We had a sixth-place ballclub, but Bill Veeck bought the ballclub and made some trades, and in 1948, we won the World Series.". His career 10.6 SO/9 IP is evidence of that, although hes up to 11.8 this season. They probably couldve done a lot harder throwing if they wanted to. Real or Not? Sign me up! 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. #TBT: How fast was Bob Feller's fastball? Felizs 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 best workhorses of that time approached 700 innings - and they weren't even playing 154 games in a season yet. He had legendary wildness, which kept him out of the Major Leagues. Here are the 28 hardest throwers in MLB history. In the mid-1930s (when Dizzy Dean and Mel Harder were pitching), that number increased to about 88-92 mph. He was supposed to throw the ball from the outfield wall to home plate, but he threw it well above the plate into the press box. In his first full season as a closer the righty struck out 90 batters in 64.2 innings, good enough for his first and only All-Star selection. Guys that make it back that had crazy control. 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. Nolan Ryan holds record for fastest pitch. The Big Unit is the best strikeout pitcher in the modern era, and it really isnt close. Who was president when the Orioles threw out the first pitch? - 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. If he harnesses all his pitches and learns to throw strikes consistently, theres no reason he cant one day pass the next guy on this list in career strikeouts. In a decade when major league pitchers endured tough times, here's 10 players who reigned in relative anonymity. Other sources reported that the measuring device was a tube and that he took a long time to finally throw one into the tube. Wood is now blowing away hitters as a full-time reliever. His story is not particularly well known outside of Houston, but Richards promising career as a starter came to an end at the age of 30 because of a life-threatening stroke. The last major rule change affecting pitchers-the establishment of a pitching rubber exactly 60 feet, six inches from home plate-occurred in 1893. A varied assortment of men followed. He was clocked as high as 103 mph before extreme wildness ended his career prematurely. How fast do you have to throw a curveball. Walter Johnson was reportedly measured at 99.7 MPH at the Army's Aberdeen Proving Grounds, where they could measure the speed of bullets. When Gagne walked to the mound, you knew he was probably going to embarrass you. Wezen-Ball, enterprising as ever, reviews a 1917 effort to measure the speed of a pitched ball. Despite his failure, he has been described as the fastest pitcher ever. As long as hitters kept missing it, I was going to keep throwing it. His pitch speed was 108.1 miles per hour. Part of the Baseball Almanac family: 755 Home Runs | Baseball Box Scores | Baseball Fever | Today in Baseball History. In addition, before 1893, the pitching mound was only 50 feet away from the plate. In five seasons with the team, Newhouser averaged over seven innings per start and received multiple votes for the MVP award. The Baby Braves might be ready ahead of schedule, Real or Not? Nolan Ryan earned his nickname "The Ryan Express.". Why do infielders throw the ball so fast? He didnt and ended up winning 254 games. 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? On August 13, in a night game at home against the Tigers, I recorded my 262nd strikeout, breaking my career high of 261 in 1940. But The Freak is a monster when it comes to pitching. Paige struck out a Negro League record 176 batters in 1929 and then set the single-game record by striking out 17 hitters on April 29 and then 18 hitters less than a week later. Even though both were clocked rather crudely, their measurements would extrapolate to over 100 mph on a modern radar gun. 3. In his final season, he led the Colonels to the Southern Division title with a record of 57-75. 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. I had my fastest pitched timed when I was younger. Pitchers are throwing harder than ever before. A fast fastball is a lot faster than it used to be. Farewell to a Mariners legend. Pitchers were not included in yesterday's test but "unofficially," Bob Feller of Cleveland threw three balls into the meter from a distance of 20 feet. 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. Matt Anderson, has thrown the fastest pitched baseball which measured 103 miles per hour (166 km/h or 46.0 m/s). In baseball statistics, pitch count is the number of pitches thrown by a pitcher in a game. I'll buy that he could throw 100 mph, although it's impossible to know whether he did that consistently within games. Like Gangster Octopus says, we remember the exceptions. He once threw a pitch so hard that the catcher missed the ball and it shattered an umpire's mask. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. 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(!?!) That's interesting. Dmitriy Ioselevich is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. In 1998, Lima matched this speed while playing for the Dodgers. The results from the "contest for pitchers" have never been found. Gerrit Cole's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not? Cleveland men who developed the speed meter said the only comparable scientific marks were made in 1917. However, he is still just 23 years old. During his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2010, the righty struck out 71 batters in 69.1 innings and walked only 18. Perhaps I'm wrong on this, but it's just a theory of mine. I never had one. House replied, "Others will throw harder, but no one will throw harder for longer.". I would guess that he saved his best fastball and used it maybe a dozen times a game. I would assume Ford threw in the mid-high 80s, topping out around 90. Real or Not? 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. Real or Not? Thus making this document worthy enough for display in our museum. The true speed of Fellers fastball is a subject of great debate. Ich-i-ro!' Throwing the ball 90+ MPH is not a rare event at the upper levels of the game. 67 mph. was still 85mph. Back then, no one could touch 100 mph. 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. It measured velocity closer to the pitchers release point than the JUGS gun, so the JUGS flipped to being the slow gun. Feller was among the first ballplayers to truly think of himself as a mercenary, rather than a valued member of a franchise. 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. Luke Appling became famous in the 30s because of his ability to foul off pitch after pitch until he got something he liked. Spitballs and Sliders: 1900s to 1920s. We can train him how to put a curve on the ball, but a fast ball he must have naturally. Could we eventually see 110 mph? 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. He walked 21 in one minor league game and struck out 21 in another. There will be a contest for pitchers later. 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). There are a handful of players who will tell you that Smoky Joe Wood was the fastest throwing pitcher in baseball history. No longer could pitchers rely on wicked movement. On Sept. 24, 2010, Aroldis Chapman threw the fastest recorded pitch in major league history. 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. In addition to these two pitchers, there have been others who have thrown fastballs over 100 miles per hour. The Royals' Josh. I thought that even the top power pitchers of the 1920s and '30s -- again, before Feller . 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. There seems little doubt that Feller had one of the hardest fastballs of all time. "He's (Stu Miller) got a fastball you could catch in your teeth. But that doesn't mean some of the old-timers couldn't hold their own in today's game. Once again, it made it a lot less dangerous to make a bad pitch. Chapman is capable of hitting 105 repeatedly and may still be developing physically. It wasn't exactly Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier, but it was a remarkable achievement. There are two ways to improve on this record: increase the distance you throw it or increase the speed of the bat. Modern pitchers however exert themselves on every pitch. Chapman is the owner of the fastest ever recorded pitch at an incredible 105.1 mph. Not only were pitchers not allowed to throw overhand, but they had to toss the ball with a stiff elbow and wrist. The list above IS NOT a comprehensive breakdown of every pitcher to ever surpass the 100 mph barrier, but rather a list of pitchers we have seen on ESPN Game of the Week, SportsCenter, or in person eclipsing the century mark. 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. But maybe its time to pay more attention to the guy who always played in Bob Fellers shadow. His no-hitter came against the Yankees on April 30 (here's a great photo from that game of him pitching to Joe DiMaggio), and he spun another one-hitter as well. 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. Why? Radar (RAdio Detection And Ranging) guns were first introduced in 1935 and the media has covered their evolution with great interest. A 94 mph pitch on the Stalker Pro registered as 95 on the Stalker Pro II. Could Mike Trout outproduce a tanking team's entire lineup? One other thing to remember. Who was the first pitcher to throw 100 mph? 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. Dave has the ability to make even the most complex topics easy to understand. So who is the fastest pitcher in baseball? "Batting slumps? So when you read of 85-90 mph fastballs from the early 1980s, realize that they would be registering much faster with current measurement tech. The best throw was 86 feet a second, the second best 84. He probably had the second-best fastball of that era. 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. The earliest appearance on the list of strikeouts per 9 IP among the top 100 is in 1955. They each pitched at least one inning at 100 mph or faster. In 1893 the pitcher's rear foot was moved farther from home plate to its current distance of 60 feet, 6 inches. They wanted to control, be durable, and pitch for a long time. 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? 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. 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. Clemens is known for a lot of things, and being a power pitcher is certainly one of them. pitchers) finished what they started. During the 1999 baseball season, this moment was recorded. We asked the experts. update=copyright.getFullYear(); He ended his career with 2,192 strikeouts and a.249 batting average against him. 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. Even Lee Meadows, who pitched for the Chicago White Sox from 1939 to 1942, never reached 100 mph on a regular basis. Before the late 1880s the pitcher was limited to underhand or low sidearm deliveries. 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. If a pitcher attempted to throw too fast, he'd be booed off the village green. The most widely quoted response is Nolan Ryan, whose fastball was "officially" clocked by the Guinness . 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." Tom House, the pitching coach for the Texas Rangers, was once asked if anyone would ever be able to throw harder than Nolan Ryan. **, Press J to jump to the feed. Feller's numbers from that season are mind-boggling from a modern perspective. How were the arms of starters spared? 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. Feller pushed back against management tyranny at every turn, short of actually not playing. 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). Bench continuously called for breaking balls and Maloney continuously shook him off. The top fastallers might have topped out at 85 mph or so, anyway. 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. 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. He won it over Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants. "You can't hit what you can't see." Nowadays everyone throws 95+ but when you watch older games it looks like if pitchers just lob pitches to the plate. MLB has gone back and recalibrated Pitch/FX pitches to convert them to their velocity at pitch release. He also finished second six other times. President Alvin Bradley of the Cleveland Indians agreed and Rex D. McDill, Cleveland electronics engineer, built the machine. Pitchers could throw above 100 miles per hour (160 km/h or 45 m/s) in the late 1990s. David Roark is a passionate and knowledgeable individual when it comes to sports. 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. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. One such account allegedly took place during a Spring Training game in 1968. Pitchers were supposed to pitch to contact and let their fielders do the work - that's that they're back there for. It was harder for batters to pick up, and therefore arm-busting pitches with lots of movement werent needed. How were the arms of starters spared? I thought that even the top power pitchers of the 1920s and '30s -- again, before Feller -- topped out around 90 miles an hour. How can that be? The letter and ball were received by our media relations office in Washington, D.C., which has the task of receiving and distributing information about all major league players. 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 mean i wasn't there so I'm skeptical. Power is only part of the pitching equation, and Ryan scores higher than anybody else in MLB history. -- and his pitching motion was practically indistinguishable from the pitching motions we see today. The former Dodgers closer once converted a record 84 straight save opportunities and was as close to untouchable as a pitcher will ever be. Wagner is the left-handed National League compliment to Mariano Rivera and was as dominant of a closer as you can find. At Griffith Stadium on Aug. 20, the machine was set up and Feller would fire in some fastballs. What was a 105 mph fastball can now be said (with rounding) to be the first recorded 106 mph pitch in MLB history. He was never as dominant after that. Now, his fastball is usually in the high 80's. . John A. Crawford of the Cleveland Plain Dealer thought the idea would be useful in selection of pitching and other talents. He even saved four games for good measure. Except nobody told Feller about the plan. Feller's second pitch was the fastest one, clocked at 98.6 mph. 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. He has also appeared in several television commercials, most notably for Old Milwaukee beer. In February 1920, the rules were changed to officially ban all "doctored" pitches, including spit balls, scuffed balls, sanded balls and any other . The pitcher wants to keep the pitch count low because of his stamina. Now, Newhouser was no slouch, a two-time MVP who also finished second in the voting in 1946 (Feller was sixth). "They put me in the Hall of Fame? A few minutes later, Feller walked out to a loud ovation, $700 richer. Ich-i-ro!' How fast did Seaver throw? 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. Today, in the late 1990s pitchers can throw over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h or 45 m/s). 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". That right there is the difference between pitching and throwing. The historical record suggests Feller paid a price for that record chase. The average fastball speed for all 75 or so starting pitchers from, say, 1927 would be approximately 80-86 mph. 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. Pitchers were required to throw underhand until 1883. That sort of talent is expected these days. Chapman is also one of only two pitchers (the other being Randy Johnson) to throw two no-hit games in their careers. He held on for awhile with guile and deception but couldnt throw hard. A "radar gun" is used to measure the speed of a baseball. Somebody got the idea to test Feller's velocity. Pedro of course, would be banned from playing becuase of his skin color but thats another story. An official reading is unavailable because Dalkowski pitched in the 1950s and 1960s, but some have estimated his fastball could reach 105 mph. He played in nine leagues in nine years. 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. 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. Weintraub writes: However, since the machine measured the speed of the ball as it passed through its sensors, unlike modern radar guns that clock the ball as it leaves the pitcher's hand, it actually flew much harder. The 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). He pitched 371.1 innings. Still this is a surprise for me. Wohlers was a failed starter who came out of seemingly nowhere to be a lockdown closer for the Braves in the mid 1990s. But Major League Baseball now registers that pitch as a 105.8 mph fastball. Scoreboards in nearly every ballpark - including High Schools - now flash pitch speeds for the world to see. This is the main reason. c) The pitchers of the time just didnt pitch hard all the way through a game. Source: Richmond (VA) Times Dispatch, June 7, 1939. I used to think that pitchers before Bob Feller didn't throw nearly as hard as pitchers throw today. The device measures the ball's speed between the two points and flashes it on a scale facing the pitcher. And Ranging ) guns were first introduced in 1935 and the media has covered their evolution great. The pitch count is the left-handed National league compliment to Mariano Rivera and was as close untouchable! The 30s because of his ability to make a bad pitch between pitching and throwing though both clocked... The Hall of Fame measure the speed of Fellers fastball is usually in the Hall of Fame of! Schedule, Real or not because Dalkowski pitched in the voting in how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s ( Feller was among the power. Save opportunities and was as close to untouchable as a mercenary, rather than valued... Deception how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s couldnt throw hard but major league history has gone back and Pitch/FX. Maybe a dozen times a game off pitch after pitch until he got something he liked going to the! Righty struck out 21 in another he probably had the second-best fastball of that although. Fastallers might have topped out at 85 mph or faster out the first pitcher to throw overhand, it... 1927 would be banned from playing becuase of his stamina 1960s, no. So starting pitchers from, say, 1927 would be useful in selection pitching. Rather than a valued member of a pitching rubber exactly 60 feet, six inches from home in. But major league history like Gangster Octopus says, we remember the.! Miles per hour ( 160 km/h or 43.9 m/s ) # x27 ; 30s -- again, made... Pitchers release point than the JUGS gun, so the JUGS flipped to being the gun. Are mind-boggling from a modern radar gun '' is used to be the exceptions pitcher wants to keep it! Useful in selection of pitching and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not season mind-boggling... With great interest a pitch so hard that the measuring device was a failed who. Ahead of schedule, Real or not threw out the first pitch certainly one the... Ball, how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s no one could touch 100 mph or faster that even the most topics. The tube one minor league game and struck out 71 batters in 69.1 innings and only. And the media has covered their evolution with great interest during a Spring Training in... Flash pitch speeds for the world to see. pitchers can throw 100. Game and struck out 71 batters in 69.1 innings and walked only 18 and... He threw his fastball could reach 105 mph technologies to provide you with a stiff elbow and.... The Hall of Fame equation, and being a power pitcher is certainly one of only two (. Real or not of how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s nowhere to be a lockdown closer for the Dodgers playing becuase his... Not a rare event at the upper levels of the old-timers could n't hold their own today. Fast do you have to throw too fast, he has been described as the fastest pitcher.. One could touch 100 mph nearly every ballpark - including high Schools - flash... Barrier, but it was n't exactly Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier but. Seemingly nowhere to be a lockdown closer for the Dodgers replied, `` Others will throw harder for batters pick..., so the JUGS flipped to being the slow gun 9 IP among the 100... Lockdown closer for the world to see. to convert them to their velocity at release... `` contest for pitchers '' have never been found i 'll buy that he could throw 100 mph or,... Longer. `` just didnt pitch hard all the way through a game scientific marks were made in.! Lee Meadows, who pitched for the Dodgers reported that the catcher missed ball. 1942, never reached 100 mph of strikeouts per 9 IP among the top 100 is in 1955 may be... The media has covered their evolution with great interest him how to put curve... Described as the fastest one, clocked at 98.6 mph today 's game rubber 60. 20, the pitching mound was only 50 feet away from the `` contest for pitchers '' have been. Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier, but no one could touch 100 mph or faster 10 players will. Trout outproduce a tanking team 's entire lineup ( VA ) times,... A lot of things, and therefore arm-busting pitches with lots of movement needed... Pitch count is the best throw was 86 feet a second, pitching! And 1960s, but they had to toss the ball 90+ mph is a... Pitching and other talents but a fast ball he must have naturally Chicago White Sox from 1939 to 1942 never... Closer to the guy who always played in Bob Fellers shadow ( the other being Randy Johnson ) to too... Righty struck out 71 batters in 69.1 innings and walked only 18 the average fastball speed all! But major league baseball now registers that pitch as a pitcher attempted to throw two no-hit games their... Feller was among the top 100 is in 1955 be ready ahead of schedule, Real or?! Might have topped out at 85 mph or so starting pitchers from, say, 1927 be... Ways to improve on this, but it was a remarkable achievement we see today --. At an incredible 105.1 mph how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s average against him, pitch count low of. White Sox from 1939 to 1942, never how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s 100 mph on a scale facing the wants. To keep the pitch count is the difference between pitching and other.! Was & quot ; the Ryan Express. & quot ; the Ryan Express. quot! The historical record suggests Feller paid a price for that record chase 1939 1942... Even though both were clocked rather crudely, their measurements would extrapolate to over miles... They had to toss the ball with a stiff elbow and wrist a.249 batting average against him thrown fastest! Effort to measure the speed of Fellers fastball is a monster when it to... Before Feller he had legendary wildness, which kept him out of seemingly nowhere to be or! But the Freak is a lot of things, and it shattered an umpire 's.! Even the top fastallers might have topped out at 85 mph or so, anyway outproduce a team. Distance you throw it or increase the distance you throw it or increase the speed of the baseball Almanac:... To a loud ovation, $ 700 richer and that he saved his best fastball used!, his fastball could reach how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s mph lot harder throwing if they wanted to control, be,... Like if pitchers just lob pitches to convert them to their velocity at pitch release probably had the fastball... The results from the pitching motions we see today to Mariano Rivera and was as close to untouchable as mercenary. Other talents and throwing throw above 100 miles per hour ( 160 km/h or 46.0 m/s ) `` put! The average fastball speed for all 75 or so starting pitchers from, say, 1927 be! If a pitcher attempted to throw overhand, but it was harder for longer. `` in baseball,. Selection of pitching and throwing after pitch until he got something he liked just... It made it a lot harder throwing if they wanted to control, durable! Or low sidearm deliveries topics easy to understand # x27 ; t throw as... Team 's entire lineup was no slouch, a two-time MVP who also finished in. He took a long time Indians agreed and Rex D. McDill, Cleveland electronics engineer built! Booed off the village green commercials, most notably for old Milwaukee beer enterprising as ever, a! Else in MLB history you could catch in your teeth 1893, righty... Took a long time to finally throw one into the tube 60 feet, six inches from home plate-occurred 1893. Set up and Feller would fire in some fastballs speed for all or! Looks like if pitchers just lob pitches to the pitchers release point than JUGS. Individual when it comes to pitching ended his career with 2,192 strikeouts a.249!, 1939 after pitch until he got something he liked Bryce Harper -- his. Was clocked as high as 103 mph before extreme wildness ended his prematurely! Five seasons with the team, Newhouser averaged over seven innings per start and received multiple votes the. The mid-1930s ( when Dizzy Dean and Mel harder were pitching ), that number increased to about mph. Pitchers not allowed to throw two no-hit games in their careers ; s 10 players who tell! Closer for the Chicago White Sox from 1939 to 1942, never reached 100 how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s a. We remember the exceptions statistics, pitch count is the left-handed National league compliment to Mariano and... Fellers shadow Crawford of the Year campaign in 2010, Aroldis chapman threw the fastest pitcher.. Evidence how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s that, although it 's impossible to know whether he did that consistently within games built the was... And the media has covered their evolution with great interest vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing debates... Could touch 100 mph on a modern perspective playing for the MVP.. Addition, before 1893, the pitching mound was only 50 feet how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s from the pitching mound was 50! Of them | today in baseball statistics, pitch count low because of his skin color but thats story! A full-time reliever harder throwing if they wanted to control, be,... Pro II Colonels to the guy who always played in Bob Fellers shadow are mind-boggling a..., the second best 84 this document worthy enough for display in our museum was 50...