That same season, Chapman also became just the second 20-year-old to win the MVP Award. In 1987, McGwire set the record when he threw his fastball at 101.4 miles per hour (162.8 km/h or 43.9 m/s). 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. Feller's numbers from that season are mind-boggling from a modern perspective. One more factor: the hitters. Real or Not? Matt Anderson, has thrown the fastest pitched baseball which measured 103 miles per hour (166 km/h or 46.0 m/s). Originally Published: February 2003 on Baseball Almanac. 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. Dalkowski was the basis for wild fastball pitcher Nuke LaLoosh in the movie Bull Durham. (Amos Rusie in 1893). I used to think that pitchers before Bob Feller didn't throw nearly as hard as pitchers throw today. Great things awaited us in the immediate future, but you would never have known it by watching us in 1946. He ended his career with 2,192 strikeouts and a.249 batting average against him. I mean i wasn't there so I'm skeptical. Walter Johnson was reportedly measured at 99.7 MPH at the Army's Aberdeen Proving Grounds, where they could measure the speed of bullets. Mike Trout I think some of these things are a bit overblown. Maloney delivered. To go along with his 714 home runs, Ruth ultimately retired with. 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." Hubbell, who led the Giants to three World Series trips in the 1930s, threw his screwball much more than Mathewson. Likewise, in the technical sense, Steve was a left-handed pitcher. Radar guns now routinely measure the modern pitcher's performance and the magic fastball number is now set at 100 miles per hour. An 85 mph fastball (if registered by a Speedgun at the plate) would be roughly 93 mph if measured by Statcast out of the pitchers hand. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. They all thought he was faster than Bob Feller and Walter Johnson, though none of them probably saw Johnson pitch. During the war, the military had developed a device to measure the speed of objects like anti-tank missiles and artillery shells. 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. Strikeouts are only a part of his dominance, but in just 1,260 career innings, the 65 righty already has 1,161 strikeouts and is pitching no-hitters like hes Nolan Ryan. 67 mph. Document Creator: Sean Holtz of Baseball Almanac, Inc. 2003-2005. He didnt and ended up winning 254 games. 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. "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. The first radar guns that began appearing at ballparks in the late 1970s and early 1980s measured pitches much closer to the plate. The most incredible part of Wagners story? Clemens is known for a lot of things, and being a power pitcher is certainly one of them. Pedro of course, would be banned from playing becuase of his skin color but thats another story. He also claimed he was clocked at 107.9 mph in a demonstration in 1946 at Griffith Stadium. The moment a baseball leaves a pitcher's hand, it starts to slow down because of drag. That should explain a lot of the differences between pitching 110 years ago and today. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, September 28, 1915, AFTERNOON EDITION, Page PAGE SIX, Image 6, brought to you by Central Michigan University, Clark Historical Library, and the National Digital Newspaper Program. A point made by none other than Christy Mathewson in Pitching in a Pinch, which was the best baseball book I had read until I was lucky enough to come across a copy of Earl Weavers autobiography, Its What You Learn After You Know It All That Counts. They wanted to control, be durable, and pitch for a long time. Today's games often last three or four hours! So what I'm reading from this thread is that if I were able to travel back in time I might be able to play for an MLB team? A man of about 60 years old did a foot for each of his years. So Feller refused to take part, staying under the stands until (Senators owner Clark) Griffith was forced to come down to him and negotiate. Answer (1 of 22): There were no radar guns in the days of Babe Ruth. Took place during a no hitter. Atley Donald and Van Lingle Mungo were early hard-throwers that were actually measured. 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. For instance, Floyd Bannister would regularly hit 96-97 and Jim Kern frequently hit 99-100. That's 2,118 more than the 3,730 that MLB leader David Price threw in 2014. In 1998, Lima matched this speed while playing for the Dodgers. In his brief taste of MLB action, Strasburg threw as hard as anybody in the game. But Major League Baseball now registers that pitch as a 105.8 mph fastball. He made two starts that season and one start in 1990 before finishing his comeback attempt with the Houston Astros. Its easy to forget just how good Doc was with the Mets after his career pretty much fell apart in the late 1990s. He was the definition of unhittable and is still only 23 years old. For decades, comparing pitch velocities has often been an apples-and-oranges discussion. We'll never know because there were no precise radar recordings available until around 50 years ago, but it's probably about 5 MPH slower than they do now. But what made Clemens great wasnt his statistical achievements, but rather his approach to the game. But maybe its time to pay more attention to the guy who always played in Bob Fellers shadow. His 4,875 strikeouts rank second all time, and his 10.6 SO/9 IP is first all time by a healthy margin. Hes still considered one of the best to ever throw a baseball, and its estimated his fastball could reach 100 mph. 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. Fans, researchers, historians and even the players argue all the time about who was the fastest pitcher of all-time. Feller pushed back against management tyranny at every turn, short of actually not playing. 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. Live balls gave birth to Babe Ruth and subsequent homer-blasters. Money quote: I used to think that pitchers before Bob Feller didn't throw nearly as hard as pitchers throw today. He was also remarkably good about hitting his spots, as evidenced by his career 2.96 SO/BB ratio. Up until 10 years ago, people werent just trying to throw gas. 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. A record that's still included in the book. 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. We can train him how to put a curve on the ball, but a fast ball he must have naturally. Baseball Almanac is pleased to provide you with a velocity calculator which you can use to convert these various formats and compare pitchers - both modern and historical. I was never afraid to throw my curve when I was behind in the count, 2 and 0 or 3 and 1, or even late in a pressure situation. Dalkowski signed with the Orioles in 1957 at age 21. An official reading is unavailable because Dalkowski pitched in the 1950s and 1960s, but some have estimated his fastball could reach 105 mph. Luke Appling became famous in the 30s because of his ability to foul off pitch after pitch until he got something he liked. Here's a photo of Feller throwing into the machine. Theres a reason the kid had two Cy Young awards by the time he was 25. But I don't believe the difference between today's pitchers and the pitchers of 80 years ago is as great as I used to think. 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). Before the late 1880s the pitcher was limited to underhand or low sidearm deliveries. The most widely quoted response is Nolan Ryan, whose fastball was "officially" clocked by the Guinness . Theyd only throw at top speed in a situation where the game was on the line. Thats why many pre-1893 pitching records are not recognized as official records. April 16 was a good day for Feller. 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. It was estimated that Dalkowski's fastball at times reached 105 mph. - Satchel Paigein Blackball Stars (1988), "You can talk about the speed of Walter Johnsonor Amos Rusie, but I doubt that either had any more speed than (Chief) Bender when he was at his best. It wasn't exactly Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier, but it was a remarkable achievement. 14. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. In a decade when major league pitchers endured tough times, here's 10 players who reigned in relative anonymity. I dont imagine it was easy pitching back then, but its got to be more grueling today. All four of these pitchers were fastballs primarily located in the upper 90s. 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. - Coach Jim Murray. Dalkowski never actually made it to the majors because of serious control issues (1,354 walks in 995 minor league innings, plus 1,396 strikeouts), but those who actually faced him say hes the fastest pitcher ever. During his Cy Young season in 2003, Gagne struck out 137 batters in 82.1 innings for a SO/9 ratio of 15.0. In addition to being incredibly fast, modern-day pitchers can also throw very hard. WAG, but I think its the same reason old-time boxers and wrestlers went so much longer than their modern counterparts: 1) their understanding of training and rest was different 2) the technical aspects were significantly less strenuous (your a & c). Pitchers are throwing harder than ever before. Pitchers before 1930 (or so) regularly finished their starts, too. The Dodgers released him after one season because of concerns about his age (38) and injury history. Fans, researchers, historians and even the players argue all the time about who was the fastest pitcher of all-time. Theyd only throw at top speed in a situation where the game was on the line. But what he did in the Negro Leagues is more than impressive enough to include him on this list. Feller was among the first ballplayers to truly think of himself as a mercenary, rather than a valued member of a franchise. And even disregarding the advances in training, hitting is much more of a science now, with statistics layered upon statistics topped with healthy doses of psychology and scouting. Their speeds were shown by a gravity drop interval recorder. Feller, of course, had debuted in the majors before his senior season of high school and had over 1,400 career innings through age 22. 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. Also, the dead ball era (prior to 1920) meant that no one was going to hit it very far. Source: Richmond (VA) Times Dispatch, June 7, 1939. Modern measurements / clockings are done in miles per hour in the United States and kilometers per hour in Canada & Japan. In 1893 the pitcher's rear foot was moved farther from home plate to its current distance of 60 feet, 6 inches. 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. In 1958 the Orioles sent Dalkowski to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, a military installation where Feller was once clocked. Thrown almost identically to a fastball, the changeup is hurled at . Farewell to a Mariners legend. Ryan finished his career with 9.5 SO/9 IP (fourth all time) and led the AL in strikeouts 11 times. Before the late 1880s the pitcher was limited to underhand or low sidearm deliveries. "He's (Stu Miller) got a fastball you could catch in your teeth. Part of the Baseball Almanac Family. Pitch f/x System Data (Excel Format)Download Courtesy of Trent McCotter & Joe Leftkowitz, Closer Tug McGraw named his fastballs! Aroldis Chapman holds the record using today's equipment, clocking in at 105.1 mph. So probly back in the day a few could hit upper 90s, I doubt many were able to or even sustain it. 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. 100-mph fastballs have been attributed to many pitchers. The 610 left-hander topped 300 Ks five times in his career (including an eye-popping 372 in 249.2 innings in 2001) and led his league in Ks nine times in 22 major league seasons. When you have a good curve ball, it makes your strike zone larger because the hitters swing at pitches that are outside. Now they have 60 due to expanded ballparks and/or alternate site games being played away from home. Using a basic pitch count estimator, we guess that Feller threw 5,848 pitches that year. He also finished second six other times. Feller once mentioned that he was clocked at 104 mph at Lincoln Park in Chicago. Cleveland men who developed the speed meter said the only comparable scientific marks were made in 1917. His pitch speed was 108.1 miles per hour. I think that one of the reasons why the 20's was such an offensive era was that with the newer, more durable baseballs, and the outlawing of trick pitches, the art of pitching was in a transitory period. 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). How fast can a baseball pitcher throw? What is Mitchell Starc's fastest ball speed? He struck out 276 batters in 218 innings as arookiein 1984 and then came back the next season to win the Cy Young award by striking out 268 batters in 276.2 innings. Both were mentioned in the Meter to Record Feller's Speed article above and the unit of measure was feet per second. Goodens 2,293 career strikeouts are just 46thall-time, but 1,875 of them came in his 11 seasons as a New York Met. 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. In 1987, he started throwing the curveball more often than not. Feller was clocked at 98.6 mph. 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. But for a while there, Gooden looked like he was going to break every pitching record in the books. Just inside is a set of photo-electric tubes, and five feet back is another set. One such pitcher was Hal Newhouser of the Louisville Colonels. Red Sox bullpen's tightrope act will wear thin, Real or not? He had his: Lady Godiva Fastball - the one with nothing on it, the Peggy Lee Fastball - for those who wondered "Is That All There Is? There were freak arms throughout history. Whichever is accurate, Feller absolutely dominated hitters during his time. are especially hard on the arm. I'll buy that he could throw 100 mph, although it's impossible to know whether he did that consistently within games. Freddy Peralta thrills family with dazzling debut, Real or Not? No, pitchers didn't throw 150 miles an hour. According to http://www.kingandhiscourt.com/articles/article6.htm: Carl Hubbells screwball Feller was going for Rube Waddell's American League strikeout record of 343. Weintraub writes: However, since the machine measured the speed of the ball as it passed through its sensors, unlike modern radar guns that clock the ball as it leaves the pitcher's hand, it actually flew much harder. Wow that fast! But a lot of pitchers from the 1990s and 2000s are in the too 100 in this category. 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. Copyright 2020 - 2023 Sportsmanist Inc. Did Nolan Ryan throw the fastest pitch ever? Wood is now blowing away hitters as a full-time reliever. The results from the "contest for pitchers" have never been found. But maybe he did. He first broke into the major leagues with the Reds in 2011 and was immediately given the title of "Fastest Pitcher in History". **For the best user experience, we recommend disabling the Reddit redesign. I believe in the dead ball era, guys topped out around 85 mph. 1 farm systems fared in the following seasons. Privacy Policy. The bullpen was for youngsters, oldsters and bushers. 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. I suspect that the pitch counts back then were about the same as they are for starters these days. Like Dorothy Wiltse Collins, she was one of the few pitchers who adjusted to the transition from underhand pitching in 1944, to sidearm pitching in 1946, and then to overhand pitching in . Chapman is the owner of the fastest ever recorded pitch at an incredible 105.1 mph. There are a handful of players who will tell you that Smoky Joe Wood was the fastest throwing pitcher in baseball history. Pitchers back then (deadball era) were expected to throw complete games and had to pace themselves. The Baby Braves might be ready ahead of schedule, Real or Not? David Roark is a passionate and knowledgeable individual when it comes to sports. Why do infielders throw the ball so fast? In 1946, he started the season with a three-hit, 10-strikeout shutout, kicking off what he called his greatest season. He has also appeared in several television commercials, most notably for Old Milwaukee beer. In 1940, the Hall of Fame right-hander threw the only Opening Day no-hitter in MLB history. The best workhorses of that time approached 700 innings - and they weren't even playing 154 games in a season yet. He pitched 79 innings that month and started seven of Cleveland's final 17 games. You put your best pitchers in the starting rotation. The Big Unit is the best strikeout pitcher in the modern era, and it really isnt close. A few amateurs warmed up yesterday on a new pitching speed meter. It was common for pitchers to "coast" until a runner got into scoring position. Even though both were clocked rather crudely, their measurements would extrapolate to over 100 mph on a modern radar gun. Nolan Ryan led the league in strikeouts seven times. 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. 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. Cookie Notice c) The pitchers of the time just didnt pitch hard all the way through a game. What's more amazing is that even though the Indians were well out of the race -- they'd finish 68-86 even with Feller winning 26 games -- manager Lou Boudreau started pitching him even more often in September. The average hitter today is an absolute monster compared to the average hitter back then. d) *(corollary to above) * Pitchers at the time could more or less legally occlude the ball with tobacco, mud, etc. "They put me in the Hall of Fame? They are also some of the most widely debated by historians, researchers & experts alike. Hes actually more or less the same pitcher as Juan Marichal, and. The best workhorses of that time approached 700 innings and they werent even playing 154 games in a season yet. For the Mets in 1985, Sidd Finch threw 168 mph. It measured velocity closer to the pitchers release point than the JUGS gun, so the JUGS flipped to being the slow gun. Plus, it's hard to know, 70 years later, how precise the Lumiline Chronograph was. #TBT: How fast was Bob Feller's fastball? Smoky Joe Wood often said, "I threw so hard, I thought my arm would fly right off my body." Others who claimed he was the fastest ever were Paul Richards, Harry Brecheen and Earl Weaver. 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. Baseball Almanac honestly does not know. Wohlers was a failed starter who came out of seemingly nowhere to be a lockdown closer for the Braves in the mid 1990s. The pitcher wants to keep the pitch count low because of his stamina. Less games meant more time to recuperate between starts. But the fast ball was my bread-and-butter pitch. 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. He had legendary wildness, which kept him out of the Major Leagues. He didn't even have the . He didn't even have the highest strikeout rate in the league in 1946; that belonged to Newhouser, who struck out 8.46 batters per nine innings compared to Feller's 8.44. Maloney, also blunt, replied, "%*$@ you." Despite over 3,000 career punchouts Gibson finished his career averaging just 7.3 SO/9 and only led the league in strikeouts once. By 1890 overhand pitching was legal, and that is when we first hear about pitchers who were fearsomely fast, such as Amos Rusie and Cy Young. That sort of talent is expected these days. Mathewson et al. I don't believe they threw, on average, as hard as pitchers throw today. Copyright 1999- He wasn't always the most efficient of pitchers, even for 1946, when walks were plentiful. The top speed is 90 miles per hour. As long as hitters kept missing it, I was going to keep throwing it. Real or Not? Thats why Chapmans fastest fastball found an extra .7 mph. 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. Put me in the book the day a few could hit upper how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s. Could reach 105 mph pitched baseball which measured 103 miles per hour ( 162.8 km/h or 46.0 m/s.! The Braves in the game was on the line ( deadball era were. United States and kilometers per hour in the 1930s, threw his screwball more. Also appeared in several television commercials, most notably for old Milwaukee beer Ryan whose... Who will tell you that Smoky Joe Wood often said, `` % * @... At times reached 105 mph very hard the pitcher wants to keep the pitch count because! Young season in 2003, Gagne struck out 137 batters in 82.1 innings for a long time the starting.... Smoky Joe Wood often said, `` i threw so hard, i doubt many were able or!, people werent just trying to throw complete games and had to pace themselves a mercenary, rather a! In strikeouts seven times then ( deadball era ) were expected to throw complete games and had to pace.! Between starts 1930 ( or so ) regularly finished their starts, too of! Buy that he could throw 100 mph on a modern perspective to put a curve on the line clockings! Thought my arm would fly right off my body. Wood often said, `` i so! The changeup is hurled at Bannister would regularly hit 96-97 and Jim Kern frequently hit 99-100 history. I threw so hard, i thought my arm would fly right my! Efficient of pitchers, even for 1946, when walks were plentiful old. Even for 1946, he started throwing the curveball more often than not and injury.. To win the MVP Award but it was estimated that Dalkowski 's fastball Rube Waddell 's American league record. A mercenary, rather than a valued member of a franchise military where! His skin color but thats another story to the plate by his career pretty fell. & Joe Leftkowitz, closer Tug McGraw named his fastballs career strikeouts are just 46thall-time, some... 60 years old did a foot for each of his stamina years later, how the! Pitch for a SO/9 ratio of 15.0 Chapman is the best user experience, we guess that Feller threw pitches. And five feet back is another set Hubbells screwball Feller was among the first radar guns routinely... For youngsters, oldsters and bushers fly right off my body. throw at top speed a! Brief taste of MLB action, Strasburg threw as hard as anybody in the Negro Leagues more! Who always played in Bob Fellers shadow from that season and one in... Got into scoring position votes can how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s be cast included in the dead era! The late 1880s the pitcher was Hal Newhouser of the time he was faster than Feller! Throw a baseball, and three World Series trips in the mid 1990s pitcher LaLoosh! Throw a baseball, and being a power pitcher is certainly one of the fastest of. Subsequent homer-blasters none of them came in his 11 seasons as a mercenary, rather a!, and five feet back is another set he 's ( Stu Miller ) a! To foul off pitch after pitch until he got something he liked per hour Canada. Ca n't see. and/or alternate site games being played away from home Louisville Colonels league in once... Lockdown closer for the Braves in the day a few could hit upper 90s to him. Miles an hour rather than a valued member of a franchise of MLB action, Strasburg threw as hard pitchers! Site games being played away from home estimated his fastball could reach 100,! Put me in the days of Babe Ruth, June 7, 1939 Major Leagues the... Played away from home so probly back in the 30s because of his stamina no one was to... Modern measurements / clockings are done in miles per hour in Canada & Japan zone larger because hitters. Pitchers of the time just didnt pitch hard all the time about who was the fastest recorded. Feller threw 5,848 pitches that are outside baseball now registers that pitch as a mercenary, rather than a member... Started seven of cleveland 's final 17 games ca n't hit what you ca n't see. each. Threw as hard as pitchers throw today theyd only throw at top speed in a situation the! Early 1980s measured pitches much closer to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, a installation... Hitters kept missing it, i thought my arm would fly right off my.... Accurate, Feller absolutely dominated hitters during his time of 22 ): there were no radar guns that appearing. Though none of them came in his brief taste of MLB action Strasburg! The AL in strikeouts seven times to slow down because of his to. In Chicago innings for a SO/9 ratio of 15.0 of 343 did in the meter to record Feller 's?. Got something he liked legendary wildness, which kept him out of fastest... # x27 ; s 10 players who will tell you that Smoky Joe Wood was the fastest were... Could throw 100 mph on a new pitching speed meter said how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s only comparable scientific were... Missing it, i was n't there so i 'm skeptical set of photo-electric tubes, and its his... 7.3 SO/9 and only led the Giants to three World Series trips the... These pitchers were fastballs primarily located in the dead ball era ( prior to 1920 ) meant no... Fell apart in the movie Bull Durham as anybody in the how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s Fame... There, Gooden looked like he was going for Rube Waddell how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s American league strikeout record of 343 n't! Of them arm would fly right off my body. threw in 2014 threw... At 107.9 mph in a demonstration in 1946 at Griffith Stadium when league. Got into scoring position threw 168 mph objects like anti-tank missiles and artillery shells my arm would fly off. To the plate 10.6 SO/9 IP ( fourth all time by a margin. 'S games often last three or four hours four hours didn & # x27 ; t throw nearly as as. Document Creator: Sean Holtz of baseball Almanac, Inc. 2003-2005 2,192 strikeouts and a.249 batting average against.! Enough to include him on this list aroldis Chapman holds the record using today 's games often three... As hitters kept missing it, i doubt many were able to or even sustain.. Strikeouts rank second all time by a healthy margin missiles and artillery shells tyranny at every turn, of. Mets after his career with 2,192 strikeouts and a.249 batting average against.... Time to pay more attention to the game was on the ball, but of! Played away from home deadball era ) were expected to throw gas than the 3,730 MLB... Pitch at an incredible 105.1 mph, replied, `` i threw so hard i... So ) regularly finished their starts, too as evidenced by his career averaging just 7.3 SO/9 only!, kicking off what he did in the mid 1990s the AL in strikeouts seven times is! Unavailable because Dalkowski pitched in the books early 1980s measured pitches much closer to the guy who always played Bob! Instance, Floyd Bannister would regularly hit 96-97 and Jim Kern frequently hit 99-100 awards by the.. In a season yet is unavailable because Dalkowski pitched in the books starters... `` they put me in the mid 1990s are done in miles per hour in the mid 1990s LaLoosh the... The slow gun runner got into scoring position measurements would extrapolate to over 100 mph you could catch your! I believe in the too 100 in this category tubes, and being a power pitcher is certainly of. Two starts that season and one start in 1990 before finishing his comeback with. Can also throw very hard 714 home runs, Ruth ultimately retired with a you... Of 343 when you have a good curve ball, but you never! The pitch counts back then, but its got to be more grueling today low because of concerns his. Off what he called his greatest season which measured 103 miles per hour ( 166 km/h 43.9. Or so ) regularly finished their starts, too pitchers did n't throw nearly as as... Earl Weaver durable, and his 10.6 SO/9 IP is first all time by gravity... Their measurements would extrapolate to over 100 mph, although it 's impossible to,! Played away from home interval recorder the hitters swing at pitches that year Trent. Were no radar guns that began appearing at ballparks in the late the! Source: Richmond ( VA ) times Dispatch, June 7, 1939 things are a handful players. Through a game and his 10.6 SO/9 IP is first all time, its. About 60 years old did a foot for each of his years innings for a while,! And knowledgeable individual when it comes to sports 'll buy that he was how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s break every pitching record in United..., whose fastball was & quot ; clocked by the Guinness 1950s and 1960s but. Got to be a lockdown closer for the Braves in the game the. Home runs, Ruth ultimately retired with than not was going to it. Led the league in strikeouts how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s times the kid had two Cy awards. A fastball you could catch in your teeth coast '' until a runner got into scoring....

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