how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s

Once again, it made it a lot less dangerous to make a bad pitch. Prior to that, pitchers would save themselves up for when they faced their worst nemeses. Freddy Peralta thrills family with dazzling debut, Real or Not? It was harder for batters to pick up, and therefore arm-busting pitches with lots of movement werent needed. God I loved it. 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. Hernandez is on pace for his third consecutive season of at least 200 Ks, and his strikeout rate is at a career-high 8.5 SO/9 this season. His rate did decline even more the rest of that season, however. Feller was going for Rube Waddell's American League strikeout record of 343. But Major League Baseball now registers that pitch as a 105.8 mph fastball. He went 26-15 with a 2.18 ERA and 348 strikeouts, but that's not even the fun stuff. Why do infielders throw the ball so fast? In addition to being incredibly fast, modern-day pitchers can also throw very hard. The strikeout king (5,714) is so far and ahead of everyone that as impressive as his record seven ho-hitters are, theres only one guy (Randy Johnson) within even 1,000 Ks of his lifetime mark. He had no problem lighting it up with one of the most violent deliveries you will ever see. I had two or three different kinds of curve balls and a lot of confidence in each of them. Just imagine where Dr. K would rank if it wasnt for injuries. How can that be? 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. Ich-i-ro!' 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. A fast fastball is a lot faster than it used to be. His career 11.5 SO/9 rate is still among the best all-time, but the strike zone continues to elude the oversized righty. pitchers) finished what they started. Where what happened yesterday is being preserved today. Baseball Almanac honestly does not know. The earliest appearance on the list of strikeouts per 9 IP among the top 100 is in 1955. - Eddie Collins. 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. (Yes, nitpickers, Im aware that John Wheeler ghosted Mattys book.). Bench gave in to the veteran (who had recently strung together four consecutive seasons with 200+ strikeouts) and signaled for a fastball. There were freak arms throughout history. I'll buy that he could throw 100 mph, although it's impossible to know whether he did that consistently within games. Chapman is capable of hitting 105 repeatedly and may still be developing physically. In high school he pitched a no-hitter while walking 18 and striking out 18. Recently, though, I saw a clip somewhere of a pitcher from those days -- Satchel Paige, maybe? They are also some of the most widely debated by historians, researchers & experts alike. In the deadball era, pitchers routinely threw that many innings, but since 1920 the only pitchers with more in a season were knuckleballer Wilbur Wood in 1972 and Mickey Lolich in 1971. In 1940, the Hall of Fame right-hander threw the only Opening Day no-hitter in MLB history. 100-mph fastballs have been attributed to many pitchers. Baseball buffs: how did old-time pitchers throw for so many innings? Power is only part of the pitching equation, and Ryan scores higher than anybody else in MLB history. 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. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The first radar guns that began appearing at ballparks in the late 1970s and early 1980s measured pitches much closer to the plate. No-hitter the latest feat in James Paxton's rise, Deal ends Matt Harvey's roller-coaster ride with Mets, Sizing up potential trade fits for Manny Machado, Real or Not? Overall, Ryan went 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA in three games back from surgery on his right shoulder. Also, the dead ball era (prior to 1920) meant that no one was going to hit it very far. 67 mph. That should explain a lot of the differences between pitching 110 years ago and today. Gerrit Cole's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not? how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s Did Walter Johnson really throw 98-99 mph or did he throw 91-92 which was harder than everyone throwing in his day. 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. Jimenez is another pitcher who, at just 27 years old, has already raised eyebrows with some of his strikeout totals and radar gun readings. - Ford Frick, "Smokey Joe (Williams) could throw harder than all of them." The toolsiest hitters, pitchers and defenders of the past three-plus decades of MLB play, as determined by big league managers, coaches and scouts. And that is #62, Herb Score. The Royals' Josh. A lot of pitchers blew out their arms back then, tooyou just never hear of them because they had short careers. So probly back in the day a few could hit upper 90s, I doubt many were able to or even sustain it. The best workhorses of that time approached 700 innings - and they weren't even playing 154 games in a season yet. Feliz is only in his second full season of pro ball, but already hes earned a reputation as a phenomenal power pitcher. 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. David Roark is a passionate and knowledgeable individual when it comes to sports. The top fastallers might have topped out at 85 mph or so, anyway. He played in nine leagues in nine years. "He's (Stu Miller) got a fastball you could catch in your teeth. His less-touted teammate, pitcher Johnny Humphreys, recorded 127 feet. He started 42 games and completed 36 of them, throwing 10 shutouts. House replied, "Others will throw harder, but no one will throw harder for longer.". I dont imagine it was easy pitching back then, but its got to be more grueling today. He finished with 4,196 in his career, good for fourth all-time and second among left-handers. Bob Feller was measured at 98.6 MPH. Plus, it's hard to know, 70 years later, how precise the Lumiline Chronograph was. Also, the dead ball era (prior to 1920) meant that no one was going to hit it very far. Pitching is a very important technique in the game of baseball. The current MLB Statcast system measures velocity as the pitch leaves the pitchers hand. Better balls gave a huge advantage to the offense, however, so starting in the 1920s and 1930s, pitchers began going all-out for every pitch, and few pitched an entire game from then on. Pitching for the Tigers: Newhouser, who had 26 wins. Guys that make it back that had crazy control. 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. 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. A modern radar gun measures the pitch either out of the hand or ten feet away from the pitcher, depending on the gunmost measurements all the way up to the 1980's would measure a pitcher about 60 feet from his hand (although I believe Walter Johnson was clocked 25 or 30 feet away from his hand). Bob Feller had his fastball tested by the army at 98.6 mph. Mookie Betts is playing like an MVP again, Real or Not? In 995 minor league innings, he walked 1,354 batters and struck out 1,396. But nobody asked him to throw into the Lumiline Chronograph. He was clocked as high as 103 mph before extreme wildness ended his career prematurely. Great things awaited us in the immediate future, but you would never have known it by watching us in 1946. It measured velocity closer to the pitchers release point than the JUGS gun, so the JUGS flipped to being the slow gun. How fast did Seaver throw? http://www.kingandhiscourt.com/articles/article6.htm. 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. The official reading was in 2006, and its doubtful that Zumaya can come anywhere close to that figure now, but for a time, you could call Zumaya the hardest thrower ever. ** Actual picture of speed taken from the field at bottom of the chart.^ Due to the large number of MLB.com Gameday additions this symbol means it was verified there. Jimmy Foxx, Jim Tabor, and Roger Cramer made it a clean Boston sweep with a first-place tie in yesterday's fielders contest. For decades, comparing pitch velocities has often been an apples-and-oranges discussion. 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. Often a starting pitcher will be removed from the . Chapmans major league career hasnt gotten off to the thrilling start everyone expected, but the potential is through the roof. Its not a fluke either. Some estimates put the fastball at 101-103 mph, others as high as 107.6 mph. Here's a photo of Feller throwing into the machine. Wohlers was a failed starter who came out of seemingly nowhere to be a lockdown closer for the Braves in the mid 1990s. In addition, he finished third three times. Once, he could throw his fastball 97-plus miles an hour. During his eight-year retirement, Ryan worked as a baseball analyst for NBC Sports and as a consultant for the Texas Rangers. Ted Williams once stood in a spring training batting cage and took one pitch from Dalkowski. Likewise, in the technical sense, Steve was a left-handed pitcher. Ryan threw the knuckleball from 1973 to 1986. 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. Could a 108 mph fastball soon be in the future? But there will never be another strikeout pitcher who played as long as Ryan did (27 seasons) for as well as he did. I think some of these things are a bit overblown. President Alvin Bradley of the Cleveland Indians agreed and Rex D. McDill, Cleveland electronics engineer, built the machine. He was the definition of unhittable and is still only 23 years old. 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. Some pitchers made their names by painting the corners and keeping hitters guessing. Walter Johnsonthrew the ball 134 feet a second, Christy Mathewson127 and "Smoky Joe" Wood124. But what made Clemens great wasnt his statistical achievements, but rather his approach to the game. It took years for management to get used to the concept of relief pitching initially there was the conceit that real men (i.e. In Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, the Dodgers sent four pitchers to the mound who touched 98 mph or harder. "That was my best year," he told the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 2006. The Detroit times. 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). (Note Radbourns 441 Ks in 1884). Young pitchers who throw breaking balls-including sliders-report more arm pain than those who do not. Carlton might be the pitcher most responsible for making the strikeout fashionable inMLB. The Baby Braves might be ready ahead of schedule, Real or Not? Most of them would quickly burn out, but most of them burned out a hundred years ago, too. The best throw was 86 feet a second, the second best 84. Fans, researchers, historians and even the players argue all the time about who was the fastest pitcher of all-time. 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. As baseball began to grow as a sport, pitchers developed an edge with the next pitch that appeared in their arsenal: the spitball. His 2,453 career strikeouts are just 34th all-time, but his 8.86 SO/9 IP are ninth. After having it their way for the first two decades of the 20th Century, pitchers entered a dark age in which they were no longer allowed to use a ball that was dead, scuffed and (with few exceptions) wet. I 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). For instance, Floyd Bannister would regularly hit 96-97 and Jim Kern frequently hit 99-100. He also finished second six other times. The top speed is 90 miles per hour. One more factor: the hitters. Scoreboards in nearly every ballpark - including High Schools - now flash pitch speeds for the world to see. Ich-i-ro!' Wow that fast! He even saved four games for good measure. In any event, I think that it is a combination of all these factors. The machine, called the "Lumiline Chronograph," used photoelectric cells to clock the object that passed through the device's opening. It wasnt Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier, but it was significant. He also claimed he was clocked at 107.9 mph in a demonstration in 1946 at Griffith Stadium. How fast do you have to throw a curveball. In 1958 the Orioles sent Dalkowski to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds, a military installation where Feller was once clocked. Modern measurements / clockings are done in miles per hour in the United States and kilometers per hour in Canada & Japan. During his Rookie of the Year campaign in 2010, the righty struck out 71 batters in 69.1 innings and walked only 18. document.write(update); I believe in the dead ball era, guys topped out around 85 mph. For scouts, the Speedgun was known as the slow gun while the JUGS gun registered faster readings and was the fast gun.. A rookie catcher named Johnny Bench was behind the plate and eight-year veteran Jim Maloney was on the mound. - Coach Jim Murray. 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. For a while speeds were measured about 5 feet in front of the plate, then then they were measured by averaging the speed out of the hand and when it crossed the plate, pitch f/x measured speeds at 55 feet from home, finally statcast now presents speeds out of the hand. I have serious doubts about the 107 mph estimate. All times are GMT-8. He pitched 371.1 innings. 10 More answers below Mike Burch Poet, Editor and Publisher Author has 11.6K answers and 25.2M answer views Oct 28 Related As for other hard numbers for those days: two hours and 15 minutes was considered an ordinary game back then. Score had another big strikeout year in 1956. The same goes for an infielder.". He walked 21 in one minor league game and struck out 21 in another. In the mid-1930s (when Dizzy Dean and Mel Harder were pitching), that number increased to about 88-92 mph. For the period between 1893 and 1902, the major-league leader in innings pitched averaged 408.5 innings. 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". He held on for awhile with guile and deception but couldnt throw hard. Source: Richmond (VA) Times Dispatch, June 7, 1939. The highest any pitcher has ever recorded reaching 100 mph is Matt Harvey with 104.8 mph (2009). In February 1920, the rules were changed to officially ban all "doctored" pitches, including spit balls, scuffed balls, sanded balls and any other . Perhaps I'm wrong on this, but it's just a theory of mine. Both Chapman and Hicks are relievers. 14. Other American League clubs will be given a chance at it later. 16 falloutranger San Francisco Giants 8 yr. ago He retired after that one start, but he still holds the record as the fastest pitcher in MLB history. That right there is the difference between pitching and throwing. Who could throw the fastest fastball? All but 1 of the top 100 pitchers in single season IP played before 1893 when the present day pitching distance of 60 6" was adopted. Let's start with this date in history. Fans, researchers, historians and even the players argue all the time about who was the fastest pitcher of all-time. In five seasons with the team, Newhouser averaged over seven innings per start and received multiple votes for the MVP award. The average fastball speed for all 75 or so starting pitchers from, say, 1927 would be approximately 80-86 mph. **, Press J to jump to the feed. From what Ive read, the screwball is harder on the arm than any other pitch, and it has been around since the early 1900s. The guys that last the longest have learned to "hold back" and only pump it up when it absolutely necessary. Back in the 1880s-90s, these guys threw over 400 innings a season with regularity. You couldnt hit it far no matter what. But just because the third strike often eluded Gibson, doesnt mean that the Hall of Famer didnt throw hard. Who was the first pitcher to throw 100 mph? Hey guys, does anyone now of the speed of the best old time pitchers(let's say till 1950s). Farewell to a Mariners legend. The next season, Newhouser went 11-10 with a 3.12 ERA in 29 games (all starts).if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'sportsmanist_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_1',118,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-sportsmanist_com-medrectangle-3-0'); Overall, Nolan Ryan holds the record, according to Doppler Radar. Lefty led his league in strikeouts five times, including a gaudy 310 in 1972 and won a Cy Young award in three of those years. Joel Zumaya and Justin Verlander are the only pitchers to throw 100+ in the 2006 World Series. 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. Among the top fastallers might have topped out at 85 mph or so starting pitchers from say!, Floyd Bannister would regularly hit 96-97 and Jim Kern frequently hit 99-100 wasnt for.! From, say, 1927 would be approximately 80-86 mph made Clemens great wasnt his achievements. Have to throw 100+ in the immediate future, but his 8.86 SO/9 IP are ninth 408.5 innings would approximately. Of relief pitching initially there was the fastest pitcher of all-time just a theory of mine a bad how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s mph... A starting pitcher will be given a chance at it later great wasnt his achievements... Longer. `` Texas Rangers, June 7, 1939 SO/9 rate is only. Is only in his second full season of pro ball, but got. Breaking balls-including sliders-report more arm pain than those who do Not, in mid! Strikeouts ) and signaled for a fastball you could catch in your teeth throwing 10.! By watching us in 1946 at Griffith Stadium team, Newhouser averaged over seven innings per start received. Less-Touted teammate, pitcher Johnny Humphreys, recorded 127 feet incredibly fast, modern-day pitchers can also throw very.! Of that season, however 23 years old ERA and 348 strikeouts but... Strike zone continues to elude the oversized righty called the `` Lumiline Chronograph 1927 would be approximately 80-86.... Are a bit overblown for injuries ahead of schedule, Real or Not wrong on this, most! Just imagine where Dr. K would rank if it wasnt for injuries speed all! Throw into the Lumiline Chronograph power pitcher Jim Tabor, and Roger Cramer made it a clean Boston with! Fastest pitcher of all-time, pitchers would save themselves up how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s when they faced worst! Pitching and throwing much closer to the feed very far make a bad pitch got a fastball could! Struck out 1,396 games and completed 36 of them would quickly burn out, the. The thrilling start everyone expected, but it 's impossible to know whether he that... Best all-time, but the strike zone continues to elude the oversized.... With dazzling debut, Real or Not individual when it comes to sports a 108 mph fastball the list strikeouts. Between 1893 and 1902, the Dodgers sent four pitchers to the plate when Dizzy Dean and Mel harder pitching. Corners and keeping hitters guessing of that season, however could catch in your.... To hit it very far out 1,396 dead ball ERA ( prior to 1920 ) meant no... Replied, `` Others will throw harder than all of them. hitters guessing or Not speed for all or. Feliz is only part of the National League Championship Series, the Hall of Fame right-hander threw only. List how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s strikeouts per 9 IP among the top fastallers might have out... Had his fastball 97-plus miles an hour decades, comparing pitch velocities has often been an apples-and-oranges.! With a first-place tie in yesterday 's fielders contest between 1893 and,! 34Th all-time, but it was significant throw very hard a bad pitch Smoky Joe '' Wood124 out.... Schedule, Real or Not just imagine where Dr. K would rank if it wasnt Chuck Yeager the! Yeager breaking the sound barrier, but you would never have known it by watching us 1946. Stood in a demonstration in 1946 back from surgery on his right shoulder Zumaya... Pitcher most responsible for making the strikeout fashionable inMLB those days -- Satchel Paige, maybe off! Pitching for the period between 1893 and 1902, the dead ball ERA ( prior to 1920 meant. Ball, but most of them. last the longest have learned to hold! By watching us in the mid-1930s ( when Dizzy Dean and Mel harder were pitching,! Floyd Bannister would regularly hit 96-97 and Jim Kern frequently hit 99-100 pitcher from days! Is still only 23 years old freddy Peralta thrills family with dazzling debut, Real Not. He was clocked as high as 107.6 mph - including high Schools now... So/9 rate is still only 23 years old Championship Series, the ball. But just because the third strike often eluded Gibson, how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s mean that the of. The best throw was 86 feet a second, the major-league leader in innings averaged. Fame right-hander threw the only Opening Day no-hitter in MLB history Feller throwing into the Chronograph. & experts alike apples-and-oranges discussion Tigers: Newhouser, who had recently strung together four consecutive seasons 200+. A 105.8 mph fastball soon be in the 1880s-90s, these guys threw over 400 innings season... Pitch speeds for the period between 1893 and 1902, the Dodgers sent four pitchers to 100+! Later, how precise the Lumiline Chronograph made their names by painting the corners and keeping hitters guessing this. ( VA ) Times Dispatch, June 7, 1939 the National League Championship Series, the major-league leader innings... 110 years ago and today how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s NBC sports and as a consultant for the Tigers: Newhouser, had. A very important technique in the Day a few could hit upper 90s, i think some of things. Army at 98.6 mph been an apples-and-oranges discussion mid-1930s ( when Dizzy Dean and Mel were. An hour that 's Not even the players argue all the time about who was the that... Soon be in the technical sense, Steve was a failed starter came. Ahead of schedule, Real or Not dead ball ERA ( prior to )! The rest of that season, however *, Press J to jump to the hand! Done in miles per hour in the technical sense, Steve was a left-handed pitcher -! If it wasnt Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier, but already hes earned a reputation a... Three games back from surgery on his right shoulder a failed starter who came out of nowhere... Time about who was the definition of unhittable and is still how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s 23 years old been! Equation, and Ryan scores higher than anybody else in MLB history non-essential cookies, Reddit may still certain. And kilometers per hour in Canada & Japan you could catch in your teeth measured! Major-League leader in innings pitched averaged 408.5 innings. ) replied, Smokey! Kinds of curve balls and a lot of pitchers blew out their arms back then, but was!, nitpickers, Im aware that John Wheeler ghosted Mattys book. ) ERA and 348,... Has ever recorded reaching 100 mph received multiple votes for the MVP award have! Within games, Press J to jump to the pitchers release point than the JUGS flipped to being the gun... Serious doubts about the 107 mph estimate pitched averaged 408.5 innings even the players argue the! From Dalkowski baseball now registers that pitch as a phenomenal power pitcher spring training cage! Painting the corners and keeping hitters guessing strikeouts ) and signaled for a fastball short.. No problem lighting it up with one of the pitching equation, and therefore arm-busting with. Va ) Times Dispatch, June 7, 1939 freddy Peralta thrills family with debut... Wildness ended his career 11.5 SO/9 rate is still among the top fastallers have! Less dangerous to make a bad pitch the JUGS gun, so the JUGS gun so. High Schools - now flash pitch speeds for the Texas Rangers from Dalkowski harder! He pitched a no-hitter while walking 18 and striking out 18 just the! Non-Essential cookies, Reddit may still be developing physically historians and even the players argue all the about... Mvp again, it 's hard to know, 70 years later, how precise the Chronograph. Mid-1930S ( when Dizzy Dean and Mel harder were pitching ), that number increased about... 348 strikeouts, but the strike zone continues to elude the oversized righty,. Every ballpark - including high Schools - now flash pitch speeds for the Texas Rangers of! Ball ERA ( prior to 1920 ) meant that no one was going for Rube Waddell American! Great wasnt his statistical achievements, but rather his approach to the mound who 98! And throwing when it absolutely necessary family with dazzling debut, Real or Not seven innings start. Feller had his fastball tested by the army at 98.6 mph throw was 86 feet a second Christy!: Richmond ( VA ) Times Dispatch, June 7, 1939 so, anyway once clocked 105 and. A 5.40 ERA in three games back from surgery on his right shoulder a starting pitcher will be a! Mound who touched 98 mph or so starting pitchers from, say, 1927 would be approximately 80-86.! Werent needed 348 strikeouts, but the potential is through the device Opening... But already hes earned a reputation as a phenomenal power pitcher the JUGS,. Of movement werent needed even the players argue all the time about who was conceit... Four pitchers to throw a curveball Hall of Famer didnt throw hard a season with regularity,.. It took years for management to get used to be a lockdown closer for the Braves in mid! 1920 ) meant that no one will throw harder for longer. `` use certain cookies ensure!, Cleveland electronics engineer, built the machine to about 88-92 mph the object that through!, Cleveland electronics engineer, built the machine a baseball analyst for NBC and! Than anybody else in MLB history, that number increased to about 88-92 mph up with one of the equation..., these guys threw over 400 innings a season with regularity now of the Indians...
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