| Bibliographic Entry | Result (w/surrounding text) |
Standardized Result |
|---|---|---|
| Light, Jonathan Fraser. The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball. Second edition. North Carolina, McFarland & Company Inc. Publisher, 2005: 312- 314. | "Feller also claimed that he was clocked at 107.9 mph in a demonstration in 1946 at Griffith Stadium." | 48.24 m/s |
| Bearner, John. Zoooomaya and Speed Guns. The Hardball Times. January 8, 2007. | "If you haven't seen Enhanced Gameday, have a look at the screenshot below that shows Zumaya's second pitch to A-Rod in the 8th inning of Game 2 of the ALDS.The graphic tells us that the pitch left Zumaya's hand at 102.5 mph and flew over the plate at 93.4 mph for a swinging strike. Out of interest, in Game 1 of the ALCS, Zumaya's release speed registered an incredible 104.8 mph for a pitch to Frank Thomas." | 46.85 m/s |
| Holz, Sean. The Fastest Pitcher in Baseball History. Baseball Almanac. February 2003. | "The most widely quoted response is Nolan Ryan, whose fastball was "officially" clocked by the Guinness Book of World Records at 100.9 miles per hour in a game played on August 20, 1974 versus the Chicago White Sox." | 45.11 m/s |
Ever wonder why in most physical activities including sports, players show significant improvement over time, but not in baseball? Millions have wondered the same, and research has led experts to believe the blame is on physical reasons. A pitcher produces momentum by transferring his weight onto his back leg and then thrusting forward. Next, he turns his pelvis, then his elbow, shoulder, and finally his wrist. Thinking logically, it seems as though this would generate more force and allow his arm to accelerate the ball more. However, what many people fail to recognize is that there is a limit, and that more torque (angular force that causes a change in rotational motion) doesn't produce a faster pitch. Even baseball follows a path right back to the simple laws of physics.
Radar (Radio Detection and Ranging) Guns (small Doppler radar used to detect the speed of objects) were introduced in 1935 and are still used to this day to measure the speed of baseballs pitched by some of the world's most famous athletes. The magic fastball number has been established to be 100 mph (44.70 m/s). This 3-digit speed is difficult to surpass, however a few athletes have managed.
When the topic of the speed of the fastest pitched baseball arises, fans and historians alike begin to dispute the recorded measurement and who was the pitcher who threw it. Many controversial beliefs come into play in the discussion, but the Guinness Book of World Records has placed credit into the hands of Nolan Ryan whose fast ball was pitched at 100.9 mph (45.11 m/s) on August 20, 1974 in a game against the Chicago White Sox. Many disagree with this claim and have strong beliefs that there is actually a tie between Mark Wohlers and Joel Zumaya who each pitched at 103.0 mph. Still, others feel that the praise and recognition should go to Bob Feller who pitched a baseball at a speed of 107 mph (some say it was 107.9 mph). Some experts accept the accounts that state that Steve Dalkowski (nicknamed White Lightning) after his fastball pitched a baseball at a whooping speed of 110 mph, whereas others believe that it is absolutely ridiculous. What do you thing?
Recently, evidence has been found that suggest that radar guns produce an inaccurate reading of the speed of the pitch. With this in mind, the MLB Advanced Media and its Enhanced Gameday technology was developed. This advanced software allowed experts to compute Zumaya's release speed to be a remarkable 104.8 mph in Game 1 of the ALCS and claim him the fastest pitcher.
For the typical person, pitching a baseball at any speed equal to or greater than 100 mph would probably be a challenge. However, baseball athletes are far from the average person in terms of their physical abilities in pitching. In baseball, as in all sports, the faster the better, and all athletes strive for the best.
Anna Ostrovskaya -- 2007