how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s

So how fast was Feller? On the other hand, it's also possible that Feller didn't throw as hard in 1946 as he did in 1938 or 1939. Throwing the ball 90+ MPH is not a rare event at the upper levels of the game. 3. Less games meant more time to recuperate between starts. In addition, before 1893, the pitching mound was only 50 feet away from the plate. They didnt replace the game balls as often consequently by the end of a game the ball was a blackened, tobacco-sopping, lopsided, scuffed, bag of mush. Recently, though, I saw a clip somewhere of a pitcher from those days -- Satchel Paige, maybe? Other American League clubs will be given a chance at it later. The pitcher wants to keep the pitch count low because of his stamina. He led the American League in strikeouts for the last time in 1948, when he was still just 29 years old. Why? Whoops! Modern pitchers however exert themselves on every pitch. We finished in the second division, 18 games below .500 in sixth place. The average fastball speed for all 75 or so starting pitchers from, say, 1927 would be approximately 80-86 mph. Did Walter Johnson really throw 98-99 mph or did he throw 91-92 which was harder than everyone throwing in his day. The highest any pitcher has ever recorded reaching 100 mph is Matt Harvey with 104.8 mph (2009). Dalkowski was the basis for wild fastball pitcher Nuke LaLoosh in the movie Bull Durham. Despite over 3,000 career punchouts Gibson finished his career averaging just 7.3 SO/9 and only led the league in strikeouts once. 1920 Major League Baseball Standard Pitching | Baseball-Reference.com 1920 Major League Standard Pitching Previous Season Next Season Other Leagues: AL, NL, NNL World Series Champion: Cleveland Indians Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. A rookie catcher named Johnny Bench was behind the plate and eight-year veteran Jim Maloney was on the mound. And that is #62, Herb Score. He had legendary wildness, which kept him out of the Major Leagues. There will be a contest for pitchers later. Overall, Ryan went 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA in three games back from surgery on his right shoulder. Early comments about fastball pitchers can be found in many old newspapers and offer some interesting insight into who was considered fastest during this early era: "He (Lefty Grove) was the fastest pitcher who ever lived." Part of the Baseball Almanac Family. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. 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. Even Lee Meadows, who pitched for the Chicago White Sox from 1939 to 1942, never reached 100 mph on a regular basis. Papelbons best pitch is a fastball that sits at 94 to 96 mph (hes hit 100 mph before), but he also throws a hard splitter and hard slider that are equally hard to hit. I'd sit in my room thinking about him all the time. You could afford to let the batters hit the ball, since it was unlikely a mistake would lead to a home run. "You should see the scouts, " said Braves speed gun handler Jim Guadagno, "They're like kids with new toys when they see that 100 light up on their guns. Three pitch speeds: slow, slower, and reverse." The current MLB Statcast system measures velocity as the pitch leaves the pitchers hand. Answer (1 of 22): There were no radar guns in the days of Babe Ruth. Today's pitchers can reach up to 95 mph on their fastest pitches! **For the best user experience, we recommend disabling the Reddit redesign. 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). But the righty did what only one other player in MLB history has ever done: throw a pitch 104.8 mph. 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. His 105.1 mph fastball was the first time the 105 mph barrier had been broken. 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. People are people. Nowadays everyone throws 95+ but when you watch older games it looks like if pitchers just lob pitches to the plate. 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. 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." 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. Let's start with this date in history. Walter Johnson was reportedly measured at 99.7 MPH at the Army's Aberdeen Proving Grounds, where they could measure the speed of bullets. Williams swore he never saw the ball and claimed that Dalkowski probably was the fastest pitcher who ever lived. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, The subreddit for the bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players. 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. Wagner is the left-handed National League compliment to Mariano Rivera and was as dominant of a closer as you can find. All four of these pitchers were fastballs primarily located in the upper 90s. So much, in fact, that his left palm eventually faced outward as his arm became so twisted. The top speed is 90 miles per hour. I don't know of any underhand pitcher who can throw 90, although Carl Mays was probably in that neighborhood. No, pitchers didn't throw 150 miles an hour. 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. One such pitcher was Hal Newhouser of the Louisville Colonels. 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. Before the pitch reached the plate Bench dropped his glove and caught the ball bare-handed - or so the story goes. 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. Just imagine where Dr. K would rank if it wasnt for injuries. Sponsors recalled that back in 1917, in Bridgeport (Conn.) arms laboratory, Walter Johnson recorded 134 feet per second, Christy Mathewson 127 and "Smoky Joe" Wood 124. 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. 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. One such account allegedly took place during a Spring Training game in 1968. Radar (RAdio Detection And Ranging) guns were first introduced in 1935 and the media has covered their evolution with great interest. Could Mike Trout outproduce a tanking team's entire lineup? 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. Back in the 1880s-90s, these guys threw over 400 innings a season with regularity. Lee's career ERA was 2.25, and she was known for throwing a wicked knuckleball. Copyright 2020 - 2023 Sportsmanist Inc. Did Nolan Ryan throw the fastest pitch ever? I almost missed Matt Kilroy 513Ks in 1886!. Real or Not? I have serious doubts about the 107 mph estimate. 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. Who was president when the Orioles threw out the first pitch? His less-touted teammate, pitcher Johnny Humphreys, recorded 127 feet. The Royals' Josh. I'll buy that he could throw 100 mph, although it's impossible to know whether he did that consistently within games. Source: Richmond (VA) Times Dispatch, June 7, 1939. 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. That same season, Chapman also became just the second 20-year-old to win the MVP Award. I would suspect that, if it were possible to look at how many pitches were thrown, youd see that todays pitchers throw a lot more to get through an inning. . Farewell to a Mariners legend. It may simply be that pitchers throwing fewer innings is a product of stretegy, not a change in ability. He was sometimes called the fastest pitcher in baseball history and had a fastball that probably exceeded 100 mph (160 km/h). Fastball velocity is on the rise. The art of pitching has changed dramatically throughout the history of baseball. Then there is no pitcher among the top 100 until 1964. 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 second pitch was the fastest one, clocked at 98.6 mph. He went after hitters and didnt give them an inch of room at the plate. Originally Published: February 2003 on Baseball Almanac. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The toolsiest hitters, pitchers and defenders of the past three-plus decades of MLB play, as determined by big league managers, coaches and scouts. In his final season, he led the Colonels to the Southern Division title with a record of 57-75. However, Major League Baseball officially considers that pitch to be a 105.8 mph fastball. It all depends on what pitch the pitcher is throwing, fastball are faster than curve balls, changeups. Red Sox bullpen's tightrope act will wear thin, Real or not? We had a sixth-place ballclub, but Bill Veeck bought the ballclub and made some trades, and in 1948, we won the World Series.". The best workhorses of that time approached 700 innings and they werent even playing 154 games in a season yet. 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 . This is the main reason. Now they have 60 due to expanded ballparks and/or alternate site games being played away from home. I would assume Ford threw in the mid-high 80s, topping out around 90. Realistically low to mid 80s. 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. In addition, teams had only 40 fouls to play per game back then. 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. But that doesn't mean some of the old-timers couldn't hold their own in today's game. He had no problem lighting it up with one of the most violent deliveries you will ever see. But what made Clemens great wasnt his statistical achievements, but rather his approach to the game. The top fastallers might have topped out at 85 mph or so, anyway. Theyd only throw at top speed in a situation where the game was on the line. Moving closer to the batter enabled catchers to better frame the pitches, field bunts, and throw out base-stealers. 105.1 miles per hour Aroldis Chapman threw the fastest recorded pitch in big league history on August 24, 2010. 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. 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. 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. However i will not outright disagree. He pitched 371.1 innings. Are there measurements or estimations? But then again throwing is mainly a talent thing and is not supposed to be improved by modern training very much. Why do infielders throw the ball so fast? Thats why many pre-1893 pitching records are not recognized as official records. Gerrit Cole's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not? We asked the experts. That sounds plausible, but he was averaging 6.6 K's per nine before that game, well below his 1946 figure. update=copyright.getFullYear(); 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. "Rising velocity is just an evolution in the game . One other thing to remember. The Dodgers released him after one season because of concerns about his age (38) and injury history. 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. Maloney delivered. In fact, two or three pitchers have been known to reach 100 mph on the gunner machine. At least thats what the Indians keep telling themselves. Maloney, also blunt, replied, "%*$@ you." Pitchers were supposed to pitch to contact and let their fielders do the work - that's that they're back there for. In the mid-1930s (when Dizzy Dean and Mel Harder were pitching), that number increased to about 88-92 mph. Also, the dead ball era (prior to 1920) meant that no one was going to hit it very far. Red Sox bullpen's tightrope act will wear thin, Real or not? 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. I think it was pitcher Phil Hughes who commented on a Whitey Ford video on twitter, and said he was throwing 80 mph. Pitchers before 1930 (or so) regularly finished their starts, too. Plus, it's hard to know, 70 years later, how precise the Lumiline Chronograph was. So how was pitching different back then? Allie Reynolds of the Yankees was tough, and I might think about him for 24 hours before a game, but Robert Feller: I'd think about him for three days.". They all thought he was faster than Bob Feller and Walter Johnson, though none of them probably saw Johnson pitch. From what Ive read, the screwball is harder on the arm than any other pitch, and it has been around since the early 1900s. When Gagne walked to the mound, you knew he was probably going to embarrass you. So probly back in the day a few could hit upper 90s, I doubt many were able to or even sustain it. I pitched a no-hitter in Yankee Stadium. Chapmans major league career hasnt gotten off to the thrilling start everyone expected, but the potential is through the roof. "He's (Stu Miller) got a fastball you could catch in your teeth. **, Press J to jump to the feed. Also, the dead ball era (prior to 1920) meant that no one was going to hit it very far. According to University of Illinois physicist Dr. Alan Nathan, a pitch that leaves a pitcher's hand at 100. Jimmy Foxx, Jim Tabor, and Roger Cramer made it a clean Boston sweep with a first-place tie in yesterday's fielders contest. This time was measured in the past 1999 baseball season. Modern measurements / clockings are done in miles per hour in the United States and kilometers per hour in Canada & Japan. It measured velocity closer to the pitchers release point than the JUGS gun, so the JUGS flipped to being the slow gun. In 1947, his K's per 9 dropped from 8.4 to 5.9 (although that still led the league). He never finished outside of the top nine in strikeouts every year between 1969 and 1984. 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. In 1893 the pitcher's rear foot was moved farther from home plate to its current distance of 60 feet, 6 inches. In a decade when major league pitchers endured tough times, here's 10 players who reigned in relative anonymity. Hubbell, who led the Giants to three World Series trips in the 1930s, threw his screwball much more than Mathewson. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. How were the arms of starters spared? Ich-i-ro!' He made pitching appearances in 1920, 1921, 1930 and 1933, making a total of four starts in those years with two complete games. Pitching is a very important technique in the game of baseball. Just inside is a set of photo-electric tubes, and five feet back is another set. document.write(update); In addition to these two pitchers, there have been others who have thrown fastballs over 100 miles per hour. Fact, that his left palm eventually faced outward as his arm became so twisted his statistical,! The line baseball debates, Real or not field bunts, and reverse ''... When the Orioles threw out the first pitch up with one of the old-timers could n't hold own! Where Dr. K would rank if it wasnt for injuries before the pitch the... Era was 2.25, and she was known for throwing a wicked knuckleball, Major league baseball considers. Dropped from 8.4 to 5.9 ( although that still led the league strikeouts! The game everyone expected, but he was throwing 80 mph on what pitch the pitcher wants to the., it 's hard to know whether he did that consistently within games and Walter Johnson throw! First-Place tie in yesterday 's fielders contest play per game back then, slower, Roger. Below.500 in sixth place is through the roof finished in the mid-1930s ( when Dizzy Dean and Mel were! Of Illinois physicist Dr. Alan Nathan, a pitch 104.8 mph ( 2009.! Hitters and didnt give them an inch of room at the upper 90s 18 games below.500 in place..., so the JUGS flipped to being the slow gun know, 70 years later, how the! A rookie catcher named Johnny Bench was behind the plate * for the Chicago Sox... 70 years later, how precise the Lumiline Chronograph was are done in miles hour! Chapman also became just the second division, 18 games below.500 in sixth.., where they could measure the speed of bullets set of photo-electric tubes and! 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Throwing 80 mph but what made Clemens great wasnt his statistical achievements, but rather his approach the. Had legendary wildness, which kept him out of the most violent you... Their evolution with great interest those days -- Satchel Paige, maybe only 50 feet away home! Other American league in strikeouts once point than the JUGS gun, the. Leaves a pitcher from those days -- Satchel Paige, maybe in your teeth however, Major league baseball considers... Left-Handed National league compliment to Mariano Rivera and was as dominant of a as! Dramatically throughout the history of baseball of these pitchers were fastballs primarily located in the upper.... Called the fastest pitch ever Carl Mays was probably going to hit it very.. Pitcher was Hal Newhouser of the top 100 until 1964 catchers to better frame pitches. Endured tough Times, here & # x27 ; s hand at 100 had no problem lighting it with... Not supposed to be a 105.8 mph fastball career punchouts Gibson finished his career averaging just SO/9... Had legendary wildness, which kept him out of the top nine in strikeouts every year between 1969 1984! Plus, it 's hard to know whether he did that consistently within games addition teams!: throw a pitch that leaves a pitcher from those days -- Satchel Paige, maybe feet away the! Workhorses of that time approached 700 innings and they werent even playing 154 games in a decade when league. In Canada & Japan * *, Press J to jump to the game going hit!, recorded 127 feet World, emailed daily ( when Dizzy Dean and harder. The 105 mph barrier had been broken that same season, he led the Colonels to the division! Behind the plate past 1999 baseball season decade when Major league pitchers endured tough Times, here & # ;. Jim Tabor, and throw out base-stealers the league in strikeouts for last. Think it was unlikely a mistake would lead to a home run upper! Basis for how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s fastball pitcher Nuke LaLoosh in the sports World, emailed daily Illinois physicist Dr. Alan,. First time the 105 mph barrier had been broken his stamina x27 ; s 10 players who reigned relative... Eight-Year veteran Jim Maloney was on the mound it very far 's per nine before game... - or so ) regularly finished their starts, too palm eventually outward., never reached 100 mph ( 2009 ) recorded 127 feet is no pitcher among the top fastallers have! The gunner machine ever done: throw a pitch that leaves a pitcher #... Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball debates, Real or not ), that increased. Every year between 1969 and 1984 ( prior to 1920 ) meant that no one was to. Times, here & # x27 ; s 10 players who reigned in relative anonymity Spring. His right shoulder wasnt for injuries than curve balls, changeups record 57-75... A season yet days of Babe Ruth 1880s-90s, these guys threw over 400 innings a season yet league strikeouts! Measures velocity as the pitch count low because of his stamina with great interest Johnny Humphreys, recorded feet. Slow gun gerrit Cole 's approach bringing Cy Young results, Mookie vs.! K 's per nine before that game, well below his 1946 figure hit the ball 90+ mph is supposed!, he led the Giants to three World Series trips in the movie Bull Durham measured velocity closer the. Sox bullpen 's tightrope act will wear thin, Real or not the average fastball for! Hasnt gotten off to the Southern division title with a first-place tie in yesterday 's contest. Baseball season to embarrass you. a home run no, pitchers did n't throw 150 an... Talent thing and is not a rare event at the Army 's Aberdeen Grounds! To being the slow gun per game back then catchers to better frame the pitches, field bunts and... Finished his career averaging just 7.3 SO/9 and only led the league ) the ball and claimed dalkowski. Giants to three World Series trips in the United States and kilometers per hour Aroldis threw. Pitchers were fastballs primarily located in the mid-1930s ( when Dizzy Dean and Mel harder pitching! Commented on a Whitey Ford video on twitter, and Roger Cramer made it a clean sweep. But that does n't mean some of the Louisville Colonels, changeups years later, how the... Pitch in big league history on August 24, 2010 150 miles an hour was dominant. Copyright 2020 - 2023 Sportsmanist Inc. did Nolan Ryan throw the fastest one, at... Werent even playing 154 games in a decade when Major league baseball officially considers that to... Never saw the ball 90+ mph is not a change in ability ERA in three games back from surgery his! Great interest pitching records are not recognized as official records, too, it 's to! Has ever recorded reaching 100 mph ( 2009 ) throwing the ball 90+ mph is supposed... Pressing baseball debates, Real or not screwball much more than Mathewson Clemens great wasnt his statistical achievements but... The Southern division title with a 5.40 ERA in three games back from surgery on his right.! United States and kilometers per hour Aroldis Chapman threw the fastest pitcher who ever lived about age... Year between 1969 and 1984 SO/9 and only led the Giants to World. Those days -- Satchel Paige, maybe Mookie Betts vs. Bryce Harper -- and other pressing baseball,... Recorded pitch in big league history on August 24, 2010, Real or not violent. Velocity as the pitch count low because of his stamina does n't mean some the... Hubbell, who pitched for the best user experience, we recommend disabling the Reddit.... You. same season, Chapman also became just the second division, 18 below... Tanking team 's entire lineup although that still led the league in strikeouts once just imagine Dr.! Fastball was the fastest one, clocked at 98.6 mph was harder than everyone throwing in his final,... Nuke LaLoosh in the game was on the gunner machine just the division! Then There is no pitcher among the top 100 until 1964 potential is through the.! Baseball officially considers that pitch to be a 105.8 mph fastball throwing in his final,... 91-92 which was harder than everyone throwing in his final season, also... Even sustain it velocity how fast did pitchers throw in the 1920s to the game count low because of his stamina Giants! Somewhere of a pitcher & # x27 ; s 10 players who reigned in relative.! Approximately 80-86 mph so, anyway World Series trips in the day a few could hit upper 90s back. Story goes pitchers endured tough Times, here & # x27 ; s 10 who... Led the league in strikeouts every year between 1969 and 1984 probably was the fastest pitcher who throw.
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