The pitch won easily. Trying to sneak a fastball by Ted Williams was like trying to sneak a sunbeam by a rooster in the morning. BOB FELLER: Pitching for the Cycle. | Photograph shows Bob Feller, of the Cleveland Indians, pitching to New York Yankees' Joe DiMaggio in the fourth inning during a baseball game at Yankee Stadium in New York City; Frankie Hayes, catching, and umpire Eddie Rommel behind the plate. Bob Feller Top 10 Unhittable Pitches in Baseball History | The Good ... Has Thrown the Fastest Pitch in MLB History It is estimated that Walter Johnson was throwing around 100 MPH. It can't be said with certainty as radar didn't exist then. Bob Feller Bob Feller - Wikipedia Reynolds led the AL in shutouts in back-to-back seasons in 1951 and ’52, with seven in the former year and six in the latter. 62 Copy quote. Probably in the low 90,s but these guys were real pitchers and did not need to overpower everyone How fast did the pitchers throw during Babe Ruth’s era? If you've never heard of him, it's because he had a career record of 46-80 and a 5.59 ERA - in the minor leagues. Indians' 10 Greatest Pitchers ! In 1940, when MLB wanted to test the speed of Bob Feller's fastball, radar wasn't available to the public yet, so it made sense that they used the most common way that people were caught speeding - the police motorcycle and it's ever-present speedometer. last edited by . He was starting the game against the Senators (he lost) so it seems unlikely that he threw every bit as hard as he could for some quirky speed test. We won't be … Major League Baseball lost a pitching icon last week with the passing of Cleveland Indians legend Bob Feller, one of the greatest right-handers of all time. There were no radar guns in the days of Babe Ruth. It was on a closed off road in Chicago’s Lincoln Park back in the summer of 1940, 5 years after... In 1947, Feller again displayed his pre-war dominance, leading the league in wins, strikeouts, innings and starts. His catcher during this period was Nile Kinnick, who later won the Heisman Trophy in 1939 and became a member of … What we do know is that Bob Feller’s fastball was timed at a widely reported 98.6 mph when tested against a speeding motorcycle. Bob Feller (Curveball) (Bob Feller) One of the most effective and toughest baseball pitches in a hurler’s repertoire, the curveball has a forward spin, and drops when it gets to the plate. The reason was Strasburg, … He also claimed he was clocked at 107.9 mph in a demonstration in 1946 at Griffith Stadium. The 2003, 2004, and 2005 were his best years, posting 11.5 fWAR in that time out of a total of 13.5 for his career. Feller would win only four more games before retiring in 1956. Editor's note: Cleveland's Bob Feller, 92, died of acute pneumonia on Dec. 15, 2010. Does size matter in baseball? It is the Indian rookie's first appearance in a major league uniform. Hall of Fame member Bob Feller, for example, earned the respect of members who claimed he was one of the best pitchers of their time. He set the standard for excellence under Chief Wahoo’s aegis, hence the Bob Feller statue outside Progressive Field. However, the method of measuring pitch speed was quite different in 1974 compared to today. According to the documentary, adjusting Feller’s pitch with today’s motorcycle-less standards, it actually registered at 107.6 miles per hour. Bob Feller learned to throw that fastball at his family's farm in Van Meter, Iowa. The range of pitching speed for a 15 year old is 65 – 74 mph. 1 photographic print. Feller once mentioned that he was clocked at 104 mph at Lincoln Park in Chicago. J.R. Richard. Check out and see how they measured this Before Radar Guns. It is the Indian rookie's first appearance in a major league uniform. How fast? Randy Johnson’s heater instilled fear and exploded birds. Only users with topic management privileges can see it. He played for the Cleveland Indians and was elected on the first ballot in 1962 to Cooperstown’s Baseball Hall of Fame. That’s 2.5 mph faster than Chapman’s officially recorded fastest pitch of 105.1 mph. definition of - senses, usage, synonyms, thesaurus. No hurler for the Indians ever matched Feller’s speed, accuracy, and endurance—except, perhaps, Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn. the only thing stopping Feller from having accomplished that feat is that they had no way of accurately measuring pitch speed. Walter Johnson was reportedly measured at 99.7 MPH at the Army's Aberdeen Proving Grounds, where they could measure the speed of bullets. You're skeptical of the FFE measurement? If you've never heard of him, it's because he had a career record of 46-80 and a 5.59 ERA - in the minor leagues. In 1936, Feller was signed by Cy Slapnicka, a scoutfor the Indians, for one dollar and an autographed baseball. But the speed of Johnson's fastball was measured after it would have crossed home plate. Those were his strengths throughout his career, his ability to get the speed extra-base hits and to draw a walk. AP In this March 6, 2010, file photo, Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller waits to throw out a first pitch before a spring training baseball game … After the first batter is thrown out trying to bunt, Bob Feller, a 17-year old farm boy from Van Meter, Iowa, strikes out eight consecutive batters in three innings during an All-star break exhibition game against the Cardinals' Gas House Gang. Lifting Weight Doesn’t Increase Pitching Velocity, Really! Bob Feller : biography November 3, 1918 – December 15, 2010 Feller and his wife, Virginia Winther, had three sons, Steve, Martin, and Bruce. T10. Feller became one of the most famous pitchers in baseball history. Enough variables were satisfied to calculate the speed of the pitch. Bob Feller The fastest official speed is 98.6 mph, but there are those who believe he once threw a ball 107.9 mph during a demonstration. In a separate stunt his pitch beat a speeding 86-mile-per-hour motorcycle in a race and, when accounting for the motorcycle's headstart and … However, the method of measuring pitch speed was quite different in 1974 compared to today. Feller was one of many fireballers -- Nolan Ryan, Steve Dalkowski and David Price -- that I spoke to when writing High Heat: The Secret History of the Fastball and the Improbable Search for the Fastest … Strikeouts, innings and starts speed, accuracy, and the Heater from Van Meter a pitcher. Hornsby 's batting stance measured the speed of 98.6 mph is the Indian rookie 's first appearance in a league. On a closed off road in Chicago’s Lincoln Park back in the summer of 1940, 5 after... 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