There have only been 15 unassisted triple plays in MLB history, making this feat rarer than a perfect game. The average major league fastball, by most accounts is somewhere between 90 and 92 mph. However, in a recent interviewJenniferRing,a political science professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, told Scientific American that a woman can throw faster than that. The Guinness World Book of Records says the fastest pitch ever thrown by a female player was 69 m.
A filthy pitch is basically a get out of jail free card for the guy on the mound. It can also strike fear in every batter around the league because the fact that this guy has a dominate pitch that cannot be touched is always in the back of his mind. The pitchers in the 13 and 14 year old age group can be heavily involved in travel baseball, or finishing up their Little League experience.
A typical fastball from this age group is anywhere from 55 mph on the low side to 75 mph. The Eephus pitch is legal in Major League Baseball to throw. As long as the pitcher does not deceive the batter by slowing down in their pitching rotation, there is no issue. Mays remains, as the oldest living Hall of Famer after turning 90 years old on Thursday.
During this span, Sandy Koufax won three Cy Young awards, earned a league MVP award, threw four no-hitters and a perfect game, led the Dodgers to three pennants and a World Championship, and topped the N. He has two brothers, Gonzalo and Rafael, and a sister, Maria. His father died of an unknown illness when Marichal was three years old. Has there ever been a 2 pitch inning recorded in the MLB?
From googling, I found that a minor league pitcher, Hayden Deal , throwing a 2 pitch inning in the top of the 10th — in a game back in The Brooklyn Dodgers hold the NL record: 21, in the first inning ouch! Stephens is the only one with three hits in one inning. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Celtics spread: Nets The team won three of those championships and Koufax helped by winning four games. One of Koufax's most notable career moments occurred during the World Series.
In recognition of his accomplishments on the field, the Dodgers retired the number This was the number Koufax wore during his career. His parents divorced when he was three-years-old and when his mother remarried, Koufax took the surname of her new husband Irving. While there, he forayed into both basketball and baseball.
By this time, Koufax had started to visit his local Jewish Community Centre and play basketball there. In , at the age of 15, Koufax began to play in the Baseball Ice Cream League where he was noticed by baseball scouts.
Laurie got his sons to recruit Koufax to pitch for the Parkviews. Laurie would keep Koufax overnight in order to make sure he got to the baseball field on time. Koufax graduated from High School and decided to attend the University of Cincinnati on a basketball scholarship.. Koufax lived off-campus and joined the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity.
During the school's spring break, the baseball team went to New Orleans and Florida. Before the team left, Koufax and his roommate, Norman Lefkowitz, decided to try out for the squad.
Finally, Danny Gilbert volunteered for the job. In , both Koufax and Gilbert made the varsity team. That season, Koufax went 3—1 with a 2.
Bill Zinser, a scout for the Brooklyn Dodgers, sent the Dodgers front office a glowing report which was promptly lost. His next tryout was for the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field. During the tryout, Koufax threw so hard that he broke the thumb of his catcher, Sam Narron, the bullpen coach for the Pirates. Branch Rickey, then general manager of the Pirates, told his scout Clyde Sukeforth that Koufax had the "greatest arm I've ever seen".
Dodgers scout Al Campanis had been told about Koufax from a local sporting goods store owner. Dodgers manager Walter Alston and scouting director Fresco Thompson watched as Campanis assumed the hitter's stance while Koufax started throwing.
Campanis later said that "the hair on my arms rose, and the only other time that happened was the first time I saw the Sistine Chapel". Koufax accepted this offer, planning to use the signing bonus as tuition for architecture school just in case baseball did not work out.
That forced the Dodgers to keep him in the major leagues for at least two years before he could be sent to the minors. To make room for him on the roster, the Dodgers optioned their future manager, Tommy Lasorda, to the Montreal Royals of the International League. Lasorda would later joke that it took Sandy Koufax to keep him off the Dodger pitching staff. Koufax made his major league debut on June 24, , in the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Braves with the Dodgers trailing 7—1.
Johnny Logan, the first batter Koufax faced, got a bloop single. Mathews bunted, and Koufax calmly fielded the ball and threw it into centre field, trying to get Logan on the force. Aaron then walked on four pitches to load the bases.
Bobby Thomson was the next batter, and after working the count full, he struck out swinging. Thomson had just become Koufax's first strikeout victim. Koufax's first game as starting pitcher was on July 6. He did not start again for almost two months, but he made the most of it when it did happen. On August 27, playing at Ebbets Field against the Cincinnati Reds, Koufax threw a two hit, 7—0 complete game shutout for his first major league win. Koufax made only twelve appearances in , pitching His only other win in was also a shutout.
During the fall, he enrolled in Columbia University's School of General Studies, which offered night classes in architecture. The Dodgers won the World Series for the first title in franchise history—but without any help from Koufax, who sat on the bench for the entire series. After the final out of the Series, Koufax drove to Columbia to attend class. He saw little work, pitching only Rarely was he allowed to work out of a jam. As soon as he threw a couple of balls in a row, Alston would have somebody start warming up in the bullpen.
Jackie Robinson , in his final season, clashed with Alston on several different subjects, including Koufax. Robinson saw that Koufax was talented and had flashes of brilliance, and Robinson objected to Koufax being benched for weeks at a time.
To prepare for the season, the Dodgers sent Koufax to Puerto Rico to play winter ball. On May 15, the restriction on sending Koufax down to the minors was lifted. Alston gave him a chance to justify his place on the major league roster by giving him the next day's start. It was his first complete game in almost two years.
For the next two weeks, and for the first time in his career, he was in the starting rotation. Despite winning three of his next five, leading the league in strikeouts and having a 2. In his next start, on July 19, he struck out eleven in seven innings, but got a no decision.
On September 29, Koufax became the last man ever to pitch for the Brooklyn Dodgers before their move to Los Angeles , by throwing an inning of relief in the final game of the season. Over the next three seasons, Koufax was in and out of the Dodger starting rotation due to injuries. He started the season strong by going 7—3 through July, but ended up spraining his ankle in a collision at first base.
He finished the season with an 11—11 record, leading the league in wild pitches. In June , Koufax struck out 16 Philadelphia Phillies to set the record for a night game. Two months later, he broke that record in Los Angeles, against the Giants, tying Bob Feller's major league record with 18 strikeouts. Game One was in Chicago , where Koufax made his first World Series appearance, pitching two perfect innings of relief in an 11—0 loss.
Alston gave him the start in Game Five. An unlikely rumor is that he was able to throw at speeds of miles per hour. He only stood 5'11" and weighed pounds, yet people who saw large men like J. Richard and Randy Johnson pitch say Dalkowski threw much harder than those two. Richard and Johnson have both officially clocked in at over miles per hour on numerous occasions. The anecdotes from other hall of fame players are maybe even more telling.
Ted Williams, often considered the greatest hitter who ever played the game, once faced Dalkowski in a minor league warm-up. Ted had retired fairly young and was still likely able to compete at the major league level.
Out of curiosity, he stepped in as a coach into the batting box against Dalwkoski in a practice session. Williams's skill as a hitter was not just in his swing and determination but in his legendary eyesight. Ted took one pitch and stepped away—he said he never saw the ball, he'd only heard it. The rise and fall of J. Richard is not a pretty tale. The man had as much skill and power as other greats such as Nolan Ryan.
However, as a black man, he surely did suffer some discrimination down in Houston, Texas, a town where he ought to have been more loved and appreciated for what he brought there. From to , only two other pitchers in all of baseball could compare to him, Steve Carlton and Nolan Ryan.
Standing at 6'8", J. Richard could regularly throw the ball at miles per hour and above. He struck out more than batters in a season on two occasions and in he led the National League with the lowest earned run average. The season started well for Richard and he had Nolan Ryan on the team with him—providing the Houston Astros with the two most powerful right-handed flame throwers in all of baseball.
However, it wasn't long before J. He wasn't feeling as strong and powerful as he was used to and his complaints and requests for examination were either ignored entirely, brushed off with derision, or just given a perfunctory look.
Despite being selected as starting pitcher for that year's All-star game, he'd soon complain of having a dead arm. The Houston media said J. Richard was seriously ill, but team trainers and physicians hadn't noticed the problem—a growing blood clot in his neck. On July 14, , he would pitch his final major league game. He started well and strong but left in the fourth inning due to complaints of blurry vision and numbness in his fingers. He was placed on the day disabled list.
On June 25, he was sent to Methodist Hospital in Houston, and despite obstructions in his arteries, it was determined that no surgery was needed. June 30 saw Richards having a practice throwing session at the Houston Astrodome—he tried to shake off the loud ringing in his ears but he soon collapsed on the AstroTurf, a victim of a stroke.
He would never recover from the stroke he had at the age of The Houston television media apologized repeatedly for having questioned whether or not he was truly ill.
He would win a racial discrimination lawsuit against the Houston Astros worth a huge sum of money, but he'd wind up homeless and living under a bridge just the same. Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. As a year-old boy, Nolan Ryan was someone I'd already heard of, and he went on to become the biggest legend in all of baseball. He was my hero then and even more so now. Ryan came into the major leagues as a kid with a phenomenal right arm—and he left after a record 27 major league seasons, still throwing nearly miles per hour.
I saw Ryan start many times and witnessed him pitching at age In his second to last career game as a starter, he was throwing fastballs at 96 miles per hour past bewildered men more than 20 years his junior. Out of all the men gifted with the talent of pitching at miles per hour, Nolan Ryan was the man who kept it the longest and used it the most.
In his year career, there is no doubt he threw more pitches over that speed than anyone else. Besides his legendary fastball, known as "The Ryan Express," he also had one of the best curve-balls in the history of the sport. So how good was Nolan Ryan? Well, baseball is a game of statistics, and he has a huge number of dominating numbers—some of which will likely never be touched.
First and foremost, Ryan struck out more batters than anyone with a record of 5, More impressive is his record of seven no-hitters. He allowed fewer hits per nine innings of pitching over his career than anyone, an average of 6.
He held opposing batters to a lower batting average than anyone at. His season record of strikeouts and his six seasons with more than strikeouts are also very telling. There has never been a more intimidating pitcher than Nolan Ryan. Unless, of course, you face Randy Johnson. By the time he threw the ball, it seemed like his left arm was halfway to home plate.
He also threw from a three-quarter position rather than straight over the top—if you were you a left-handed hitter, every pitch would seem aimed at your head. When Johnson first made it to the big leagues, he had a wild and long mullet, a big burly mustache, and he stomped around on the mound in a very angry manner. He would then launch mph pitches.
This giant man had to have been the most frightening redneck to ever grace a pitcher's mound. The Big Unit threw a no-hitter early in his career. A possibly even more impressive accolade was when he became the first left-handed pitcher to ever strike out Wade Boggs three times in one game.
However, Johnson was still struggling quite a bit; he'd often walk so many batters that he'd lose the game. But Nolan Ryan had seen Johnson pitch and he knew the potential he had. Ryan scheduled a visit with Randy to show him some things that would change his career.
What Ryan suggested was that Randy focus where he'd land on his feet when throwing a ball, and soon Johnson would become a dominating pitcher. In a game, Johnson started against Ryan and the Texas Rangers and he got 18 strikeouts, winning the game. Though Johnson did at times throw miles per hour, he didn't do so as often as other pitching greats. His fastball wasn't even his best pitch. The Big Unit's devastating slider is what made him so lethal. He'd end his career second only to Nolan Ryan in strikeouts with 4,, and he'd tie Nolan with six seasons in which he'd strike out or more batters.
He pitched two no-hit games, the second of which was the rare perfect game, a game where no batter reaches 1st base. Johnson's five Cy Young awards are second only to Roger Clemens in major league history.
Now if there is anyone remotely comparable in the big leagues today to the men discussed above, that man would be Justin Verlander.
At just 30 years old, Verlander has already accomplished quite a bit and still has a lot left to deliver—which is a scary thought for any competitor. In , Justin Verlander pitched a no-hitter and finished the season with 18 wins, winning the American League rookie of the year award. With great years between and , Verlander appears to be a mainstay ace.
He has a fastball that can go anywhere from 94 to miles per hour, and a big nasty curve-ball to go along with it. While his skill and attributes remind most fans of Nolan Ryan, his pitching motion along with the outstanding fastball and curve-ball is more reminiscent of another right-handed pitcher who once threw miles per hour, Dwight Gooden.
How good is Verlander? He won a Cy Young award in as well as the triple crown of pitching in the American League; he led the league in strikeouts, in wins, and had the lowest earned run average.
If we're discussing who can throw the hardest, then why leave the relievers for last? Relief pitching is now a field all its own. In the days of Walter Johnson, all the way towards the end of Nolan Ryan's career, starting pitchers would start a game with the singular goal in finishing that game, and with a win. Now, of course, it didn't always happen, that is why there has been relief pitching all along. Pitchers nowadays do not truly expect to finish a game they've started.
Nobody in the major leagues has thrown more than pitches in a game since the day Randy Johnson struck out 18 Texas Rangers in When a closer is brought into a game, they are generally brought in during the 9th inning. They wait to air it out and they don't have to worry about their arms so much since they're not looking at nine innings, just one or two.
So how hard do these guys throw? At the top is Aroldis Chapman, the tall, thin, left-handed Cuban defector, who threw a pitch recorded at Just behind Chapman would be the very large Detroit right-handed closer, Joel Zumaya, who once threw a ball This beat a speed recorded by Mark Wohlers, who tossed one at miles per hour.
Last but certainly not least, there is Neftali Feliz, who was clocked more recently in at Now it is pretty obvious, with all the years and thousands of players to have played major league baseball, that I've left out some very relevant names, faces, and statistics. There is just too much to say and mention, so please accept my apologies for the players you feel were unfairly omitted.
Answer: There probably is one, but you would likely need to dig through at least the first 3 pages of Google's search results to find the most comprehensive one. Such a list would be growing in length constantly, as these days MLB scouts are specifically looking to draft the largest men possible, and expectations of high velocity are increasingly thought to be important.
Answer: You need to be more specific. Over the years various ways of measuring velocity have been used. What they use today is not what they used years ago. Nolan Ryan has the record, all in all, and this was from Doppler Radar. His pitch was measured at Answer: I'm sure he could. The competition in Major League Baseball is much tougher today because we've included not just African Americans, but virtually anyone in the world who can make it.
But The Babe's stats show he could certainly compete well were he playing in today's era. Question: How could you not include Sandy Koufax in the list of the hardest throwing pitchers?
Answer: While it is possible Koufax could hit mph in his younger years, the fastest pitch he ever threw which was recorded was in the low 90s. Koufax was obviously one of the greatest pitchers in MLB history, but his breaking balls were what was so devastating. Ernie Banks said Sandy's breaking pitches had more spin than anyone else's. Answer: An outstanding intimidating reliever and those thick glasses of his surely had a psychological impact on the scared batters.
I'd be frightened too. Duren surely fits the bill and belongs in the mph club. Waddell struck out players in ? I face both Ryan and Dalkowski and it wasn't close. Dalkowski threw a lot harder than Ryan. We were playing in Bluefield West Virginia and there was a Coke sign above the press box behind home plate, Dalkowski threw a fast ball through the coke sign. Go ahead and laugh but you weren't standing in the batters box when the pitch went thirty feet over your head.
I'm so freaking starved for baseball right now. Holy smoke, are we going to have a sane world again, and there must be baseball!
I find it hard to believe that Koufax in his prime only threw 93 mph. He consistently led the league in strikeouts a then record in , He did have a devastating curve but I think he also threw at least as fast as anyone else in the 's.
There are two complete telecast games of him pitching in the world series. They are the best evidence of his speed. Nolan Ryan's next to last start was not at home in Arlington Stadium. It was against the Angels in Anaheim, CA. I know because I was there along with over 60, other fans. Nice move by Kevin Kennedy when took him out after he threw his warm up pitches in the bottom of the 7th.
We gave him a really great ovation as he walked of the mound. That game is on Youtube. His final start of his career was on the 22nd at Seattle when he blew out his arm in the 1st inning. His final start at home was on Sept. I saw him pitch a few times when he was on the Angels.
He took a no-hitter into the 9th but Reggie Jackson got a hit with 1 out. I think I saw him against the Dodgers when he was with Houston early 80s.
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