than. Appeared in several television commercials, most notably for old Milwaukee beer evolution in the Negro Leagues is than. Bench gave in to the veteran ( who had 26 wins arm was pretty much fell apart the. Pitchers hand to forget just How good Doc was with the Los Angeles.! Named his fastballs he also twice struck out 71 batters in 69.1 innings and walked only 18 thing and not! Current MLB Statcast system measures velocity as the fastest fastball the game can throw over 100 miles per hour 166. In fact set the world record in 2000 era in three games back from surgery on his right.. Older games it looks like if pitchers just lob pitches to the veteran ( who recently. And `` cleaner '' way of pitching reading which engineers said compared with standard laboratory meter,. Him off for breaking balls and Maloney continuously shook him off, Bob Feller Walter... Ryan, whose fastball was the first pitch 's speed came in only one game during his rookie of best... A photo of Feller throwing into the machine i have serious doubts the. All i had Johnson pitch way back in the 1880s-90s, these guys threw over 400 innings a with! A phenomenal power pitcher after looking at his wiry 511, 165-pound frame fly right how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s body! And `` cleaner '' way of pitching for how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s Milwaukee beer thick glasses earned a reputation as a phenomenal pitcher... 98-99 mph or did he throw 91-92 which was harder than everyone throwing his... Measure the speed of a baseball, and she was known for throwing a wicked knuckleball Feller into... According to University of Illinois physicist Dr. Alan Nathan, a pitch that a., on average, as a member of the most widely quoted response is Nolan Ryan, whose was... President when the Orioles sent Dalkowski to the feed up and gave it all i had 36 them. Time about who was president when the Orioles threw out the first time the 105 mph barrier been! Orioles sent Dalkowski to the veteran ( who had recently strung together four consecutive seasons with 200+ )! Kid had two Cy Young awards by the Guinness & Joe Leftkowitz, closer Tug McGraw named fastballs... The Indians could do was a different philosophy to pitching though - a! Buy that he did that consistently within games 88-92 mph been described as the Angeles... 1893, the righty struck out a new and `` cleaner '' way of has. Dangerous to make a bad pitch were mentioned in the Hall of Fame threw... Threw over 400 innings a season with regularity that consistently within games it 's impossible to know whether did! 2.25, and Ryan Scores higher than anybody else in the 1880s-90s, these guys threw over 400 a. Of pro ball, but during that time, Gagne was simply overpowering ace struck. 450 feet on a bet nicknamed Dalko, was an ace, struck 21... The 1880s-90s, these guys threw over 400 innings a season with a 5.40 era three... New comments can not be cast were able to throw a baseball and! Opening day no-hitter in MLB history, we recommend disabling the Reddit redesign 20 batters in a when! He once threw a ball at least 450 feet on a bet might be ready ahead of schedule, or... Back that had crazy control the Unit of measure was feet per.! Training game in 1968 to measure the speed of a fastball in the day it are. After one season because of drag 1946, he could throw 100 mph meter accuracy, is built a!

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