How fast did pitchers throw in the 1800s

Q: How fast did old MLB pitchers throw?

The best pitchers velocity in Ruths day topped out at about 90 miles per hour, while relievers youve never heard of now flirt with 100 mph fastballs.

Wezen-Ball, enterprising as ever, reviews a 1917 effort to measure the speed of a pitched ball. Money quote:

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How fast did old MLB pitchers throw?
How fast were pitchers throwing in 1940?
Who was the first pitcher to throw 100 mph?
How fast did Sandy Koufax throw?

The Popular Science article is called "Two and a Half Miles a Minute: That's the speed at which a pitched ball travels." That's 150 mph. We won't be reaching those speeds any time soon. There might have been significant measurement and calculation error in that study, but it's still fascinating to see what people were doing nearly 100 year ago to better understand the game of baseball. We should just be thankful that we no longer have to resort to such elaborate means to get that kind of data. Instead, we just spend hours and hours analyzing it. Maybe we haven't changed all that much. Not that I'm complaining...

I used to think that pitchers before Bob Feller didn't throw nearly as hard as pitchers throw today. I thought that even the top power pitchers of the 1920s and '30s -- again, before Feller -- topped out around 90 miles an hour. If only because most of the film I've seen of pitchers from that era just don't suggest that much effort was being expended.
Recently, though, I saw a clip somewhere of a pitcher from those days -- Satchel Paige, maybe? -- and his pitching motion was practically indistinguishable from the pitching motions we see today.

No, pitchers didn't throw 150 miles an hour. I don't believe they threw, on average, as hard as pitchers throw today. 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?

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. I suspect that Satchel Paige and Lefty Grove and Dazzy Vance topped out in the low or middle 90s, which was frightening then and would be enough to keep them gainfully employed now.

You are here: Home / General / Fantasy / Are 1800s Innings Pitched Totals Valid?

Should the enormous innings pitched totals of hurlers in the nineteenth century be adjusted based on the distance thrown?

In order to compare eras, let’s take a closer look at the progression of distances from the pitching “box” to home plate since 1876.

1876-1880: 45 feet
1881-1892: 50 feet
1893-2013: 60 feet 6 in

In 1876, Jim Devlin of the Louisville Grays led the National League with an astonishing 622 innings pitched. However, the distance between the box and home plate was 29.4 percent closer than the current distance.

A modern day pitcher delivering a 90 mph fastball takes roughly .458 seconds to reach home plate. The equivalent reaction time for a batter in 1876 of a ball hurled from 45 feet is .3407 seconds. However, pitchers were strictly prohibited from throwing overhand until 1884 limiting the speed of the pitch. The seismic change in distances is equivalent of a Little League pitcher (46 feet) moving to a MLB field (60 ft 6 in) from ages 12 to 13.

It was common for pitchers in the nineteenth century to complete 60-75 games per season and compile multiple campaigns of 500+ innings. According to baseballreference.com, the top 85 innings pitched seasons of all-time occurred between 1876-1892.

The most famous of these hurlers is Charles “Old Hoss” Radbourn. In 1884, the Providence Grays right-hander tossed 678.67 IP working from a distance of 50 feet to home plate. In essence, Radbourn and his contemporaries released the ball 19 percent closer than present day pitchers.

Justin Verlander

The modern day workhorse, Justin Verlander, has led MLB three times in innings pitched since 2009. However, the Detroit Tigers ace routinely compiles only 220-250 innings pitched per season. The advent of pitch counts, five-man rotations, and monitoring starting pitchers workload has led to the dramatic reduction of innings pitched numbers.

Thus, the shortened pitching distances greatly altered the seasonal innings pitched totals from 1876-1892. PEACE adjusts for innings pitched totals prior to 1893 to neutralize the eras based on throwing from 60 feet 6 inches from home plate. Consequently, it is imperative to remember the context and conditions in which a starting pitcher competed.

Filed under Fantasy, Features, General, Top Stories · Tagged with 60ft6in.com, Closer Look, Contemporaries, Dramatic Reduction, Eras, Fastball, Grays, Hoss, Hurlers, Jim Devlin, Justin Verlander, League Pitcher, Little League, Nineteenth Century, Old Hoss Radbourn, Present Day, Reaction Time, Right Hander, Rotations, Starting Pitchers, Top 85, Workhorse

How fast did old MLB pitchers throw?

The best pitchers' velocity in Ruth's day topped out at about 90 miles per hour, while relievers you've never heard of now flirt with 100 mph fastballs.

How fast were pitchers throwing in 1940?

In 1940, Bob Feller tried the same test with his pitch coming in at a whopping 103 miles per hour.

Who was the first pitcher to throw 100 mph?

Jhoan Duran is first in MLB history to throw 100 mph off-speed pitch.

How fast did Sandy Koufax throw?

Answer: While it is possible Koufax could hit 100 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.